" If You Want Happy, You've Come to the Wrong Place!"

I am taking a teeny time out from our day trip posts to complain a bit. I feel the need to blow off some steam!

It all started on Saturday while my husband was still home. The weather was still fairly pleasant as Fridays was and my husband and I had planned to do the yard work that day. 

He mows and uses the gas trimmer while I do the hand weeding. Over the years our neighbors on both sides of our house, only mow. They don't weed. So all of there weeds from both houses grow up and over our fences. So much so that we have had to go on there side to chop through it all and yank out the big ones.

They don't seem to mind. Neither one has said a word. Keep in mind that between the two houses there lives approximately three people under the age of forty and five people under the age of twenty.

I have asked nicely once if they had anything to help combat the weeds. They (both houses) said "No, sorry". O.k. so Jake and I keep taking care of the weeds at our expense. 

Well if you haven't guessed by now, I have gotten poison sumac (which by the way is taking over all of the fences) again. The second time this year. Not to mention the three times in the years past that I have acquired poison ivy from the same circumstance.

It all gets so buried under other weeds that I don't see it until it's too late. Sometimes I don't even see it at all. I am just a hard worker and sort of go crazy ripping it all out.

I am not stupid, I just try to be a good neighbor. As does my husband. We have helped our neighbors in the past many, many times.

Well I finally have had enough. Besides having this horrible poison sumac on my arm, it has taken me three days to get over the pain from this work. I can't do it anymore. So I finally called the city. I really didn't want to do it but I have been having to deal with this problem for several years now and I just can't take it anymore. 

I met with the city inspector yesterday and he agreed that the problem was way more than Jake and I could handle anymore. So he is going to mail them a letter. If they don't comply after so many days, the city will take care of it and then bill them directly.

Gosh I felt so horrible about this but I am at the end of my rope here. I am to the point where I cannot take a step without my knee hurting. I have found myself sitting much more than usual because of it. My shots are not working anymore. My doctor said that I could have the knee replacement done whenever I felt ready. It is that bad. He also told me that they have a knee that may last up to twenty years and they are working on one that's even better. This was last year.

While my husband was on vacation we had a serious talk. He asked me what my fears were about the surgery. I have many. Not the least of which is money. While we do have insurance, pretty good insurance, it still doesn't cover everything and we really don't know if they will cover any physical therapy as in the past they haven't. 

Anyway I told Jake that I was waiting for some sort of sign. He explained that he thought constant pain was a pretty good sign. About fifteen minutes later while watching a show on television, there was this commercial for a new thirty year knee. Wow. Jake and I looked at each other and he said "There's your sign Di !".

So I guess when I go to my ortho doctor in September, we will have the conversation. It would be to our advantage for me to do this before the first of the year as I have met my deductible for this year. Jake still has two weeks of vacation coming and can take more time if need be. 

Now this is all just a plan right now. God only knows what will and can happen between now and then. All I know is that I am in constant pain and the strain is starting to affect other parts of my body. I wanted to put this off a while longer but I don't think I can wait much longer. This is effecting every step I take.

Sunday it started to get hot again. Jake and I planned on doing laundry as he was to leave Monday morning. We made it through two loads when the clothes dryer went Kaplooey! It was over twenty years old. I just threw $175.00 into it a few weeks ago. The whole control panel went which I knew was going to happen eventually. I was told that it would just be cheaper to replace it. So I am saving my money for a new dryer.

In the meantime it's the laundromat and clothes lines for me. More strain on the knee. I thank God that I have Katie here to help me. She is a strong girl.

I have more photos of our day trip ready to post. I was going to post it today. But after sitting in that hot laundromat with my arm burning, itching, and blistering and now my knee aching horribly, I just felt the need to whine today. 

If you managed to make it through this entire complaint post, Thank You. You're an angel !            Love Di ♥