I'm doing routine tasks to prepare for Art and me not working. In addition to preparing the budget, I'm checking out interest rates on short-term CDs. So far I'm find the difference in rates between our good savings account at USAA and a six-month CD is quite minimal - hardly worth the loss in liquidity for an extra eight dollars or so a month.

Also, getting ready to have Art apply for Medicare B and Social Security, I found out that the Social Security Administration handles both of them. That simplifies things, I hope. So I'll ask Art to call and make an appointment for us to talk to someone at the local office. We have a few special circumstances that will require him to apply in person. He's a vet, for one thing, and apparently there's an additional benefit, but you have to ask for it and take in your DD-114 (military discharge document). Also, both of us have state pensions and haven't paid into Social Security for 20 years. He has 30 years in SS prior to that, so he'll get his full entitlement. But I won't; my entitlement will be reduced by a portion of my pension, when I apply for it at age 65. I'm not sure, either, whether my spousal benefit will be reduced as well. In planning for our finances, I want to know the good and the not so good. So a personal appointment is a good idea. As things get simpler, my Bag Lady recedes into the shadows.

Art has an appointment for an interview with the Census Bureau - there are neighborhood part-time jobs available this spring, and it might be fun for him to get out there and chat with neighbors. Usually he makes an excellent impression on other people. They all think he's a calm and laid-back guy!