Recent content by Proteus126

Portfolio milestones were 2015, 2019, and 2023. The first one indeed took forever, 23 years in the workforce. My starting salary in 1992 was $27k, so no wonder. For NW, milestones were 2010, 2017, 2020, and 2024.

Nothing has changed since 2017. ACA is still in the crosshairs. Retirement planners should not blithely assume that ACA subsidies will be available. My plan is to work 3 more years until I reach my MRA, keeping my Fed health insurance into retirement. I just couldn't trust in ACA enough to...

My mom, aged 83 and properly vaccinated, is symptom-free 10 days after first symptoms. This was her first time with COVID. She had her first symptoms (gut discomfort) in the wee hours of the AM on Jan 31. Progressed to diarrhea and nausea. Tested positive in the morning that day and took...

My Paxlovid experience, my first time with COVID, just a few weeks ago: I had no contraindications, so I began taking Paxlovid 48 hours after first symptoms. I felt immediate improvement (within 12 hours). I took the entire 5-day course, ending on Day 7, and didn't have a rebound. I tested...

Roger that. We will keep with the masks and isolation in the house until 10 days post initial positive, barring a rebound.

So much for COVID. Paxlovid nuked it. I started it 48 hours post the onset of symptoms. Highly recommended! I didn't experience very much of the bad taste in the mouth thing that others have reported from using Paxlovid. Just a bit of a coppery flavor on the first day, just in the first two...

I got impatient yesterday morning and fever had crept up to 101.4, so I got a Paxlovid prescription. Fever is gone and energy level is better this morning. Still have significant drainage. I'm guessing that it was not a mere coincidence, and that the Paxlovid was quite effective for me. Will...

Yesterday and into today: Malaise, fatigue, mild aches and sweats, sinus drainage is picking up. 100 degree fever. 99% pulse ox. Not having a good time. Bored.

I've popped my cherry! My office-mate began to feel feverish circa noon on Thursday 8/3. He went home immediately, and tested positive. I took my computer home since I suspected that I wouldn't be in the office until I was clear. We had been in close proximity all week, so I knew I was...

The 2011 spike you mention is census workers (so actually 2010?) The chart isn't good enough to differentiate which tick mark is what year to my tired eyes. The census spike happens every decade, as you will see if you look circa 2000 and 1990 etc. And it appears that I owe you an apology. I...

This isn't a fight. I just wanted some facts to back up the anecdote, since crediting Fed hiring for cranes across the horizon and new suburb development didn't ring true. Unrebutted, it could lead folks to believe that Federal employees made out on the backs of their suffering fellow...

I'd like to see a source for the bolded. A quick search didn't seem to back up a huge hiring binge. The first chart below shows a modest rise in Fed employment during the 2009-2011 timeframe. I am pretty certain that even that modest rise was due to a maintenance of a steady hiring rate, at...

Thank you very much for the help. That looks to be the most useful summary of "things to do" that I've seen, and is from the TurboTax point of view. Since it doesn't capture every step, I'll have to fumble through a bit.

All, I contributed $7k to my Roth in January 2021. That was my 2021 tax year contribution. In doing my 2021 taxes a week ago I discovered that my earnings were too high and the entire $7k contribution was in excess. I instructed my IRA custodian to withdraw both the $7k contribution and...

Thanks, Harllee! FYI - Rowan County has filled up today's appointments. The window is NOW open for Thursday's (Feb-18) first-dose appointments. Looks like they have about 300 appointment slots currently available, from 0800 to 1200 on Thursday. According to my mom, today's session is Rowan...