u/Sparky-VC

FPL gives a count of how many have been restored, but I think many like me like to know what areas have been restored so we can get excited when it's getting close :) Well, I just came up with something new (to me). Go to Uber Eats but select "pickup" instead of delivery and the map shows places that are open. Pretty much nothing North of 9 Mile yet, poor me, but was interesting watching that map as different places opened.

I've still got fuel for another 48 hours or so and keeping the fridges cold, so for those that jump on everything stating to stop complaining, I'm not complaining :)

So, I served a little over 13 years, so not being retired I can't just wear the uniform at will, but it would fall under the Wedding, funeral, military events. My daughter is marrying someone currently in A School and he will be wearing his Dress Blues. It came up that I could get back in mine as well, but I'm torn and undecided. For family and close friends most seem to like the idea, while in a private Facebook group some seem to think it will take away from my soon to be son in law. He is fine with it, and my daughter said she'd love it but would be fine if I didn't want to go through the expense and effort (including a shave and regulation haircut, but I meet that when I get it cut anyway, other than being shaggy in between).

1. Cost. NOT a huge thing, but is a factor. After 28 years I can almost fit in my Blues. "Almost" being the key word. Medals and ribbons a bit shabby. So, I'd need all of that new. Due to VA disability access to the base and uniform shop are no issue.
2. I don't want to draw attention from the son in law, or do what might be "weird" even if my daughter would like it. IF I wear mine, there are other veterans, some retired, who are considering then doing so. Not to mention no idea what size hoard of Airman Apprentices from his barracks will end up there.

So, it's not a poll or anything. Just looking for a range of opinions and thoughts before I buy a uniform and then see if I can still roll and tie a neckerchief lol. Actually, my old one looks in good shape and can maybe avoid that :)

Thanks!!!

Edit: Thanks to all those with comments to think about. I appreciate all of them, and would appreciate any new ones yet to come as well. However, while it seems like most support it, those against it also have strong arguments so I am leaning to NOT doing it, other than having a serious discussion with the two kids and consider it only if they outright insist. That may shift some, but it's where I'm feeling it :) Thanks for ALL honest input! Shipmates never let us down :)

Looking for input :) Over the years we have steadily replaced most knives with Japanese and occasionally German steel. We have also concentrated on a 15 degree edge and a sharpener to match.

It's time to get a new carving knife. One says it has an edge of 8-12 degrees, and the other says 16-18 degrees.

So, with a 15 degree sharpener, are we better going with the one with the narrower or wider edge knowing when sharpened it will be 15 degrees?

I'm not looking for medical advice, just personal experiences. I've had shoulder pain for about seven months. Years ago, I had an impinged cuff that improved after a few months of rest, and this initially felt like that. It continued to worsen and I can't lift my arm past level, can't reach behind my back, and even some pain if reaching across my front. At times, even in bed resting, the pain throbs and seems to go well into my biceps and middle of the upper arm.

It has also been a major issue getting VA to approve imaging. I now have an MRI and scheduled for PT to start about a month from now and can go to orthopedics only after 6-8 weeks of PT first. It sounds like IF I should eventually need surgery the PT is a good thing anyway, so I'm going with it. My questions are what others experienced with the list below, mostly the labrum tear. I just turned 59, not involved in sports, but almost positive I did this when reaching up and trying to shift a 1/4" line from my patio misting system that didn't want to move. It wasn't painful at the time, but I do recall feeling like something "let go" and a sort of electric shock feeling. Anyway, here's the end result of the MRI if anyone has anything to share and I thank you:

IMPRESSION:

1. Mild degenerative osteoarthritic changes of the acromioclavicular joint.

2. Tear involving the superior, posterosuperior, and anterior labrum.

3. Minimal tendinopathy of the infraspinatus and subscapularis tendons without discrete

tear.

4. Mild subacromial-subdeltoid bursitis.

5. Type III (hooked) acromial morphology.

LOL, this may belong in a therapy group instead of personal finance!!! However, I'm looking for how other retirees convinced themselves it was now ok to spend money. I'd had some financial issues here and there through the years, but then buckled down and became debt free other than our mortgage. I kept increasing monthly savings and lived on only about half my income.

I then retired on my 57th birthday two years ago. No social security for myself or my wife yet, but we are spending more now (slightly), while still not touching a penny of the $2,500 a month in dividends my Roth, IRA and HSA generate. We have about $1,600 a month left each month we save for vacations or home improvement, still without touching any of our dividends.

My habits tell me to keep saving, so our $2,500 a month keeps getting re-invested, and even saving much of the $1,600 "just in case" even though we already have a 100k emergency fund. However, we have all our bases covered so we should be spending and enjoying what we saved and built!!!! Besides that $2,500 a month we'll eventually get social security and add even more. Yet, we can't seem to spend it. We lived on 60-65k a year and still stuck there.

So, how did you convince yourself you have ALREADY saved, planned, did all you should and justify spending? We could take more vacations, we could do some home improvements, send more gifts to the grandkids. We're just stuck in the savings mode, and I'm thinking it's not healthy lol.

So, talk me off the ledge :) I need to convince myself.

Note: Anyone wanting to talk about "rich", I served 13 years in the Navy and the rest working IT for a manufacturing company and never had a large salary. I FINALLY made more than 100k the year before I retired. My investments are due to investing as soon as I finished bootcamp in 1985 and it built up.

While I was still working I kept an above average emergency fund, usually around $100k. Besides loss of income risks, I also wanted to be able to cover unexpected medical bills without touching my HSA as well as living in a hurricane zone and the higher hurricane deductible for damage.

I'm retired now, so there is no chance of income loss, yet I still have the large emergency fund. For medical I now use VA and my wife is covered by ChampVA so there is little medical cost risks. In addition to the income we live on, we have an additional $2,500 a month in Roth/IRA/HSA dividends we have not yet ever touched. So, my logical brain tells me 50-75K should be more than enough, and even if some is needed we can rebuild it pretty quick just by not re-investing for a bit. The "old habits die hard" part is stuck on the 100k because that was the rule for so long. I feel like I'm losing out on long term growth with so much sitting, yet also a bit of a scardy cat. At some point we intend to spend much more of those dividends, but it would still be discretionary spending if we needed to replenish.

So, just looking for some thoughtful opinions or confirmation one way or another :) Thanks!

Reading so many other posts helped big time in my own ability to make a coherent claim. I've since been trying to help others I know personally and directed them here.

Reading the experiences of others is a huge bonus when preparing a claim. The knowledge base is yet another huge bonus for anyone not able to dig through the CFR directly on everything.

Ya'll are all awesome, and the admins and those maintaining the KB as well.

Thanks for all you do!!!!! Helping us all make our claims coherent and satisfy what a DBQ is looking for is, in itself, huge!!! Personal experiences only add to that.

So, thanks again!!! Ya'll are awesome!

The base ticket office can likely answer this as well, but it's for 2027 so I wont be making the drive to the base soon either.

It looks like my wife and I can buy up to 6 MFP passes each, but have to be present to activate them. We are looking at a trip for all of our kids and grandkids to go to Universal. If we each buy six and then go just ourselves earlier can we just active all of them, even though the others aren't there on that trip but they can use them on our June trip? Or, does everyone getting a pass have to be there as well as my wife and I with the military IDs?

LOL, I hope the question itself even makes sense. Thanks in advance for any info!