Too Many Options Is A Good "Problem" To Have

 

Great, so now what? 

It’s Thursday, and I’m not sure what that means now. It's pathetic that in the absence of a schedule, I’m unsure what to do. It’s like there are too many options, none of them urgent enough to compel action. I’m nothing without a deadline, it turns out, and I’m not particularly good at imposing them on myself. Procrastination will surely be the death of me. 

I finally stirred my loins yesterday and signed up for an Obamacare plan, but only because it had to be done this week or I’d go without health insurance in October — and with my luck that’s when I’d break a leg or, I dunno, have a heart attack or something. 

I chose a sensible, mid-level silver plan, something with a reasonable monthly premium and a deductible that won’t break the bank if I get hit by a bus. When comparing the plans on the marketplace (healthcare.gov), it soon became clear that the differences within a plan category are about shuffling the out-of-pocket costs around in a way that make them more manageable for the consumer.

No lie, they made this pretty easy IMO.

So, for example, you may see three policies that offer essentially the same coverage — however, one plan will require more of a co-pay for doctor visits, or a slightly higher monthly premium BUT will have a lower deductible each year. The expected total annual out of pocket costs add up to be pretty much the same under the different plans, depending on how much medical care you require that year — but each plan eases the pain in different ways. 

I’m fortunate that I don’t have a lot of Doctor visits, don’t take any meds, and don’t need a lot of specialists. I really don’t use my health insurance on a regular basis (yet! — this could change in an instant of course) so it’s really more there for emergencies in my case. Hence, I chose a plan with a lower monthly premium and a slightly higher co-pay for doctor visits — since I rarely go to a doctor.  

Your results may vary, lulz. Trying to predict what level of healthcare you’ll need in the future is like reading tea leaves in the dark. But it’s a huge relief just to have access to health insurance, to be able to purchase it and use it when needed. 

You kids out there will forget this, but it used to be a lot harder to walk away from shitty jobs when they were your only source of medical care. (Reminder: Medicare, the the wildly popular senior health insurance program, doesn't kick in until age 65.) 

Just ten years ago, it was quite common for older workers like me -- who wanted, and could afford to retire before age 65 -- to continue working simply because it was the only way for us to get health insurance. Stepping down at age 61 wouldn’t have been an option for me, or the millions of Americans who now have access to affordable insurance. 

President Obama signs the Affordable Care Act. 

So, thanks Obama! Thanks Pelosi! And, while we’re at it,  FUCK YOU, Republicans! The good guys won. Even Mike Pence more or less confirmed it at the Great Republican Clown Car Debate last night: Obamacare is wildly popular with the American people. Despite the GOP’s misguided efforts, Obamacare is indeed here to stay. 

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Warning, I’ll be posting lots of bead pics later today. I’ve strung up some really nice beads these last few weeks and haven’t had time to take pics, get things listed. These fucking beads have taken over my house, so I’m pulling the Etsy shop together again — yes, there is one, shut up all of you — to make room for my next freighter shipment.

Jesus could have worn these beads, for real.

I dunno know why suddenly with this weird bead obsession I’ve developed. I did the same thing with stained glass a few years ago. Something grabs me and then it’s full tilt, all the way. By the time I was done with the glass, I could have opened my own shop: I had the glass, the supplies, the tools, the gadgets, the kilns (because FUSING!) — I had the inventory, baby. I carefully wrapped and packed and carried it all down here to Florida when we moved from DC. 

And then, as quickly as it had come on, like a passing seizure, it was over. One day I put an ad on Craigs List (remember Craigs List?) and sold my entire studio. Some random girl came and picked it all up in her boyfriend’s truck. That was six years and I haven’t cut glass since. 

Time passed. Then when Covid hit and we were all in quarantine for all those months (yes, some of us did, for all the good it accomplished) I stumbled across some old beads I’d tucked away for some reason. 

Ancient Roman Glass.

Apparently this was enough to trigger my (completely self-diagnosed) OCD, because I now have these fucking beads hanging all over my house. It’s a sickness, no question about it, but of my many outstanding mental issues, this current bead obsession is probably the least worrisome thing about me. 

And I'm still sober. In a weird way stringing my beads is somehow part of that. I know, I know, I don't get it either. But when I post pics of the beads, I'll appreciate it if y'all will just nod politely and say "Very nice." 

* * *

I’m supposedly writing a book, have I mentioned? Well, not writing it just yet, but thinking about it a lot. It’s there, I can see the shape of it starting to emerge, I’m identifying its universal themes, and trying to shape a cohesive narrative that resonates with readers.

Or something. Was I mumbling about self-imposed deadlines a minute ago? Was I opining earlier about my impeccable procrastination skills? I’m not one to toot my own horn, but I am really, reeeaaaalllly gifted at not getting shit done. The book is there, I’ve put together a loose outline, and I think it works. 

This is me, not procrastinating. 

But JFC, where to start? In a weird way, I think I started this blog as a way of finding that entry point, and establishing  the right voice and the right tone in which to say it all.