The Dog Days of Summer

As I grow older, dealing with these triple-digit Texas temperatures seems more challenging. It is not like they just started happening it gets HOT in Texas every summer and always has. When I lived in Houston it was not only hot but humid but for some reason, I do not recall it affecting me perhaps because I went from my air-conditioned house to my air-conditioned car to my air-conditioned office.

Every time I go into town now I come back exhausted. I like to watch late-night comedy shows so I can laugh and relax after listening to the not-so-nice news of the day. I have not even made it past the ten o'clock nightly news lately thus my lack of posts.

I much prefer sleeping to going online. With that said I am wide awake by 4:00 a.m. At least I am getting six hours of sleep nightly that when one suffers from insomnia is a wonderful thing. If you can sleep through the night you do not know how fortunate you are.

Since the rise of gasoline prices, I have been filling up as soon as I use 1/4 of a tank. My trip to México last week brought my gauge closer to half a tank but at least gasoline prices are going down so I put it off a little longer. Sunday I made an early trip to the HEB gasoline pumps where I was the only car there...at least for a few minutes...then everyone started to show up.

$3.859 for Unleaded gas
$4.789 for Diesel

Before going inside the store I spotted this El Camino...it has been a long time since I have seen one.

I stocked up on more canned goods, water, toilet paper, and something I have not eaten in a long time...Beef Jerky...

Monday I went to Walmart and was surprised to find they were mostly out of water.

Laughed at the price of a dozen eggs...😂...there is no way I was going to pay that plus we don't eat that many eggs.

Gasoline was .03 cents cheaper here. I apologize as I do not know why these photos came out smaller when I emailed them to myself.

The weather is so crazy from drought, fires, triple-digit temperatures, monsoons, and torrential rains in our nation as well as in the rest of the world. I hope wherever you may happen to be reading me that you and your family are safe.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Aunty Acid

Lab work / One Entrance Walmart / Gummy Vitamins / Ice Cream

Howdy folks, did you all think I ran away with my tall weathered cowboy?  I am sorry to report that he has not made it to Del Rio yet...apparently, Alexa sent him further south and he is now in Mexico drinking frozen margaritas and dancing the night away with several Señoritas.

This year I opted to change medical providers and one of my main concerns was that he be on board with me getting my labs done in Mexico as I do not have medical insurance and are what they call "self-pay".

Once upon a time before the current occupant of the White House took office the local hospital would offer $40.00 tests for uninsured individuals. When he was elected the hospital reversed its policy fearing that he would do away with Obama Care and raised their prices to a ridiculous level. For four tests...I paid $160.00. Those same four tests then cost $1150.00 but if you paid with a credit card it would cost you $575.00 or thereabouts.

I marched right on over to my former medical provider to see if she would be open to me getting those same tests done in Ciudad Acuña which she was.  It was a good thing because if she had not been I would have had to say good-bye and gone to my Mexican doctor.  In Mexico, I was able to get all four tests done with a free urinalysis thrown in for less than $100.00 USD.

So where am I going with this? On my telephone appointment with my new doctor, he wanted me to get some new labs done but knew of my predicament.  Not just because of the steep price the hospital charges but the fact that I was afraid to go to Ciudad Acuña whose Coronavirus numbers which used to be below Del Rio's for a long time have now skyrocketed along with the death toll.

Monday I got a phone call from his nurse to let me know that their labs were now offering a more reasonable price to uninsured patients which would be capped at $300.00 I was beside myself with joy!

Wednesday I went to have them done and I must say that they had a well-executed plan. You were met at the door by a nurse in full PPE you filled out some questions, they reviewed them took your temperature before you were allowed inside and placed a hot pink wristband on you to signify that you had been properly vetted.

There were very few people and they had marked places where you could and could not sit. There were four individuals ahead of me so it took a while but at least I was not as freaked out as I thought I might be.

The doctor wanted me to purchase some vitamins which I had been putting off so much to my chagrin headed to Walmart. Upon entering the parking lot I did not see that many cars on the south side where I usually park but as I walked to the entrance saw that the door was closed and there was only one entrance and one exit which was not the case the last time I was here.

I had read in other blogs where they were having problems finding vitamins and I ran into the same problem here. When did vitamins become "Gummy" everything?  As you can tell it has been a while since I have purchased some.

Bought some sunscreen lotion and my favorite Sweet Freedom Ice Cream which I thought was sold out. Since all, I saw at eye level was Butter Pecan and I hate anything pecan...yuk!!!

JudithK...I swear I am not trolling you but this was the first thing I saw when I walked into the now one entrance Walmart...

I think they must have lowered their price to be competitive with HEB.

I have previously mentioned that anytime they change or add a medication it makes me sleepy.  This week I have not even been able to stay up to watch my Late Night shows and with everything that has been happening in our nation, I could really use a laugh.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Aunty Acid Saying of the Day