Dad-alytics

 Admission to Gladys Porter Zoo (GPZ) in Brownsville, Texas for our family (2 adults and 2 children) is $45.00.  I decided to get their One Year Family Membership for $85.  If we go to GPZ two times (and we will) during the year, it pays for itself!  The other benefits of membership I enjoy are the following: Free admission every day during regular hours Free admission to over 100 Zoos nationwide (includes a discount to Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, Texas) Free parking in their limited access lot (space permitting) Other benefits include the following: Free subscription to their quarterly newsletter, Zoo News Free admission to Boo at the Zoo Free admission to Zoo Nights and Lights Gladys Porter Zoo currently recommends making a reservation due to the COVID-19 pandemic (see gpz.org for details).  I recommend going early because parking is easier and it is not as hot or packed with people.  You may only take water into the zoo and any container is permitted.  We were instructe

Several years ago we experienced a water loss (pipe burst) in our home.  I am writing this to help a family member and others that may need to familiarize themselves with events surrounding significant damage to their home.  I am NOT an attorney and I do NOT work in insurance.  I am a homeowner just like you. My thoughts and prayers go out to you.  The experience you are going through is traumatic.  Cry it out.  Hug it out.  I hope that you and your family are doing well. It's time to get to work.  In my experience, some insurance companies will pay as little as possible and help as little as possible.  You've paid your premiums, know your policy, and get an attorney involved if needed. You will not be able to stay in your home.  Take pictures.  A remediation company should have been called on your behalf.  Resources will likely be stretched thin.  In the state of Texas, many households have been impacted by the Winter Storm (approximately February 15-19, 2021).  If you are wai

I started a FREE 15-Day Trial of Walmart+ and I like it!   The main reason I signed up was for the Mobile scan & go feature.  Normally I'm in Walmart by myself and I love to move quick!  I can grab my items and scan them as I place them in my cart.  Once I arrive to self-check out, I take my phone and scan the QR code.  I bag my groceries and I'm out of there! Yesterday we decided to place our first grocery delivery ever!  I'm late to the delivery game.  My family and friends have been telling me how great it is living in 2020 (I know, despite COVID-19).  Ordering with the app was easy, although some of our items were not available.  We decided we did not want any substitutions.  We scheduled delivery for the next morning and they showed up during the chosen window of time!  Did we have a problem?  Yes.  I think that is to be expected.  One of our items was damaged.  I called the 1 800 number and was issued a refund in minutes (on a Sunday too)!  It's almost too eas

Image:  Dave Lieber Steps for filing an Electronic Protest: 1.  Visit Hidalgo County Appraisal District website:   http://www.hidalgoad.org/ 2.  Click Protest Online (red button, center of screen). 3.  Enter username and password (or Create New User).  Click Login. 4.  Click Online Appeals (right of screen). 5.  Click here to E-File (green button - top right of screen). 6.  Click E-File (blue button - left of screen). 7.  Enter comments (I chose not to enter anything).  Click Submit. 8.  Enter Opinion of Value (I chose to enter last year's value - this may depend on a *Market Analysis if you have one from a realtor).  Enter Protest Reasons (I chose 1 and 2).  Click Submit. 9.  Click Done. 10.  Click Log Out. You should receive an e-mail stating that a protest and case number have been successfully created for your property. *Market Analysis:  Call Christian Chavez 956-474-3800.  He is a realtor with Deldi Ortegon Group that is well-informed and helpful.

Chasse Conque and his team at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley have been working hard to enhance the fan experience at athletic events.  We arrived in Vaquero Village about one hour before the game started and we were impressed!  They have a great lounge area outside, a bounce house for the kids, food (at reasonable prices - credit cards accepted), drinks (yes, beer), and a live band!  The band played music from Daft Punk, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, and my personal favorite - Rage Against the Machine!   Jesus T. Pena and Chasse Conque We purchased general admission tickets for the game.  Every seat in the house is great!  During the game, there are plenty of raffles and activities to engage the fans.  The men's basketball team is very competitive and we were on the edge of our seats the entire time! Warming Up We were glad the game ended with the Vaqueros winning.  We are looking forward to another Vaqueros game soon! Post-game Picture If your organiza

The Home Depot offers a Kids Workshop once per month.  The event is FREE and provides a great Do-It-Yourself (DIY) opportunity for you and your child! First, you need to register online for the event:   Workshops The event at my Home Depot is held outside in the Contractor Pick-up area.  Prepare to stand for a long period of time and bring a water and/or snack depending on the age of the child.  Some wipeys to remove paint from hands would also be helpful. The time of the activity is scheduled from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., but you should show up at about 8:50 a.m.  The event states "While supplies last."  This applies to the DIY project, aprons, pins, and certificates. The Home Depot provides tools; typically a hammer and a screwdriver are needed.  However, I recommend bringing some tools of your own since a large number of people attend.  If you have more than one child that will need help building the object, you should bring another adult with you.