Category Archives: Blog

Part 54: Out Of Balance

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Yesterday was my mother’s first day out in the real world; Cynthia, her aide (how will we live without her?) researched and booked the first of several appointments with doctors. This one was with an orthopedist who checked on the healing of the fracture of my mother’s arm which occurred at the beginning of February and was the starting point of months of decline. My mother said that no one believed that she is ninety-five. She, however, sees the difference, the radical change from last year. “People say I look great,” she said, but she doesn’t believe it. I think … Continue reading →

NYC Photo Journal: Sunday in LIC (Long Island City)

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  The Long Island City Flea and Food market has opened. A nosher’s paradise. Not far from the “water” (the East River) and Gantry State Park. The place was jammed with unique and delicious stuff. This is just a small sample; I was too hungry to run around and photograph food, especially since the line for the squiggly potatoes and other strangely cut stuff was forty-five minutes long. Read about it here and here. More…on to the park, the East river, the breeze, the expensive new apartments we’ll never be able to afford. LIC may be the new Brooklyn which … Continue reading →

Part 53. Done Deal

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The search is over. The decision has been made. This afternoon I delivered the security deposit on the apartment that will be my mother’s sometime this summer. As much as I loved the place in the Bronx and the wonderful people there, I know that this is the correct choice. It is so similar, with a wonderful, friendly and caring staff. And the best thing is that not only is it in New York City but a short drive away; that makes such a difference. Now loose ends must be tied up: doctor visits, packing, shipping, the question of bringing … Continue reading →

Pissed Consumer Part 3: Confused Consumer

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And you thought the Verizon stuff was resolved, right? On Friday afternoon I returned home to find that there was a message from Verizon’s escalation department (because I called the New York State Public Service Commission ). It seems that my second phone line which had been on copper and was moved to FI-OS (without my permission) was in limbo and I was asked to call “Anne Marie” back. I did. Left a message. Now I am waiting for a call-back. My second phone line does not ring at all, copper or cable. Speaking of messages, recently, several people were … Continue reading →

Pissed Consumer Part 2. A Change On The Verizon

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Part 1 begins here. I may not have won a battle or a war, but because I registered a complaint with the New York State Public Service Commission yesterday, I got a call-back from Ms. Lee of the Verizon Corporate Office. She had a record of everyone I dealt with on the phone yesterday and I reiterated about how close I came to calling Time Warner cable and jumping ship. (Frying pan to frying pan.) The way I see it, I spend $3-4,000 annually on Verizon’s services and the sudden $3/mo. surcharge for keeping my number unlisted is nothing short … Continue reading →

Pissed Consumer: Part 1: A Change On the Verizon

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Well, boys and girls, here’s another tale of devious business practices that I am dealing with. I have been on the phone for about two hours after having received my Verizon bill. I get the “triple play” and have been happy with it, I have in general been happy with Verizon services, but what recently happened is unconscionable. I have two phone lines. One is on Fi-OS, high speed fiber optic cable, and the second has always been on copper wire. During the storms of last year, Fi-OS was down and took my phone, internet and television with it for … Continue reading →

Part 52. Doubt

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I hadn’t spoken to my mother or her aide for a few days. I was procrastinating since I had visited the lovely home in Flushing, that I decided, after much deliberation (as I also love the residence for seniors in the Bronx) that it was better all around for her to be situated as close as possible to me. I finally got around to calling last night about 7:30 pm. My mother goes to bed extremely early and I didn’t want to disturb anyone. As for me, it had been a rough, painful rainy day. I had a migraine and … Continue reading →

Part 51. Did You Ever Have The Feeling …

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What keeps us in the same place? Is it comfort? Fear? Complacency? Habit? Click to play >> [ti_audio media=”13661″] (A track from the Flushing House Band CD recorded by members of the Flushing House Community, the senior residence; How charming is this? singing; Susan Guerra, Tom Cherkin) My mother moved to Florida in the 1980’s when her doctor advised her to “stay out of the cold;” she was plagued by respiratory issues, and allergies. And so she and my dad packed it in and left New York City. She grew roots in the sandy Florida soil and stayed. She missed … Continue reading →

A Case of Planned Obsolescence

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I began my day with the intention of completing a load of paperwork. I had forms to fill out; before doing so I like to make copies to have an extra blank set just in case. My all-in-one printer which I have had since 2006 spat out strange looking copies: they reminded me of of a street that had just been routed before paving. There were rectangles and squares of hundreds of minute lines where graphics and text should have been. No matter what I did I couldn’t get a normal copy. And, of course it was working fine last … Continue reading →

Part 50. Putting The Pieces Together

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Friday, May 31, 2013 As I told you in my last blog, a visit to an elder attorney (not 5¢, not $5,000, more like $500 for a little over an hour; and I thought it was a FREE consultation through my union) yielded a ton of confusing information but I have decided that it pays to attempt some asset protection so that there are enough funds saved to help mom with her expenses. Here we go again, back to the lawyer… Saturday, June 1, 2013   Another visit to a senior residence. The good thing is that this one is … Continue reading →

Part 49. All Roads Lead to Home …

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Make that: all roads lead to a nursing home. Today I packed a large wheelie-bag with folders; they included my notes and information on the following: Important phone numbers; Research on legal matters, residences, Medicaid, moving, social services, my union; Accounting: statements and notations; The Department of Veterans’ Affairs; A folder from one of the residences visited; Four folders of the latest bank statements; Law notes from the phone conference with the elder lawyer in Florida; Copies of certificates for the Veterans’ Administration; A resident’s handbook for my mother’s current residence; stock statements; Long term care statements, notes, correspondences; Health … Continue reading →

Part 48: You Say, “Potato,” and I Say “Tomato”

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Remember the George and Ira Gershwin song, “Let’s Call the Whole thing Off?” I feel like I should breaking into song every time I speak to a certain home for the aged that has so many departments and possibilities for my mother, they leave me spinning. I am being courted by the assisted living department, the nursing home department, the senior living building. Each one claims to be the best possible place. The senior living building person felt that my mother didn’t need a nursing home. The nursing home person claimed that my mother couldn’t live in the senior building. … Continue reading →

The New New York on Wheels

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Did you fellow New Yorkers ever think you’d see the day when there would be bike stations in Manhattan and Brooklyn for a quick rental and ride? You can read about how it works here. The station map is here. The cost is here. The rental agreement is here. (Hmmm) A re-cap of day one is here. An article is here. [ti_audio media=”13506″ autoplay=”1″ autoresume=”1″]    

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Part 47: Square Pegs and Round Holes

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The search continues for an appropriate place for my mother. When I came home today I found a message on the answering machine from the Hospice nurse who stated and then repeated that my mother was “doing great.” Obviously she has improved notably, and the nurse was impressed with the progress made from the occupational and physical therapy. Well, that’s good news. The nurse also doesn’t think my mother will qualify for the Hospice program much longer; I assume an evaluation will soon be made. It’s been three long months of uncertainty and now it appears things are on the … Continue reading →

Part 46: Final Wishes

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The other day I received a subscription link in an email to the latest TED talk. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. I find every lecture has something special and promotes thinking. This one was on end of life wishes and as my mother is at the end of her days, I found myself caught up in the lecture by Judy MacDonald Johnston and her Plan For A Good End of Life. You can watch it here:   According to Ms. Johnston, having a plan for the end of life, specifically naming what you want, what your final wishes are, … Continue reading →

Part 45: Background Music

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Since I last spoke to you, my friends, I have been consumed by the usual deluge of details. I spent several days on the phone and computer trying to make sense of possible placements for my mother. I made an appointment for this Wednesday to visit “am affordable assisted living” on Long Island. I have an appointment with an elder attorney on Friday. I made lists and lists of nursing homes in the area. Then I remembered what a friend said last week when I was describing the situation which is that my mother currently resides in an assisted living … Continue reading →

Part 44: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: A Mundane Photo Journal

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I had several nice days where my worries took a partial back seat. Mind you, they are always there but I am trying to reclaim my life and focus on de-stressing. This sweet man is Al who has been a friend of the family for years. He is all together, brilliant, adorable, noble, kind. Name another wonderful adjective. We had lunch last week at a local Thai restaurant in honor of his upcoming birthday tomorrow: he will be ninety-four. He lives on his own, never complains, has a bit of a problem maneuvering and ambulating, but all in all he … Continue reading →