I thought I’d catch you up on the goings-on around here.
The best laid plans…
Remember my brilliant plan to cut the cost of the PetSmart PetsHotel using a discounted gift card? Well, that’s not going to work out. Unfortunately, I didn’t discover that until after I bought the $220 PetSmart gift card.
We visited the PetsHotel and… No.
Pandora would be in a small stall or, for $10 more a day, a slightly larger room with — wait for it — a TV! And my idea of paying for doggy daycare was a no-go. Since she has Pit in her — even though she also has Lab and Australian Shepherd mixed in there — she’s not allowed to play with the other dogs.
So she’d sit in her box except for two walks (whatever that means, since it’s all indoors) and potty breaks. But hey, for $16 a day, we can get her a whopping 60 minutes of one-on-one interaction.
Pandora is used to having humans around at least 95% of the time. She’s used to being able to roam the house or back yard.
That would be so confusing and probably upsetting for her. And even if she didn’t care, we’re all about anthropomorphizing, so we’d be upset on her behalf.
So… I guess that PetSmart gift card will have to go food, toys, etc in the future.
Don’t panic (too much)
I got online and didn’t find anything more than I did the first time I looked around. But I had a fit of inspiration and checked on Groupon. Sure enough, there were a few companies I hadn’t found before.
I didn’t end up finding a deal we can use but I did end up finding the. perfect. place. Oh, let me count the ways:
- It’s completely cage-free
- The staff live on-site
- The eight-foot walls are topped with wire — ain’t nobody getting over those
- It’s on seven acres with lots of walking paths
- Volunteers come on the weekend for even more playtime
- Significantly less than paying for both PetsHotel’s boarding & daycare
We already took Pandora there so the owner could approve her, so we’re all set for the 8th.
The only two downsides are:
- It’s a 45- to 75-minute drive, depending on whether you take the freeway or surface streets.
- Because of that (and a 9 a.m. Super Shuttle pickup time) we have to drop her off a day early.
Tim’s sad about that, but we’re both very relieved to have found a place that will work for her (and our peace of mind).
Speaking of gift cards
Since Tim is entering the donut hole, we’re switching his prescriptions from mail-order to CVS in order to use discount gift cards. I got that process started on Monday and, with uncanny timing, CardCash started a sitewide sale on Tuesday.
I was able to get an additional 5% off, which means I ended up getting CVS gift cards for 14.5% less than face value. So I loaded up. And by “loaded up” I mean that I bought about $1,500 worth of printable GCs.
That’s still not the whole amount we’ll pay during the donut hole fiasco, but it was all I could manage.
It was hard for me to click the initial $800 order. When I realized it was silly not to load up more, it took me literally hours to make myself click “Checkout” for another $700.
I just kept picturing taking the money out of savings. Even though I know it probably would end up coming out of there anyway — just in smaller chunks. Smaller chunks, that is, which totaled 14.5% more.
Raiding savings (sorta)
The reason I kept picturing a dwindling savings account is because it is… Sorta.
We put down a $1,000 deposit on new windows, and it’ll be coming out of savings. The bulk of the cost won’t come due for another two to three months, but then it’ll really gut savings.
More immediately, I had to take out money to pay the credit cards early. Our statement due date is the 18th, and we don’t get back until the 16th. That means I can’t even deposit my paycheck until the 17th. So there’s no way I’d have the available funds in time for a payment.
So I transferred $2,200 out of the savings account and tried not to whimper.
Logically, I know we’re putting it (plus a little) right back in soon. But for now I just see a $2,200 (soon to be $3,200) drop in the account.
Sleep
Still an issue.
Sunday night I woke up at 3 a.m. I was able to get back to sleep — but only because, after an hour of trying to go the natural route, I got up and took a Tamazepam.
That’s probably not the safest combination in the world (especially adding in my energy meds during the day*), so it’s not something I want to repeat much, if at all.
Right now, I’m falling asleep around 9 or 9:30 p.m. and generally waking around 6 a.m. Sometimes, but rarely, 7 a.m. But it’s hard to tell whether the early hours are because my body is determined to wake up that early no matter what, or if it’s perhaps just because I’m going to bed so early.
I’m going to run an experiment on Saturday night — I need my rest up until then — by going to bed at my (old) normal bedtime: 10:30 p.m. If I’m able to stay asleep for at least eight hours, then I’ll be a happy camper.
But if, as I suspect, I still wake up at 5 or 6 a.m., I’m going back to my PCP and make the following points:
- I need to be rested for our vacation.
- I need to rest while on vacation.
- An 8 p.m. bedtime will make it hard to catch up with our friends.
- A 6 a.m. wake-up time will mean hours of sitting around, unable to visit people/do anything.
So, I’m going to stress, I need a sleep med. A real one. A medication specifically for the treatment of insomnia.
I’ll tell him I’m fine with just two weeks’ worth — enough to rest up before and during the trip. Then, if need be, I’ll return to an 8 p.m. bedtime once we’re back.
Anyone else having to raid savings lately? Or find any great discount gift card deals?
*No, these are not the problem. First of all, I never take the meds less than seven hours before bedtime, and by then I’ve more than used up whatever energy they give me. Secondly, I’ve tried skipping them, and nothing changes.
Guess you can use the PetSmart cards for dog food, litter and such? I’m glad you found the right place for Pandora. It’ll be like going to camp!
Donna Freedman recently posted…A hot (and short-lived) incentive to try Hulu.
Yep, she’ll be in puppy heaven.
So I was going to comment about this earlier, but I really don’t get how Tim could be facing the Medicare donut hole. Unless he is on Social Security Disability (SSDI) or a kidney dialysis patient, he would have to be 65 or older to be on Medicare. I thought well maybe you mean Medicaid, but your household income must be too high for Tim to qualify for Medicaid. Also, Medicaid doesn’t have a prescription drug donut hole. I enjoy your blog, and I don’t mean to be critical, but I really don’t understand your “donut hole” situation!
Tim’s been on Social Security Disability since 2010. Originally it was for his eczema which, in Seattle (and with the stress of trying to work) had him broken out head to toe just about constantly — with the multiple MRSA infections to prove it. (We stopped counting around the 15th infection in the first 2 years we were together.
Now, his eczema is mostly contained, but a good chunk of the reason for that is the low-stress life he has from not working. And of course the fibro issue is quickly making the eczema issue moot when it comes to disability.
Anyway, the point is that yes, he’s been on SSDI since 2010 and on Medicare since 2012. Hence the donut hole issue. Which really only reared its head since his pulmonologist added 2 new (but important) prescriptions.
That’s wonderful that you found a better boarding situation for Pandora. *sigh* As much as I miss having cats, I don’t miss the expense, work, and occasional stress of caring for them. I’ll have to move sometime before the year’s up and I don’t need the added stress/expense of finding a pet-friendly apartment building.
I’ve had a lifelong struggle with insomnia , so I really identify with your sleep issues. I hope you can get the meds you need to enjoy your vacation and that you get back to your normal sleep schedule soon.
Yeah, Tim has declared no more cats after this, and I’ll probably agree with him in the end. But as I keep reminding Patches, that’s years away. Because, I tell her, it’s not uncommon for cats to live to 15 or 16. So stick around, dammit!
And yes, finding a place that’s pet friendly can be a huge pain. And now “pet rent” is a thing. Which is ridiculous, especially since we ended up having to pay to replace the carpet after we moved anyway. So I feel like that $10 a month really should’ve gone toward that.
If you don’t already have a CVS card, get one. Use it each time you refill a prescription, as 10 of them add up to a $5 CVS coupon.
We have one, I think, but we should probably just open a new one with our new number. Since it’s through Medicare, a lot of deals don’t count (even if it’s during the Medicare donut hole, I think). But it’s worth a shot for sure!
Does your dog care situation also feature horses, a nice vet who served in Afghanistan, and a low price for any chickens who get killed? Because I know a place in the east valley that my sister has sent two Danes/Dane mixes to and the dogs had a great time. So did my coworker’s neurotic spaniel puppet. Dirty Dawg Salon down in Chandler.
Well, we don’t have time to vet (as it were) a new place. But I’ll definitely keep them in mind for any future trips! I think the chickens would probably be safe from Pandora, at least.
I’m so glad to hear that you found a better option for Pandora! That’s the hardest thing about travel – leaving the pets. I’ll be gone for three weeks, and my parents will watch the dogs, but I’m still freaking out from being away from them for that long. I need them as much as they need me:) I mean, who is gonna sleep in my armpit while I’m traveling? So, i totally get why Tim is upset about that extra night. I always need that night before with my boys.
Yeah, she’s kind of a staple for his sleep routine, even when that means she messes it up! I hope separation anxiety won’t be too bad for you. At least they’re with people she knows and you trust.
I had a business trip a couple weeks ago that came together very quickly. My usual house/pet sitter wasn’t available and I struggled to find another, but luckily I did. It’s so stressful leaving pets behind!
While I know it’s a challenge for you, I find your issue about waking up at 6 AM kind of funny since that’s considered a “reasonable” wake up for me. 7 AM is a late wake up, and 5or 5:30 is more normal for me. Since I try to get at least 8 hours of sleep this puts a real cramp in my social life. :-/
Linda recently posted…Pulling myself up
Yeah, I know to most people 6 a.m. is a completely normal thing. On the other hand, many (though obviously not all) of them don’t need eight or more hours of sleep every single night. And they spend their early-morning hours with specific things to do: getting showered, groomed, eating breakfast and commuting. I just… sit around thinking about all of the tasks I can’t check off my list until 8 a.m.
But yes, I’m definitely lucky for 6 a.m. to be unnecessarily early to wake up for work.