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

Memorial Day

Do you have any special plans for Memorial Day?  It has always been the kick off of Summer for most everyone I know.  Until the last decade or so I only gave the day a passing notice of what it truly represented much to my chagrin.  While our family had it's share of veterans we never lost anyone to war and this goes back as far as the Texas Revolution in 1836.  I have participated in several Memorial sevices at a cemetery here.  I would get my period uniform and proceed to give due respect with a company of like-minded history buffs to those that died in an earlier war.  This included musket and cannon salutes and a bagpiper and plenty of speechifying.  And very HOT.

My Mom and Dad had a place up on the Medina River outside Bandera and we all would gather there to kick off the summer.  It was great.  I have missed it ever since they sold it back in the early 80's.  There had been a devastating flood one year and it changed everything along the river so much it disheartened them, so they got rid of it sadly.  They could not see the future and how the landscape would come back.  It isn't the same today as it was almost 40+ years ago but it is still pretty nice.  'K' and I were talking about how much we missed it and all the things we did.  Fishing for me was the big thing even though most everything I caught went back in the river.  There was tubing the river and it had some really great rapids that added excitement and then all the food Mom and my Grandmother and 'K' would make.  Just being with family.  Good Times.  

We will not do anything like any of that and haven't since those days.  No cookouts, no get togethers either, sadly.  I will break out my copy of Band of Brothers and sit inside where it's cool while 'K' wrangles the 5 year old Granddaughter.  I will also say a prayer for those that have sacrificed so much for our country along with their families.  

If you have lost someone to war, I pray for you and your sacrifice.

Mother's Day

I know this is later than my usual posts but I was just not feeling up to much.  Had a fairly busy week that made me not feel so well.  A church friend passed unexpectedly.  He passed out at work and hit his head.  Rushed to the ER and they found a blood clot in his lung and was rushed to surgery.  During the surgery he developed a brain bleed that didn't show up on any scans they did.  He didn't make it.  'K' was heavily involved in preps and setup for a reception after a memorial service.  After 6 hours of being on my feet or in very uncomfortable chairs along with 3 hours on duty at church the next day I was toast.  So please forgive my being a slacker.  I can't say it won't happen again.

Number 2 Son's wife was involved in a vehicle accident that totaled their most reliable car.  She had to go to the ER to get checked out since she is 6+ months pregnant.  Evidently there are a lot of little things that could go wrong being jostled around like that, like the placenta detaching.  We were blessed that she and the baby are both ok thankfully.  I don't know if I mentioned it but the baby is a boy.  They have a name already but they won't tell anyone.  It seems to be a touchy subject which I don't understand.  We were having some fun coming up with a bunch of goofy names and some good ones but they weren't well recieved.  Shrug. In the meantime everyone is calling him jelly bean due to him loooking like one on the sonar thing.

I grilled a couple ribeyes for 'K' for Mother's Day.  She seemed to enjoy her day despite my lack of energy.  I veged out on the couch after that.  A couple hours later we drug ourselves over to see my Mom.  She seems happy and she says she is but then complains about some things but it goes with the territory of not being able to remember small details.  But the visit went as well as it can get.  We lasted about 2 hours and headed home.  And with that I will say...

Happy Trails and Happy belated Mother's Day.

Another Short Update

It's been warm and wet here this past week.  Temps near or in the 80's with 90% humidity.  Ugh.  That has ended any planned outdoor activity like my daily walk with the pups or the much needed cutting of the lawn.  At least this will allow my ribs more rest-they still bug me and the weedeater will have to wait even longer.  April and May are very humid and so is much of June.  But it also can be a great time of year.  Perspective.

I had a follow up with the pain management doc.  We are both in agreement that things are not perfect but much better than they were.  I am certainly sleeping better.  He seems confident another ablation will work much better but we must wait at least until June, or longer if we can.  So that is how we are approaching this, just try to go as long as I can without more treatment.  He did bring up surgery but also said the surgeons he would send me to take the same approach.  That's great, I will do all I can to avoid any surgery on my spine.  

That's about all I have.  

Happy Trails