"Held Harmless" Indeed

   So Social Security recipients are granted a  0.3% increase for 2017, no COLA this year, but an "adjustment."   But Part B Medicare costs also increase, in amount higher than the benefit paid. So, unless you have the hold harmless provision, your benefit check will probably be less in 2017 than in 2016.  A piddling amount either way, so no worries.  Wait til next year.

1-20-17

Maybe Kelly Conway is a good singer, possibly really, really good.  The goodest even.

Outta Here

    Today I went Christmas shopping, sort of, my goal being to get toys for the little tots, those who don't yet appreciate the value of cold hard cash.  I went Christmas shopping last year once, I think to Boscov's but I can't remember what I bought.  I only know it was a rather short excursion, though not as brief as today's.  I left the house about 1:30, knowing there wouldn't be much alone time.
   The weather was good, the traffic flow light, and it seemed  strangely reassuring to be driving my car and listening to NPR, as in the old days.  The speaker was Tom Friedman, and he spoke of his book and his thoughts of the present and for the future.  His talk lasted most of the way to Clifton Park, ending in the parking lot of Toys R Us.  He presented a lengthy analysis of today's society.  If one word could sum it up, that word would be:  CYBERSPACE. Disturbing in that there are no rules or police in cyberspace, and one person can affect the entire world.
    I walked through the doors into a world of toys, thousands and thousands of presentations and choices. I saw the tables by the entrance and picked up 3 toys, fairly equivalent in size and pricing.  I was not yet acclimated to shopping after such a long time away, and so was not ready to venture down the aisles looming and booming with merchandise for the youngest among us.
   I was so efficient, time-wise, that I drove across to Boscov's, and visited the men's department for some much needed basic items.  The women's department, particularly, looked as if it was ready to be cleared out for new merchandise; there were sales aplenty. My guess would be that the spring fashions are already waiting in the wings, and will be on display long before my next shopping excursion. I pulled a sweater from a 75% off display rack, and bought it.  It felt really soft and was really cheap, and it fit.  It is brown and will probably make me look like Chewbacca, but I wanted to buy something new.  Dorothy and I used to shop almost weekly and we always bought something.  On sale of course.  Never, never pay full price.
   I stopped at McDonald's to bring home supper, in keeping with my mini-vacation.  As I walked into the store, I was struck by the sight of the Christmas tree.  I almost commented on it, but than realized it must have been put up a while ago, while I hadn't been there since probably last September.  It was kind of a Rip Van Winkle moment.  What!  Public Christmas displays, Pre-Christmas, year-end sales?  Is there no end to the madness.

FB Fails

You might as well take the bridge if this were to happen to you:
1)  You post a picture of you and yours on Facebook, and you don't get the "Beautiful family" feedback
2) You say you're done, or over it, or you threaten to unfriend your FB cohort, and nobody asks why.

Maybe

NOW we have the Christmas Tree picture.

Christmas Cactus Revival?

Christmas cactus, from Ma's house, where it bloomed profusely, and then with plentiful blooms at our house.  But for last several years, no blossoms.  This year, a few. Hope for the future?

Social Insecurity

    I just received a notice from the SSA saying my benefits will increase by 0.3% because of a rise in the cost of living, and that I can use this letter as proof if I need to apply for bank loans or other assistance.
    So, with the COLA, the amount of my new benefit, to be received on or about Jan. 18, 2017 is:    exactly the same as my present benefit.  Must be the .003 add-on is too insignificant to bother with.  And I can take that to the bank.