Carl, please don't mistake my lack of questions about chemistry for apathy about it. Honestly, I'm a nerd. I love cooking and math and researching the chemistry of OTC and prescription meds. When I learned how drop kits work, it excited me. (And it sounds like they'd be easier for me to use than the strips anyway.) Things are coming together. I am almost out of stabilizer and will be looking into pure dichlor on amazon soon, maybe even today. Perhaps, I'll look into a better test kit while I'm there.

P.s. Hip replacements are tough. My husband had both replaced, 6 months apart, right after we got married in 2007. Bless you!