I’m also no fan of Urgent Care. In fact, after two misdiagnoses and one correct diagnosis accompanied by a prescription that could not solve my problem, I don’t think I’ll ever go to another UC. AI has great potential. I live in Madison WI, the home of Epic Software. They’re currently working on an application that will take account of all the personal information available in MyChart to arrive at personalized diagnoses. They expect it will be available within two years.
I imagine the guesses are going to get a lot better going forward. “Emmie” is being developed by Epic, the My Chart company. It will use AI to incorporate all the health data on an individual and do diagnoses, etc based on that information.
Big box stores have areas devoted to seasonal merchandise. The Christmas stuff is replacing all the garden/outdoor goods that have occupied the space the last few months. That inventory is now pretty depleted and demand for it is dwindling— no restocking is done for these kinds of goods. So the “new” merchandise are the things consumers will buy for the next season. It is jarring to see— but it is part in inventory management. i regularly shop at Walmart. To be honest, I haven’t noticed many shopping carts filled with a lot of nonessential junk. And I’m not going to judge the discretionary spending of someone who hasn’t spent the summer at a vacation home or had a pricey vacation. My feeling is that everyone deserves some kind of joy—even it is buying a something glittery in August.
I try hard not to worry about money. My husband and I are financially as secure as people can be these days. Nothing is guaranteed to anyone. But the issues raised in the article you cite aren’t yours or ours. As for the issues you are considering, here are my non expert reactions.
You might suggest to your wife the possibility of increasing holiday and birthday cash gifts to your stepson. We’ve done that. Our kids are financially secure, but over the years, we’ve increased those amounts considerably. We used to get reactions like “I don’t need this, “ and they don’t. But they now accept the money and just express thanks. We believe in giving “with a warm hand.”
We are older than you, but also made the decision to live in our own home as long as possible. We will pay market rate if and when the time comes, but are not willing to give up our present lifestyles for some future help that may or not be required. The decision is rational— and nobody including our primary care doctor, children, friends are urging us to think otherwise. Why keep rehashing the choice?”
While we have a lot of money in the stock market, I do think investing is the middle class equivalent to gambling. My husband won’t even look at his IRA because he considers it funny money—he knows to take his RMDs and all beneficiaries are current. These mindsets have been helped us to ignore the market gyrations. Also, you might consider whether the RMD cash you use to buy more stock really matters to your financial wellbeing. If it doesn’t, why obsess about it?
The ferry from Bar Harbor to Nova Scotia is great! Very comfortable trip for people and vehicles. Easy drives to coastal towns, the circle around Cape Breton Island is gorgeous, and, if your wife was an Anne of Green Gables fan, Prince Edward Island is a must— you’ll just be one of the bewildered guys there. Don’t forget— you’ll need your passports.
I stayed home the first year of my children’s lives. I did, however, work as a contract writer during that time. Then, all went to half day pre school. I believe preschool offered important socialization opportunities. Both my husband and I were university professors, so we scheduled our classes so one of us was always home
in is the afternoon during those early years. i would like to comment on your daughter’s experience. What happened was totally I inexcusable, but I’ll bet there are parents who would use hair appointments, social engagements, etc to cut short or not even show up at a meeting with a child’s teacher.
My husband and I met in graduate school; there was no question whether I would have a career. The kids were the priority for BOTH of us. He did breakfast and packed their lunches every day; I made dinner EVERY NIGHT— no eating out or take out. Nobody else raised our kids. As for life style, there was no creep. We still live in the house we bought in 1977 when he was the some earner. There
was never any big splurge on furniture or other household amenities— with both of us working, there was never time. We tried cleaning people a few times; they were a disaster. I did buy clothes for work— on sale—and we never had more than one car. I confess that I would have been very unhappy as a stay at home. I don’t find cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, etc very rewarding. But I absolutely believe that stay at home wives do play an important role in advancing their spouses’ careers. Men, who can be assured that all household tasks are done by their wives, can totally focus on their work and can be out of the house early each day and come home to dinner on the table. That is not the case for the dual career husband. To be sure, my paycheck and pension benefits are substantial. But that money paid for college tuitions — not consumer goods! I was too busy to want to”stuff.”
Life is just full of curve balls. While I think it’s good to discuss expectations with children in advance, there is only so much anybody can really do. My husband and I (both or one survivor) will move near one of our children and accept whatever level of institutional care, if necessary. But, at present, our friends include one man and his wife with advanced Parkinson’s— he has two live-in caregivers 24/7; a woman (84) who is a full- time caregiver to her 86 year old husband with Alzheimer’s— she doesn’t expect any help from his sons and is getting him acquainted with a memory care option, if that becomes necessary; an 86 year old widower who used hospice at home when his wife died two years ago, and who now lives independently in a two plus story home; and a friend whose husband died almost 3 years ago, and who has lived with another man for about a year and a half. I’d say all are managing things reasonably well—and none is relying on children for help.
I don’t understand why the writer continued past the first paragraph. If he realized what
he was saying was offensive, he should have stopped right there. The “hair and nails” statements are not at all original or amusing, and women readers of this forum should not have to defend against them.
Comments
I’m also no fan of Urgent Care. In fact, after two misdiagnoses and one correct diagnosis accompanied by a prescription that could not solve my problem, I don’t think I’ll ever go to another UC. AI has great potential. I live in Madison WI, the home of Epic Software. They’re currently working on an application that will take account of all the personal information available in MyChart to arrive at personalized diagnoses. They expect it will be available within two years.
Post: AI vs. Urgent Care: Guess Who Got It Right?
Link to comment from August 28, 2025
I imagine the guesses are going to get a lot better going forward. “Emmie” is being developed by Epic, the My Chart company. It will use AI to incorporate all the health data on an individual and do diagnoses, etc based on that information.
Post: How Long Will We Live?
Link to comment from August 23, 2025
Big box stores have areas devoted to seasonal merchandise. The Christmas stuff is replacing all the garden/outdoor goods that have occupied the space the last few months. That inventory is now pretty depleted and demand for it is dwindling— no restocking is done for these kinds of goods. So the “new” merchandise are the things consumers will buy for the next season. It is jarring to see— but it is part in inventory management. i regularly shop at Walmart. To be honest, I haven’t noticed many shopping carts filled with a lot of nonessential junk. And I’m not going to judge the discretionary spending of someone who hasn’t spent the summer at a vacation home or had a pricey vacation. My feeling is that everyone deserves some kind of joy—even it is buying a something glittery in August.
Post: Bah Humbug! It’s Not Even September Yet
Link to comment from August 21, 2025
I try hard not to worry about money. My husband and I are financially as secure as people can be these days. Nothing is guaranteed to anyone. But the issues raised in the article you cite aren’t yours or ours. As for the issues you are considering, here are my non expert reactions.
Post: Why Money is Taking Up More Space in My Mind Lately
Link to comment from August 18, 2025
The ferry from Bar Harbor to Nova Scotia is great! Very comfortable trip for people and vehicles. Easy drives to coastal towns, the circle around Cape Breton Island is gorgeous, and, if your wife was an Anne of Green Gables fan, Prince Edward Island is a must— you’ll just be one of the bewildered guys there. Don’t forget— you’ll need your passports.
Post: What has been my relationship with money? That story starts around age 8. Every kid needed caps and beans.
Link to comment from August 16, 2025
I stayed home the first year of my children’s lives. I did, however, work as a contract writer during that time. Then, all went to half day pre school. I believe preschool offered important socialization opportunities. Both my husband and I were university professors, so we scheduled our classes so one of us was always home in is the afternoon during those early years. i would like to comment on your daughter’s experience. What happened was totally I inexcusable, but I’ll bet there are parents who would use hair appointments, social engagements, etc to cut short or not even show up at a meeting with a child’s teacher.
Post: In retirement a pension is a advantage. Are two family incomes during working years an advantage as well?
Link to comment from August 6, 2025
My husband and I met in graduate school; there was no question whether I would have a career. The kids were the priority for BOTH of us. He did breakfast and packed their lunches every day; I made dinner EVERY NIGHT— no eating out or take out. Nobody else raised our kids. As for life style, there was no creep. We still live in the house we bought in 1977 when he was the some earner. There was never any big splurge on furniture or other household amenities— with both of us working, there was never time. We tried cleaning people a few times; they were a disaster. I did buy clothes for work— on sale—and we never had more than one car. I confess that I would have been very unhappy as a stay at home. I don’t find cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, etc very rewarding. But I absolutely believe that stay at home wives do play an important role in advancing their spouses’ careers. Men, who can be assured that all household tasks are done by their wives, can totally focus on their work and can be out of the house early each day and come home to dinner on the table. That is not the case for the dual career husband. To be sure, my paycheck and pension benefits are substantial. But that money paid for college tuitions — not consumer goods! I was too busy to want to”stuff.”
Post: In retirement a pension is a advantage. Are two family incomes during working years an advantage as well?
Link to comment from August 6, 2025
I think that’s common in some cultures.
Post: Family Dynamics, Part 3: What Do Adult Children Owe Their Aging Parents?
Link to comment from July 30, 2025
Life is just full of curve balls. While I think it’s good to discuss expectations with children in advance, there is only so much anybody can really do. My husband and I (both or one survivor) will move near one of our children and accept whatever level of institutional care, if necessary. But, at present, our friends include one man and his wife with advanced Parkinson’s— he has two live-in caregivers 24/7; a woman (84) who is a full- time caregiver to her 86 year old husband with Alzheimer’s— she doesn’t expect any help from his sons and is getting him acquainted with a memory care option, if that becomes necessary; an 86 year old widower who used hospice at home when his wife died two years ago, and who now lives independently in a two plus story home; and a friend whose husband died almost 3 years ago, and who has lived with another man for about a year and a half. I’d say all are managing things reasonably well—and none is relying on children for help.
Post: Family Dynamics, Part 3: What Do Adult Children Owe Their Aging Parents?
Link to comment from July 30, 2025
I don’t understand why the writer continued past the first paragraph. If he realized what he was saying was offensive, he should have stopped right there. The “hair and nails” statements are not at all original or amusing, and women readers of this forum should not have to defend against them.
Post: A Very Politically Incorrect Ramble With a Potentially Real Point: Is Your Retirement Calculator Sexist?
Link to comment from July 22, 2025