The Big Three

 Last December, I made a resolution to post more often.  Now that I have messed that up, in January, I am making a resolution to post more often even if I don't feel like it.

Moving on.

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THE BIG THREE:

No, I am not talking about Russia, China, & the good ole USA.

No, I am not talking about Cancer, Heart Disease, & Warts.

And, NO, I am not talking about Trump, Polunkski, and/or Biden.

This list could be extended for several pages.  Make your own list of Your Big Three.  Let's see what you come up with . . , The, And, & You Know . . . Football, Baseball, & Basketball . . . Roast Beef, Pork Chops, & Fried Chicken . . .  Easter, Christmas, & Thanksgiving (with a nod to the 4th of July) . . . Christians, Jews, & Muslims 

We could go on with this for hours:   Rain, Snow, & Hail   You get my drift here.

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My big three:

SOLAR - BUGS - & SHINGLES

I  live in a nice little neighborhood / housing development.  You can look it up online - love the title - Amity Estates.    Not Amityville, just Amity Estates.  I understand that our HOA has a new website going up yesterday or thereabout.  There is a facebook page too.

It's a nice area.  As of this year, the development is "built out."  This means that all lots have houses.  There will be no more building here. Of course in our associated close-by village - Salado - many many many more developments have been started.  These houses are not mansions.  They're just nice little, over-priced homes with grass and few trees.  I'm getting to the big 3.

We moved here about 2 years back in a house that was  probably built 5 years ago.  It is fine.  We're happy.  Now, that is the rub.  Sometimes we are not happy.  You sit back in your easy chair, relaxing your eyes.  They flutter shut.  There is a hint of a mild snore.  All three dogs  (ANOTHER BIG 3) have settled down for their afternoon nap.  Anna, Bella, and my own Sadie.   Sadie has a cushion by the front door and keeps a look out for killers and muggers and teenagers  (3).

All relaxed.  Settling down.  At rest  (3)

ALL OF A SUDDEN, YES -  ALL YOU KNOW WHAT BREAKS LOOSE.  The dogs have seen, smelled, or sensed (big 3) movement outside.  Let the barking begin.  Anna, the big girl, has the biggest bark.  It could cause deafness in the more fragile.  The other two have annoying barks.  I'M SURE their sounds reverberate around the front porch before reaching the ears of .... you may have guessed it ....  One of the Big Three.

Our neighborhood - being fairly new - is prime resource for companies who want more money.  They are a bit wrong about Amity Estates.  On the average, someone comes to my front door at least 3 times or more per week.  Are you getting it yet?

Today, my front door visitor:  Two fairly young, good looking men with matching shirts and a small computer in the left hand.  I stepped outside and said, "No, I do not want my roof shingled;  or my house treated for bugs;   and I do not want to place solar panel thingys on my roof."  They both smiled, and we had a nice conversation about me having too many salesmen trampling down my front sidewalk.

They moved on to the house across the street.  I stepped back into the house to try and shush my vicious animals.  My wife came out of the bedroom and said that she had really enjoyed her non-nap.  I put my trusty 45 back in the drawer.  And - I use this word too often - And, we both tried to settle back in before the next visitor arrives.

An Aside:  last week I was visited by 2 different young ladies from the Salado M.S. Band selling World's Finest Chocolate (and girl scout cookies).  This is different to me and happened after nap time.

To sum it up, I will add the 4th Biggie.  I get phone calls DAILY of people who want to buy either this house or my Rent house.  Each promises big money.  I did that type of work back in the 80s.  But, I only called people who had FSBO (for sale by owner) listed in the paper.  They were willing to stop and listen to me.  That experience is a completely different stone for a later date.

I close now because ANNA is in the back yard barking at the school bus.  I think it is time for her to come inside and nap more.

Thanks for visiting and listening.  "Hey, would somebody grab that ringing phone?"

mtz3 

downer (for me)

 This edition is a downer for me.  I am so down.  

Last week I took my 2003 Mercury Marauder (had it towed for $95) to the shop.  The guy has always been fair and fast with his work.   One week later, it was ready for $733.  Fuel pump had quit - plus it needed a new battery.  The battery really was week.  It would only crank the engine for 3 or 4 minutes before dying.

;I picked up the car and drove to the tire place where my front 2 tires were replaced.  There was a cord hanging out of the left front tire...flapping as the tire rotated.   The tires were about 7 years old.  They were bad.   Long story shorter, my total cost for the repair and tires went over $1000.   No 2003 car should have a thousand dollar bill.  Thanks to the government for my stimulus check.  I did stimulate somebody.

Today, I started my 2014 Ford Flex - it vibrated as I backed it out of the driveway.   The check engine light came on an started blinking.   We drove to town and attended our annual Home Owners Asso. meeting.  It was terrible.  Fussing, fuming, disagreements, people attending via zoom - they never could understand everything and talked constantly.  That was 3 hours and 25 minutes I will never get back.

So, the first of the next week, I'll call the repair guy and take the car to him.   I'm starting to feel another thousand dollar repair bill.  How am I suppose to get out of debt, if things like this keep happening?  I do have a solution, but it will wait until a later date.

Fussing is over.  Y'all have a better day than I have had.

m  

p.s.  send money.  start me one of those internet accounts where foolish people send money because you have a sad story.   If you can recruit enough cash, I'll just buy a new car.   A Rolls Royce perhaps.

Covid Shmovid (Shot)

 Remember the old song:  "Oh where, oh where has my little dog gone?"

My question:  Oh where, oh where has my covid shot gone?"  Corsicana is apparently is awash  in     "no-information available."  That may seem backwards / contradictory  - -

Being awashed in the lack of information  / awash in Nothing.  This past week, off and on, I have called phone numbers that I could find.  Nobody seems to know nuthin'.  Or if somebody does know sumpin', he is hiding it from folks, the common everyday public.

Examples:  I called the Corsicana health dept - phone number in the book - all I get is a fax machine.  You'd think, over time, somebody would notice that.  You'd think.

I called the Navarro Regional Hospital - nice lady operator - she know nuthin'.  Based upon what I think she said, people (just regular folks) are calling her and giving her information about where the covid shots are NOT available.

Our CVS does not have a phone number in the book - found it on the Net.   Their prerecorded message says that they have no shots available.

But, we see people lined up in cars on TV - all getting shots.  Every newscast, we see more images of cars lining up in some vacant lot - people getting shots. 

I called my doctor's office - his phone person transferred our call to the hospital without telling me what she was doing.  Yep, she didn't want to talk about it.

I called the Navarro County health dept.  they have a lot of numbers to press.  I finally just picked one that sounded a bit like "seniors" and got his machine.  I left a message asking them to help the public to learn what was happening.

I called the local paper.  Talked to a guy.  He passed info on to the Editor (based upon reading the paper, I didn't know anyone was editing that thing).  I suggested that a small daily column be dedicated to information on getting the shots.  He thought that seemed like a good idea.  Am I crazy here or shouldn't a journalist think about this on his own?  Just wonderin'?

I do have the county judge's personal email.  I wounder if he could stir things up.  Bothering a judge does seem like a wrong way to do this.

So, what did I learn today.  Nobody knows what is going on and if they do, they are not telling the general public -- and, I am the general public.

Now, let's see, where is the Governor's home phone number again?

mtz

Sensitivity

 Yesterday, my sensitivities were offended.  

My "Fancy-Dancy" electric smoker has died.  It has gone to see the great smoker in the sky.  Yes, a new smoker will be purchased - eventually.  On occasion I still would like some pork ribs.  I do love beef ribs as well.  As a matter of fact smoked brisket and chicken and ham and turkey and onions are fine as well.  We have never had smoked rabbit, squirrel, or giraffe.  

Yesterday, we baked pork ribs in the oven  I coated them with some goop, and let them set in the frig over night.  The ribs were put in the oven for 2 plus hours at about 275 degrees.   The broiler was turned on and the ribs soaked up that fire for another 7 minutes.  BBQ sauce was on the side.

I found that my sensitivities were offended when I discovered that we had no parsley.   I watch TV.  I see cooking shows.  I hear them talk.  They always have parsley somewhere even if they merely cache it under their arm pits.  But, we had no parsley.  None.  I discussed this with my wife.  We got serious.  She accurately pointed out that during our 58 years of marriage, we have never served parsley - ever.  So, no parsley.   I cut the ends off a green onion and sprinkled it among the smoking ribs.  I had to do something.  No Parsley. 

                                           -*-                   _*_                     -*-

To be frank (or Joe or Pete), our old "Fancy-Dancy" smoker had problems.  Plugged in on the back porch under my supervisory eye, that smoker would blow the house breaker every time.  I replaced the electric socket twice.  Didn't help.  I learned to plug the machine into a wall socket inside the house.  There is one just inside the back door which was within easy reach of the smoker.  This worked fine.   Well, it worked fine until the machine gave off that one enormous bright light and ceased to heat.  It was much like the fourth of July.

I searched high and low (and on the internet) for a replacement heating unit.  Miine seemed to be a special size.   All I got from the manufacturer was, "We cannot find this model number in our system.  It has been discontinued."  I jumped on that bandwagon and discontinued it from our back porch.  All Gone.  No More.   Need New One.

My next door neighbor was talking about how he wants a new pellet smoker.  Pellet Smoker.  You put pre-processed pellets into the bin and smoke away.  I cannot see how this is better than actual wood chips of different types of trees.   I would love to hear opinions from most anyone.  (It would seem that a vegetarian's opinion might not carry as much weight, even though I have seen some excellent smoked veggies in my lifetime.)

I wait.  No smoker.  No parsley.  

Say hello to somebody for me.  anybody.   well, most anybody.

Mtz, sweating on the back porch.

(Again, I would give credit to the photographer - if only I knew same's name.  This guy is sharp.  I bet he lives in Edwards County.  I betcha his wife lets him sit on his back proch and smoke big cigars and drink regular beer - or Coke, of course.)

Is it just Monday?

Is it just Monday?  I feel like it is - oh, let's say, Thursday.  Using my Irrational Irritated Mood Meter, I calculate it to be a Thursday afternoon.   Maybe I just haven't relaxed from the weekend.  Then there was that losing an hour. That will be another stone.
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(Please note the use of the word "just" twice in the paragraph.  This is just one of my pet peeves.  Just this; Just that; Just dese and dose.  At high school football games, they would try to squeeze in a prayer or thoughtful moment prior to the Manslaughter. I use to try and guess the religion of preachers who gave the sermon ... uh, prayer ...   If the prayer used the word "just" over and over, I would proclaim the praying person to be a Baptist.  I was usually right.  Methodist don't seem to use the word as often in prayers.  Of course, Catholics have a whole different language thing going.
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This has absolutely nothing to do with what I am about to say unless you happen to notice the mood I seem to be in ..... ended that sentence with a preposition.  Just stay tuned and you will fall into the flow.
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I would make a great band director / teacher today.  I am ready to raise my voice at the slightest provocation.  "Hey, kid, sit down in your chair and shut up!"  "Do you want to be hung up by your thumbs, Moron?"  "Somebody get my #8 club from my office."   "So, how are you enjoying your last day in band class?"  Some children should not be seen  or heard - ever.  And today, in this mood I could take care of that effectively.
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Rain / Cold / Weather / I am sooooo tired of this weather.  My wife hints it to be cabin fever.  Nope, wouldn't argue, wouldn't argue at all.  Sure, I get to drive into Corsicana once in a while.  But, is this a fun city?  Some people love to go camping on a lake to get away.  I live on the lake; and, it is down 9 1/2 feet.  Something else to fuss about.  It rains.  That should raise the level of the lake.  I'm sure it does.   But Fort Worth is drinking from our lake.  Are they cutting down on their drinking?  I think not.  They just sit up there on the Cow-Like Thrones, guzzling my water.  "Get me another pitcher of water, Cowgirl Ethyl."  No relenting.
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I have this little motorhome in which we travel and see the world.  It is winterized.  The rascal needs to be pulled out and checked over before we can go anywhere.  I know or think it was winterized properly; but, you "JUST" never know fer sure until you hook up that ole water hose and turn on the spigot.  
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Two weeks ago - yes, 2 long weeks ago, I planned to pull it out on a Wednesday and do my water checks.  Has it quit raining or snowing or icing or just JUST J-U-S-T plain winter in the past 2 weeks?  Good guess, bat breath.  No, it has not.  Today it is raining- solid rain for 2 full days.  Not a good hard rain & it is over.  Nah.  Instead we get this nice slow drizzle that is so wonderful for crops, lawns, lakes - you name it. Cows even seem to like it best.
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Tomorrow.  Nice weather maybe.  Yard will still be a muddy slip & slide.  Oscar & I can't play ball in the mud, and he knows it.
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So on a past Wednesday - church choir and church bell choir rehearsed.  On this particular date (not all weeks are the same), the spouse drove the FLEX to her rehearsal.  I had a rehearsal soon after and drove the Marauder.  Well the Flex was about out of gas.  I volunteered to fill it up - and, the wife drove the Marauder home.  I am so benevolent. 
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Now, I blame her, naturally.  She had parked by a light pole in the lot.  It has a concrete base about 3 foot high, just low enough to be hidden behind the car.  It is night and the light pole is painted black.  I got into the Flex - nobody is parked near me - I drove straight forward out of the lot - (didja know in England, these are called Car Parks? - not parking lots?)  I drove straight out.  I turned the wheel ever so slightly to the left which slightly swung the back of the car out.
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A very small portion of the Flex caressed the concrete - ever so softly.  It was as soft as a baby's bottom.   I barely felt any contact.  Scratches on the right rear area.   Small. Bad enough I worry about rust developing.   TWO WEEKS LATER of bad weather I get the Flex to the insurance people.   $850 to repair.  $850.  Can you imagine?  These auto repair shop owners must be driving BMWs or better.  $850.  I have a $200, maybe $300 deductible - who knows?  It's only money.   This morn we got up early and delivered the FLEX to the shop. Thursday is the retrieval date.  It breaks my heart.
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This is the 2nd time for the Flex to visit the body shop - see a previous bluggy about meeting the buzzard on the highway.
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In my process of preparing to go to town, I noticed the Marauders tires were low - aired them up.  Every tire was below 23 psi from just setting in the driveway.  My back tires are lacking tread in the center.  That'll be another stack of dough.  The Marauder used at least 2 new tires every year.  Having retired it somewhat, I had hoped to stretch this destruction out some.
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Have I fussed about the weather yet?
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It is Monday - 11:15 a.m. - we are home.  Oscar climbed into my lap and loved on me. Bruno followed suit when he saw an opening.  We cuddled - if indeed you can cuddle with Bruno.  He thinks I can.  That put me in a much better humor.  JUST think how much I might rant if the dogs had not done their thing first.
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Heads up announcement.   I have a list of 4 blogs (bluggys) to write.   
If I can just - YES - "J U S T" settle down & in, we'll get right on 'em.  
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Green Chile Stew for lunch.  That'll help.
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Y'all take care - go motivate a teenager or something useful -----
mtz 

bit of rambling

COMPLAINT:  stupid phone rings all the time with calls from 1-800, Unknown Caller, New York, Private number - this morning an honest one from JII Teleservice --- whoever that is.  Nobody leaves a message. They just call and move on to other people who "dumb-like" answer.  They try to trick me.  The other day I had one from my own phone number - and, then, one from 2 digits off my number. Somebody MUST BE buying from these stupid folks.  Surely.  Just like the bums on the street corners asking for handouts.  If nobody would give them anything, they would go away.
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How do journalist write everyday?  I know they get paid - no writee, no payee.  Still it must be hard for a columnist to find an interesting topic each day.  My plan was to write each day; but, now I have skipped a day.  Betcha I skip more days.
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On my desk is an article which says my new car - Ford Flex - has a recall.  Ford has not told me. Get this newspaper  talk.  "The company says that because of improper installation of a chip in the axle, the half-shaft can disengage from the linkshaft."   CAN?   WILL?   What then?   "Oh, don't worry about it, your half-shaft just disengaged from your linkshaft."  Why is half-shaft hyphenated and linkshaft is not?  In today's climate we have so much to worry about.
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On the news this morning I heard a report.  Remember when the crazy guy went into a moviehouse showing Batman and shot the place up?  Aurora, Colo.?  Well, the theater was sued by the victims and the theater lost.  The judge said (paraphrase) in today's climate of mass shootings the theater should have known there was a reasonable expectation for their theater to be shot up by a crazed maniac.  Yes, the theater lost.
.   Lemme explain:  This means that ALL theaters should put on guards and weapon detectors by the front door.   Wouldn't a grocery store expect to be shot up?   Some mom & pop jewelry store should expect to be attacked.  Everyone should be, and you will be sued when it happens.  And, this frothing judge will declare that you are the bad guy.   Pay up.
     I read that BP has paid enough money to Texas that Texas Parks and Wildlife has bought a bunch of land and will build a new State Park.   I don't think this was the intent of the money that BP had to pay.  I believe it is wrong.  Nobody asked.  How long will BP be punished?   Over-kill.
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time to eat - more tomorrow - I have a couple of humor things - maybe this afternoon.
m    

cold

I am so tired of cold weather.  What must people who live in Wisconsin or Maine or, yes, New Hampshire be feeling?  The people in Alaska chose that area.   I am not sure I feel sorry for any of these folks.  I think I was living in Amarillo the last time I felt this way.
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I can remember when I was in high school in Levelland - west of Lubbock.  We always had to go sing at our church's Easter sunrise service, and it was always cold on Easter morning.
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My plum tree was covered with flowers.  Now, all are gone.  Before long it will be nice outside, then, without much warning - summer will Blast in.   Our weather man said that an El Nino is forming - or is it El Nina?   Anyway it will cause us to have more rain NEXT FALL and Winter.  No help is foreseen for the summer months.  The only blessing that I can see is that I won't be teaching marching band next fall if there is more rain.  Thanks for small blessings.
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About a month ago, we went to the Dallas Car Show.  They had 700 cars to see.  I like things like that.  We have been thinking about a new car since the Marauder is at 160,000 miles.  I want to keep the Marauder till I croak.  So we need to reduce its yearly mileage.   At the Ford booth, the lady offered us a $50 Visa card if we test drove a Ford product before the end of March.  I signed u p.
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After much to do, the email authorization came through.   In the meantime, we received a recall on our motorhome's Michelin tires.  We had to go to a Ford dealer for the recall.  Soooooooo, we drove over to Athens  ( in Texas, not Greece ) and left the motorhome.  Why waste the opportunity, we test drove a couple of Fords:  Flex and Explorer.  I thought they were both nice to drive.  My wife liked the Flex the most.  Our Visa card should show up in a few days.  Now, we are counting pennies to see if buying is viable.    When we drove the Explorer, the computer said we had 12 miles of gasoline left in the car.  That doesn't seem too brilliant if you ask me.  You'd think they would plan better than that.
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By the way, have you seen the rices of cars now-a-days?
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That was yesterday.  The Ford salesman called today.  It will be interesting to see how many times he calls before we answer the phone.  This brings me to another subject.  We don't answer the phone if the caller ID says "unknown"  or  "private caller"  or any of those handles.   My Ford salesman had one of those "names" along with his phone number.  Still, I didn't recognize that phone number.  The phone went unanswered as it should.
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stopping now - too depressing and too cold
m

weather and

There is not much worse ( in my little world ) then being stuck inside with dogs while it is 20 degrees outside covered with ice and sleet.  The ball boy still wants to play ball.  The others do not want to sleep 24-7.   Threw bird food out in the front and back on top of the frozen sleet.  It is being enjoyed by a wide variety of birds - I just love looking at cardinals.   I found a dead frozen black spider on the back porch.  I held no funeral; instead I stomped on it discovering it was one frozen hard rock spider.  
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Our plum tree was blooming.   The 20 degrees of frozen probably has done away with our crop.  For that I am sad not just for me, but for the little birds that seem to enjoy grabbing a bite of purple plum.  Maybe next year things will be better.
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Our water sprinkler is in working order.  I went out Sunday and drained the pump and as much of the water lines as I could.  I fear it was a wasted effort.  20 degrees in March!!!  It is time to move further south.
enough of the whine.
see ya later.
m

tornado

I am mad about the tornadoes.  I have no idea with whom a complaint can be lodged.  I'm thinking that nobody who has control cares what my complaint may be.  Let it be a challenge to us.  Bull.

State Farm stupidity

State Farm has made me mad.... no, some pencil pusher at State Farm has made me mad.   How in the world can a company as fine  (apparently) as State Farm hire people with this type of brain?  This is my 2nd time to get mad at State Farm.  Hopefully, I have said STATE FARM enough to have it show up in somebody's search.
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Time #1:  A couple years ago my wife was driving our Marauder in southern Dallas area.  I was driving our motorhome (also insured with STATE FARM), and she was following in the Marauder.  I turned on the service road of I-35  W  and headed for the M.H. repair place.   About a minute late the cell phone rang.  My wife in the Marauder ( insured by STATE FARM ) had been hit at the intersection.  
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I made a U Turn on the service roads.  Long story short:  She was at the right hand turning lane waiting for the light.  Some old guy came down the side of the road bouncing off cars.  He ended up in the middle of the grass between the service road and I-35.  By the time I arrived people had gotten his car door open and an ambulance was pulling up.  My wife rested alongside the road.  Our back fender and right rear door had been damaged - not too bad - but damaged.   The doctor types checked him over and had him walk to the ambulance about 150 ft or so.   He finally was taken to the hospital about a mile away.
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We did all we were suppose to do and went on our mission.   I contacted  State Farm and all seemed to be well.  Then I was sent to the adjuster for the Old man.  This guy was flat hateful to me.  Y'see, the old man was insured by STATE FARM and I was insured by STATE FARM.  You might think that ended it.  Nope.  Someone decided he had a heart attack.  They couldn't say if it happened before or after the wreck.  Didn't matter.  Since he had a heart attack it was a "no fault" accident - THUS, I HAD TO PAY MY OWN DEDUCTIBLE before the fixed my car.
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Sure the deductible isn't much in relation to the whole car damage, but it was 2 issues to me:
1.  He and I were insured by the same people  and  2.  the adjuster was rude to me.  I did not appreciate that at all.  Jerk!
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Time #2:  If you  have read these at all, you know that my septic tank collapsed last spring.  I went after the installer and his company; but, alas, he had died the year before from Cancer.  So I called the company who constructed the unit.  It was in its 4th owner since my installation.  The newest owner had only been there one month.  The previous own took all the money and left the company.   I was on my own.
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After much to do and much time and the Tarrant County Water District's involvement - a local company came and dug up my old tank replacing it with a brand new system.  It was expensive.  They had a big ole backhole machine in my back yard, destroyed the ground and a pretty wall that I had built, tore out a fence, killed some little trees and shrubs....didn't matter, tank had to be replaced.  Tarrant county doesn't like raw sewage going into going into the lake.   A tree was cut down.  Then one of those big ole trucks drove down beside my house and lifted a gorgeous new concrete septic tank into the newly dug hole.  New wiring, new hose connections, new everything....and then, the invoice.
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What choice did I have?  I finally finished paying off  the new tank last month.  I am glad it is over.  I am glad it is paid for.  The new system works great.  I am pleased.  Flush that toilet.
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So tax time rolled around this year.  As I did my stuff, it dawned on me that the old tank might have been classified as a disaster by the govt. making part of it tax deductible.  Why not?   Then, just by chance I had an epiphany.  Maybe the old system was covered by my household insurance - STATE FARM that is.   I gave my local agent a call and explained the situation.   A few days passed and a return call came.   The septic system was not covered by my household insurance.
Done.  Over.  Kaput.   I moved on.
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So in today's mail, a letter from STATE FARM - they want proof that the septic has been fixed:  receipts etc.  The letter says that my property had been inspected and they want the system fixed. They want it fixed!!   Jerks.  Let's do the #1:  if the septic tank is not covered, what difference does it make to STATE FARM?  #2:  property inspected.  nonsense.  the back yard is fenced and under lock.  Nobody went back there and looked at that septic system.  If they had, they would have known the answer.  They are bluffing on that part.
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Thus, and finally, if I do not provide adequate proof, STATE FARM is going to drop my household coverage.  Gimme a break.  I pay through the nose for that insurance.  My next door neighbor is an independent insurance agent.  I have the house, 2 cars, a motorhome, and a boat covered by STATE FARM and some clown wants me to spend my time making copies of receipts for something they don't even cover???  
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I think that about says it all.  This was not going to be my posting for today; and, I know that I am being a bit too sensitive here.  Monday, I will go see my agent:  Sam Denton of Corsicana, and I will have a short talk.   It seems to me that the septic should be insured and they owe me money.
What do you think?
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m