Sticky Air

M and I have both been struggling the last week with an ailment that appears to be allergic in nature. We are both phelgmy. Both of us acknowledge that there is something in the air in the house, but we have been gutting it out.

Then, Bish (the cat) was diagnosed today with asthma. Before I go into that, there really should be a "lemon law" for pets you adopt at the local animal shelter. We adopted Bish and her brother Bennie in November. Cost -- $200 in adoption fees. Within a month, Bennie became bloated and lethargic. Trip to the vet -- $500 -- for xrays, blood tests and an evaluation. He was diagnosed with FIP, a fatal incurable feline disease. We had him put to sleep. His sister, Bish, had a blood test ($150) and tested negative. A few months later, she was throwing up and we took her back to the vet. Xrays and a blood test later ($400), she was diagnosed with FIP too, but the disease is not advance and for all intents and purposes she was fine.

Until she started having labored breathing. We took her back to the vet today. After xrays ($170), we found out she has asthma and needs an inhaler ($150).

"I think her asthma is a wake up call. We need to change the furnace filters and clean the air ducts. The air in this house is not clean." Frankly, I think the cat's asthma is not that big a deal. I had asthma when I was a kid, and I am convinced it made me stronger. I took to smoking better than other teens.

Hiring a company to so all this will probably cost another $150. So, the cat(s) has cost us -- some $1700. The pleasure of cleaning up her poop and piss, feeding her, and having her fill the house with shredded toilet paper every day hardly makes it a bargain. Honestly, I am not sure where the cat is getting the toilet paper from. We have put all the rolls in impossible to reach places. I am convinced Bish must have a Costco membership where she bough an 85 count package of single ply (comfort is not important to her as she shreds it) Charmin.

I have no clue where to begin finding a good heating/cooling system service company. In the old days of the yellow pages, it was easier. You just turned to the heating/cooling section and the company with the bigger ad was obviously the best.

Now, you do a search and who knows what turns up. So I tried to use some aggregator site called "Service Magic." I input my data and the service requested. Within a minute, I was flooded with calls. Who to choose now? The professional sounding woman who left a 1-800 number or the hard-working foreign guy who gave me both his work and cell number? Definitely ruled out -- the creepy guy who breathed very hard.