Ruth Kaufman's Blog, page 10
November 29, 2013
Thanksgivukkah
Much has been made this year of the once in a many lifetime confluence of Hanukkah and Thanksgiving.
I'm not usually big on the holidays because of all of the preparation for so little actual dining time, resulting in so much cleanup. I was glad that my mom decided to go to a restaurant for the first time. She chose a buffet at a popular restaurant near her so we could go to her place after we ate, light candles and open gifts for kids only.
The vast repast included turkey, carved sirloin and ham my brother couldn't stop raving about. Crab cakes and amazing grilled salmon for seafood lovers, butternut squash ravioli for vegetarians. Sides included several kinds of soup, 3 kinds of deviled eggs, several salad options, delicious Brussels sprouts, crusty baked mac 'n cheese, mashed potatoes, stuffing (not as good as my mom's IMO and too salty), sweet potatoes and green bean casserole. Dessert was several kinds of cookies, delicious cheesecake and very pumpkiny pumpkin chiffon pie. We all went around the table and said what we were thankful for. The only downside: no leftovers.
It did seem a little less homey to eat out and then gather at my mom's (possibly the first time ever with no food except for a fruit platter), but IMO worth it because of all of the saved time and effort.
My mom had two menorahs prepared with candles so my niece and nephew could each light one. We sang the blessing. The kids enjoyed opening their gifts, even though my mom and I got my nephew one of the same books. He looked forward to returning one and choosing another gift.
Then my mom pulled out something from her freezer. She'd made our favorite stuffing and wrapped portions in foil for us to take home. The thoughtful gesture, knowing that stuffing and leftovers awaited restored any missing joie de vivre.
There are many different kinds of holidays and people to share them with. The sense of family and celebration comes from within.
I'm not usually big on the holidays because of all of the preparation for so little actual dining time, resulting in so much cleanup. I was glad that my mom decided to go to a restaurant for the first time. She chose a buffet at a popular restaurant near her so we could go to her place after we ate, light candles and open gifts for kids only.
The vast repast included turkey, carved sirloin and ham my brother couldn't stop raving about. Crab cakes and amazing grilled salmon for seafood lovers, butternut squash ravioli for vegetarians. Sides included several kinds of soup, 3 kinds of deviled eggs, several salad options, delicious Brussels sprouts, crusty baked mac 'n cheese, mashed potatoes, stuffing (not as good as my mom's IMO and too salty), sweet potatoes and green bean casserole. Dessert was several kinds of cookies, delicious cheesecake and very pumpkiny pumpkin chiffon pie. We all went around the table and said what we were thankful for. The only downside: no leftovers.
It did seem a little less homey to eat out and then gather at my mom's (possibly the first time ever with no food except for a fruit platter), but IMO worth it because of all of the saved time and effort.
My mom had two menorahs prepared with candles so my niece and nephew could each light one. We sang the blessing. The kids enjoyed opening their gifts, even though my mom and I got my nephew one of the same books. He looked forward to returning one and choosing another gift.
Then my mom pulled out something from her freezer. She'd made our favorite stuffing and wrapped portions in foil for us to take home. The thoughtful gesture, knowing that stuffing and leftovers awaited restored any missing joie de vivre.
There are many different kinds of holidays and people to share them with. The sense of family and celebration comes from within.
November 22, 2013
Obamacare and I
As a gainfully self-employed person, my current insurance plan was one of those canceled because of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. I wanted to believe the ACA was a good thing for me and America. That I could still get good coverage, and save money.
Hearing about all of the problems rolling out the federal marketplace site kept me from hopping onto the site right away. But my current insurer set an end of November deadline for choosing a new plan through it....
So earlier this week I went to the federal marketplace site and painstakingly typed in all of the requested info for my application, feeling a bit odd as I wondered about the safety of my and other Americans' data. And then when I went to register...poof. I got an error message that said to try again later. I called a broker (recommended by a friend) who prefers BCBS plans, and got his take on the whole process. Even after all I've read and heard, I wasn't aware until talking to him that I could just buy private insurance and bypass the marketplace. If I decide to do that, I'll have to see if there's a way to unregister?
I have 2 undergrad and 2 graduate degrees and passed the IL bar exam, yet I can't seem to grasp the ins and outs of all of the different plans or what the best approach for me is despite all of the information out there. It looks like I'll pay a lower monthly premium than I do now, but my deductible will be nearly twice as high and I won't have as much 100% coverage, and, depending on the plan, might have some copays, unless I go with an HSA plan...which means more paperwork and things to figure out. Hope I stay healthy!
The special Aetna site won't let me log in, and says to call a certain 888 number. The wait was 30 minutes. I called back, deciding to suck it up and wait. The line was busy. I'll try again later.
So far, this has been a frustrating process...and despite spending several hours reading, clicking, entering and browsing, I don't have a new plan ready to go, nor am I sure if I want to be in or out of the marketplace.
I hope the process is going more smoothly for others....
Hearing about all of the problems rolling out the federal marketplace site kept me from hopping onto the site right away. But my current insurer set an end of November deadline for choosing a new plan through it....
So earlier this week I went to the federal marketplace site and painstakingly typed in all of the requested info for my application, feeling a bit odd as I wondered about the safety of my and other Americans' data. And then when I went to register...poof. I got an error message that said to try again later. I called a broker (recommended by a friend) who prefers BCBS plans, and got his take on the whole process. Even after all I've read and heard, I wasn't aware until talking to him that I could just buy private insurance and bypass the marketplace. If I decide to do that, I'll have to see if there's a way to unregister?
I have 2 undergrad and 2 graduate degrees and passed the IL bar exam, yet I can't seem to grasp the ins and outs of all of the different plans or what the best approach for me is despite all of the information out there. It looks like I'll pay a lower monthly premium than I do now, but my deductible will be nearly twice as high and I won't have as much 100% coverage, and, depending on the plan, might have some copays, unless I go with an HSA plan...which means more paperwork and things to figure out. Hope I stay healthy!
The special Aetna site won't let me log in, and says to call a certain 888 number. The wait was 30 minutes. I called back, deciding to suck it up and wait. The line was busy. I'll try again later.
So far, this has been a frustrating process...and despite spending several hours reading, clicking, entering and browsing, I don't have a new plan ready to go, nor am I sure if I want to be in or out of the marketplace.
I hope the process is going more smoothly for others....
