lisaviolet's diary

Monday, May 05, 2014

otherstuff
04:47 PM - 05/05/2014

The topic: Great.
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Brian was changing out a filter for the house water system (all of our drinking water is filtered here; we fill five gallon bottles (one for us, one for the cats) from the filtration system in the garage).

It's right next to the water heater. I went out to check on Brian's progress and there's a huge mess in the garage. It was the water heater.

Brian headed down to Home Depot to get a new one.

It's always something.

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catstuff
11:04 AM - 05/05/2014

The topic: The latest on Rocky
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So, Rocky has found his niche.

He sleeps in a big basket out in the garage, that's on top of the counter, next to the window. When it gets too warm, he jumps down to one of the shelves below that, next to the vent that brings in fresh air from outside.

He does go outside, but for the most part, he just stays on the cement pad outside of the door. He prefers going out at night, which is not something I'm fond of. He can get the cat door open from the inside if it's set to in only and make his way outside. We've blocked the door a couple of nights with the baby gate, but if we don't put something in front of the baby gate, he pulls the gate away from the wall, and goes outside.

What I have been doing is when I get up at four or so in the morning to open the door in the living room, when I've done that, I go unblock the door in the garage for Rocky. The other morning he was waiting for me, he was very impatient. This morning, he'd pulled the baby gate away and was already outside. I looked out onto the pad and he wasn't there, so he was most likely off exploring the yard.

When we got up and started our day, he was back on the cement pad. I went over to him and gave him a couple of scritches and hugged him. He rolled over on the pad and purred. I left.

The next time I saw him he was back up in his basket.

He now has a routine.

Yay!

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otherstuff
10:03 AM - 05/05/2014

The topic: Helping out the cathouse
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As I've mentioned, money is tight around here. We're making do, getting by. Instead of Black Angus Steakhouse (with coupons), we're having Wendy's. We request the senior discount whenever possible.

Obamacare has been a Godsend to us. It's dropped our almost $500.00 a month health insurance payment over 90% (and we get better coverage than we had).

We haven't gone to the dentist in over two years. Hopefully, brushing and flossing will keep our mouths in okay form until we can afford to start going back. Last December, I did something to one of my molars, hurt really bad, couldn't drink hot, couldn't drink cold, couldn't chew on that side, I had my fingers crossed that I'd just bit down or something that involved a nerve below the molar (I think I have a crown on that tooth). Naproxen (CostCo brand) and time helped, the pain was gone in a month, the tooth no longer feels weird when I bite down (guess I've gotten used to it). Last month, Brian had a problem with his front teeth, they hurt, but he did the same thing and they're better now. In the grasshopper days, we'd have been at the dentist to get the problems looked at. Obviously, if the pain had continued for either of us, we'd have had no option but to hit the dentist's.

And the cats no longer eat premium food. Wet or dry. Those companies just kept raising the prices of the food to where it was over two dollars a pound for dry and the cats decided they no longer liked the wet food. Now they get Kirkland dry (which is a good food, Kirkland is the CostCo brand, many breeders recommend it) and Friskies wet, which is .98 a can at WalMart.

They also don't go to the vet's office nearly as often. We've got a couple of kitties who could do with dentals, but at $500.00, it takes a little time to get it. But I still get the meds for DaNiece (thyroid) and Georgie (Calcitriol). Georgie and Miss Elizabeth, both in their twenties now (so is Gracie Anne), get subQ fluids twice a week. My vet gives us a great deal on those. Then there are the needles, we get those by the box (a box has a hundred needles, we use four a week). It all adds up.

This is a bad time of year anyway, with property taxes due as well as the federal taxes. (Last year we made so little and had such high deductions from paying my medical for that gallbladder surgery, we didn't make enough to pay anything - this year we did owe, which is a good thing; it means we made money.)

It's not like we're in danger of losing the house or anything like that, but we have to think twice about doing things now.

So, I take surveys and sign up for websites where I can get a commission. It isn't much, but it all helps. It helps pay for my websites (I got them a very long time ago and locked in my really cheap rate) and pay for cat food.

If you look at the bottom of the page, there are a couple of banners. There's a donate button for PayPal (goes to the cat fund) and I put up the Amazon banners this morning. Usually I do link my Amazon Associates account when I post a link to a product, but now the banners will be there all the time. If you don't go to Amazon from some other website, if you go through those banners and buy something, I'll make a little money. (A little...I noticed someone bought a book for their Kindle and I made twelve cents.)

Also, if you shop at Amazon, please check into the Amazon Smile option. This is to help charitable organizations. When you shop Amazon Smile, a portion of your purchase dollar is donated to a charity. My Amazon Smile charity is ForeverHomePetRescue in the Los Angeles area.

Anyway, end of my money plea.

Thanks for sticking with it this long.

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otherstuff
08:19 AM - 05/05/2014

The topic: I’ve been making breakfast for a couple of weeks now
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Brian did it for years after his old company slowed way down and he moved everything home. But FitRite business has really picked up the past few months and we've had to make a few changes because time is a precious commodity now. He doesn't visit the tractor forums in the daytime and I make breakfast while he's taking a shower.

Well, it's been dry here and there's usually a problem with insects.

It wasn't bad until this morning....

But wait! I'm not done yet!
I've got more to say!

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