USPS Inattention or Incompetence

Rant Warning

About a month ago I had an issue with USPS.  I did not receive a package.  This one contained my diabetes meds, very expensive.  I sent them an email since they never answer the phone, notifying them that the package was either misdelivered or stolen.  I also notified the pharmacy.  Canned message from USPS stated someone would contact me in 1-2 days.  Four days later and still nothing.  I send another message and same response.  That very same day the neighbor across the street brings my package.  Four days later?  Did he have it the entire time or did USPS find it and redeliver and get it wrong again?  I advised the pharmacy.  They wanted me to check with USPS.  LOL.  A month later I get a email from USPS wanting me to file a claim.  Then I get an email wanting to fill out a survey on the resolution of my missing package.  It centered mostly on how they responded.  Of course I ripped them.  Oh, I did not file a claim since I got my meds.

The very next day I get the neighbor nextdoor's to me mail.  The next day, same thing, all of it.  It's not unusual to get his mail on occasion.  In fact it happens a lot.  So they got another nasty email calling them out.  I did receive an apology the next day.  

I don't like calling out working folks trying to do a job, we all make mistakes.  But this had gone on to the point I wasn't as patient and kind anymore.  Yes, I got an excuse about staffing shortages etc.  But that isn't what caused this.  It was just inattention or something worse.  I know they have the mail all sorted and in a line ready to go and don't really look at the mail they put in the box, I've seen it.  They certainly don't verify the mailing label to what's on the mailbox, I've seen that too.  It slows them down.  They are always in a hurry out here.  I follow the Nextdoor app and it is full of threads about bad mail delivery and stolen packages.  It's pretty common out here it seems.  At least I got my meds thanks to the neighbor even though it was four days late.

Happy trails

Doctors etc.

Went for my annual physical (or wellness as they say now) today.  Went pretty fast for a physical.  He was late coming in so he was in a hurry to catch up.  I was the first appt. and he showed up 27 minutes later.  SMH.  Not much in the way of a physical.  Mainly grilled me about my diabetes control.  Then sent me off for lab work.  I would rather they do the lab work prior so we can talk about it at the physical.  They used to, not sure why the change.  Maybe it's a medicare thing.

'K' is over staying with my Mom tonight.  Mom just loves it so much when she does.  She will take her to Costco to get new hearing aids that we have been trying to get her to do for a couple years.  I need to do the same.  My old ones are worn out and aren't doing the job anymore.  I checked with them about the new models that they usually get around September.  They have no idea when they might be in.  They say that one day they just show up.  So I will probably go ahead and just get them anyway.  I know it's frustrating for 'K' but it is for me too.  You tend to get a little isolated by not being able to hear everything.  So you get left out of some conversations.  While 'K' is there she will be making me an appointment.

I will also have a follow up with the Urologist to check my numbers for any return of my prostate cancer.  I don't foresee any issues.  Seven and a half years since it was removed.  They tell me the longer you go without a return the more likely it is it won't return.  I believe at 10 years they will cut me loose and I can eliminate one of the many doctor visits I have.  Yes, prostate cancer can come back even if you have no prostate.  It will grow in the area where the prostate was if not in the bones.

Not a lot else is going on and I don't see anything changing in the near future.  We did reserve rooms for the Bluegrass Heritage Festival in Farmers Branch in October.  Unless gas gets too outrageous will go again.  No Ricky Skaggs this year it seems but they have Rhonda Vincent coming.  My favorite Del McCoury will be there again.  This is a really good show and it's done right.  Looking forward to it.

Still hotter than ever here.

Happy Trails

Heat and Breakfast Tacos

The teenager stay was pretty OK, not much conversation but she didn't seem too disgusted by my antics.  So I guess that's a success.  Today the other Granddaughter, the 3.5 year old comes to stay through Sunday as her parents have a show at a convention.  

'K' is having another bout with her diverticulitis but it doesn't really slow her down this time.  We thought at first she had food poisoning.  It was just different than previous times.  Having fever made her think otherwise.  She is getting some antibiotics to get that fixed up.  It's just that they mess up other things that need other meds.  What a mess.

I had 'breakfast tacos' yesterday.  They weren't all that unique to me, just an every day thing here.  What were they thinking when they wrote that speech and how did she not realize how stupid it sounded.  I guess when you are surrounded by stupid it permeates everything.  Yet the press is letting it quietly die.  Now if Trump or Elon said that...If you've been up with the news you know what I'm talking about.

The weather here is the really only news anyone cares about.  It just keeps getting hotter and in the next couple days more of that African dust will hit us.  I was reading a prediction for weather in July for the Central Texas.  It will continue the hot trend and continue to increase in temps.  They even had a specific day and place for one area just north of Waco, it would be 116 degrees on July 28.  Not a typo.  The record in Central Texas is 114.  I still haven't heard anyone venture to give a reason for this long stretch of record heat.  We had 105 yesterday, then a few clouds moved in and it went down to 103.  Ugh.  Only good thing is, NO yard work when it's this hot.  But my yard is looks bad.  It would look worse if I was passed out in it from heat stroke.

Happy Trails

Teenagers and Garden Update

Sunday afternoon our oldest (14) Granddaughter will come stay with us until Wednesday.  She normally would be heading to camp with her brother.  She doesn't spend much time with us anymore, her choice.  We just aren't fun enough I guess, and I get it.  And puberty has made some major changes in interaction.  It's been at least 3 years maybe 4 since she has stayed over.  I'm a little anxious about how to interact with her for an extended time.  Don't get me wrong, we speak the usual one word greetings and the obligatory hug when we see each other but I can see they want to move on and I don't detain them.  

I used to teach that age quite a bit years ago and could always connect.  I attempted to teach again a couple years ago and it was not as I had hoped/expected.  The kids are different.  In my opinion, they want to be entertained by a screen of some sort, i.e. social media or electronic games.  They are rarely forced to actually communicate face to face.  It is extremely rare to get one to actually speak more than one word answers and a lot of times I get a blank stare.  Yes, my boys were one word answer kids too at times like most parents complained about their teens, but this has gone to the extreme.  I used to be able to draw them out.  Not anymore.  Hopefully I will be surprised.  Yes, I know others will say well that's just kids and I agree to a point, but it is different than just 15 years ago.

The garden isn't producing much right now.  The Potatoes were harvested last week and I got about 2 lbs. of very small potatoes.  Golf ball size to a bit larger.  These were the gold potatoes that are small anyway.  I will plant Russets in about a month.  The carrots totally failed.  I don't know how to grow them apparently.  The onions were also pretty small.  Fall is a better time for onions plus the heat didn't help.  The tomato plants look fantastic and have a ton of blooms but not many green tomato starts.  The heavy rain we got a little while back ruined a lot of the tomatoes I had hanging.  Just too much water to fast that caused splitting or 'second growth.'  Lost some big ones.  We are still having record heat and will at least through the next week.  I'm hoping the tomatoes will survive and continue to produce a little more.  It's funny I have one tomato plant about eight feet tall and one little scrawny one about two foot tall planted at the same time.  Guess which one produced the most tomatoes and still is.  Two different varieties.  The small is a Roma and has done just super.  The larger is a Better Boy and the tomatoes are fantastic but it doesn't produce many.  I may need to prune them more to reduce foliage and concentrate on fruit.  But dang that thing is beautiful and it's hard to bring myself to cut those big branches.  

Happy Trails

Rain

Hallelujah we got some rain.  Over two days 2.5 inches.  That helps a lot but doesn't break the drought.  Some areas of the yard greened up pretty well, but they had some green already.  The toasty parts not so much.  They are still toasty.  Now that we are in July rain becomes ever more rare.  Of course there are exceptions.  But generally July is very dry.  Temps have cooled significantly.  Highs in the mid 90's only.  I can live with that.  But again it's now July and the temps usually start getting higher but not as high was what we have had already.

We seem to be fully healed from Covid.  I think we will venture out tonight for supper and a quick stop at the grocery.  Going a bit stir crazy.  Monday, July 4 is our 47th anniversary.  And they said it wouldn't last.  We will head over to some friends from church since they put on a big get together for everyone.  If we wanted to see out kids that's where they will be.  It's more fun than sitting around looking at each other asking 'what do you wanna do?'  Yup, we're just boring old people.

Hope y'all have a great 4th.

Happy Trails