Thursday evening

Snow in the forecast tomorrow, so at noon today we went to the Aldi down the street to get milk for her and bananas for both of us.  The day before, we dropped the better part of a C-note at the new Weis in Macungie (we call it "The Nice Weis").  A whole chicken for chicken soup and chicken-sausage-potato bake, Italian sausage for that and for sausage-pepper-onion sandwiches.  Stuck to the list, no impulse items, only food we'll use that's not ultra-processed.  Have to eat carefully, since it's too cold to do any walking outdoors.  Just hang in there through winter, maintain weight and not gain weight.  When you start walking again in spring, then you can have the occasional chocolate chip cookie.

The basement looks more orderly, even if it isn't much neater.  There's one pile along the south wall that's earmarked for Goodwill, another pile on the west wall for Habitat for Humanity, and a stack of art equipment for the artist granddaughter.  In the middle of the room, taking up the most space, are a couple dozen empty boxes of varying sizes.  Most contained products we still use and now are sure we won't send back.  There are smaller Evian boxes, medium-sized boxes from Amazon, and they should be enough.  The rest get recycled.

I worked, she refilled the bird feeders, watched Acorn/Britbox, played WordScapes, made potato soup for supper.  In two or three months, I'll wind it down and ease into retirement.  Photography, writing, a foreign language, and a musical instrument.  Any of them can be reduced or dropped if other responsibilities make it necessary.  

Social Security:  check.  (The first "check" comes in mid-February.)

Medicare:  half-check.  Part A, signed up at age 65.  Dropped the coverage from my job effective 1/1 and signed up for a Medigap policy.  But nothing stood out regarding Part B, so I didn't take action until the PCP office notified me of it.  The Medicare card and Medigap card were fine as far as they went, but where's the medical insurance of Part B?  How'd I miss that?  There must have been a checklist that I missed.  

Anyway, I filled out one online form but attached the wrong supporting document, as I realized later that day.  Sometime soon, I'll get a rejection letter and I'll re-submit with the proper form, properly completed.  I dreaded contacting Medicare, but its .gov website had a chat window that told me the names of the two required forms.  One had an online version, which I completed, and today I received the second, fully completed and signed by me and by my current employer.  Ancora Imparo, y'all.