Hi temp Tuesday

I find it interesting that my mom is calling me a lot and remembering how to do it, while at the same time seems to be getting worse. She called last evening at 7:15. Super chatty, we talked for almost 20 minutes, when usually it's just a few minutes. Of course some of it was repeated, but not terrible. Though seconds after I answered she said "I'm so glad you called". She knew she lives where she's at this time and knew she didn't have a car anymore, but couldn't remember getting rid of it. She said a couple of times she really likes this place and then said and I love that I have such a great dau...daughter...right? you're my daughter? After I said yes, then she asked "so I had you?" I said yep! A long time ago! She laughed and said she guessed she doesn't remember it and must be because she's getting older now. 

Due to the extreme heat we are under fire weather watch until Thursday night. It was 99 yesterday and very dry around our area, since it's mid August.

DH was outside later in the evening for awhile. I think he went out to turn on or off a sprinkler he has set up behind our shop, which faces Mr & Mrs side. I can't remember why dh has a sprinkler there and not the underground, LOL. Anyway, I guess Mrs was outside too, so she started chatting with dh again. She said they want to start fertilizing their own lawn and asked dh what he uses and when, so dh told her he'd look up his notes on the fertilizer. It's a different mixture in spring than summer. So, then he emailed Mr about it and where we get it, etc. For our size yard we use 3 bags in spring and 3 in fall, so a total cost of approx $228 for the year. I'm sure they spend more than that with the service they've been using. It used to cost $150 for 6 bags, but last year it went up a lot when fertilizer prices went up so high and it's still up there. This year we bought all 6 bags in the spring, just to save a stop at the co-op place that sells it. We are fast approaching the Labor Day application and won't need to pick any up.

I had to email the Dept of Revenue assessor again. I had let him know that I received his USB drive of "sales data" and still wished to proceed with the appeal, and to let me now if there is anything else I need to do. He replied back asking if I have a fee appraisal I'd like to include. No, I do not (i am not paying for an appraisal) and if there were any of the other sales in the data (not picked as comps) I'd like them to look at as comparable to my home.......well, since you asked...and I dumped him with a big email and a bunch of info, LOL.

But, I also told him it's pretty impossible for me to figure out. When their "analysis" formulas can take 5 homes in the $440,000 to $1.2 million range and make them all equal, it makes it pretty hard to figure out. I did find 2 homes, in my area that sold and looked up their listing info/pics. Similar homes, on the river, blah blah. Both now appraised at a bit LESS than they sold for and less then my house. One of them is 5 acres, low bank river w/access, almost same sf, with a big detached shop and it's assessed at less than my house, in an area closer to the city, which is more desirable and has higher home prices then where we are. The other one is also very similar in size/characteristics and the house/building assessment part is way lower than mine.