Got a new satellite dish

Got a new satellite dish today. Changed over from Dish network to Direct TV. Hope we like it better. Another remote control to learn about. Always something. Beautiful picture though and we kept our antenna. Next I have to see about getting DSL so I can get this moving faster. Dial-up is pretty slow and aggravating at times.

Black Labrador Retriever

Our next door neighbors have a black lab. He is the kindest, friendliest dog. I believe that is the nature of the Labs. We had two on the farm years ago. The grandkids used to ride on the back of Lucky. They thought that was pretty neat. Blackie was our first Lab and he lived to be about 10. We really missed him so went out and got Lucky. Lucky was so big he intimidated people driving onto the farm, which was a good thing. They didn't want to get out of the car unless we came out. Kept away some salesmen that way. But he wouldn't hurt anyone, he was just a big lover like the dog next door. We really enjoy the neighbor's dog and he greets us everytime we go away or come home. We certainly enjoy him alot.

Flooding

It is a beautiful sunny day and we have about 14 inches of snow on the ground. It is melting fast and the ground is frozen so there is nowhere for the water to go. The neighbors have a literal lake right in front of the deck to walk through to get onto the deck to get into the house. The snow that is left where you walk has turned to very very slippery ice. No wonder the ER's at the hospitals are full of people who have fallen and really injured themselves. It is going to stay in the 40's for a nunber of days now so it is going to become a problem of flooding and there is little anyone can do about it. Since the big storm last week some people still have no electricity so no sump pumps either. That makes for bad basement flooding that normally wouldn't happen. We have to keep a close eye on the house we watch for friends while they are in Arizona. Last winter the eves filled up and rain went directly into their basement and it was quite a chore to climb ladders and clean out the eves and redirect some of them to stop the flooding in the basement. However, we got it done and it dried out in time. We are enjoying this much warmer weather though.

Twins

I had twin girls 48 years ago and the one of my twin girls had twins. She had a boy and a girl. They grew up, married the same month, a week apart. This week they announced that both of them are pregnant and due almost the same day in October. Now what do you think the odds of that happening are? They have to be huge. It will be so much fun to follow along through these two pregnancies and find out what the babies are going to be. Wouldn't it be something if they were born on the same day? It could happen. We are thrilled and excited over this wonderful news.

Doctors

We have a great hospital in the nearby city. It is one of the 100 best hospitals in the United States, both medical and heart unit. You can go to the Emergency center anytime and have wonderful treatment there for anything. I have an appointment tomorrow to see one of the doctor's in the clinic. I have been to him before and he really knows his stuff and is very good at what he does. This hospital has many many specialists which is really to our advantage in this area, as some areas have no doctors at all. I saw on the news that it was Mississippi, I believe, that has lost all it's doctors. Those poor people in that State really have a tough time. We are blessed.

Car Dealerships

Have you ever seen so many used car dealerships popping up everywhere? And I see alot of "Rent A Dent" cars on the road too. It seems everywhere you look these days of tough winter driving, you see many cars with wrinkled fenders, hanging mufflers etc. Last night I saw someones' muffler laying out in the median. That will be common with all the deep snow. The roads have such hard icy crusts on them that the snow plow drivers don't seem to be able to scrape it off. So you are cruising along and it is like driving over continuous railroad tracks.I believe many owners of these used car lots have decided that new cars are just too expensive for the average working person. There are a great many used cars that look great, run great, and although they may have alot of miles on them, they still have many miles left and make great cars for the teenagers in the family or for Dad or Mom to take to work. I think it's a good idea when you are trying to stretch your budget to cover all the necessities of life.

Windows and Siding

These are two home improvements that will save you considerable money year round. Alot of heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer, leak out through your windows and around the foundation of your home. We put in very highly recommended windows in our home and what a difference. We could never look out before during the winter through the old windows. The reason was that they frosted over and were covered with ice and you couldn't see a thing until it warmed up. By adding the new siding, they put more insulation underneath it and this warmed the house quite alot during the winter and helped to keep the air conditioning inside instead of leaking out through the sides of the house. We also blew insulation into the attic and altogether it made a huge difference in our heat and electrical bills. Everyone should take a good look at their homes and see what they can do to improve it. Most electrical companies will come out and do an audit for you to show you where you are losing your heat and air. It pays off in the long run and doesn't take long to pay for itself.