Property Appraisal Protest

Monday morning I will be placing a call in to the Appraisal District for a formal protest of my home's appraisal.  I made an online protest and they offered a lower amount that I was not happy with.  So a formal protest is my alternate method offered.  I think I have a good case but convincing others is the trick/key.  I don't have to actually meet in person as I have in the past, we can do it via Zoom.  Glad I won't have to drive into the city.  

Tuesday the AC guys are rescheduled to return after not being able to make the first appointment.  I hope we can get it done.  The farther into the Summer we get the busier they get.  If they get an emergency like they have on previous occasions I can get rescheduled several times before they actually show up.  Over the years my appointments have moved from April to mid to late June.    

Our dog Sickers has allergies that make him scratch a lot.  We had gotten him injections that worked pretty well in the past.  They are no longer effective and we have resorted to pills.  They work OK but not near enough.  I try to keep the grass shorter than usual too.  His legs are so short he usually is dragging parts in the grass.  Once July gets here it seems to get better until late fall and we have to go through that again for about six weeks.  Our other dog, Maggie, will also get these same allergies but mostly in the fall.  Poor Snickers will scratch raw spots on himself.  Then at night, he sleeps in our bed, and he will wake you up with scratching sometimes.  Poor little guy.

Wish me luck on our protest.

Happy Trails

AC No Show

The AC guys had to reschedule due to wet weather delaying them at another loction so we set a date for 2 weeks away.   I just hope they don't have to reschedule again for another two weeks away.  It's happened before.  It messes up your day when you are waiting on them so you can go on with other things and then they don't come.  Ugh.

Quick visit with the Pain Doc last week.  I have been doing pretty well and we agreed another ablation is not needed at this time but he did let me know we could do the steroid injection if I think I need it.  I will check back in three months.

I have also been trying to get things squared away with my prescription insurance/Pharmacy.  What a gigantic pain.  My insurance rebids the contract every 6 years and when that happens some of the meds I have been on for years have to be changed to another brand etc.  This time instead of telling me the available alternatives they want the doctor to prescribe the replacement.  The doc does not know what my insurance covers but they won't tell me what is available (and it's no where online) so I can inform the doctor.  They are hoping to force the doctor to call them.  That just delays me getting meds for almost two weeks.  Luckily I have enough  on hand this time to get me through...so far.  They have had this information since they bid the contract last year and had my records of all the meds yet they wait until I need a refill to let me know instead of making arrangements to get this settled ahead of time so I won't run out.  Hair pulling to say the least.

I also got 'K's jalopy into the tire shop to get a vibration taken care of.  It's better but still feel a slight virbration, althought it's better.  Who knows, maybe the tire is out of round or we wore a spot in the tire from it being unbalanced.  'K' doesn't notice it, and didn't before either.  I am leaning toward it being the roads being worse than they should be which is truly possible here.  Road ride quality has really slipped since my days working in that field.  No pride of ownership since the inspectors are all now contractors.  What a scam.

Happy Trails

Record Heat

Around Wednesday last week San Antonio recorded a record for heat index at 117*.  Never before had we had anything that high.  It is mostly due to the heavy humidity we are expriencing.  At my place just north has only had a high of 97* (no idea what my heat index was) while SA has had several days exceeding 100*.  That is unusual for June.  It bodes a very warm Summer as some of the predicters have predicted.  We certainly could use a break.

Today I have the AC guys out for a check up of our unit.  Nothing is wrong, just want it checked out to avoid any future issues if I can.  Thursday is a revisit with the Pain Management Doc.  While I am not pain free completely I am much better than before.  So I am guessing we will continue as is and use his services once the current procedure stops working. 

Hopefully I can get started on re-painting the kitchen cabinets that the contractor messed up a few years ago.  I will have to sand down to wood in much of the area needing paint that should have been done before it ever got any paint.  I have learned much since then.  The wrong paint was used and just because it says 'cabinet paint' on the can doesn't make it so.  Also, when the contractor hands you his card with his name and company saying he is a paint contractor means little to nothing.  While they may be able to spread paint around, the lack of attention to detail is very telling.  It really shows up with our kitchen colors.  I wouldn't have him back to even fix what he did.  We didn't choose him.  He was part of the crew that fixed the water damage job we had a few years ago, I had no real choice.

Happy Trails

Late Week Post

I was feeling a better over the last weekend and was planning on doing some things come Monday.  First was a visit to Discount Tire to get the tires on 'K's jalopy balanced and rotated.  We have been experiencing a high speed vibration almost from the day we got the tires this time last year.  But we don't drive it much outside the neighborhood so don't reach those speeds often so the vibration goes unnoticed.  I finally got it done along with some new wiper blades.  It rode much better on the way home.  

Then I had lunch and got ready to cut the yard in the back.  I try to keep a little shorter than the front due to the dogs using it.  With their little short legs the kinds drag bottom when it gets a little long.  Snickers has allergies and they get really aggravated this time of year so keeping the grass shorter helps some.  But come the hotter weather, the grass suffers even more.  I now have several large dead patches after all the extreme weather we have had the last few years.  It usually comes back after a good wet year but we haven't had these extremes before.  We will see.  

I did not get it cut Monday like I wanted to.  I just had zero energy after returning home from the tire shop.  What ever I had that made me feel so bad has left me weaker than I realized.  The grass will have to wait.

'K' has caught whatever I had last week and was feeling pretty rough Sunday.  We both missed church.  

It is now Wednesday and we are still both not feeling well enough to do much.  Although I am feeling better than 'K'.  She seems to be having a harder time shaking this whatever it is.  

Happy Trails

Under the Weather and Weather and Politics

I have been under the weather for much of the last week.  Not sure what it is but it has all the symptoms of a cold.  I haven't had a cold in forever and I don't remember any of them getting me down as bad as this one.  But I am starting to feel better finally.  And as most ladies know the dreaded Man Cold is almost always near fatal, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The weather has been pretty oppresive with mid to upper 90's with 80% humidity.  It feels like a hot wet blanket has been thrown on you when you walk outside.  That along with me not feeling well has curtailed any outdoor activity.  The pups really miss their mornimg walks.  I hope this isn't an indication of another hotter than usual Summer after last year.  But there are some weather types that know about things like that and are predicting another scorcher.  How hot does it have to get to make Californians move someplace else?  Just kidding.

I'm disgusted to say the least about what has and is happening to President Trump.  Whether you like the man or not or disagree with him politically, what is happening to him is simply political persecution.  The regime in power is out to make sure he doesn't become president again this coming November.  There have been many before this that deserved to be indicted and convicted of their crimes yet no one bats an eye.  So why this time?  President Trump is a threat to their way getting rich and power.  If you can't see what is happening and aren't at the least saddened there is not much hope for you.  I have little to no faith in our elected representatives anymore.  Few if any do anything of significance other than write a mean tweet or threaten to hold an investigation that has no teeth.  They have been pretty useless on both sides of the aisle.  

Happy Trails