Beware the "Donut Hole"!

All of you who live in the United States and are not yet old enough for Medicare... take note.  If you take any prescription drugs, it's going to be expensive.

I have been on Medicare just since April and I have already learned what it means for the pocketbook.

These are the two prescriptions I picked up from my local pharmacy yesterday.  Cymbalta on the left and Crestor on the right.  These bottles contain a 90 day supply of each.  Guess how much they cost together?

$806.00 !!!!

The Cymbalta by itself was $600.

That's what happens when you get into the "Donut Hole" or what they call the "Coverage Gap".  You don't come out of the Coverage Gap until you have spent over $4,000 out-of-pocket.  This is one reason that economists are saying that retired couples these days should plan on spending at least $225,000 for medical care costs.

I have heard that the Affordable Care Act (also called "Obamacare") will eventually eliminate this Coverage Gap.  However, the Republicans in the House are trying their best to repeal it, so I'm not holding my breath.

I just wanted to warn you to start saving for your retirement, if you haven't already.  You will need it!

Good News and Bad News

The good news:  I had the follow-up appointment with my doctor today, after my fibroid surgery on the 10th.  The pathology report came back clean... no malignancy or other unhealthy stuff was found.

The bad news:  We tried to get Munchkin into a cat carrier this morning for a vet appointment... unsuccessfully.  Now she is so frightened/angry with us that she is hiding and won't come out.  Tiger has joined her.  We haven't seen either of them the rest of the day.  My husband found Munchkin once and she hissed at him!  I hope she will go back to being her lovable self.

Our Animals...

This is my sister's dog, Sammy (Samantha) begging my brother-in-law for dinner scraps:

This is Tiger and Munchkin begging me for my cereal milk:

This is Tiger's version of "The Princess and the Pea":

Our animals have a good life because we love them!

This Is Where I Want to Go Next

Tall Stacks

I wrote about Rabbit Hash, Kentucky on the Ohio River.  Then I wrote about the Anderson Ferry and the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club on the Ohio River.  Today I am writing about a festival that takes place on the Ohio River.  It's called the Tall Stacks Festival.  Tall Stacks is coming back in 2014.  It was last held in 2006 and I was there! Seventeen riverboats  came to dock in Cincinnati and took part in the three-day festival.

The river is full of these riverboats, just paddling their way along the river, taking passengers for rides.  Gathered all together, they are quite a sight!

It's fun to stand on the back and watch the paddle wheel churn in the water.

and to listen to the calliopes on all the boats, up and down the river, each one playing a different tune.  A calliope is like an organ, except the notes are made by steam whistles.

People come dressed for the occasion:

See the tall stacks?  That's where they get the name.  There are also tall stacks at the Great American Ball Park, where the Cincinnati Reds play.

When the Reds score, they toot.

It's a lot of fun and a sight to see.  A taste of the past along the Ohio River.

Along the Ohio River: 1817 to 2013

There are 106 places in Boone County Kentucky that have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Here is another one:

The Anderson Ferry has been operating continuously since 1817, closed only on Christmas day.  The ferry runs between Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio, crossing the Ohio River.  The trip across the river takes ten minutes.  You can walk on or drive your car or bike on.

Apparently, you can also drive a Fed Ex truck onto the ferry.  Many people use the ferry to commute to work.  It's also popular with tourists and locals alike, looking for a taste of the past.  The ferry is located three miles from the Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Airport, so Ohioans can take the ferry across to access the airport without fighting traffic on the interstates.

The ferry runs with a fleet of three:  Boone #7, Little Boone, and Deborah A.  The Boone #7 is the oldest, and still runs on a wooden paddle wheel.

This is a map showing Route 8, also known as River Road.  The Anderson Ferry is just off the map on the left hand side.  Farther down the road are the towns of Ludlow and Bromley.

Drive about seven miles east on River Road from the Anderson Ferry and you come to the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club.

You know you've arrived when you see the big shark.

You go across the ramp to the yacht club, which is floating on a pontoon in the Ohio River.

There is a semi-indoor area with a bar and dining room.

I like sitting on the deck, which is outside with a view of the river.  The deck pontoon rocks gently whenever a boat goes by.  It reminds you that you are on the water, and that's more fun.

It's a fun place to meet friends and have a drink.  The food is pretty good, too.

Nightlife at the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club:

On the weekends, the have bands playing live music, and dancing.

The Yacht Club is open from May till the end of October.  It's a warm weather kind of place.  It's not on the National Register of Historic Places, though.