Recent content by Rico

Feeling the power of 125mph in my Tesla Model S is/was/always will be one of my most cherished memories. Purred like a kitten.

Question for anyone who has experienced fluctuations in income and resulting IRMAA penalties in the past: If there is a drop in income for a given calendar year, does the IRS automatically monitor this and recalculate the IRMAA reduction for the subsequent year? Or is it on me to call and...

The site I originally registered through and have membership in has a vetting process for both sitters and home/pet owners. Background checks are part of the process. But otherwise, yes, it's all about staying in a new acquaintance's home. Usually there is a good bit of communication in...

So far I've never rented a car, most always have done well with air, rail & bus transit for longer hops (thanks Rome2Rio app). At actual sitting locations, typically I'm in walking distance to grocery stores, shops, restaurants, etc. On occasion, the pet owners have left me their car for use as...

Great to hear you're TH experience is going well, Scuba. I enrolled in a similar program HouseCarers several years ago and have been traveling off and on (minus 2 years pandemic) ever since. I especially like applying for international sits, most always involves pet(s). Zero cost to pet...

Publix stores are expanding in the Atlanta metro area. Definitely positioned as a premium-branded retailer with pricing reflective of that. The gasoline discount promo seems enticing at face value, but the $50 spend usually involves overpriced items at Publix, so the net gasoline price savings...

I did exactly that recently with an emergency room visit. Although I reluctantly accepted a ride TO the ER from a friend, it was a simple UBER app that got my ride back home at 4am many hours later. No restrictions imposed by the ER on using ride services for patient releases. Only $11 one way...

LOL Onward....It's been awhile since I read a comment here that made me spit out my coffee! :)

You've expressed this so well pacergal.

I recall my days in the industry and specifically the day a passenger arrived for boarding with their emotional support miniature pony in tow. Bulkhead row. The pony stood. Had a special "poo-catching" bag attached to its rear orifice - just in case. Adorable, well-behaved animal. The only more...

The Traveling Pet Whisperer I've been providing free worldwide house and pet sitting for the past 3 years, mostly through the HouseCarers.com site you referenced and it's been an amazing win/win exchange. Caring for pets in some domestic U.S. locales, but mostly pet sitting in Europe so far...

It's a valid question, gcgang. The concept with housecarers is that rent=pet care services provided. There's no exchange of money whatsoever, only free accommodations for the sitter in exchange for pet care services provided. As for utilities, it's never been an issue for me so far, since...

Braumeister, thank you. I sincerely mean that. Long story short, I'm sitting in an Airbnb in a lovely little town on the Swiss/German border as I write this. There's a light dusting of snow on the rooftops of the pretty Bavarian-style houses nearby. I'm in the middle of a 3-month tour of Europe...

This topic hits close to home. A neighbor, age 52, in the process of a divorce, living alone with no pets or interaction with others, was discovered dead in his home this past month. According to the investigator who interviewed neighbors to piece together a timeline (I was little help), the...

bclover, Karma usually sorts things out. Historically, pole dancers like "cinnamon" usually develop knee problems early in life. Rico