Let’s see now. I had a flu shot that (lucky me!) resulted in some of the side effects they are required to warn you about. DH on the other hand had absolutely no effects. I was not amused! We have new health insurance and while I am thankful we have it, it’s a new learning curve with how it works; just when I had the old one figured out too! Some of the incentives with the new insurance are either going to make me more accountable for my health (which I sorely need) or have me putting on a tin foil hat… we shall see.
My youngest grandchild at the ripe old age of 3 now asks his dad to “Call Nana?” whenever he comes home from work. I love it but now I have to figure out conversation topics! Still working on what bucket list things to accomplish for this year but so far we’ve been rather lackadaisical about making that list. Visit Hawaii and Chicago have been contenders (quite the polar opposites huh) and the search for what new national parks to visit should begin soon.
We recently watched a YouTube video about the night skies and on February 18th there is going to be a cool celestial event where the planet mars will be seen right next to the moon. Thank goodness I caught a bunch of hand and foot warmers on sale recently!
But the biggest what’s new for 2020 is I’ve decided to get back into portraiture. DH got me a nice little off camera flash set by Magmod for Christmas that I absolutely love and I’ve been using him as my model to practice on since. Isn’t he a lucky man! I’ve got a lot to learn but it’s one of my goals for this year. I know that this, like any other photography, is a never ending practice/learning curve but if it’s worth doing then do it well!
My first effort at low key portrait photography (I thought it would be cool to try; like the vibes it gives off) with my new gear didn’t quite hit the mark. I didn’t get the lighting right and it came out more split lighting(ish) than low key but we all gotta start somewhere.
So what’s new with and for you? Any great plans or goals for this year or just taking it one day at a time?
Teri 📷
Images by T.Dashfield Photography 
I’m always grateful that my German health insurance pays for all the medical costs I incur here in the US. Nearly all of them, though. I doubt they would have paid for a correction of my septum, which my ENT recommended. I nearly fell flat on my back – luckily I was sitting – when the hospital called me with their estimate and told me that the hospital costs alone would be $14,000! And that as an outpatient – meaning that I would have been in the hospital for some 6 – 10 hours max. So I did not follow through with that procedure.
For 202 I have no great goals. I don’t make any New Year’s resolutions, as resolutions are only good to not be followed up to. 😉
Lately, we’ve been planning two longer trips, one on May to Ireland [all of that has been finalized] and one to Germany in August. We still need to book flights and hotels.
What else 2020 will bring? We don’t know. We’ll just wait and see.
Have a great 2020,
Pit
GASP!!! And here I am grousing about the co-payment on a doctor visit. 14k for outpatient??? Having goals can be different than a resolution or is it all semantics? LOL How nice that you’ve already got Ireland book and are working on the Germany one. I really need to get going on the planning for us 🙂
I’ll quite soon, I think, post about medical costs here in the US. I have already some posts out about health care here, and one about costs of medication. But there will be more.
As to your question about “goals” vs. “resolutions”: I think there is a certain difference, at least for me. A resolution, especially a New Year’s one, is something I kind of have to fulfill, whereas a goal is something I hope to reach.
I’m doing more music. I’m working a lot more now that we are really busy at the office again. You gasp at medical costs, you would really be in shock over what I’ve had to pay out of pocket for my medical issues, and it’s a tiny fraction of the total cost. But in perspective. I got rear-ended in my car. The damage didn’t seem all that bad, but the total for repair is over $9,000. That’s the kind of cost I gasp at. If I had been driving one of our older cars, the insurance would have totaled the car. Fortunately, we are not to the point where health insurance simply calls us totaled.
I’ve noticed you’re doing music more, that’s great as is busier at the office. Are you still in the place I saw? The little red car got hit? Are you ok? I shall kick up a lot of dust before I reach a point where health insurance even hints at totaling me out although because of my odometer they have begun to insinuate things I need strictly because of that number such as a stronger flu shot.
I was driving the MX-5. It was way back at the beginning of October. No injuries. I never mentioned it on my blog, because a lawyer hit me, and it took 6 weeks to get him to take responsibility for for the accident, two weeks after that for the insurance to approve the repairs, and now the body shop is waiting for parts to finish the car. It’s been a real mess.
GEEZE!!! Of all the people in the universe to hit you it had to be a lawyer! I hope things get resolved quicker and in your favor but as you’ve stated it’s been and going to be like pulling hen’s teeth!
Did the little red car get hit? Are you okay? And so happy to see you here… and playing music!
It was my little red car. A lawyer hit me and it’s been months of issues with him and the insurance.
Ugh! I’m so sorry!
No big objectives for us… except we may try to get one of our states that we need. N. Dakota! Then I think we only need Oregon and Alabama!
Quite a bit of travel last year… I am trying to purge and organize. I know everyone does this in January… but having two homes it’s hard to accomplish. So I’m whittling away at it.
Oh by the way… I was sick for 3 days with the flu shot. But it was not as bad as when I had the Flu a few years back. I really thought I was going to die.
DH has mentioned hitting different states. His idea is to go somewhere not just to go but for a specific reason (ie. biggest ball of lint, geyser, big trees, etc.) I’ve been throwing out stuff a mile a minute too. It feels good. Last time I had the flu was in 2008 I think. We both had it and we would compete with who was sicker/had the higher fever – LOL
I am caught up again, Teri. Good posts!
I totally understand about catching up 😉