The V.A.

Walked Kimball early. Incredibly enough, I later went to the V.A. Services office. The speaker at the VCS meeting on Wednesday had mentioned "survivors' benefits," to the effect that some widows of veterans were entitled to a thousand a month. Thought I might as well look into it, so I dug up Pat's discharge papers and a few other documents and took myself off.
I learned from the receptionist that I could make an appointment to talk to someone, but the earliest would be in September. However, he gave me a paper listing when representatives would be at other sites and the one in Ventura was yesterday from 1 to 4. He told me to go at 12:30 at the latest, as there was usually a long wait. I did just that--in fact, got there about noon, so I had a long wait.
I was told to wait outside in the atrium, which was very pleasant. Fell into conversation with a woman whose husband had died only three weeks ago and who said the people at Social Security couldn't tell her how much she'd be receiving in those benefits. She was called in and I started talking to a guy who was trying "for the fourth time" to get full disability instead of partial. Others came in, then I was finally called at about 1:15.
The rep was very pleasant, but I was with him for about five minutes. He told me immediately that assets can't total more than eighty dollars (total assets!). Also, there's a complicated formula concerning income, but it seems to boil down to you can't have more than something like 8,000 dollars annually! What? How can anybody live on twice that, let alone--? I said thank you and goodbye.
Oh, well, it was an experience. Went home, had lunch, then El came over, bringing her Subway sandwich. I gave her a glass of iced tea, we sat and chatted while she ate, then she made a few adjustments to my phone. She left, I drove to town and did the walk.