I said I wanted this to be a no-spend month, but that isn't what's happening as I safeguard the ability to keep the house at a comfortable temperature for the rest of the long summer in Texas. The tech who pronounced the other unit dead is coming back tomorrow to do maintenance on the 3-ton unit that cools most of the house. The home warranty is in place since last week and I'm not going to see if this charge would qualify for coverage; I'd like to think I didn't put it in place to immediately start drawing down the coverage. Knowing the main unit is working for a while longer feels like a good-faith effort to use the warranty properly. They said if I did a home inspection then I could add a free rider for unseen structural flaws or something along those lines, but I'm not going to do that. The foundation problem is completely visible, that's the main other thing. Houses on slab foundations kind of ride around on top of the hard clay and foundation work is inevitable.
I read Mrrzy's page and am glad there is some relief there finally; here, the knee always has some new surprises. I'm off of the oxy now and pretending the extra-strength Tylenol makes a dent in it. After I finish the month of required medications (that conflict with Ibuprofen) they sent home with me I can switch to Motrin and that will help. It will be a month on Saturday - counting the days!
I'm putting an ice-filled cooler with a couple of bottles of water on the porch every day and have found on occasion the postal carrier or Amazon driver took advantage of it. I need to put some bottles in the car because this time of year I usually hand bottles to the panhandlers at intersections if there is enough time before the light changes. 105o today. Anyone desperate enough to stand at a street corner in this heat needs help, if only water to keep them alive.
My shady back patio is giving me a break in the afternoon and evening, blocking most of the sun. I have water out in the back and the front for the ultra-local wildlife (toads, lizards, birds, and alas, a few mice.) The yard looks like crap as most of it dries to a crisp, with just a couple of watered areas for the dog's comfort and because there is one patch of grass out front that I'd like to keep alive.