I can't believe it... 7 recent things I can't believe

1.  I can't believe they released a new Star Trek series on Paramount Plus that I can't bring myself to watch.  I've been devoted to Star Trek over 50 years, gobbled up everything with the Trek logo (including some real stinkers).  But this is beyond redemption.  I barely made it thru the first two episodes, it's so bad.  I pray that Paramount puts it out of it's misery, it makes JJ Abrams version of Trek (which was crap) look almost genius in comparison.

2.  I can't believe Melania Trump produced a movie about.. herself?  (I've since learned this thing is a big flop.  Now THAT I can believe.)

3. I can't believe I haven't been in a movie theater since 2013.  I love movies, from the 1970s thru the 1990s I probably went to the theater once a week.  But I learned a dozen years ago I don't need a big screen--movies at home on my own tv are the best.

4.  Speaking of TVs, I can't believe I bought a new one a few months back and it only cost me $233.00, taxes & delivery included.  I also can't believe it's considered small and has a 45" screen.  In 1978 I was working at The Pancake House and saving my money to buy a 13" color tv for $299.00.

(But at $2.25 an hour, I ultimately decided it was too much for my wallet and bought a 13" b&w television instead.)

5.  I can't believe it took me 25 minutes to walk to Kuhn's Market yesterday (normally a 10 minute walk).  But since that monster snowfall last weekend, temps have remained in the teens and the city discovered 37 of their 80 snow trucks weren't operational.  So my little borough has remained buried in the snow.

(I also can't believe UPMC Health Plan just donated $10 million to the city to buy new snow trucks.  It's very generous, but they're notorious for underpaying their employees--which is why UPMC workers are always striking and on the news.)  

6.  I can't believe my 69 year old neighbor Dee knocked on my door earlier today and asked if I'd send a text to her pharmacy confirming her prescription number & address.  When I asked her if her phone was broken, she said "No I got it right here honey.  But I never done a text before.  You probably think I'm a dinosaur, don't you?"  No Dee, I don't.  I'm fairly new to the texting game myself.

7.  I can't believe Catherine O' Hara is gone.  So sharp, so wicked funny.  She was only 71 years old.  I'm still adjusting to Olivia Newton John's demise, and she's been gone since 2022.  She was only 73.

Rest in peace, Catherine.  Gosh I loved you so much.

My Life (right now) in numbers

Yesterday I woke up around 6am with my teeth chattering.  It was really cold in here.  I got out of bed, stumbled into the living room and turned on my tv to the local news & weather.  They were reporting it was zero degrees, with a -15 degree windchill.  Brrr!  I hopped over to my thermostat to turn on the heat and--waitaminute--it was already running.

But it was only the unit's fan.  When I put my hand over the main vent, I just felt cool air.  Uh-oh!  I looked at my handy digital thermometer on my bookshelf (right).  The temperature in here was 48F.

A few years ago I would've stressed.  But I've been living in this building for 7 years now, and this happens once or twice a year at least.  (We have a weird central heating system where only random apartments on random floors are affected.)   

I fished out my little electric heater I bought last year for such emergencies, and waited for an email from Steiner that said they were aware of the situation and were on it.  I got the email an hour or so later, and my heat was back on later in the day.

At lunch I was telling a friend on the phone about it, and she said I should look for a new place.  A little later I was talking to my sister who said "I love your apartment".  I don't love it, but I DO like it very much.  I wasn't even upset when they announced my rent was going up to $920.00 effective April.  Want to know why?   

1. Studios in my building are renting for $925 and one bedrooms (like mine) are going for $1020.  
2. My old apartment is renting for $925.00 but isn't as nice as this one.  And the rent there doesn't include any utilities.  My current place includes heat, water & trash in the rent.

So, it doesn't look like I'll be moving anytime soon.  This temperamental place is my home.

I'll be turning 65 this year, on October 31 to be exact.  I'll be switching over from Obamacare to Medicare.  Since Trump and his nefarious administration ended those extended ACA subsidies, my insurance premiums went from $121.22 a month to $281.52.   That's a 233% increase.

I actually felt guilty for paying such a low amount in 2025.  Does the higher amount make me feel better?  No, that's an awfully big jump!  But I know Medicare (Parts A & B) are around $202.00, so if I can find a good Medicare Advantage plan that doesn't charge extra... 

I just got my 1099-INT & 1099-DIV forms for my personal investments.  In 2025, I earned $20,872.00 in interest & dividends.  (It gets deposited automatically in my bank account.)  

That may not sound like a lot, but I live pretty comfortably on $30,000 a year.  And now, starting in February, I'll be receiving Social Security.    

Y'know, the dumbest thing I did in my life was take up smoking the summer before I turned 19.  (I didn't quit until my mid forties.)  The smartest thing I did was take the money I'd been saving for a house and put it in the stock market in 2003 when my girlfriend at the time dumped me for another guy.  

I don't think there's anyone out there reading my blog under the age of 50, but if there was, I would tell them to get their money into the stock market as soon as possible.  Just call up Schwab or Fidelity or Vanguard and ask what the minimum amount is for their S&P or Total Stock Market Fund.  It's a lot easier than you think.

Finally, after umpteen years I decided to retire my old banner below.  The older I get, the less I looked liked that photo of myself from 2011.  

I'm still not sure how I feel about my new one, it's not a great photo (I have a 2 day growth of stubble and my eyes have dark circles) but I'm just keeping it real, folks.  Thank you for letting me share, and I hope everybody is staying warm out there!  

Snowy Days and Sundays never get me down (well, not since I retired anyway)

Here we are, Pittsburgh's biggest 1-2 day snowfall in 15 years.  We were dry as a bone (and 0 degrees Fahrenheit) when I went to bed Saturday night, but as of 4:49 PM today (Sunday) we've gotten 10.5 inches of the white stuff with a couple more inches headed our way tonight and another couple more Monday morning.  

This morning after I got up and made my coffee, I was sitting here watching the local news when I heard a really loud engine outside--I figured someone in my neighborhood got a new snowblower.  I looked out my kitchen window (above) that looks up California Avenue and saw a snowmobile slowly buzzing it's way up the center of the avenue--with an Avalon Police SUV right on it's tail, lights flashing.  Neither one was going faster than 10-15 mph.

Funniest thing I ever saw--I ran back into the living room to grab my phone and take a picture, but they were out of sight when I returned.    

Apparently it won't be melting anytime soon either.  Temps will remain in the teens for the whole week, with wind chills of 15 to 20 below zero tomorrow & Tuesday.  I've got nowhere else to be, and have more than enough in the cupboards (food, coffee, toilet paper, pills) to sustain me for the duration.  In fact, this past Friday when they announced Saturday would be dry but too frigid to be outdoors, I huffed it to the store again and bought even more.

So how are things in your neck of the woods?  (If you're reading this from Hawaii, don't bother!  And if a certain someone from Australia is seeing this, I know you're roasting!) 

I wish I'd turned the television off after our local news--I saw the national headlines, and another killing by ICE agents in Minnesota.  I've seen various Trumpers online defending the recent slaughter, and I'm just sorry that Minnesota is under siege by Trump's minions.  I pray they don't make it to Pennsylvania, let alone Pittsburgh.    

Well, I actually have about a dozen other things I'd like to share but I think I'll save them for another day.  Here's something a little strange... it's now 5pm and after this morning's snowmobile incident, I haven't seen a SINGLE plow, car, bus, vehicle of ANY type on our street.  And I live on the main drag.  

I hope everyone out there is safe and warm, and as long as I'm blogging, here's my Sunday dinner.  I made real parsley mashed potatoes and my famous oven fried chicken.  I also baked a small pineapple butter cake, I wrote about it before on here.  You should make one, you won't be sorry. 😋