If your ph is 7.2, you are ok for now. If it drops any lower, then you'll need to add some Borax to bring it up to 7.4-7.6.

It is OK to add bleach and baking soda to the skimmer while the pump is running.

As for your neighbor - give her our website and let her come and learn how to care for her own pool. A couple of comments I will say about her numbers -- she doesn't have chlorine and bromine in her pool. And, her cya is high and as a result if she chooses not to do a partial drain to lower it, she'll have to run higher than normal chlorine levels to keep algae at bay. I'm sure that is why her pool looks like a pond. Check out this thread.

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=365