I've been hearing this for years, haven' t you.? It gets boring.

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use on nearly a daily basis.  What you need depends on the type of account you work on.  If you are only doing clinic notes you can get buy with a drug book and a book like Sloane's Medical Word Book.   If you are doing acute care but only doing one speciality then again you could get by with a drug book and whatever Stedman's book for that speciality.   I don't know how people function without books.  Google is not always a reliable reference and to have to spend time googling when you can open the book and found it in 3 seconds is so much easier and productive. 

Some of my books are an older edition, but unless it is a book that I need frequently I don't update with each new addition.  I'm partial to Stedman's books, as I think most MTs are.  They have specials throughout the year.  You can also buy books at half.com.  You can get a brand new book for a fraction of the cost of new, though be sure to check Stedman's website to make sure you are getting the most current edition. 

It's good to have a plan, I agree.  I'd like to set up an SEP retirement account for myself because I know social security won't be there for me.

No, I'm just really tired of job hunting.  My perfect job would be parttime with regular steady hours.  I don't care if I'm SE or IC.  It's not about only wanting to work when I want to.  I know that the company needs coverage.  However, I'd like to be able to take a day off when I'm sick instead of being told, "No, we need this work done.  Nobody can do it except for you."  I could even make up my hours, but IC seems to mean you're not allowed to get sick or anything.  It just seems like you sell your soul to the devil just for the "luxury" of working at home.  I'm so extremely tired from everyone demanding from me all the time.  I pitch in all the time when they're out of TAT or someone else is absent, but I'm not allowed to have needs of my own.  The more you give of yourself, the more everyone wants.  I feel as if there's nothing left inside of me.

And the clients have always liked my work.

That is the only CORRECT in my book ... he who signs the paycheck.

My problem with changing accounts was not the terminology, the dictators (I do 4 big hospitals even now), but it was shuffling around to remember account specifics. That is ridiculous.

It is another case of an MTSO (not the client, the MTSO) treating the MTs as a cost center instead of a revenue center. The "money" was for the suits and the editors (no offense) and the MTs who did the work were at the end of the money line.

I've never run out of work, been slow at times, and asked for more.  If you are a well-rounded MT the work is there.  If you are limited to one or two specialities well, work is limited as would be anywhere.  As for the pay, my check was been screwed up twice in 3 years.  I had the difference in my hands the next day, the fedex the check to me. 

Question to you?  How did you treat BTS?  Where you there to work if and when they needed you?  Was your work 98% or better and within TAT?  Most employers will treat their employees they way they are treated.  It's a give and take situation people.  I sign on do my work, send it to the clients and have no problems.  If they need extra help somewhere I usually (but not always) say sure (who can't use the extra money anyway).  When I want time off, they say no problem. 

Did you ever try talking to the owners about your problem with pay or work or to your manage?  You can't complain if you don't try and solve the problem first.!!

and can honestly say I've never had a background check to my knowledge.  They really should let you know beforehand and I guess it is possible I've had one and not been aware but highly doubt it.

Been in healthcare since 1972 :)  Got halfway through my Masters in HealthCare Administration and stopped because I was NOT passionate about that.  Got into this instead. 

I am still passionate about my house and everything else I do.  I'm 55.  I'm not naive, or dumb.  Passion comes from inside you, if you're not passionate, it's because you make yourself that way.

Thanks for the tip, but I don't have anything to get over.  I don't waste a lot of time whining and complaining though.  :)

been IC, but one of the things I did was to have my husband claim zero and at the single rate.  If you're already doing that and it didn't help, you might want to have him pay in a little extra per pay or pay estimated taxes yourself.  I thought with federal income tax, my employer did take it out because I was considered a statutory employee but still IC status.  I think I had a little extra taken out and claimed zero and married at the single rate.  A lot of things go into determining whether or not you owe taxes. 

You say you adopted a child this year and will get that tax credit, did you have any children before?  If not, then you likely didn't have much choice except to pay estimated quarterly taxes and have both you and your husband claim zero and the single rate.  We have 3 children now, which definitely helps, but even still we continue to claim zero on our W4s just to keep ahead of the gov.  We like that little "bonus" we get back for vacation, etc.

I know I always paid estimated state taxes.  In some cases, you can end up paying penalties if you don't.  Talk with your accountant.  He/she should be able to give you ways to avoid having to pay in.  You probably can't reduce what you make anymore than you already have.  It sounds like you've got your deductions covered.  Your only option may be to pay estimated.  Good Luck!

I work a few hours in the morning before kids get up, spend time with kids, do housework, fix dinner, etc. and then I work a few hours after dinner.   I get up at least every 2 hours and do something, may put on a load of laundry, may lay something out to thaw for dinner, may take a power nap, etc.  I couldn't sit for an 8 hour shift if my life depended on it.

It works for my and my family.  My husband works 12-15 hours, a lot of them overnight and he is home by 11 most days, so my schedule works for him too. 

Ever since they first came out I have been using.  I prefer some of the cheaper knock-off brands to the MS though.  Does anyone remember the Wave keyboard?  It was the precursor to the MS and also there was an actual split keyboard and one time, where the keyboard broke in half so you typed with your hands vertically instead of horizontally.  I also tried learning Dvorak and that was an interesting experience!

I have an MS at work and one at home.  My hands hurt less and my shoulders are not as tight.  I can't stand to use a regular keyboard as I tend to hunch over and my shoulders get tight, not to mention make all kinds of errors!  I don't know about using the "B" with your other hand though.  Never heard of that.  I just use a standard technique.