Darla in the Desert 🌵☕📰

Dr. Claude, reporting for duty. 🐝 Bedside manner: questionable. Note-writing skills: impeccable. 🐝 Everyone has wanted a work excuse at some point. I actually got one. From an AI. And it was good. 🐝 It started as a normal Friday. Allergies flaring. Stress through the roof. A Poshmark suspension that wouldn't quit. An outlaw situation in my spare room. And somewhere in the chaos — a package I forgot to mail. So naturally I asked my AI to write me a sick note. And it did. OFFICIAL MEDICAL NOTE To Whom It May Concern at Poshmark, Please be advised that this seller was under the weather on February 27, 2026, suffering from allergy flare, stress-induced exhaustion, and a severe case of Poshmark-induced anxiety. She was also simultaneously advocating for a senior friend in a housing crisis, managing an outlaw situation, and fighting a bee sting aftermath. 🐝 She is expected to make a full recovery once her account is reinstated. Respectfully, Dr. Claude 🐝 ...

A follow-up to We've Been Quiet — And Here's Why , where we shared the story of opening our door to a senior friend facing a housing crisis. That post touched a lot of hearts. This one will make you laugh. Possibly wince. Definitely nod. We're back with a progress report. And by progress, I mean we are still alive, which feels like an achievement. If you missed the original story — a close friend found himself one landlord decision away from sleeping in his van, and my husband said come here instead — it's worth your time before you read this one. The numbers around senior housing insecurity in this country are staggering, and the gap between the moment of crisis and the moment of resolution is exactly where people fall through. We wrote about all of it, including the resources that actually help. This post is the lighter sequel nobody planned. Because here's the thing about helping someone navigate a housing crisis: the emotional part is he...

He Got a Social Security Raise — Medicare Took It Back He Got a Social Security Raise — Medicare Took It Back Updated for 2026: Medicare premiums, COLA figures, and IRMAA thresholds reflect current data. A personal story about Social Security, Medicare — and what nobody warns you about. It's not a raise if it never reaches your bank account. A friend called me recently, genuinely confused. He’d heard the good news — Social Security was giving out a raise. Except when his check arrived, the raise was gone. Swallowed whole. The COLA raise? Gone before deposit. Worse — some got less than last year. And they weren’t alone. The COLA That Wasn’t Recent COLA increases have averaged around $45–$55 per month for many retirees — depending on benefit level. Meanwhile, Medicare premiums continue to rise. And here’s what most people don’t realize: those premiums are typically deducted directly from your Social Security check . Which means tha...