Miriam, No, this article was about people full time on cruise ships. I can't
comment on the pros and cons though. You are way out of my league. The
biggest cruise I ever took was 20 minutes on the Staten Island Ferry. And he
hit the darn pier hard coming to dock.
________________________________
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of Miriam Vieni
<miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2017 4:24 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: remember that 2% social security increase?
Ah cruise ships. I’ve been on cruises and I absolutely hate them. Well of
course, when I went on cruises, I was doing a lot of traveling and I wanted to
experience the places that I visited, not some pretend luxury liner. But here
are some of the things I don’t like about cruises
1. Too many people!
2. Too much food offered too many times a day
3. Dressing up for dinner
4. The kind of entertainment usually offered
5. Ship is usually too big
Now I’ve been on some cruises that didn’t quite fit that picture, but I didn’t
like them any better. In Russia, we were on a river cruise for the entire trip.
The ship was small; the quarters were cramped; the décor was ugly; There wasn’t
enough food and what there was of it, was terrible.
I was on a cruise ship in Greece. What stands out most about that trip was how
rough the sea seemed. But I discovered that , that wasn’t the problem. It had
something to do with how the ship was constructed, not enough ballast or
something. Also, the motor was loud and I was not in the bowels of the ship.
The loveliest cruise was the first one and that was on a small ship that sailed
among the Hawaiian Islands. That was in 1988 and the food on that cruise was
the best food I ever had on a cruise ship. Perhaps the standards for food began
to go down after that, but nothing that I ever ate on the large fancier, well
known ships, was as good. It was three years after my husband had died and I
met a man on that cruise who became part of my life until 2002 so perhaps that
glow from that beginning relationship makes that first cruise so special in my
memory. I remember evenings in the piano bar, sipping cocktails and listening
to lovely romantic piano music, the kind that you don’t hear anymore.
But acdtually, I do remember hearing about an elderly couple who did take
several cruises a year, probably for the reason that you suggest. I suspect
this remedy could end up costing more than assisted living, though.
Miriam
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of MARY CONVY
Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2017 3:13 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: remember that 2% social security increase?
Miriam,
Rather than assisted living try a cruise ship for a home! I just read an
article that older people are doing this. It is less expensive than a
facility, you have everything done for you, and you travel to boot.
________________________________
From:
blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
on behalf of Miriam Vieni
<miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2017 1:16 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: remember that 2% social security increase?
Carl,
Are you sure they're not raising our contributions to Medicare? Well, my
figures may be different, but my story is the same. The cost of everything
keeps rising. My income actually keeps shrinking because a good part of it is
interest from municipal bonds, and each time bonds are called and new ones are
purchased to replace them, the interest income for the new bonds is lower than
that for the old bonds. Because I am having increasing physical difficulties,
people keep saying, "Assisted living!" "Assisted living!" Well, aside from the
fact that I don't want to live in an institution and I'm a solitary soul, I
can't afford it. Here on Long Island, given the level of help I'd need, it
would be at least $7,000 a month.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From:
blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2017 10:56 AM
To: blind-democracy
<blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
Cc: General discussion list for ACB members and friends where a wide range of
topics from blindness to politics, issues of the day or whatever comes to mind
are welcome. This is a free form discussion list.
<acb-chat@xxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:acb-chat@xxxxxxxxxxxx>>
Subject: [blind-democracy] remember that 2% social security increase?
So the guys with the sharp pencils figured and figured and came up with a grand
SS pay raise of 2%.
What would that amount to each year...let's see, if you receive $2,000 a month
that would net you around $480 per year, I think. And if I didn't spend it for
stuff like food, rent, and heat, after 10 years I'd have a whopping amount of
$4,800, plus that teeny dribble of interest. But I'm 82 years old and ten
years may not be in the cards for me.
Still, I don't need to worry about saving that 2% increase. Cathy just opened
a notice from our supplemental insurance. Our premium has been increased by
$110 per month. Of course that's for two people,
$55 each. But we do pay our bills out of a common pot. So now, instead of
$540 per month, we will now pay $650 per month. Plus $100 a month for dental.
Plus a few dollars over $100 each for our Medicare deduction. That brings us
up to almost $1,000 plus, per month. But wait! There's more! Even with all
of that outlay of cash, Medicare and Uniform do not cover everything. I had a
checkup a month ago. The first request for money came from the Medical Center,
and I can't recall what it was for, but it was $20. Then there was the charge
for X-rays, only $15 unpaid balance. And yesterday came a bill for Lab Work of
$30.
That's only the Health Care end of things. Our internet provider just raised
our monthly rate a few dollars. Our propane company...I say "Our" because by
now we should own it, but they raised their winter rate to $2.35 a gallon.
Since our "off-grid" home runs on solar energy and a propane generator, which
runs about 4 hours every day, we spend over $500 a month just on fuel. Just
for clarification, that amount includes running lights, a gas range and a gas
drier, our forced air central heat and the charging of 12 large deep cell
batteries.
Like most older couples we are able to do less and less of our own maintenance.
For the past three years I've hired someone to sweep the roof and spray for
moss, and clean the higher gutters in the front of the house. I no longer grab
my brush axe and clear the brush alongside the quarter mile private road. Just
picking up the brush axe and walking down the road is enough to send me to my
recliner.
We've begun talking seriously about selling and moving to a condo closer to
Port Townsend...and then we table the conversation for a few more months.
That 2% pay raise was spent long, long ago last winter. We're already spending
the SS raises for 2018-2019-2020.
Finally, I am not in any way suggesting that the Jarvis's are becoming
destitute, certainly there are many folks on this list who would love to bring
in what Cathy and I earn. But what I'm attempting to point out is that all of
us are losing financial ground. And here we are, living in the richest nation
in history.
The Richest Nation Ever! And yet, in our lifetime our standard of living has
dropped, our longevity has decreased, our babies die in greater numbers than in
any other industrial nation, more of our women die in child birth than in
nearly every other nation, our children are being forced into debt in order to
secure an education, our bridges are falling in and our roads are pitted and
potted, and our president brags that women love to have him grab their pussy's.
Makes me think of that old saying, "Going to Hell in a bucket".
Carl Jarvis
Carl Jarvis
