Chalkie

I fully understand taking a deep breath and then telling a vet to go ahead with whatever treatment is needed. Our previous dog, which was a rescue, we got as a puppy and had her for 14 years before cancer took her. She was mixed breed and part Shar Pei which was the cause of a lot of vet visits, that breed has thin or fragile skin so she easily found things to test that and I lost count of how many stitches she required over the years. But she was a member of the family and and an excellent traveling companion so we could do no less. When we got our current little rescue I debated getting pet insurance but I could not find a policy that covered more than routine office visits without costing considerably more. So we are again rolling the dice on vet care costs and so far have been on the winning side.

In Texas all veterinarian clinics have to be certified by the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners which sets standards that seem to me to be very similar to AAHA. Clinics are subject to no notice inspection for compliance. In our time in Texas we have had vet care at 3 different clinics, none of which are AAHA. In Colorado we had one vet for over 20 years which is AAHA. Quite honestly I don't see that our pets have had a different level of care between the AAHA and non-AAHA clinics. One thing that I found interesting was the AAHA seems only to deal with vets that are solely in the dog and cat realm which leaves a large swath of outstanding veterinarians that also deal with large animals and exotic animals out of the picture entirely. Which I suppose is why there isn't a single AAHA vet within a 50 mile radius of my sister because a rural vet can't afford to only treat cats and dogs.

Around here right now anyway, midgrade or premium gas is more than diesel. The new Ford 7.3 gas engine calls for 87 octane which in high elevation states would be midgrade. Fuel in general is getting pricey.

I do not have a Class C, I do however have a diesel pickup and I can say that it is no noisier than my son's gas pickup. Outside it seems to me that the Ford and GM diesel engines are quieter than the RAM Cummins engine. One thing to consider in your deliberations is fuel economy. Diesel will not necessarily get better.

I'm not in California. It is easier for manufacturers to print one warning label that satisfies the legalities of a product in all the places it is going to be sold. Thus, here in Texas we are blessed with Prop 65 warnings.

The EPA can not levy criminal fines but it can take states to court and win civil fines. While the EPA generally lets the states administer air pollution programs to meet the standards it can overrule or take over the programs if it is not satisfied the targets are being met. Personally I would like to see Texas take a page from Colorado where gas engines are only required to take emissions tests in certain counties whereas diesel engines are required to statewide. Maybe it would get rid of all these folks that think giant exhaust pipes blowing massive clouds of black smoke is fun.

Many times these warnings, whether there is cause for concern or not, are at the behest of the lawyers thanks to our litigious society. It seems like virtually anything that is sold in California carries a Prop 65 warning which we all see no matter where else we are.

Google maps is already up to date on the closure and showing two alternate routes. One via I-70/US-50 taking 5 hrs 51 mins or the other via US-550/US-160 taking 6 hrs 34 mins.

Elevate the pan on our induction top and you get to hear annoying beeps and an error message flashing.

Real estate can be a great investment but is not necessarily the best as it can depreciate if not cared for. Land on the other hand can't really depreciate but it can appreciate greatly depending on location. Personally I wish I had thought of buying a bit of unrestricted land prior to retirement so it would have been paid off by retirement time.

Exactly! This is why I can turn off the burner a little early under my scrambled eggs and let the residual pan heat finish them off. I have to admit I had never considered heating things directly in the can though. I am going to have to try it.

And so it begins. More from the NY Post.

I know it is not Airstream's fault and you know that it was not Airstream;s fault but I am willing to bet that the family on their own or with the nudging of some lawyer will bring suit. I did notice from the picture above and verifying on the Airstream website that that door is a "suicide" door, at highway speed I doubt the woman could have held the door closed once it opened.

It is sad that there was a fatality but what is really sad is that the doctor's family will probably try to soak Airstream for millions even though she/they were committing an illegal act. Riding in a travel trailer in New York is illegal and quite honestly stupid inasmuch as there is no safety equipment such as seat belts.

That route is going to take you through what my Dad called "miles and miles of miles and miles". A couple of places along that route that our wanderings have taken us by are the Immaculate Conception church in Leoville, KS. It is a slight detour off the route when you get to Selden but is an impressively large church in basically the middle of nowhere. And then there was the Buffalo Bill museum in North Platte. Pretty interesting place but we like museums.

Very true! We were at a rally in northwest Nebraska for the 2017 eclipse. I am looking forward to this one although the weather forecast is not promising.

I use a Wye but it is aluminum and, frankly, in as much as I grew up drinking water out of garden hoses I have never given it much thought. If you want something that that is drinking water safe make one yourself from water pipe parts from Lowes or HD.

Same weather prediction here in the Austin area. My statement about doom and destruction was tongue in cheek although I did go to the grocery store and replenished stocks that I normally wouldn't and lo and behold there were quite a few empty shelves. The road in front of our RV park has a sign up warning that parking alongside the road is for emergencies only and will be enforced. The RV park which normally has a few available spaces does not at this time.

Be aware that when you get close to the line of totality in Texas quite a few counties and cities have declared disaster status or states of emergency. Seems we are taking a page from the ancients that eclipses are a sign of doom and destruction. I sure hope you have a confirmed place to stay.

There is a propane/butane fueled toaster oven listed on Amazon for $169. I don't see why this could not be used inside as it doesn't appear to be a whole lot different than the propane oven built in other than it is counter top. However, if is just toast you want, then this should work. I have used one for years for inside and out on gas cooktops. Stansport Folding Camp Stove Toaster

My wife worked a lot of years in the medical field and a job I had required we take an annual HIPAA test. To tell you that explaining a billing code to the patient is an utter load of BS. Law also says that you have right to appeal billing decisions. If they make an internal review and you are not happy with the decision you have the right of external review. This is to take the review process out of the hands of the insurance company and place it with a (supposedly) unbiased third party. I am curious though if you are getting GEHB and are of Medicare age. If so, my understanding is the Medicare becomes primary and GEHB is secondary very much like TFL for military retirees.

Do you not get EOBs?

This is interesting as it ties to the thread started by lappir. My cousin, a nurse, just posted a link on FB that goes along with this as well. Are Regulators Finally Waking Up to the Threat That Is UnitedHealth Group?

What's missing in that article is how many people are in their system. 2000 of say 200,000 is only 1%. While we could hope for 0% I think we all know that is not going to happen.

I think the term "non-profit" or "not-for-profit" is misleading when it comes to health care at least. These entities absolutely make a profit, it is all in what is done with that profit. The non-profits plow their profits back into building new facilities, improving existing facilities, adding technology, etc. rather than paying out a stock dividend. But make a profit they do, and it is substantial. For example, in Colorado Springs there is a city owned hospital that operated for a long time as a successful venture. Then one year some misguided people got an initiative on the ballot to force the city to sell it because, while it had operated in the black for years, it might become less successful and become a tax burden. The initiative passed but fortunately some legal folks put the brakes on it because it turned out that the original land deed and founding money required that it always remained city property, was always to be dedicated to healthcare, and had to remain non-profit. To satisfy the "let's get rid of it" folks the city leased the building(s) to the UCHealth system, a "non-profit" under the auspices of the University of Colorado. Since then UC Health has added 3 Urgent Care, 5 Primary Care, 7 Medical buildings, 1 new Hospital, and 1 stand alone Emergency Room to its portfolio. I daresay this was not all done with donations and grants.