Monday, June 11, 2012

VA / Heat / BBMI

 The VA

My neighbor Robert Dawson gave his PU to his daughter for her birthday and needed to buy another one for himself. He found one in Odessa that he wanted, but he needed a ride there to get it. I was wanting to make a trip to Big Spring to the VA hospital to find out why they never got me back in th system after 6 months of waiting and filling out the paperwork twice in that 6 months and sending it in. The VA rep in Alpine was the one that addresses both envelopes and when I got to the VA hospital two different people told me that they never received them???  Now that either means that the VA rep addressed them wrong or someone at the VA hospital trash canned them? Robert had had a similar experience trying to get back in the system also so we both went to the VA hospital in Big Spring on Thursday. Fortunately that's only 60 miles from Odessa.

Anyway it took all of 15 minutes for both of us to get signed up and back in the system. I was given my letter of acceptance immediately after the woman put me back in the system. Now I need to make an appointment for a complete physical and go from there. Of course we stayed at Ring and Raye Vern's house while we were there.

The HEAT
According to JW it was 112 degrees Saturday and I'm glad I missed that because I didn't get back home until yesterday afternoon around 1:30. It only got up to 109 here yesterday, but there was very little wind at all so it really felt like 109 especially since I'd gotten use to being in and sleeping in air conditioned comfort while in Odessa. I managed to get through the heat of the afternoon by keeping a wet towel to wipe myself down with occasionally and on my head and neck between wipe downs. I also had the swamp cooler blowing on me (without water to it because the pump part is broken.) Just as well because the water is so full of minerals around here that it totally screws up the pad and cooler within a couple of weeks and it also uses way too much water on top of that. (About 8 gallons a day) I guess using the wet towel will be how I make it through the summer. This all  happened sitting under the shade of the roof overhang in front of the cabin.

BBMI Update

Due to conflicting information this part has been removed. (Only in Terlingua!)

Sorry no pictures this time. Just haven't taken any lately.

35 comments:

  1. If you look that Inn up on the internet it has a really bad rating as does its RV park.

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  2. Yeah I know DD, I bet it will do even worse now.

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  3. So good to hear the VA got straightened out. When we had a swamp cooler that hot water running thru just made it worse. Now i'm so acclimated to ACs,,can't stand the heat. You take care of yourself,,,

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  4. TnT, a swamp cooler works pretty well down here if you can supply it with rain catchment instead of well water, but I can't and the well water has way too many minerals in it so that's out. The wet towel trick works pretty good though and beats the heck out of frying.

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  5. You probably don't want to hear this but, why not give up on that dream and come back to the real world. It's just not worth it trying to live in a dead part of the world. When I first got there I loved it and didn't ever want to leave, now I may never come back. Sorry.

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  6. I am so happy to hear that you are back in the VA system and can now get the medical attention you need and deserve.

    Also glad you were not around for the 112 temperature and were able to be pampered if only for a little while sleeping in A/C.

    For some reason my mom always thinks of you during inclement weather and wanted to know how you were doing...told her you had not posted in a while. I am sure she will be happy to know that you spent some time in Odessa.

    Take care.

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  7. Bkid, I'm stuck here like it or not, but if I ever get the cabin finished and can run a small refer unit it won't be too bad. Heck I like some of the spring, fall and winter.

    MsB, it didn't miss the 112° by much yesterday (111°), but the wet towel trick helped a lot.

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  8. Nothing like in person visit to straighten out the bureaucrats! Too bad you did not go directly there after your arm problem. Take that wrist to them and get an Xray. Tell him how it really feels... not the time to man up and ignore it...

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  9. rj, not sure when I'll be going to the VA hospital, but I plan to schedule a complete physical so will bring up a lot of stuff then.

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  10. Sounds like a plan...get yourself fixed up now while the heat is on so you can hit it hard when it cools off later

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  11. rj, haven't thought about it that way, but it sounds good. I sure ain't getting much done around here now. I've been sitting in the shade and testing out more solar panels to be added to the bank. I'll need them to run a small AC.

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  12. Tffnguy

    its captaincrunch again.


    Im glad your back. I thought you went to Marfa and was abducted by UFO's?

    Typhical VA crap! Too bad you had to go there just to get that stuff done.

    Also remind me not to get a room at the BBMI (Big Bend Morons Incorported)

    I dont want make any Cadillac payments.

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    1. Speaking of aliens, have you seen the movie "Paul" ?

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  13. CC, I need to call in for an appointment for a physical. I'll see how that goes. Hope they don't tell me I never called after I do.

    AS for BBMI I hear the maids found a job at Lajitas.

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  14. Great news. Too bad there are so many incompetent people messing with the VA benefits. Medicare isn't any better.

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  15. You're right Denese. They were supposed to call Robert Monday and schedule an appointment for him and he still hasn't heard from them. I guess he/I will have to plan on going back to Big Spring just to get an appointment.

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  16. How about taking a water tank with you when you go to a town with good water, and use that to run a small swamp cooler like TFL does. you seem to go to town every week.

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  17. I just drove through big springs its hot here too. glad u got on the Vip list at the VA. see ya round

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  18. RH, my trailer is only good for 1000 LBS max and with the age of the tires I wouldn't want to haul over 800 lbs. My tank is a 275 gallon which would weigh about 2200 LBS. If I ever find a 100 gallon tank that I can afford then I would do that. I could get a couple more 55 gallon drums and may do that sooner or later, but I'd have to empty them because I use the trailer for supply runs. Of course then I'd have to find a bunch of belts that run the pump for the swamp cooler because it eats them pretty fast. Also empty plastic 55 gallon drums have a way of winding up in the next county when we have a wind storm. I'd have to have a way to anchor them when they were empty.

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  19. Nick, just because I'm back in the loop doesn't mean it will be easy to get appointments. One good thing about the Big Spring VA is its (From what I hear) the only one in the state or maybe nation that has a walk in clinic.

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    1. Pahrump, NV clinic accepts walk in. IF they are your Primary care Provider, I'm not sure about anyone else.

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    2. Ed so does Big Spring, but you have to already be signed up. I am now and have two appointments. (2 months away)

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  20. I sure love the desert but can not take the heat. I could hold up in the shade and still be hot all summer. You need a lot of juice to run an ac which means a lot of costly panels and batteries.

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  21. JP, I use the generator to run the welder. I'll never have enough solar and/or batteries for that. I haven't welded since the damn burn ban though and miss it.

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  22. Hope all goes well with the VA, but past experience tells me your in for some aggravation, hang in there and try to stay cool, it's not hot yet!

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  23. SUERTE, aggravation is to be expected from the VA. At least I made a start though.

    I'm sure we're going to see some hotter days to come. Guess I need to get a kiddy pool to hang out in. That would go good under the shade of the cabin roof overhang.

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    1. You need a misting fan system that runs on battery power.

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  24. rj, I need to get the cabin finished so I can have refrigerated air. Probably won't happen this summer though.

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  25. The water in town is not that great either.

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  26. Bkid, Virgil said it is RO water now so it sure has to be better than the CB mine or ranch HQ water. I drink the water from the Cottonwood store and it ain't bad.

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  27. What size tires does your trailer take, I'm moving down in two weeks and I'm clearing out my shop up here and I'm pitching a bunch of tires that are good but that I don't need, if I have something you can use I'll bring them and they are yours, it's costing me $2 each to get rid of them! We should be down and moving in 4th of July week, mind if I stop by and introduce myself once we get there?? Lance

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  28. Lance I doubt that you have any tires that will fit because they are 5.30 - 12. I have two newer tires, but they are mounted on 4 lug rims and the trailer has 5 lug. I carry one of the four lug rims with a complete hub assembly so if I had a flat I could still use it. One of these days I may have the tires switched over.

    BTW If you have room I'd bring all the tires you could down here. I'm pretty sure you could sell most if not all of them with the way people have tire trouble down here.I could probably help sell them for you.

    By all means stop by when you can.

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  29. Dang, got two really good 13" trailer tires but no 12's. I think I'll have room so I'll throw on the good ones I've got that I don't need and bring them down. Better than throwing them away up here.

    I will stop by and say hey, I think you will be my closest neighbor, far as close goes out there!! I figure you're about 5 miles away by road. May have to ask to borrow some bandwith to check email too till we get set up, trying to do as much as we can from here before we go but there is only so much you can do long distance!

    Take care, see you soon!!

    Lance

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  30. You may be surprised Lance. A lot of people are moving down this way. I saw three of the cabins being trucked out east on Legion road the other day. Of course a lot of people buying down here are snow birds and will only be here in the winter. (Smart people) wish I could afford to do that.

    June and July are pure hell down here unless you're on grid.

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  31. Might as well get a slip and slide too.

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