Debt Dumpers - 2019

[pblack]

I'm in CA, but luckily i'm in Sacramento County which is not being affected. In Sacramento County we have SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utilities District) for our electric and PGE for our gas. I think my parents are being affected by the power outages though, but I haven't heard from my dad this morning to confirm. It's crazy to see how many people are being affected by PGE's power outages. (I won't even get started on my thoughts about it.) Here's a map for a general idea of whose without power/who may be without power (the areas in light blue). A lot of my co-workers who live in the surrounding counties are having to deal with getting ready for work with no power this morning.

 

[DLgal]

This is what scares me about it most. I barely could drink the stuff for the diabetic pregnancy test. It was awful. I have a bad gag reflex, so I'll definitely remind myself about the Oralgel if it comes to that, @Scoobie . Thank you!

Taking on a new, necessary, debt today as the youngest spawn gets her braces on.

The stuff I had to drink wasn't that bad, and it was a small bottle (6oz). It just tasted like salty lime Gatorade. I chilled it well, pinched my nose and chugged it down. I kinda gagged at the very end, due to the saltiness, but it was not bad at all. It was called Suprep. I read about people having to drink like 32 oz. of liquid and that sounds horrific to me. There are a few options for this kind of prep. I did have to follow the 6oz prep up with 24oz water within an hour. That was easy for me, though.

You might also ask your doctor about using the combination of dulcolax and Miralax for the prep. There is a protocol for using these, where you basically take like 4x a normal dose, which ends up being a lot of liquid to drink over a couple hours, but since Miralax is mostly tasteless, it may be easier for you to handle.

 

[barkley]

I think my parents are being affected by the power outages though, but I haven't heard from my dad this morning to confirm

if he's reliant on a cell phone you probably won't hear from him till it's over. my brother just called from his landline-all the power to the affected area's cell towers has been cut. no cell phone reception

 

[imbatman]

**waves at @pblack from Redding area **

I've been without power since 1 a.m. I got off of work at 3 yesterday to prep. Started the generator, made sure the gas cans were full, didn't complain on social media, and bought extra ice. We are in the area that may not get power back until Saturday! I have power at work. And thank the Lord we have a gas water heater and the water district has commercial generators to keep our water on.

 

[pblack]

if he's reliant on a cell phone you probably won't hear from him till it's over. my brother just called from his landline-all the power to the affected area's cell towers has been cut. no cell phone reception

Wow, that's crazy! They didn't cut the cell towers near my parents. I ended up texting my mom and she told me that they did lose power last night. About an hour or so later my dad finally responded to me (he was sleeping, bad back, crazy sleep hours).

 

[pblack]

**waves at @pblack from Redding area **

I've been without power since 1 a.m. I got off of work at 3 yesterday to prep. Started the generator, made sure the gas cans were full, didn't complain on social media, and bought extra ice. We are in the area that may not get power back until Saturday! I have power at work. And thank the Lord we have a gas water heater and the water district has commercial generators to keep our water on.

I was wondering if you were affected by the power outages. I remembered you were farther North than I am. I hope that they restore your power sooner rather than later. Saturday is just crazy! Too bad the power outage couldn't get you out of work though.

 

[imbatman]

I was wondering if you were affected by the power outages. I remembered you were farther North than I am. I hope that they restore your power sooner rather than later. Saturday is just crazy! Too bad the power outage couldn't get you out of work though.

Right? Last year, when I was under evac notice, my boss wanted me to come in and I flat out told him no. And in Feb, when we got 21" of snow in 8 hours? He told me, "I shovel snow all the time." Ugh...

Grateful for the generator to keep our food. And super grateful for the nice weather. We can warm the house by just opening the blinds during the day so that it's not too cold inside. And really, who shouldn't learn to cook breakfast on their BBQ?

 

[crazycatstacy]

we are preparing for our first winter storm here. Supposed to get 8-15 inches of snow and 40 mph winds. Fingers crossed for a snow day tomorrow from work!

 

[pblack]

And really, who shouldn't learn to cook breakfast on their BBQ?

Think of it as a camping trip, but without the tent. But the important question is, do you have stuff to make smores?

 

[imbatman]

Think of it as a camping trip, but without the tent. But the important question is, do you have stuff to make smores?

Anyone reading this, please do me a favor and prep if something like this heads your way. People are still complaining on FB. Someone egged a local PG&E office. Thanks, that's helpful. Gas stations are down in affected areas, and the ones in town are now running out of fuel. We have an extra bottle of propane and gas cans. If an apocalypse did happen, I can see why the movies show people dying. Somehow they think blaming others (and the government) is their God-given right, instead of doing something preventative or helpful.

And while I don't have smores stuff (GF for a couple of weeks!), I do have apples and caramel dip.

 

[barkley]

we are preparing for our first winter storm here. Supposed to get 8-15 inches of snow and 40 mph winds. Fingers crossed for a snow day tomorrow from work!

we got 2 or 3 inches last night-wet, heavy stuff so it broke allot of tree limbs that were still full of leaves, in the process pulling down electrical lines. this is our second snowfall since september if it continues on this way the school districts will have used up their budgeted snow days long before christmas.

Anyone reading this, please do me a favor and prep if something like this heads your way. People are still complaining on FB. Someone egged a local PG&E office. Thanks, that's helpful. Gas stations are down in affected areas, and the ones in town are now running out of fuel. We have an extra bottle of propane and gas cans. If an apocalypse did happen, I can see why the movies show people dying. Somehow they think blaming others (and the government) is their God-given right, instead of doing something preventative or helpful.

i don't agree with any of the craziness people are engaging in about this right now but i have to wonder at what point the state of california will step in and draw a line in the sand w/ pg&e. i remember when the recession was full on and a massive number of households got behind in their bills, many water and sewage providers were prevented from shutting off service b/c it was deemed a public health and safety danger. i get the supposed reasoning for pg&e's current actions (i don't buy it but i get how they are presenting it) but it seems that shutting down all power which includes cell phone access, fuel access, schools, traffic signals and some essential government services for some regions is a health and safety danger as well. it never fails that when we get bad weather here people are using generators improperly and gassing themselves or causing fires with candles and kerosene lamps. so now massive numbers of people are put into that potential situation w/no ability to call for emergency help? if fires break out in the rural areas instead of property owners being able, as we are prone to do-combating it with our own water resources until help arrives, they just have to watch it burn while hopefully there's someone who has a vehicle with enough fuel to drive to a fire station and report it? seems like a much greater public danger than simply monitoring the areas with high winds and accident prone lines.

 

[crazycatstacy]

we got 2 or 3 inches last night-wet, heavy stuff so it broke allot of tree limbs that were still full of leaves, in the process pulling down electrical lines. this is our second snowfall since september if it continues on this way the school districts will have used up their budgeted snow days long before christmas.

I was in just in Court and asked the Presiding Judge what he thought our chances of a snow day are for tomorrow and he seems to think we will have an early closure day rather than a full snow day. I'm off Friday and we are closed Monday so I have a long weekend anyway and should be content with that, but I LOVE snow days!!!

 

[crazycatstacy]

Well no snow day and I'm guessing unless something changes significantly I won't be out of work early today either. I guess I will survive. LOL

 

[Scoobie]

I massive bulk shop every Sep. for the fall/winter, even though our weather is pretty mild. Last couple of years have been worse, so I'm bumping up my storage this year! Always have a food storage that includes basically everything you can think of (one extra at least of everything), 2 weeks at least for 5 people and a furbaby (who is still in cone, dangit). Sooo sorry for those of you in Cali dealing with this! Wish I could help in some way, will be sending prayers.
Also, this evening DS 24 (Niko) started on his liquid diet - goes through Thur. and his scope is Fri. morning. Picked up the Suprep and Orajel at the pharmacy and popped it in the fridge - 2 6oz. bottles that each get diluted in 16 oz. of liquid for each dose. And it even comes with a plastic cup for mixing! Awww, thanks Suprep! I'm just reading the instructions, he'll drink 32 MORE oz. of water after the initial 16 with the suprep in it, all within an hour. It's ok, I'll cheerlead him - CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! He'll love me for it. He says he wants a feast after the procedure, I told him he'd have to take it easy his first meal after not eating. Maybe a feast of mashed potatoes? I could make shapes (like playdoh) into various other types of food. It could look grand.

 

[DLgal]

I massive bulk shop every Sep. for the fall/winter, even though our weather is pretty mild. Last couple of years have been worse, so I'm bumping up my storage this year! Always have a food storage that includes basically everything you can think of (one extra at least of everything), 2 weeks at least for 5 people and a furbaby (who is still in cone, dangit). Sooo sorry for those of you in Cali dealing with this! Wish I could help in some way, will be sending prayers.
Also, this evening DS 24 (Niko) started on his liquid diet - goes through Thur. and his scope is Fri. morning. Picked up the Suprep and Orajel at the pharmacy and popped it in the fridge - 2 6oz. bottles that each get diluted in 16 oz. of liquid for each dose. And it even comes with a plastic cup for mixing! Awww, thanks Suprep! I'm just reading the instructions, he'll drink 32 MORE oz. of water after the initial 16 with the suprep in it, all within an hour. It's ok, I'll cheerlead him - CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! He'll love me for it. He says he wants a feast after the procedure, I told him he'd have to take it easy his first meal after not eating. Maybe a feast of mashed potatoes? I could make shapes (like playdoh) into various other types of food. It could look grand.

Use a straw to drink the solution so less will get on his tongue. Please DO NOT use large amounts of orajel. That is very dangerous, especially with someone who is disabled. You are not supposed to eat or drink within an hour of using it in your mouth, because it can paralyze your esophagus or if it goes down the wrong pipe, your ability to breathe. In addition, large amounts of lidocaine absorbed at once can be very dangerous and even fatal. I can't believe someone suggested this. Very irresponsible! All you need to do is google "using too much orajel" and you will see a ton of warnings against this. "Too much" is more than a pea sized amount.

 

[imbatman]

i don't agree with any of the craziness people are engaging in about this right now but i have to wonder at what point the state of california will step in and draw a line in the sand w/ pg&e.

The irony that is not being put into the media stories? PG&E were required to depower the lines, in accordance with a law that Governor Newsom signed last year. And the reason it'll take so long to reenergize? Also the same law that mandates that each line be physically inspected prior to power being restored. 50k miles of line. God bless the linemen.

Day 2. Plugged in the skillet and made myself a GF bagel. Kids fried themselves toast and eggs. Freezer and fridge are holding up well with the 3 hours on in the morning, 4-5 in the evening.

And today is a HAPPY DAY!!! I'm going to buy my DL tickets for next month!!! Not adding MaxPass until we arrive at the parks because we only want it for two of the three days.

 

[Scoobie]

Use a straw to drink the solution so less will get on his tongue. Please DO NOT use large amounts of orajel. That is very dangerous, especially with someone who is disabled. You are not supposed to eat or drink within an hour of using it in your mouth, because it can paralyze your esophagus or if it goes down the wrong pipe, your ability to breathe. In addition, large amounts of lidocaine absorbed at once can be very dangerous and even fatal. I can't believe someone suggested this. Very irresponsible! All you need to do is google "using too much orajel" and you will see a ton of warnings against this. "Too much" is more than a pea sized amount.

Thank you for the info.! It actually takes very little to spread on the tongue - we told the dr. about it and he thought it was fine. I would wager people already put more than they need on areas of pain in their mouth, even a pea size is too big for as well as this stuff spreads. He used it last time he had a scope and it worked well with no reaction - I will be with him and remind him to use very little. And he isn't my special needs kiddo, that one is his older bro (DS27) and he has no problem drinking the stuff (other than repeatedly telling me it's nasty, lol). He doesn't gag with it like we do. Thank you for the warning!!

 

[Scoobie]

Update - Niko slammed the 16 0z. of nasty in 60 seconds - no Orajel. Ew. Said he only felt slightly nauseous from it, and that it was indeed, nasty. Let the games begin!!

 

[Scoobie]

Financial update - I need new glasses, went to the eye dr. yesterday and already knew my vision had taken another tumble. Will get the same pair I wear now, rimless and lightweight and will use our fsa account to buy, so no extra $$ there.
Will also use the fsa for Niko's dr. bills since DH and I wouldn't be able to use it all by the end of year (we max it out). Getting comfortable with the idea we may have to take Niko out of town for medical care, if not then that is so much better.
Still on track with the plan for the last cc we have a balance on, savings, and putting away for fixing the driveway next spring (fall?).
Paid off our DW trip in Dec. last mo. so putting a little extra aside (on top of what I already put aside) for souvenirs, just in case. Decided to add memory maker in light of the fact Disney put back some photographers, really happy to know that.
Have started xmas shopping since I need to have everything here, wrapped, under the tree or delivered before Dec. 1st (we leave the 3rd). Right now I'm enjoying my indoor halloween decorations while I xmas shop online (is that strange?). Played all 3 Halloweentown movies while we decorated (yes it took that long, since we kept stopping to watch, lol - and there is no 4th one in my house). Still need to watch Hocus Pocus, Haunted Mansion, Little Vampire, Toy Story of Terror, and Twitches movies (all on dvd) and whatever else they play. Halloween splurge: found a halloween globe by Skull and Bones on ebay that plays The Sorcerer's Apprentice!! I love it so much!!! Paid for it with money back from Target for the breach settlement, so win/win. Niko also loves it, and says its his and I am borrowing it. I guess thats true if you think about the fact that the boys will get all my cool stuff when I'm gone - we're all really just borrowing for years from the next gen. Keeping new tchotkes for the holidays down to minimum now - if I want something it has to be fabulous, heirloom quality, and like nothing I already have to keep down on the clutter. Those 3 reeeaally weed out the possiblities. The Halloween globe totally fit.
Also splurged early Sep. (?) and pre-ordered the Disney cereal from Spencer's (anyone know what I'm talking about?). A ridiculous price for cereal, but got one of each offering - Ursula and Oogie Boogie by Funko. Each had a small funko of their namesake (which are adorable!!) and plastic smelling, tasteless, cereal. HAHAHA. Beau had THE funniest look on his face trying Oogie cereal. Said it smelled like plastic until you got milk on it, then a faaaaaiiiiint hint of fruity smell. Upon eating, there was no flavor, but a slight fruity after taste. I told him he could be a reviewer - he really swished it around, paying attention to all the nuances, and then couldn't find any. He was very descriptive in his analysis, and it was HILARIOUS. Worth every penny just for that.
DH has been working a ton of overtime lately, 6 twelve hour shifts then 2 days off, 3 in a row. That came in handy to pay the furbaby's surgery bill and subsequent appointments (still in the cone, hating it, walking like a drunk floozy, banging into everything. Weird.) But now, when I try to take it off for awhile, she practically attacks her foot with vigorous licking - for real. Gotta keep it on more now because of that - I'm mean. Ugh. The healing must be making it uber itchy now, the vet said another week of cone (what?!) and then she'll be fine. The OT has allowed me to get loads more for food storage, extra for the trip, and setting aside $$ to take Niko out of town if needs be (will put to one of the others on the list if it turns out its not needed).
On track for retirement, will bump it up 1% in January and watch closely to make sure we're not going over the max. If it starts lookng like we might, we've decided to open another Roth at work and put the overflow into that (still need to look into the particulars). Annnnd, once the last cc is paid we'll put extra to the house payment again. Wow, sorry so wordy today! Hope everyone is well and safe going into the weekend!! I know the weather is doing some crazy stuff right now through out the country - stay warm!!! And dry! And for those without power - prayers to you!

 

[Lizgistix]

Gosh, I don't want to sound like I'm bragging but over the course of last year, I was able to completely pay off my student loan from 1998. I was on a temporary assignment for work that paid nicely and decided to finally begin chipping away at this. I think it was around $12k and when I was down to the last $4k, the state sent a letter saying if I didn't pay the remaining balance by a certain date, they would begin garnishing my wages, so I dipped into my savings to pay the rest off.
So this will be the first year (in a long time) that I will actually get my tax refund and not have it garnished by the state.
Bonus: I'm not even mad about some of the presidential candidates talking about eliminating student loan debt. I'm proud of myself for finally being able to pay it off and not have it looming over me.