Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.
My Week in Review
Happy Sunday and end of March! Crazy how quickly this month went by. My family is celebrating Easter. Our kids are all grown, so no more bunny stuff. Just sharing a meal together, but it is one of two times a year we get a ham from the Polish butcher. This week was such a whirlwind. I was super busy at work which I always welcome, but I am going to be busy again tomorrow with two people in my role out. Like Dory says - keep swimming.
Speaking of swimming, we had some major rainfall last week. Again, I felt like I won the work from home lottery because it was the two days I was home that were horrendous. Winning! We had a short week since the stock market is closed on Good Friday. I always welcome extra time off though I can't seem to get ahead. I got my haircut on Friday and did my food shopping since we will be out today. Once I was at the market during the day, I remembered why I don't go to Wegman's during the day. So crowded with all the most annoying people.
You all know I have severe dry eye and require prescription medication. I went to the ophthalmologist who I have seen many times, and I got a bill. They charged me $456 for an eye exam. When I called, they said I did not have a vision plan which is true. I usually pay like $80 - $100 for an exam and then the dry eye part is covered. It took me three calls to get them to resubmit with my diagnosis. Hopefully more will be covered, but really, $456 for an eye exam? I told the woman in billing that that was an extraordinary amount for that service and she agreed with me. HA!
On the Blog
- Monday: Reviews - The Library of Borrowed Hearts, Christa Comes Out of Her Shell
- Tuesday: TTT - Quiet on the Set!
- Wednesday: CWW - The Second Chance, All Good People Here
- Thursday: Reviews - Welcome Home Caroline Kline, The Bookbinder's Guide to Love
- Friday: Reading Challenge Check-In - Quarter One
- Saturday: Five on My TBR - On Hold
Let's Discuss
Stacking the Shelves
Another slow week. I did get approved for the new Jen DeLuca book. I am eager to read this one since it's her first outside of the Well Met world.
Netgalley/Edelweiss
- Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
- Worst in Show by Anna E. Collins
Invites
- Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
Read Last Week
A solid reading week that was library heavy due to SOOO many holds coming through. And you know what? They just kept coming. I actually checked out another three books, but delayed another four. The books were all good with minor things that kept them from getting all the stars.
I did have a five-star book though. I loved Summertime Punchline. I am not sure if it's quite the rom-com promised in the synopsis, but it was a great book. Loved that it was set down the shore, the comedy angle, the second chance romance, but I also adored that it was a comeback story and a story of healing.
Find all my reviews on Goodreads
Books
- How to Dance by Jason B. Dutton - ★★★★
- Say You'll Be Mine by Naina Kumar - ★★★★
- All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers - ★★★★
- Mistakes We Never Made by Hannah Brown - ★★★★
- Summertime Punchline by Betty Corrello - ★★★★★
Audiobooks
- Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage - ★★★★ 1/2
- Big Fish by Daniel Wallace - ★★★★
Currently Reading
I am excited to be reading the new Melodie Edwards. I have not read Persuasion, but Edwards writes great contemporary romances. I thought I would try to knock out another difficult state, so when I saw Dakota Home at the library, I checked it out. Books set in North Dakota written by authors I have previously enjoyed are not easy to come by. I had to jump on it.
- Once Persuaded, Twice Shy by Melodie Edwards
- Dakota Home by Debbie Macomber (audiobook)
To Be Read
- The Someday Daughter by Ellen O'Clover
- The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn
- Savor It by Tarah Dewitt
- One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette
Let us know in the comments!
456 for an eye exam is a lot!!!! Also I got my hair cut on Friday too! Have a great week Sam!
ReplyDeleteI am happy to say, it was fixed! I only had to pay about $90 which is what I expected. Look us with our new dos! Hope the cut went well.
DeleteWow, $456 for an eye exam? I usually get a free exam and then pay $400-$500 for glasses because my eyes are really messed up, and I don't have eye insurance at all. If they charged for exams, I'd probably have to learn how to be blind.
ReplyDeleteMy exam used to get covered because I got to the ophthalmologist and have a medical condition that they treat, but that stopped in 2022. Like I said, the exam is around $100 (and they resubmitted, $90 total from me - whew!)
Delete"Again, I felt like I won the work from home lottery because it was the two days I was home that were horrendous."
ReplyDeleteI hope your luck holds! It's a blessing to be able to work from home when you have to embark on such a disastrous commute.
"They charged me $456 for an eye exam"
For goodness' sake! I hope the thing gets sorted, but at any rate...that's a small fortune.
People my age are used to going into the office, so it's a treat to work from home. And yes! I got an email this morning. The charge went down to $90. More in line with what I expected.
DeleteHappy Easter to you and your family! I'm glad you get to spend the day with them. We are having a low-key holiday today. I'm smoking some pork for pulled pork, and my husband is baking a berry galette.
ReplyDeleteYum! I love pulled pork do you make your own sauce too? I know you have roots in Texas. You two are quite the chefs. I will only be eating the food today. HA!
DeleteI scaled down my sauce recipe so that it only made a half gallon :)
DeleteNice!
DeleteI'm glad that you got the cost for the eye exam sorted, Sam. I love holidays when the whole family gets together, I hope you had a great time and enjoyed that ham. Thanks for the reminder about the Dakota series. My library has the first one on audiobook, so maybe I will listen to it on my way home. I hope you have a great week.
ReplyDelete*high five* We can both knock North Dakota out. Yeehaw!
DeleteHenry and I are in desperate need of haircuts! Maybe this weekend when things slow down a little. Hope you had a wonderful Easter!
ReplyDeleteI want to see the little man's haircut when you get it.
DeleteThat's a lot of an eye exam! I would want them to resubmit as well. I hope it works out for you! We celebrated Easter yesterday with pizza. I was too lazy to cook this year.
ReplyDeleteIt took two calls, but they finally resubmitted and worked it out. Pizza always good. We only made a ham, my niece made stuffed shells, and my sister did a few other things. It was pretty low key
DeleteI saw from a previous comment that they fixed your eye exam bill. Yay for that!! And for the win of working from home in the deluge. I have a hold on Done & Dusted. Glad to see you really enjoyed it. I didn't realize or remember that DeLuca had a new one coming out. I still need to read the last book in the Well Met series. I read Dakota Home forever ago. I enjoyed it at the time, but I have no idea how it would hold up. I also wonder if you'll be missing too much starting with the second book in the series. It's a small town with lots of characters. I do know that much. Hope you enjoy it, though, and the rest of your reads.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Done and Dusted. It was better than I expected. I think I have a prejudice against social media darling books. I am listening to Dakota Home and the women narrating has a terrible male voice. She makes them all sound like old men. I am doing ok following along, so far.
DeleteOh no! That can really mess up my enjoyment of a book. I have a physical copy of it that I read.
DeleteIt's not ruining it, but it strikes me as weird every time
DeleteI hope they adjust that eye exam! $456 is a lot! Yay for scoring with work at home days when the weather was awful! I hated having to drive when we had rainy days in Southern California because the traffic would be HORRIBLE! Hope you enjoy Once Persuaded, Twice Shy!
ReplyDeleteThey did. It came to $90, but I had to call twice and be told TWICE that they were resubmitting the claim. Once Persuaded was good. I am garbage for second chance romances.
Delete