CouchTater

I really enjoyed episode 1. I watched whenever I noticed it was playing on one of the HBO channels. I felt lukewarm on episode 2, and I finally realize why: too much Maladie. I find the character to be overwrought, stereotypical, just too much. I don't know if it's the acting, the writing, the direction... But I'm finding the character tiresome with no nuance so far. I hope there's an arc for her and that she settles into something interesting. So far I find myself rolling my eyes when she's on screen, for the most part.

I just got my first SUPER NOTIFICATION!!! That was awesome! I actually gasped!!! My other notifications have been bigger than normal, but not super-sized. I wonder what determines the notification's scale? LOL For anyone who hasn't received a SUPER NOTIFICATION yet, here's a screen shot letting me know @GeeGolly liked my post. Hilarious.

And what's up with the column on the right that shows stats for the board (# of posts, members with most posts, etc.)? It has a few random posts from people, too. It takes up 1/3 of the width of my laptop screen. I wonder if there was a big demand for this information? 😆 Like @beckie, I'd just be happy not to have the page jumping around when I clicked into it. 🤷🏽‍♀️

I've seen tweets criticizing Kody, using a screen shot of Ysabel's sorrowful face when her dad wasn't interested in getting the surgery for her. I wish people would use a photo of Kody looking deranged instead (not hard to find). If I were Ysabel, I'd feel doubly-bad and doubly-embarrassed to have my picture posted all over Twitter, reminding people that my dad seemingly doesn't care about me. Forgot to add, I felt really weird during some of this episode. Watching Christine cry, almost beg her "family" to move to Utah, have her kid's medical needs disregarded by her shitty husband..... When she had her head in her hands at Coyote Pass, OMG was that awful to watch. It felt like some weird fetish porn. Sad porn, maybe? If that doesn't already exist, I think it was created Sunday night.

I honestly thought that's what she meant. Then she followed it up something about going inside and I realized that's not what she meant, at least on the surface. How could that man not get up and hug his daughter at that point? And really, how could Christine not hug her daughter, and go inside with her, leaving Kody's dumb ass on the porch by himself?

Has Kody been a decent dad to the non-Robyn's in the past? Or has he always been a piece of shit baby-daddy to them? I'm just imagining a loving, or at least involved, Kody slowly pulling away from the non-Robyn's over the years, culminating in him being an asshole on the porch asking Ysabel if she can wait 6 months (where'd he pull 6 months from? out of his ass?), or travel alone for her surgery. Wow. I'd be crushed if I were Ysabel. And embarrassed for anyone else to see my dad treating me this way. I really wonder how all of the kids, particularly the older ones, feel about this season and this episode.

This conversation between Meri and Christine is so inane and pointless. A bunch of words, but saying nothing.

Why is Janelle so "angry" that Christine suggested that they move back to Utah? Isn't that what they do, move when it makes no sense. Moving is the longest job any of them have ever held.

Christine should have verbally laid him out, right there, in front of Ysabel and in front of the cameras. Ysabel needed to know, emphatically, that her dad is the worst and that is she worth the risk for her parents to travel across the country with her for her well-being. Ugh.

Thank you @chilis. I'm very appreciative that you de-lurked to share your expertise! All of the information we've shared over the last few days about "golden years" planning has been scary for me, but also very necessary to know!

OhioPirate02, I just wanted to let you know that your comment spurred me to action. I was really procrastinating about who to name as beneficiaries for my life insurance and investment plans. I decided tonight and have reached out to everyone to gather needed info from them, and to let them know of my plans. I also plan to send each person written documentation of all my decisions once I've made them all. I still have other major decisions to make, but beneficiaries is a start! I've really enjoyed and learned so much from today's discussion on long-term planning, power of attorney, etc. This really is a unique and wonderful board full of wise, wonderful, funny and kind women. I appreciate all of you. Thank you much!

I'm not quite in your boat re: your sister, but I have a niece with Asperger's. Her mom (my older sister) is only 61 but not healthy. Niece isn't really self-sufficient. I can totally imagine having to take some responsibility for her if something were to happen to my sister. My other dilemma is what happens to my "stuff" when I'm gone? I have 4 nieces and 2 nephews, and now 3 little great-nieces and a great-nephew. I used to name my 3 siblings as my beneficiaries for everything. 1 sibling is deceased now, and 2 nieces, 2 nephews and the new great-nephew all belong to him. Do I now name each one of them as a beneficiary? Name the oldest as beneficiary and let him know I expect him to share his siblings? It's a real dilemma for me. I honestly wouldn't feel comfortable with any of my nieces and nephews managing anything for me, while I'm alive and after I'm dead. 😆

Thanks Marge. I went with a planner that a good friend and her hubby use. Friend and hubby are very comfortable, now retired and living it up! LOL. I'm trying to emulate them, as much as I can on the financial front. I want to be like them when I grow up. But I like @Jeanne222's idea of getting a second consultation, to gather other ideas/input.

The policy I'm considering is life insurance with the long-term care rider. It has different options for how to use the money. It also allows for opt-out/cash-out of the money I've paid into it at some qualifying point (I forget the qualifiers). It sounds really interesting. Doing research on this topic this morning, I found an alternative term for this type of coverage that freaked me out: "accelerated death benefit." Ugh.

Thank you Jeanne! The FP's concern for me is that if I have a some need to long-term care that wipes me financially, including my home, and I recover...now what? I sometimes wish we knew if we were going to live to be 50, 75, 100, etc. The FP asked about my parents' and my grandparents' longevity. My parents died pretty young and my grandparents were pretty old, so who knows? Man, I would hate to outlive my resources.....ugh. Wow! That sounds like an ordeal. I hope I don't have to do that. I do think I'm going to have to move forward with it. I can fit it into my budget, but I just don't wanna do it!!! 😭 Thanks Westie.

Switching topics to share some good news from my home front: I have been putting off meeting with financial planners for year because I was pretty sure what a planner's recommendations would be, and that I wouldn't want to follow those recommendations: save more, spend less. Welp, I finally broke down and signed up with a financial planning service. We had our first deep-dive meeting yesterday with their proposals for me, and shockingly I am in great shape for retirement! I am on track for all of my goals!!! This new was a huge weight lifted off of me that I didn't even consciously know I had (until it lifted). I have started to have anxiety about my "golden years," as I am single and child-free. I think I'm going to be on my own little retirement island, alone, when I'm "golden." And eek! It's the life I've chosen, but I'm freaking out a little as retirement gets closer. I still have at least 11 years to go until I can retire, according to the professionals, but I'll probably work until 65 (14 more years), if I'm fortunate enough to do so. The only crack in my armor might be a lack of long-term care planning that Medicare won't cover. I received some recommendations around insurance and it's expensive! So I'm still debating what to do about that. Have any of you purchased and/or used any kind of long-term care insurance, and would be willing to share about it?

I actually have a copy of that picture from The Office hanging in my office at work. A co-worker printed it out for me. The end product is a badly-done photoshop job by Michael. It makes me smile every time I see it (which is rare now, thanks COVID).

My first (and bestest!) cat had nipples, so I named her Lucy because as a kitten she whined like Lucy Ricardo. At her first vet visit I was advised that she was a boy. That's when I learned that in many mammal species the males have nipples! And Lucy became Louie that day. 😄😯

This video brought me so many giggles this morning, I thought I'd share with you all. A guy built a squirrel obstacle course in his backyard to make them work for the birdfeed they would always steal. It's 20 minutes long, and the fun really starts 8 minutes in, which is where I have the video set to start for you. This is when the guy stops explaining and the squirrels start doing their thing. Enjoy!

I think Josie looks the nicest of all the sisters in that picture, and I normally think she looks a hot mess! Her pose is very poised and elegant.

Right! It definitely wasn't a dig at Arkansas, but it is curiouser and curiouser. Especially if it's true that the Caldwell's were living off of JB's dime, and now live their daughter and SIL's house.

Agreed. But I think the other in-law families (Kendra's and Katey's, I think?) moving to Arkansas is even weirder. No offense to Arkansas or Zella 🙂, but does anyone know the stated reasons for their moves?

Jill looks the most contemporary for sure. But her shoe game is weak! The black flats really bring down the cute dress. But I guess it's baby steps, right?

I forgot to post about my 2nd-shot experience (Pfizer) on Wednesday, 4/7. The actual shot was more painful than #1, and I have some soreness in the arm. But with the 1st shot I also got bruising, a lump, and some lingering tenderness (other arm). However, I was extremely fatigued for about 48 hours with shot #2. I'm really only feeling like myself just today. Overall, very minor effects and well-worth it if COVID is kept at bay!

I posted that video in the episode thread. OMG, so funny!!!