Push Yourself

I have a friend who has always pushed her experiences.  Early on, she would take physically challenging courses (hiking, sailing, kayaking) even though she isn't the athletic type. That has gotten her (us) into some binds like the time she suggested we join a group doing an evening kayak tour.  We were the oldest and worst paddlers in the group, leading the group's leaders to scold us somewhat when we paddled in late - waaay after the others.  I'm just glad I didn't go on the hiking trip with her where she had to traverse a high  and rocky part of Great Falls, Va.

When her much older husband died suddenly a decade ago, she waited a year and then joined (re-joined?) her synagogue.  She took courses.  she taught courses.  Most important, she joined J-Date. That is something that takes GUTS.  You have to be ready to face rejection, particularly when you lie about your age (they all do, she says).  After meeting many toads, liars, skinflints and at least one certifiably dangerous man, she met someone she has been with for 7 years.  They see each other on weekends and maintain separate households (her choice and a good one)

She is not a high risk taker, however.  She tends to be cautious about most things.  She thinks in terms of options and probabilities.  Ultimately she pushes herself to experience life, learn and grow.

That's how I found myself at the Baltimore Zoo with her a few weeks ago.  Her idea.  I drove.  She is directionally challenged and even with my Navigator, I had a hard time finding it.  Not the best zoo I've been to but it has some good exhibits and enthusiastic volunteers.  We learned something about bats and african penguins (not that I'll remember it) but it was good to say, Been There, Done That.

Check your insurance policies

I thought I had this stuff straightened out last spring, although the new agent seemed a little dense at the time.  Now it's time for new auto policy charges and guess what?  I took a close look.  Found that they were charging comprehensive and collision on two old cars we drove maybe 2K miles a year.  We should get rid of those cars but they are not worth much if we sell them.  Cancelled comprehensive and collision, saving us about $600 a year. But my joy was short-lived.

Looked at the "discounts" offered and saw that I was eligible for a new car discount last year when I bought my Hyundai in October.  No one told me and now they say I had to ask for the discount when I enrolled the car.  So buyer beware.  Your agent will not flag this stuff for you.

It gets worse.  Our boat insurance was terminated in June.  No notification.  I don't see our umbrella policy listed on this sooper dooper e - account, either.

Just check this stuff once or twice a year. Maybe more if your agent is under-trained or lazy.

Lyme Disease

This is apparently the summer of Lyme Disease.  I had two ticks on me earlier this season - one hard to yank off - and my physician looked at the red itchy spot it left in it's demise and gave me a script for doxycycline.  He doubted I had Lyme but thought ticks can transmit other stuff like staph and strep.  Then yesterday I was walking the dog and ambushed by my 92 year old long-winded neighbor who was pulling out his garbage to the curb. He is lonely, I know, but talks too much.  Some stuff is interesting and someone should record it for posterity (like what he did when WW2 broke out when he was a Freshman in college) but sometimes I just need to walk Zoey and get it done.  Especially in the heat we are experiencing this week.  Turns out my neighbor had two ticks on him recently, too.  One bite on his arm was red from a small tick he found and I urged him to get doxycycline from his doctor.  Then later, after school was out, I dropped off and picked up our granddaughter from her riding lesson. One horse who has been sick and looks sad was just diagnosed with a "raging" case of Lyme, according to her owner and the riding instructor.

Even later (it was a long day), after I took the girls to Menchie's and then to the pool, I had to laugh at the 6 year old obsessing about ticks and tick bites.  When we arrived at the pool she kept asking, is this a tick (a miniscule red dot).  I reassured her she'd see more inflammation.  Funny how kids pick things up from listening and over hearing.  Indeed, I'll probably get in trouble when, after picking up pizza after leaving the pool, I was treated to a litany of curse words I use when driving. She and her sister could recite them all. From me. Oh brother.

Postscript.  I was again ambushed by my neighbor one recent morning, energetically accosting me from his garage. "I've been looking for you" he said.  Twenty two days and I'm off the doxycycline.  thanks to you, I went and insisted on a prescription.