Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Hurray for getting your car back! Now you won't need to aggravate the ankle pressing on the clutch! Maybe the credit union will let you know soon what they are willing to loan, so you can start looking at the different houses available. Be sure to keep us up-to-date!

 

[farmerjan]

Okay, Monday evening. 40 this morning, only up to 57 and wind blowing like all get out all day. Mostly sunny but very chilly. I wore a turtleneck long sleeved pullover AND a hooded sweatshirt all day. BRRR.... Calling for a possible frost / freeze AGAIN tonight. It is down to 45 and the wind has laid down so if it keeps dropping another frost is possible. Enough is enough.

Got alot crossed off my list. Samples packed and dropped off to go out.
Car got inspected, needed a new headlight bulb as it only had hi-beam but I had a 2pack I'd gotten for spares. New windshield wiper blades as the old ones had disintegrated from sitting in the sun/cold/weather. New wiper blade on the back. Brakes passed but will get new pads put on whenever since I got the new pads, as they are getting down a bit.
Got the front drivers side vacuumed and the back of the car. Rinsed the mat insert in the back off with the hose when I got home too. It was just too windy to do more and I was on my ankle/boot the whole time and just said, okay, this much looks good. Will do more after I get back, hoping maybe for some improvement in the hard boot situation???? Going to take a damp cloth to the dusty dash and side doors for now. Then it will eventually get a better cleaning on a nicer day.
Got the new battery.... OUCH. I had gone on line last night and couldn't believe that they were that high. I went one step down from the top of the line, but still got a 3 yr full replacement on it. 640 cc amps which is better than what I had. Top of the line was 200, mine was 160.... they had some that were only 90 day replacement that were 99.... But I can't complain about the old one. It was in the car when I got it.... the date on it was a 9-3... which was Sept of 13???? I've had the car at least 4 years, maybe 5? Of course one year it just sat and looked sad....LOL.

Found a seat cover that I had gotten, in the back seat with all the conglomeration of "stuff" , so put it on the drivers seat. It also was a discounted one according to the tag on the box.... but was a single. Need to see if I can get a match for the passenger seat. Doesn't fit exactly because I have the cargo pocket on the back of the front seats, like for maps and stuff.... but it was for the shorter seat with the detachable head rest.... I think it will serve okay. Can't take it back after all this time anyway.... so will just use it.

Will take it in and get them to change the front "snows" out for the regular treads hopefully on Wed so will save the practically new winter tires for next year. Then I can drive them the hour to the other farm on Thursday. Didn't take them today as I needed to clean out the back and was right near the car wash with the heavy duty vacuum when I was at farm bureau so wanted to do that and save another trip. It is only about 5-6 miles away so can get the tires switched out. Vacuuming was more important.

Went and paid off my feed bill too today while in town getting the new battery. I was going to get the new battery at the farm bureau when they did the inspection and stuff, but it was the same price for only a 24 month battery, 550 cc amps.... so it was worth the trip to get the better one and that gave me a chance to go by and pay the feed bill. Hopefully will be getting my feed bins cleaned out and all, for the anticipated "left behinds" that I might be getting the first part of June. So start the cost again.... but for now I am good.
Going to talk to the guy at the place where I got all the meat worked up and see if he can do chicken into hot dogs and such; got a call into him now so hope to hear something in the next few days..... May as well get some of that surplus of chicken done up into something we can/will eat. Especially since it raised out on the ground and has some more healthy value than stuff from the grocery anyway. I can only eat so muc chicken and I am not real creative with cooking.... maybe because I just get tired of cooking for me.

Need to go find my set of directions to go to the dr appt tomorrow. Get a shower and get everything ready as I want to leave by 7-7:15. It is about 4 hours, probably less with not as much traffic.... but don't want to be late or have to rush. Then to go meet Jennifer and hopefully get the TV, and come home. It will be a long day no matter how I do it. At least I am off Wed to get put together so I can go test Thursday.

OOPS, got to bring my spider plants back in. They will not be getting out in the sunlight tomorrow. Brought my mother's day pansy basket in on the back porch too just in case tonight.

 

[farmerjan]

Oh yeah, also talked to the people about the house. It got surveyed last week, so I will have to go by and look and see if I can see the marks for it, and the appraiser is supposed to get there in the next day or two. I might at least have a price by this weekend. They told me that they had called 3 appraisers before they could get one. Seems everyone is refinancing and they are super busy do re-appraisals for the refi's.... The rates I am seeing are 3.5 to 4 % on most mortgage loans.....
I said that I had started some discussions, but that I needed to have an asking price before I can get too much done. They said they understood, and I told them I wasn't pushing, just was wondering. It has been a week since we went up and looked at the ceilings and all. I also told them that I had gotten a cancellation appt and was going to NC to the Dr that did the surgery, tomorrow, and then I would know more about what my healing/rehab status was.

Also, since the ceilings will have to come down, in the upstairs bedrooms, that will help "lower" the appraisal price too.... in my favor. And it is work that I can put off for awhile since I won't need the upstairs immediately.

I did ask first how the "wife" (the one sister) was doing as she had an "in place fracture" of her tibia. She had gone to the "urgent care" and had had to get an appt with an orthopedic dr. She is now in a boot for 6-8 weeks and I told him that I felt for her as I knew exactly what she was going through. Like they said though, she can take it off to sleep and take a bath/shower, and if she is sitting with it up so not as bad as a cast. But is still pretty restricted and they want her to be very careful even with the boot.

Here's hoping for a low appraisal for my sake..... and they are only losing 2 acres and a house they haven't gotten anything out of for over 6 years except an electric bill they have kept paying..... so anything they get is more than what they have now. Gotta say I am nervous about the appraisal though, I just don't want it to be too much.....

 

[CntryBoy777]

Hope all goes well for ya....safe trip, good news with the appt, and a New (2U) TV.....

 

[Bruce]

Will take it in and get them to change the front "snows" out for the regular treads hopefully on Wed so will save the practically new winter tires for next year.

Yep, don't want to wear down the winter tires, not cheap and due to the rubber compound, wear a lot faster than summer tires.

The rates I am seeing are 3.5 to 4 % on most mortgage loans.....

Seems high. The CU rate here is 3.25% for a 30 year, no points. Lower rates for shorter term loans.

except an electric bill they have kept paying.

And the property tax.

 

[farmerjan]

Yeah, @Bruce , the electric and the property tax, but the land is in ag since it is growing the Christmas trees and since he sells, can make the requirements for the minimum income. Plus we rent about 15-18 of this piece for hay so we sign a paper for them saying it is in ag production anyway.

I've seen a couple at 3.25%, but the 2 that I have gotten answers back on are like 3.4% with APR of 3.7 or something and a 3.5 with APR of 3.75. Then one that was 3.9 or something. Re fi is cheaper, saw one for 2.75..... Anyone who is paying over 4% should be refinancing....

What I am calling snows are not what you get up north for snow tires. These are called "all season snow grabbers" and are rougher tread than the straight ones, but not the "snow tire" I am used to from Ct.. Unless you get a true truck tire, the "winter tires" for cars/small SUV's are not what I call snow tires. Doesn't matter, will try to get them changed out tomorrow.

 

[farmerjan]

OKAY drum roll please....

X-rays look perfect. Dr said that I need to be out of the boot by the weekend... he actually said in a day or 2 but then said by the end of the week.
PT for the next 6 weeks... 2-3 times a week. He said that I am about 2 weeks behind where he would have had me if I'd had the appt in April, but not a problem.
Wants me to wear a compression stocking on the foot to help with the swelling a little, as he says it will swell more as I walk on it, naturally. We talked about the numbness, and he touched and tested my feeling all around and I can feel his touching, just with that constant tingling. He said that since it is "equal" all around the ankle that is good as there wasn't any part of the nerve that got cut or damaged, during the surgery. He says they obviously try not to, but sometimes the nerve isn't exactly where it is supposed to be when they cut. However, he said that the nerve block has affected it more than it does for some. He said I should get all the normal feeling back, but not to be surprised that it might take up to a year since the nerve block worked that well.

Recheck appt in 6 weeks, and if things go well, then I expect to be turned loose until a 6 month recheck????....

So tomorrow I call about the rehab/PT and see how soon they can get me in. Said that I can do any movements I can do with it now, and even a little more since I will be completely weight bearing without the boot. Said to walk on it in the house with no boot for a day or two, then put a shoe on it and go outside. Said to not get in a position where the cows could knock me down or shove me for a bit, to protect it as I get the strength back in it. It is going to be weak, but the swelling keeps it from being too "loose" too. I will be able to use the clutch in the truck without any problems, so should be able to use the one on the tractor, said that was perfectly fine for me to do. In fact, to try to use it as much as I would normally...

Now I have to work on walking some fairly flat ground to get some balance and all, and to try to start losing some of the fat I have gained..... mostly around the middle, and I know it is from not doing much with keeping it up alot when it was swelling. I can feel my jeans are a little tighter right around the waist, not alot but enough to tell me that it is time to get some exercise.....

I was very happy with that. Then met Jenn and got the 43" flat screen smart TV, and I will get it out in the morning. Not going to set it up here unless things for the house don't look good, as I won't have time to be watching it here, now, with haying right around the corner. Plus, If I get the house, I will have to be getting it painted downstairs, and the bathroom shower done and make a decision about the possibility of a small bathroom upstairs so they can run pipes while it is apart..... And all this while we are busy with spring/summer farm work.

Saw a sign right near the VA/NC border on the way home, and went down a road about a mile off the main road and got a flat of already picked strawberries . I wasn't about to try to pick with this boot still on. They are about 2-3 weeks ahead of us, weather wise, so I just decided they would be a nice treat. I will put some in the freezer as they are a nice smaller size and very uniform, but I am going to indulge in some strawberry shortcake, and told my son I would give him some. Maybe by the time ours are ripe here, I will be able to go pick without falling flat on my face with the awkward boot, since it will be long gone. I will mostly just freeze them since it takes little time and then make jam or whatever in the winter.

Great day and great news all the way around..... car ran pretty good too.

 

[Mini Horses]

Great day and great news all the way around.....

Sure sounds like a great one to me!!! Wooohooo….no boot!

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Miss @farmerjan,

Hurray! I am so happy for you! Soon you will be back to your young self! Take a picture of yourself when you drive the tractor for the first time!

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[Bruce]

SUPER LIKE your post Jan

He said I should get all the normal feeling back, but not to be surprised that it might take up to a year since the nerve block worked that well.

Wow, that is some block!

I will be able to use the clutch in the truck without any problems

Sure, JUST as you get the car back so you don't have to deal with the clutch on the truck.