CGM, for short

 I'm wearing a Continuous Glucose Monitor to track my glucose levels for the next few months.
I've been curious about them for a long time, ever since my cousin was wearing one at our reunion a couple years ago and she said the information was so interesting and she was learning ways to lower spikes and what foods were triggers, so I was excited when my doctor prescribed it.

Nick had one he never used from a couple of years ago, so Dan is wearing that one

and we're both going to track for the next two weeks.

The scariest part was attaching it, but I had Dan do it and it didn't hurt at all.

It's super easy to get a reading -- you just hold your phone close to the monitor,

and it will give you an instant reading. The app tracks throughout the day but with a range graph chart, not a specific number. 

I've been reading a ton of online articles trying to understand recommended levels
before and after eating, during exercise, highs and lows, morning vs. evening levels, etc.

Since I'm eating Keto, I should stay in my target range so it will be easier to notice spikes and how to attribute them. At some point, I'll use the data again when I start adding fruits and whole grains back into my diet to find my sensitivities.

The worst part is an alarm you can't turn off when your numbers fall to low.

The alarm would be helpful if you were actually diabetic.

And also if it didn't have a flaw where if you lay on the arm of the device and put too much pressure on it at night, it can't get an accurate reading, and the levels show up low. We've been woken at 4:30 am for two nights now when my alarm goes off! 

I think I've figured out I just need to close the app. Phew!

Also, Chris and I worked on his taxes today. I was mainly moral support because I told him how easy they are to do and I'd just guide him to the right websites. But I was wrong.

Especially because he had three W-2's and had to enter the W-2 info by hand to file electroniocally, 

which was super tedious and the "take a picture and upload" wasn't working because his phone number isn't in his name--it's in Dan's. Ugh!

Also, they were more challenging than I expected because the IRS site is needlessly confusing and requires a pin number and information from last year's statements to file!

Chris  remembered we used a third-party last year,

and fortunately, I discovered I'd saved the information in my phone under his contact info.

(Mom's are the best!)

We went through the whole process again, got his federal filed, opted not to pay the $40 to file the state, 

because, I said, I'm sure Utah's direct site is much easier. 

No. No, it wasn't. It kept telling him he owed $200 which I was certain wasn't true.

He left to workout. I kept digging.

Finally Dan came home and was my moral support as we tried the whole State process again

and Dan detected the "standard deduction" line we were missing and knew where to look for it on the federal form (If I were designing the site, I would put a note "look on your federal form, line 40.")

Finally we got it filed and Chris actually gets $200 back.

And that, in summary, is what is wrong with the IRS.