🦃 A Most Unreliable Narrator Issue #164: Bonjour, Guten Morgen, Hello 🎄
A mini update, if you will
Welcome to A Most Unreliable Narrator, the slice-of-life newsletter of GenXer around town, Lisa Rabey. I talk about anything and everything with a bit of swears. I’m glad you’re here.
Dear Internet,
I find myself with a bit of time today in between packing so I thought I would drop you a note.
We’ve dropped Thursday the Pug off at her pet resort this morning and she was beyond excited to be there, the brat. She’s getting spoiled while we’re gone so I know she’s in good hands. The first time we took her, when we picked her up, they brought her to us, she sniffed Mr Lisa and I, and then started pulling her lead to head back into the building. She really is a bitch.
Tomorrow, we leave for our European jaunt where we’ll be gone for nearly two weeks. We’re doing the Rhine river cruise starting in Basel, Switzerland and ending up in Amsterdam. We planned on taking extra time off to stay in Amsterdam for a few extra days after but Viking, not the airline but Viking, wanted an outrageous amount to change our flights on top of whatever the airline would charge. It’s also Happy Colonizer week (Thanksgiving for those not in the know) so we knew flights and hotels may be problematic so home we come.
We’re spending a few days in Basel and then we hit villages and towns along the Rhine in France and Germany. Last year we were able to see the Christmas markets in Florence and Aix-en-Provence since we were there in December, but it may be a bit too early for Christmas markets this year. We’ve got a long list of things to do in Basel and Mr Lisa is going to research what to do in the villages and towns where we will be stopping. Viking includes excursions at each stop, and we always get a few extra hours to wander and shop. Mr Lisa, whose memory is based on food in different countries, is keen on trying local delicacies and I’m excited by that.
If we’re not friends on Facebook, I do recommend following me on Instagram as I’m posting pictures in both social media accounts.
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Our building added a rowing machine to the community gym, so I’ve been rowing in the mornings before I begin work. I also have my plan from my trainer in Michigan with free weights and body weight so I’m not transferring my Y membership down here. I put the Michigan Y membership on hold until next spring. I’ll miss being able to swim on regular basis but that’s not enough to keep the membership here. Mr Lisa hasn’t been working out with me yet but that’ll start when we get back from Europe or so he says. We both are not fans of working out after work so early morning it is since he starts work earlier than I. And by early he means we start around 6:30 a.m or 7. In the days of mania, 6:30 a.m. was nothing but now that I’m old, it is not in the lord’s way to wake up that god dammed early.
As the US knows, we had daylight saving time happen a few weeks ago. I was beyond thrilled because the morning darkness was eating at my soul so having bright light when I wake up has been beautiful. The early evening darkness doesn’t bother me too much, but I was surprised to find out that it was only 6:45 p.m. when we came back from dinner last night because of how dark it was.
The early morning darkness starts in late August in Michigan as the summer days are quite long but as we head into fall, the fall and winter days are quite short. Mr Lisa and I are both affected by seasonal depression so when (not if, but when) we do move to Michigan, that’s something we’re going to have to encounter.
I did not send out a 51 Stories in 51 Weeks this week because I got overwhelmed prepping for the trip. That’ll come back in December like everything else. We don’t leave for the airport tomorrow until later in the morning so I should be able to get the Blotter out on time. If not, that too will come later.
I decimated my closet this weekend with donating 80% of what I own to Goodwill. Even without the weight loss, I didn’t wear more than half what I owned and some of it had been on the hangers for so long, dust formed on the creases where the hanger meets the cloth. That 80% ended up as five 13-gallon kitchen trash bags worth of clothes. Also, all my jeans and pants with buttons and zips, I’m down to very little. (T-shirt collection needs an overhaul as well which I’ll do later this year.) We love Duluth Trading which is wear for the very active. I don’t chop wood or re-wire my house but I love the clothes, the quality is great, and it also fits great. I was able to find a pair of pants with buttons and zips that fit and didn’t piss me off so those got bought. Most of the clothes in store were outdoorsy clothes (vests, jackets, snow pants, etc) while their website has loads of great stuff. The clothes are pricey so I’m waiting for a sale to stock up on shirts.
Not much else to report as of right now. I am keeping a list of topics I want to write about when I get back and even if we’re not friends on FB or if you’re not following my Instagram, I’ll write up the travel tales here.
Wonderful Thing
Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs
This is legit. I have the drugs to prove it.
The story goes that Cuban was so aghast at the cost of drugs when his child was ill, he looked for a way to solve that problem for himself and others. I’m not sure what magic he’s got going on here (large quantities? Backdoor deals? Cutting out the middle-men?) but I don’t care.
I was in-between insurance when my psych meds were up for renewal. Using GoodRX, all but Latuda, fucking Latuda, were reasonable cost. Latuda, with GoodRX was pricey at $350 per month. Retail cost? $1500 a month. Now, I have the generic and per Rob, he gave me an explanation of which I’m blanking on right now, why the generic is still pricey. I no longer believe the research and development angle so that can go to hell.
Any who, both Brendan and Best Kate told me about this site and confirmed it is legit. You don’t need proof of income or insurance. All that needs to happen is your doc submits your script, it gets filled by a participating pharmacy, and you get the drugs via mail.
When I told my psych nurse the Latuda issue he immediately brought up Cost Plus without me having to beg him for it. He submits my script, I get an email from Cost Plus to finish out the order, and boom, I got my drugs a week later.
Now here’s the kicker. For a 90-day supply of all three psych meds, including Latuda, I paid $60. Not each month. Not per drug. For every drug and a 90-day supply each. I about cried.
I’m now on Mr Lisa’s insurance and using Cost Plus is far cheaper than using his insurance so continuing to use Cost Plus is a no brainer.
So, if you’re looking for a way to get your meds cheaply and the same quality, I am begging you to give this joint a try.
Love and happily medicated,
lisa x
(Fuck fascists and Nazis!)
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