January 31, 2023

Daily Diary, Day 882:

Well, my stye is no better, if anything thing it's worse, so my husband is off getting some antibiotics for me. At least I didn't have to go in and see a doctor, and it's been over 2 years since I had to go this route. However, I have to take for 6 weeks, and I hate taking antibiotics (I am allergic to a lot so the range of what I can take is small.)

I will start tomorrow taking pill (one of those things you have to space between meals, etc). and part of me hopes that between now and then there will be enough improvement that I can postpone starting.

We also made the decision today to go ahead and upgrade our solar panel system (which will permit us to handle the new EV charger and heat pump system.) We are postponing the battery system because of cost, but we have this year and next to do it and still take advantage of the federal tax incentives.

When we first did solar 11 years ago, the state laws were very favorable, so the cost savings paid for itself in just a couple of years. Unfortunately (in my mind because of lobbying) the state laws have changed so that the utility system pays us less and less for electricity we generate and charge more and more for the electricity we buy from the utility. In April the difference is going to be even greater--as if they are actively discouraging the shift to solar. By getting the new panels now, before April, we are grandfathered in to the current rate (which is ok, not great) for 20 years. What the batteries would do is let us store any excess electricity we generate during the day (and given sun in San Diego that can be a good deal), so that we can use it once the sun goes down (and the utility charges more.) This also helps lower the general demand on the grid during those peak times, during the summer, when the city started to warn of brown and black outs.

However, it does mean tapping, big time, into our retirement savings so my husband and I had to to have that discussion about short term and long term goals, how to make sure we aren't putting ourselves into financial danger, but at the same time sitting on money just for the sake of sitting on it if it is going to make our life now, easier. Listening to people freak out online about the fact that gas and electric bills just doubled this month in San Diego, and knowing that the summers will only get hotter (the heat pump provides AC) made me feel this was a good use of our savings.

Bright spots in the day, sunshine (although I didn't walk, I will definitely try to get in a short one tomorrow), saw our first finch at the bird feeder, and I have 700 words written and hope to get it up near to 1000 by tonight.

Oh, and we had the first person stop by and ask if we wanted them to remove the weeds in the front yard. (smile). As I mentioned, I'm going to wait until we are past rainy season for most of the yard (since the weeds will just come back) and I am still enjoying the sorrel in the "heron garden." Here are 2 pictures of all that lovely green!