Wanderings amid the Mist

A week of Doctors...

2008-01-20T16:40:00.001-05:00

It is sunny ... loads of sunshine, but don’t let that fool you, it is cold and windy – very windy. Right now it is 17 degrees out with winds in the 23 mph range making in feel like – 1 degrees outside. So far this season our snowfall stands at 59.7 inches. Luckily for us near Syracuse we are not getting the snow etc that those up north are getting. With Lake Ontario warmer than usual and free of ice, the Lake Effect snow machine is pounding areas east of the lake. Route 81 North and South is closed between Parish and Mannsville due to heavy snow, low visibility and accidents.

The same area got hit last night with heavy snow and they expect almost 24 inches today. Here to the south, nothing so far. Yesterday a few Lake Effect snow showers, today nothing the ground, roads etc are bare.

Last week was “doctor” week:

Monday – take Thelma to Doctor to draw blood.

Tuesday – go to the Dentist for a cleaning, and unfortunately a full set of x-rays (total cost $169), then find out there are two cavities and have to schedule more appointments. Plus the Dentist “suggested” that perhaps I might want to have my wisdom teeth (I have three of the four still) removed so that I could floss better between my teeth. As if that is going to happen – I am not removing teeth that are not causing me any pain – get real!

Wednesday – go to my Doctor for review of blood taken a week earlier. End result as usual is I need to lose weight...10 – 15 lbs would be nice. The discomfort I sometimes feel is my chest is GERD, the funny feeling in my left side, probably a muscle etc, though could be enlarged liver – but he didn’t think so after feeling and pressing around. Cholesterol good overall but my HDL is low and Triglycerides are up a bit. And I’m now on the generic form of Zocor rather than Lipitor...same type of drug for cholesterol but way less expensive. Though even the Zocor is pricy I suppose. I checked prices at Eckerd/Rite Aid – 90 day supply of 10mg tablets $239, with my Onondaga County Insurance card it would be $149.75. When I said I would check around at other places, the receptionist got huffy and said “Well...you don’t have insurance so what did you expect?” I then went to Kinney Drugs and for a 90 day supply of 10 mg tablets it was only $89.35, though my Onondaga County Insurance card didn’t give me any additional discounts. So you can guess where I got the drugs filled.

Thursday – take Thelma to her Doctor to discuss blood work etc.

Friday – I stayed home, but when I got up and put my glasses on they fell apart, the left temple just fell off. It is one of those glasses where the left and right temples are spring loaded to keep them on your face, now the left side doesn’t work and though I did manage to tape it together so that I can see, they feel funny and sometimes it is hard to read as I suppose the bifocals are not in alignment. Means a trip to the Eye Doctor now to get them fixed.

So it was a busy week...oh I have also started the treadmill routine again...45 minutes a day. Then I also worked upstairs and got the Soloflex unburied and setup, now to review the literature and set up a workout routine. The trick will be of course to create something I enjoy doing so that I will stick to it as well as create a diet that centers on “good “ foods and not the processed, easy snacky stuff. Sometimes I wonder why it has to be so much work.

After Christmas

2007-12-29T09:51:00.000-05:00

Since my last post Winter has taken a holiday *smile*. As of this morning our seasonal snowfall stands at 53.4 inches. So we have added relatively little since the 19th. We’ve had more rain than snow since then and the snow that we did have has melted away quite a bit, except for maybe the snowbanks.

My Christmas was nice and enjoyable. This year I decided to go one place instead of running around from place to place and always having to watch the clock etc. I went to La Fayette where we had the traditional Christmas breakfast and then we had a Ham dinner with all the family in the afternoon. There were a total of eight of us plus a pug dog. I didn’t get home until late that evening and it really felt good not to be rushed.

Then the next day – the day after Christmas I took down my trees (3) – the fiber optic, the ceramic and the artificial decorated one that sat in front of the picture window. Still not sure what got into me or why I did it so fast, probably because I’d put them up right after Thanksgiving and I’d had enough already. Still got the cards tapes on the china cabinet and the entertainment center draped in garland and ornaments and that will suffice for now.

~ * ~

The computer is giving me problems, telling me upon startup that I have no paging files or that my paging files are insufficient...I click OK and it comes up but then sometimes it becomes unpredictable...sighhh. I found info on how to correct the problem which involves setting permissions and booting in safe mode etc and I may try it, but first I will do some more backups to ensure that I have the critical files I want to have and so forth. I am also considering getting a new computer...I have had this one since 1999-2000 so it has about lived out it’s usefulness I suppose. I know it doesn’t have all the latest gizmos and gadgets, nor space. I only have an 80GB hard drive and 512K of RAM.

Ah well, once the New Year gets here...in the meantime there is research to do.

Winter's blast looks to be bad this year

2007-12-19T09:50:00.000-05:00

Some say the Nor’easter missed us, others say it was a glancing blow, but at any rate we got in total during the Saturday to Monday timeframe – 16 inches of snow, sleet and freezing rain. It started around 9PM Saturday night and continued all day and night Sunday slowly fading by Monday morning. Yesterday we added another two – three inches of lake effect raising our seasonal snowfall to 52.3 inches.

I shoveled twice, Sunday morning 5 inches or so of heavy wet snow while being pelted by various bouts of sleet. I did the usual three driveways...well usual at the moment. Normally it is just mine and the “Ladies” next door, but I am also doing Elaine’s for the time being. Her father was quite ill and died peacefully on Saturday at his home in Liverpool. Anyway it took me about 3 hours on Sunday. Then Monday I was back at it, only this time it took me 5 ½ hours. There was just about a foot of light snow, except for the first six feet of the driveways where the plow had thrown snow etc. I ended up using a variety of shovels to lift, plow and throw it out of the way, plus I dug out my Aunt’s car who lives a few houses down from me. She has a plow guy do her driveway, but he had left piles in front and besides her car and I couldn’t see her struggling with that.

All in all I certainly got my exercise and now I am suffering from it. It felt like I had done 1,000 or more sit-ups and I sat in my recliner with a heating pad draped across my stomach which put me to sleep...LOL. Then Tuesday morning I woke up and my left wrist ached terribly and it still does. I probably sprained it or something with all the lifting and throwing. At least the forecast doesn’t call for a whole lot of snow over the next few days.

The Weather men on Channel 9 did some research and came up with the fact that the last eight times we’ve had 50 or more inches of snow in December the rest of the season has added a whole lot more with the average being 159 inches for a season vs. the normal 110 inches. Their figures ranged from 192 inches to 124 inches...so it looks like we are in for a typical Central New York winter.

I can’t wait.

A Nor'easter is brewing...

2007-12-14T16:02:00.000-05:00

Well it snowed yesterday, just about all day and then as predicted it stopped around 5PM. As it stands now we are at 31.6 inches of snow for the season. I shoveled last night the two driveways etc and a wide area in the street to prevent (or so I hoped) the snowplow from filling the end of the driveways. Unfortunately it didn’t work, though perhaps there was less than I expected, but still there was enough, which I shoveled this morning. Now we wait. Weather predictions are for a Nor’Easter this weekend, now predicted to begin after midnight Saturday and continue through Sunday night till around 7 – 9PM. They are talking feet rather than inches. At least 12 inches, though more likely to be 18 inches by the time the storm passes.

The storm hasn’t even developed yet – the wonders of modern technology and weather predictions. A low will develop off the east coast of the USA this evening and tomorrow, whilst on the plains of the Midwest another low has taken shape and is moving eastward along with a cold front. One low bringing cold air the other bringing moisture and it looks like the cold will arrive first and thus we get snow and lots of it. Had the moisture arrived first we would have gotten rain and sleet and then some snow, but that scenario apparently will not happen.

~ * ~

The stress of the Christmas season is building...sigh. I believe I might be in good shape, but then I have these nagging thoughts that I am woefully behind in my preparations – for instance I haven’t made any cookies yet and though I have bought some gifts I have not wrapped any nor have I gone to the Bank for the usual Savings Bonds.

Plus my digestive system is off, by off I don’t mean the diverticulitis, at least the pain/discomfort I am experiencing des not appear to be that, instead I am having a burning pain/discomfort in the center of my chest right below the breastbone just about everytime I eat something or drink something other than water. Which leads me to believe it could be an ulcer etc. Of course I “SHOULD” go to the doctor, but I am hoping to wait until January when I have an already scheduled visit (cholesterol/status visit). I bought some Prilosec today and think I may try that and see if that helps any.

Then there is the truck, I need to get serious about replacing it or invest some money into it such as the muffler, shocks/struts and tires. I think the best bet since it is over 10 years old is to replace it, but that means I will need to go car shopping and deal with dealerships etc. I wonder if you can buy a car via Amazon.com...LOL.

And I just love, thoroughly enjoy and totally embrace winter driving through snow and ice...it used to not bother me, but every since I spun out one year and ended in the ditch I have grown overly cautious in my old age.

Oh well, for now, we will sit back with shovel in hand and await whatever the weekend brings.

Icy, Icy, Icy

2007-12-10T09:20:00.000-05:00

Well in addition to all the snow...27.6 inches since December 1st this morning we wake up to ice. A thin coating of ice on the roads, trees and vehicles etc. An inch or so of icy granules in the driveway - time to break out the salt for the porch and steps. It could have been worse we avoided the worst of the freezing rain and sleet that went south of us. But the forecast calls for it to return tomorrow night into Wednesday and it could be much much worse.

Trees are up - three of them, a ceramic on the table, a fiber optic on a china cabinet and the big one in the front window. Now I remember why I haven't been putting them up the past couple of years LOL. On the big one all the strings of lites worked, until I put about three quarters of the ornaments on it then one of the middle strings went out...still haven't gotten around to checking it out. Here is a picture of the main tree, at least it is up.

More expense on my truck...the power steering went last Thursday as I was tunring down my street...$355.18 later with new high pressure hoses etc it is fixed. Though I still have to do something about the muffler as that is beginning to go at least there I have a warranty for some of the work. Probably should consider buying a new vehicle since the truck is a 1997 and it has been over 10 years since I bought it. It is such a hassle though....sighhh

Breakin’ in the New Shovel

2007-12-02T12:32:00.000-05:00

Well the lake effect snow machine (courtesy of Lake Ontario and northwest winds) came through last night giving us about two inches this morning and it is cold...much colder than it has been. Officially as I type this it is 21 degrees out, but factoring in the wind chill and it feels like 9 degrees.

Wasn’t too bad though my thighs now are cold, they tend to get cold and remain cold for awhile. I must have gotten frostbit or something sometime as this happens all the time. Of course wearing nothing but sweatpants, t-shirt and my Laguna Beach pullover sweatshirt, probably could account for that.

Shoveled my drive and walk as well as Mrs. A’s and now Timmy has arrived to take of Elsie’s drive and walk. I need to talk with him as he collects metal on the side and I have that desk from the cellar now in the garage as well as another desk in the garage that I want to get rid of. So I will give him first choice one of these days. My other option is to take it all to the road for trash pickup – but it will never get picked up by the trash guys as the scavengers will grab it first...they always do. They took my couch within an hour or so even though one of the supports was broken as were the legs on one back corner. But it still looked good after 30 years and quality is quality if you want to put an effort into fixing things.

~ * ~

Well here it is December, November has gone by and so no doubt so has my chance to reconnect with a long lost friend. I tried to keep November free as much as possible as I’d been told that they might be in the area for five days or so, but as far as I know there was no call, though in all honesty on the machine there were a couple of hang-ups when I was away for one overnite – but given the message I left on my machine I would have thought that a message would have been left. I figure my best chance was Thanksgiving week (though I was away part of Tuesday into Wednesday), but as I said no indication that it happened as scheduled, so we wait till spring and maybe then.

~ * ~

Meanwhile, time to schedule appointments with Sears and get the PM’s done on the washer, refrigerator and treadmill. All under contract till 2009 and all waiting for me to decide when I am going to schedule these things. That plus calling Time Warner and getting Digital Phone installed. At this point the cost of cable, internet and Verizon phone service nearly matches what the cost of All-In-One would cost from Time Warner, plus there is caller id and so forth. So tis time to finally take the plunge I think.

Nostalgia

2007-12-01T05:28:00.000-05:00

Isn’t it funny how certain things, a word, a movie, or an item can trigger memories? I was/am cleaning out my cellar going through boxes and boxes, re-arranging things and coming across loads of genealogical information in the form of old family letters, lots of letters actually v-mail items from World War II that my father sent to his then fiancé – my mother – and his parents, as well as letters from friends they knew in England at the time. Some are in said shape and doubtful if anything can be deciphered from them others are clean and crisp considering they have been stored in a somewhat dank cellar for several years (in excess of 10). Plus some have been through the wars as in 1972 when the basement flooded due to Hurricane Agnes when she deluged our area with torrents of rain and the creek along the back property line overflowed. The basement would not have flooded were it not for the outside entrance which acted like a funnel and channeled the water down...sighh

Anyway one project is to take those letters and transcribe them into the computer and then make a book of some sort – a window into the times from my father’s and others perspectives. A daunting task that no doubt will take hours (years) to accomplish, or perhaps I should scan them first and see how that goes, still daunting considering the number of letters etc...

But during my cleaning I came across a small Blue Fenton Glass Shoe ...

And memories came flooding back to me a bit of nostalgia. The shoe was a gift to my mother that I bought using my allowance and lawn mowing monies when I was 11 or 12. I remember going into the Valley Gift Shop (long since closed) in the Valley Plaza a store that was filled with various glass items, figurines, dishes, collectibles, cards, etc. One of those quaint family owned shops not corrupted by the corporate consensus and chains of mediocrity that we have so much of now. In fact the owners of the shop (I forget their name) lived three doors down the street from where I live and I remember they always had two poodles – which always seem to be in their front window and barking excessively at you as you walked by on the street...LOL.

Memories...

Election 2007 & Voting Machines

2007-11-27T06:39:00.000-05:00

Usually the local paper about two - three weeks after an election details some of the most unusual voting patterns etc. (Hasn’t happened yet) Such as write-in votes and who was written in.

I am a firm believer that no one, no matter who, no matter how long they have been in Office should run unopposed. Political Office is not a God-given right of passing, it is a privilege to be earned. This year as I have in in past years I wrote in several votes in situations where there were candidates running unopposed or cross-endorsed so that they were the only ones running. Thus I find myself automatically voting in opposition when that occurs, and this year I did so utilizing a common theme:

District Attorney --------- Toric the Impaler : Ruthless Enforcer of Law
County Legislator (#15) -- Master of the Mist : Never hear from him
City Court Judges -------- Grayrobes : One of three denoting Justice
(vote for 3) -------------- Graybeard
----------------------------- The Gray Mystic
City Auditor ------------- The Gray Knight : Guardian of City Finances
Education Commissioner - The Gray Sage : Wise and Knowledgeable

Also I am a self-declared Election Junkie. I always watch election returns and vote totals and so forth on Election night so I wrote to the Board of Elections (email via their website) seeking to know how one can view the certified results online and who the write-in votes were for. Since the paper hasn't written anything yet, but I am still waiting for an answer there...sigh. Our Government in action or inaction as the case may be.

I shouldn’t be surprised of the 50 States New York is the only one to have consistently FAILED TO MEET FEDERAL ELECTION LAW (enacted after the 2000 Presidential Election debacle in Florida) – i.e. the replacement of our voting machines with more accessible and secure ones. It was supposed to have been done by 2004, but New York State hadn't even started the process in 2004 (and thus will probably lose millions in aid to enact the necessary changes).

In fact the Federal Government is suing New York State and once the Courts get involved they may impose a solution since our Elected Leaders and Representatives are so dysfunctional and unable to come up with a plan. No check that they have come up with a plan several in fact and all have failed to meet requirements (since they cater to our elected Leaders own special interest and cronies etc) and now they are going back to court (in early December) with two more.

Is it no wonder that Voter participation continues to decline?

Truck

2007-09-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

So do I succumb to the pleasures of a new car/truck or do I keep what I have and run it into the ground – so to speak? My 1997 Ford Ranger with Cap is now over ten years old (I got it in June of 1997) and it has just a smidgen over 60,000 miles on it. Also the rear lift gate is beginning to rust, I’m sure there is more rust on it, but nothing that is noticeable.

So far this year I’ve spent on repairs and oil changes etc:

February – Axle Repairs - $1,591.33
Labor: $776.85
Parts: $696.60
Taxes: $117.88

June – Inspection/Brakes (Front Pads & Rotors) - $599.35
Labor:$207.40
Parts: $349.11
Taxes: $42.84

September – Winterize/Brakes (Rear Drums) - $357.72
Labor: $150.35
Parts: $180.87
Taxes: $26.50

For a total of: $2,548.40

Considering the miles on the truck and it’s condition and the investment I’ve made I suppose the smart thing to do would be to drive it one more winter at least, especially considering that when the axle repairs were made the 4 wheel drive system was checked as well. The only drawback(s) – depreciation, it won’t be worth much if I decide to trade it in and probably isn’t worth much now, and convenience – i.e. ability of people to get in and out of it, which means Thelma of course. The step stool isn’t going to cut it much longer so perhaps I should make or fashion some sort of ramp that would be relatively light and easy to handle....hmmm.

Of course to but a new car/truck would cost at least $25,000 and where will I get that kind of cash etc? Sell some investments but then there will be tax consequences and the impact on future earnings, after all living on our income and investments without a job until we begin to draw the Pension (2 years away) or Social Security (12 years away) has to be considered. Once that happens – Pension – things will be easier.

So I guess for now I keep it and drive it – at least for the immediate future.

* ~ * ~ *

After months of waiting and gradually coming to the realization that it wasn’t going to happen...a voice from the past re-emerged. So now the old thoughts and feelings have been re-kindled and things we thought were resolved or we had resolved ourselves to have been stirred up once again. Perhaps though the future will hold a bit more stability, maybe not in 2007, but maybe in 2008 if things go as planned and we can get a sense of who we are and what we want and what we need.

Life Continues on and on and on and on ...

2007-09-04T09:46:00.000-05:00

It has been awhile and as usual Life just keeps plodding along. That's me, just plodding along in need of ....? I don't know, so I have decided that I need to ask myself a series of questions and via those questions come up with some answers and goals. Questions such as:

What are my Goals in Life?

What do I want to be in Life?

Where do I want to go in Life? And How do I get there?

What interests me?

What makes me happy? Contented?

What things need to be done - i.e. make a list (oh boy another list, partially made and woefully incomplete) of tasks I need to do, appointments I need to make, projects I need to complete and whatever else comes to mind.

All is not lost, nor as depressing as this sounds. I just need to break out of my current rut which has been going on for too long.

Truck, Snow and Life

2007-02-10T05:57:00.000-05:00

Well I have my truck a 1997 Ford Ranger 4WD back. It cost me $1,591.33 (Labor - $776.85; Parts $696.60 and of course Tax $117.88) and I had just paid off my VISA bill...sigh. That is the way it goes I guess. I took it into Greeley’s in Nedrow on Tuesday evening and got it back Friday afternoon. They worked on it for two and a half days.

Last Tuesday I was due to take Thelma to a Doctor’s appointment, but when I left the driveway I knew something was seriously wrong and heading up Seneca Turnpike and heading towards Jamesville it only got worse. Vibrations and noise in the front-end, I had been noticing a steering problem, tightness and a vibration which I attributed in part to having improperly inflated tires as when I filled them the ride got better. But late last week I put her into four wheel drive and she bucked and made a lot of noise and thereafter things just did not feel right. Turns out my intuition was right, had I not taken it in, I most likely would have found myself stranded, unable to move with a broken Axle, Differential or worse.

They repaired or replaced the outer and inner Axle Shaft assemblies on the right side, the Differential and Universal Joints. I also had them do an Oil Change/Lube and a Tune-up – the truck has never had an “official” tune-up in the ten years that I have owned it, well in June it will be ten years. It has platinum plugs which are good for 75,000 to 100,000 miles and the truck only has 58,029 miles on it, but still being almost ten years I figured it was due.

In talking with my mechanic it seems that there is a bracket that holds the Differential and through that bracket and into the Differential there is a bolt which keeps the Differential in alignment with the Transfer Case – that bolt was sheared off and the bracket bent. Consequently the Differential was not aligned properly with the Transfer Case and was one reason – there are more – why the steering and vibrations were being felt in the front end.

The Axle Assemblies, well they were just shot as were the Universal Joints. The time consuming part of these repairs was the Differential as that had to be removed and then sent to another shop where repairs etc were made and the Shaft assembly was rebuilt and a new connecting end to the Transfer Case installed via a special machine designed for that purpose.

Seems ten years ago when they built trucks such as mine, parts of the Axle Assemblies, Differential and Universal Joints were exposed to the elements. Today’s trucks etc now have either rubber shoes/boots or thin metal guards that protect and in some case (Universal joints) allow the areas to be lubricated. My truck now has some of these protective measures thanks to advances in technology and replacement parts.

There was also nothing I could have done that would have prevented this – essentially it was just old age, wear and tear after ten years of ownership...unless of course as my sister is fond of telling me I’d bought a Toyota instead of a Ford.

She called the other day having seen the stories about the snow that has been plummeting Central New York for the past seven days. Unfortunately I had to disappoint her as I told her that the snow that everyone was talking about was about 30 to 40 miles north of Syracuse. Oswego has gotten 70+, Parish 90+, Pulaski 100+, Mexico 100+ and north Redfield 122+ inches of snow. It has been a week of persistent and heavy Lake Effect, so much so that the State of New York has declared Oswego County a disaster area. Yet, aside from the occasional road closures we just keep plugging along, nothing seems to stop us hardy Central New Yorkers. News Channel 9 has a whole bunch of pictures on it’s website that people have been sending in etc. Some are pretty amazing.

Then Friday the Lake Effect bands moved south giving Oswego County a breather. We got around 7 inches yesterday and thus I have been shoveling and will probably have to do so again Saturday morning. All this though, is due to change for the better over the weekend. We are supposed to have more lake Effect through Monday and then colder and drier air moves in for much of next week and will effectively end the snow, though we will remain cold with highs in the teens and lows in the single digits.

My shoulder continues to bother me and I did talk with my doctor towards the end of January and he of course wanted to send me for x-rays and therapy, but I said no, no insurance no tests, no therapy. I just wanted an idea of what it might be and he said “frozen shoulder syndrome”. My right shoulder/collarbone aches and pains me, plus the right arm doesn’t have the mobility of the strength that the left does. And after shoveling, or carrying groceries or doing a number of other things it gets worse. He doesn’t think it is a rotor cuff problem, more likely to be a ligament or muscle or cartilage problem. Demonstrated a few exercises to do, but when I do them it is aggravated after wards...sighhh. And then there is my foot, my right foot. Back in the 80’s I had an attack of neuritis in the balls of both feet just behind my toes. Very painfully to walk or stand and at the time I worked in Distribution and was on my feet all them time. I remember wearing sneakers and double socks to cushion my feet as well as taking pain medication. Eventually it went away. Now it is back big time in only my right foot. I don’t know, tough to grow old and maybe I’ll just have to bite the bullet and get those x-rays etc. But first I’ll pay off the VISA bill, once I figure out where THAT money is going to come from.

Well, I just heard the plow come down. So I know what that means, more snow in the driveway.

Winter's Grip and a Truck Repair

2007-02-08T08:51:00.000-05:00

Its COLD...very, very COLD brrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

Seems like Winter after taking a vacation during December and January arrived in full force in February. It is 16 degrees as I type this with wind chills making it feel like 6 below zero. The typical start to our days of late, cold temperatures, high winds and wind chills in the sub zero range. At least, we have so far avoided the snow – the lake effect snow bands – that have been hitting Oswego, Pulaski, Parish, Mexico and other points. They have in the past few days received well over 6 feet of snow!

Today though things will start to wind down, as the bands of snow head for Syracuse and seemingly will continue south over the upcoming weekend ending their grasp on Central New York. Predictions are for 2 to 8 inches in the Syracuse area today.

The other news is I don’t have a vehicle. My truck is laid up at Greeley’s Garage being worked on. After 10 years (I will have had it in June 2007 for ten years) and only 58,025 miles on it, my front axle (outside hubs both sides) are shot. I knew that something was wrong and last Thursday when I put it in 4WD to get out of Travis’s driveway, I suspected something even more. A definite vibration in the front end and steering wheel and now that I have a diagnosis I realize that it has been coming on for a long, long while. Things I thought were due to low tire pressure or in need of a lube job etc I now realize was the axle hubs going as well as the front end’s differential. Yeah that too.

I was supposed to take Thelma to a Doctor appointment on Tuesday, but when I drove the truck I knew that something was wrong so instead I dropped it off at Greeley’s and walked home (1.5 miles) – through snow, cold and wind. Then Wednesday they called to tell me the news and said that both front axle hubs were shot and the differential was rusty, but that they hadn’t pulled it out yet...I told them to go ahead and check it too, and they were going to call me back if they found anything else. They didn’t – call to tell me it was ready or they found more problems - but since they didn’t it appears that the differential needed repair as well and that would require them sending it to another shop to be fixed and if that was the case then I probably was looking at Thursday afternoon for when repairs would be complete. I’m probably also looking at a $1,000 to $1,300 repair bill.

Front Axle, Differential, Universal Hub, Brackets/Bolt, Oil Change/Lube, and a Tune-up - never really had a tune up in all the years I have owned the truck. It has platinum plugs that are good for 75,000 to 100,000 miles so I guess there was never a need, but I said I wanted one done so that I would know that the truck would last several more years and hopefully not experience any serious repair needs and so forth., in short so that the truck was “Good to Go” for a few more years.

I can’t really complain as aside from brake jobs etc this is the first major repair it has needed and I guess after ten years one would expect things to go. I’ll have to ask them what I ‘could have done’ to avoid this if anything.

A need to move on...

2007-01-27T08:04:00.000-05:00

I need to move on. Live my own life, but how does one break with the past and yet still be part of it? I’m consumed by my childhood, my parents and their lives. Not mine.

Right now I am sorting through old papers of my Father’s. Most have so far been what I expected to see – receipts, pamphlets, booklets; he was a paper pack rat. Some things I wasn’t expecting such as opening an envelope that contained pictures (with the negatives) and finding that they were of my Mother as she lay in her casket.

Then there are the old family letters the “Round Robin” letters of my Father’s Generation, which I think I should transcribe into the computer and put in a book, sort of a glimpse of the past – but who would be interested? I mean it is not as if he were famous or an important person in world affairs, he was just a hard-working man trying to support his family and at the same time enjoy his life and he did.

But I find myself, tied to the past, tied to his life through his papers, final affairs and his wife. Consequently I have no life of my own. My life is that of others, dealing with their life’s issues, solving their dilemma’s and having nothing of my own to celebrate or live for.

Sad commentary on what my life seems to have become. So I need to move on and break those ties, but do I have the resolve and the courage to do so? All my life I have taken the easy road, the less risky path and where has it gotten me? Sure I am relatively financially secure – until the first real big illness strikes – can’t afford health insurance, which is sad commentary on our times. But emotionally, how I feel about myself I am not so sure. I have regrets, I wish I could go back and do things differently, or take back something that happened or I did, but I can’t and right now I can’t seem to get past that and it is tearing me apart.

I need to set some goals, to formulate that list of things I want to do and check them off as I do them. Not things that need to be done, things outside of the ordinary, things out of character.

Snow - Winter's Blast fizzles & the New Year

2007-01-20T09:27:00.000-05:00

I can always tell when it snows...my bedroom is so much brighter. In the spring, summer and fall it is naturally darker as the leaves on the trees tend to block the street lights behind me, though they do nothing to block the car lights. Which oddly tend to wake me up when they shine through the curtains and against the opposite wall. Strange isn’t it, you can be sound asleep and then a shining light reflecting off a far wall can wake you...

Anyway in winter things are brighter naturally due to the loss of the leaves, but when it snows it gets even brighter and it snowed last night. They were predicting anywhere from 8 to 14 inches of Lake Effect snow, but THANKFULLY it would appear that the bands went elsewhere during the night. From what I can see the roads are wet – salted/sanded and there is only about two inches on snow to be shoveled. Of course it is still snowing and checking the local news stations Doppler radar there looks to be several small bands of snow streaming off of Lake Ontario towards us, so we could get more this morning before it all fades away.

Yesterday I accomplished one of my goals one of my unpublished New Year’s Resolutions. After 14 months I wrote in the Round Robin and sent it on it’s way. Now some of you may not know what a Round Robin is and I shall explain. It is a Letter, a Family Letter that has traveled the length of this country many, many times. My Grandfather started it, going from each brother and sister to the next until it got back to you and then started over again. There once were two, one for the Grandfather’s brothers and sisters and then as his children grew, there was one created for them as well. That is the one I speak of now. Each member of the family writes a letter, adds it to the rest and mails it to the next family member on the list. When it gets back to you, you remove your old letter, replace it with a new one and send it on again. The whole process repeats itself over and over and over, unless some one holds it up as I did this last time.

I received it from my father in November 2005, but then with his health problems and eventual death in August more important things intruded as well as other issues that rose up in 2006. Suffice it to say that I now consider 2006 to be “The Lost Year”, when most if not all of my goals and dreams with either crushed or forgotten due to various crises throughout the year.

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS (in no particular order):

-> Write long delayed Letter – Round Robin - DONE!
-> Write long delayed Letter – Philip in New Zealand
-> Write/Post to the story in the Tomb of the Last Heroes
-> Organize, update, print Family Genealogy – strive for June 2007 due to Reunion in July 2007.
-> Write and Finalize Living Will/Trust as well as Health Care Proxy form. Distribute Health Care proxy to appropriate people.
-> Replace Cellar windows with Glass Block Windows
-> Lose Weight and Exercise – doesn’t everyone include this in their list of resolutions?
-> Search my Soul & discover the real me and where I want to be vs. where I am now.

To be added to, modified and deleted as the Year progresses *smile*

~ * ~ * ~

Good news! I slept through the night. I don’t think I woke up once before 7:21AM when I rolled over and looked at the clock.

L6 or Lb which is it?

2007-01-18T11:15:00.000-05:00

A constructive day ... so far, let us hope that it continues (it is early yet). Of course I did have a rude awakening...an incessant chirp from what I thought was the smoke detector at 4:30am. Turns out it was the carbon dioxide detector and it was displaying L6. So I reset it and went back to bed...it did it again an hour later. At least tonight I didn’t hear Curious as much as I did the night before, which either means I was exhausted or maybe (cross our fingers) she is getting over being in heat.

L6 was in reality Lb for low battery...duhhh. So after standing there in the cold without any clothes on trying to figure out how to open the damn thing I happen to notice an arrow pointing downward and viola’ it open allowing me access. Of course then I had to try and find a 9 volt battery of which I did not have any so I just unplugged it and let it lay there and went back to bed.

Only Icouldn't get back to sleep by then so I showered/shaved (been three days since I'd shaved...ahhh the life of the retired) and got on the computer – check the lotto numbers, email and then cut coupons in anticipation of grocery shopping. So by 7:45am I was at Green Hills, then the Post Office and finally Rite Aid, before getting back by 9:00am to scan items and put them away.

Just a post

2007-01-17T11:42:00.000-05:00

The weather has turned decidedly colder. We had ice over this past Sunday into Monday, but thankfully on Monday it turned more to rain otherwise it no doubt would have been disastrous. Right now it is 11 out and expected to get into the 20’s, then tomorrow and Friday rise into the mid 30’s etc. So far though we can’t really complain as this is the first really cold weather we’ve had and we really haven’t had much snow either. Definitely been a mild winter and from my point of view I hope it returns.

Now to work on paper and cleanup the Den as I want to call and schedule Time Warner to come and install Digital Phone Service and I will want the modem in the Den by the computer. Then I will get a break on pricing too as I will have my Cable, Internet and Phone Service all with one company and I think from my research etc that in the end it will be a bit cheaper or at worst the same price per month than I am paying now for all three.

Then I need to work on my 2007 Resolutions...

Resolutions

2007-01-13T10:43:00.000-05:00

The question is...do I continue with this Blog or do I delete it? I think I shall keep it going and work at enhancing its format and discussions, being true to myself and opinions, rather than practice the self-censoring that I tend to do as I think of who might be reading this, which in actuality probably is very few people if any. So then this Blog becomes a vehicle to rant, rave and vent.

It is raining and it is 36 degrees. Here it is almost mid-January and we have only had a total of 23.4 inches of snow this season, about 40 inches below normal for this time of year. Not that I am complaining mind you, a mild winter is just fine with me. But that could change in a heartbeat and usually does in this neck of the woods, in fact next week it is expected to get much colder, more January like, and that could mean a lot of lake effect snow since the lakes are warm and not frozen over...sigh.

Resolutions...still time I suppose to make them, since actually when it comes right down to it, you can make them anytime, just as you can break them and I REALLY, REALLY need to write some down and make a list of things that need to get accomplished. Too many things have been languishing for too long, year after year.

Let’s see for starter’s there are:

1 – Define and setup a Living Will, including a Health Care Proxy
2 – Lose the Weight, develop a Fitness program and stick to it
3 – Research Health Insurance options
4 – Make a list of Household Projects and check them off as completed (or include the list here...hmmmm)
5 – Sort through the piles of “stuff”, and either sell it, give it away or throw it away – in essence de-clutter my abode.
6 - Genealogy

A Rebirth - possibily

2007-01-10T08:49:00.000-05:00

Snow. Winter has arrived if only for a couple of days or so the weatherman says. By Friday it should be in the 40's through the weekend, but for now we are under a heavy Lake effect snow band. It will require a shoveling. But we can't complain, up until this morning we'd only gotten 12.2 inches for the season - way below what we normally would have received.

As you might have guessed, this Blog has been dormant for awhile and though some - who will remain nameless, but know who they are - feel I should delete it and not post my thoughts, I'm not ready to do that yet. Though I freely admit I do practice self - censorship, at least I do at the moment.

2006 was not a good year - much stress, turmoil and of course the passing of loved ones - to such an extent that I have lost my direction and do not know what my goals are or should be, in some sense I have lost myself to the whims and pressures of others - who will remain nameless for the moment. Sometimes being the "responsible one" is detrimental to one's sense of self I fear. Now though 2007 tis upon us and it is time for a new, fresh start, or so one would hope. I suppose I could make a list of resolutions and goals, and perhaps I shall...but not at this immediate moment. It is snowing and that is as good an excuse as any. Thus I shall sign off till later...

Arghhhhh!!!!!

2006-04-05T09:20:00.000-05:00

Twice now in the last four months my Amazom.com Visa card has been compromised. Got a call yesterday from somone purporting to be from Pay Pal. They were seeking to verify the opening of a Pay Pal account. Someone apparently had used my name and my Amazon.com Visa card to open a Pay Pal account that day and then proceeded to buy two purses - one for $672.87 and the other for $774.00.

I informed them in no uncertain terms that I had NOT opened a Pay Pal Account and that I had not authorized anyone to use my Visa credit card. Pay Pal was going to close the Pay Pal account and reject the charges and suggested that I contact my Credit Card company.

So I called Chase Credit Services and after being connected to the Fraud Department, they review recent transactions/pending etc...and I told them what Pay Pal had said and that I had not authorizied any such charges and wanted the card cancelled immediately, which it was. Now I'll get a new one in a few days and have to go through the process of cancelling, notifying and restarting the autopay's that I had going to that card. I'll also be getting some affidavits to fill out to dispute the charges etc.

After I finish this I'm going to write down all that has occurred and watch things closely, though I do already. One wonders though, same card in four months compromised. Only thing that has changed is that what used to be Bank One has now become Chase Card Services (Bank One bought by Chase) - so much for security.

I mentioned all this to a friend last night and they asked if I shopped at Officemax as apparently in the news last week there was mention that Officemax's systems had been hacked. I do (Jan 2006 was the last time right after I got the new card - damn!), I did and this would have been the card I'd have used.

For all the aggravation this is causing me they should be strung up by their ....

Spring Cleaning #2

2006-04-01T08:18:00.000-05:00

Well...so much for paperwork. I'd gone back to bed for awhile until around 8:30am and was just lying there reflecting on whether I should or shouldn't get up...dozing actually when I heard Rose's voice on the answering machine. So I got up and checked the messages - she wanted to borrow my small rake and well one thing lead to another and I ended up finishing the yardwork in Alba's backyard (about 3 1/2 hours). More raking, trimming and carting. Filled 8 lawn/leaf bags and have another pile of branches and tree limbs to take to the road around the 15th.

While I was doing that, the City work crew was working on the creek, cleaning it out from a winter's worth of debris etc. Something that I was contemplating doing myself as there was a bit of accumulated junk causing the water to back up a bit. Anyway I won't have to worry about that as now the water should run freer and clearer down to the grate at Slayton. Unlike last year when the creek filled up and almost overflowed...I and Mr. Carolin spent two or so hours in the rain raking and pulling assorted debris from the grate - plastic bags (the worst! as they let no water through), tree limbs, and assorted other junk that had washed down the creek and then dammed up the grate, before the water started to recede. At least this year, my mind has been relieved of that happening again.

Note to self: Get Back cellar window replaced - glass blocks more water tight and repair or replace basement doors - again make more water tight.

I also made it a point to go back to the fence and Thank the two guys who were doing the work, telling them how much I appreciated their efforts etc. They told me that the Apartment Complex up by Salina St. is a big culprit in all the junk thrown into the creek. Their dumpsters lie next to the creek and the tenants just throw their garbage over the dumpters when they are full and it lands in the creek, that plus the assorted mattresses, and other items they pulled from it. Some people have no respect for others property nor any idea how their actions could affect others. Plus I'm sure some of the kids throw things in the creek just to fool around as kids do...sighhh.

So, I never did do paperwork, instead after raking etc I showered had my lunch - pot roast ala' Alba along with muffins and then tried to take a nap, but a yappy dog across the creek wouldn't shut up so that went no where and I ended up doing dishes and baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies which I shared with the girls next door and then sat and visited.

Now today, I shall do that paperwork, since the lawns are done and it is raining outside right now. It's 54 with rain, yesterday it got to 79 and the upcoming week well be in the 40 - 50's till the end of the week when it should warm up some.

Spring Cleaning...

2006-03-31T03:56:00.000-05:00

Still have not made up my mind about this Blog, I haven't really been thinking about it, instead I've been enjoying our spring weather and getting some outdoor spring cleaning done. One day it was cleaning in the garage for 4 hours - I'v acquire a multitude of stuff and needed to get it sorted out, thrown or better organized in order to get more floor space etc. Intend to buy a new refrigerator/freezer (probably an Amana - bottom freezer type - recommended by CR and will be energy efficient) and have to make room in order to get it into the house.

Then yesterday, I spent 5 1/2 hours trimming, raking, and loading lawn bags (those tall paper types) with assorted yard waste in the back yard...mine and Alba's though I haven't finished with Alba's yet. I did manage to fill 11 bags which are all sitting in the garage taking up my newly arranged space...LOL Can't put them to the road for pickup until the 15th/16th of April - that our week to put things out for the City to take. Expect to have more by then - need to take down an old shed and get rid of that stuff as well, also need to work on the veggie garden portion of the yard...that I need to roto-til and put up my trellis's in anticipation of plantings to come.

But not today...I'm gonna just take it easy, and relax, maybe catch up on housework and paperwork. It's Friday and my day to rest, of curse if the weather stays nice...then I might go back outside...so far it's been nice and dry.

I really should do paperwork...yes that's what I must concentrate on today...

This Blog...worth it or not?

2006-03-26T05:58:00.000-05:00

I also need to focus and decide on the value of this Blog. Do I continue to censor my thoughts, my writings? or Do I write my inner most thoughts, ideas here and problems that plague me without censorship and let the chips fall where they may?

I do censor some things now and some things I don't write about at all...perhaps a separate journal hand written like my Grandfather's Diaries would be best....

We'll see...

Life as we know it...

2006-03-26T05:43:00.000-05:00

Life as we know it... actually Life as it is... a stressful series of trials and tribulations.

The past few months have been ... let's just say unpleasent. No focus, no direction just languishing in the muddied waters of indecision. I need to set some goals, I NEED to focus on myself and rather than others. Priorities need to be determined, plans made and action taken...or I can just continue to languish in an abyss of mediocrity or maybe depression.

In short I need to do something. Make a list (I've many of those laying around) and then check the tasks off as they are accomplished, but there are other things I also need to do aside from just tasks, I need to exercise my thoughts, read a book vs. watch the boob tube or sit in front of a computer screen all day.

Boy how I wish the weather would warm and spring would get here for good...the gardens need work, the yard...at least it would be something physical and something for me. Not that I couldn't go to the parents house and do an ENORMOUS amount of cleaning and tossing there, then there's Thelma's racks and racks of papers to organize....tasks that hang heavy over my head.

Plus they will be coming back from Texas and after this last episode...I dread the phone call that will ask me to fly down and drive them back as they are just not able to do it...then turning the water and heat back on with all the myriad pipes to resecure, valves to shut and so forth and the inevitable leaks that occur afterwards.

Life...a series of trials and tribulations.

2006 Happy New Year!!!

2006-01-02T11:23:00.000-05:00

Well the New Year is here and it is beginning just like the old one ended ... buried in paperwork ... Mine ... Yours ... and everyone else's ... LOL

End of the Year, time to work on my Quarterly Networth Spreadsheets, time to work on Income Taxes for 2005, time to gather all that information and then do something with it. It is also time to look at what was spent and figure out how this year's budget will fare. It is also that time of year when the annual bills come due - County Taxes ($1,005.52), Long Term Care Insurance ($567.12), along with the usual credit cards, utilities and so on and so forth.

Plus National Grid (power company) has announced that everyone's electric bills will rise by at least $10 per month beginning in January due to the high cost of natural gas to generate electricity and this past year's supply disruptions. This on top of scheduled rate increases of 3.6% in April '06 and 1.3% in June '06. The thing is - National Grid does not supply me with electricity, I buy mine from a third party. All National Grid does is deliver the electricity to me, yet I think I will still be hit with all the increases and that does not sound logical to me. I can see the scheduled rate increases since they concern the delivery side more than the supply side, but the $10 increase is primarily the supply side and if my supply does not come from them why should I have to pay the increase? As it is my monthly budget is increasing to $157 from $121, now they are saying it will go to $167? Sounds like I am being screwed. I guess I will have to wait and see what the January bill says.

Still have to decide about Texas...whether I shall travel there for a visit or not. Again it comes down to money. Even though my Mutual Funds did very well - last quarter's payouts - those funds if I am careful will last me for the next four months and I won't have to sell anything...if I spend wildly then I will have to sell something. I probably should wait until I do my Taxes before deciding...we'll see.

I have three options (actually four) now;

#1 - fly to Texas for a week or so, meeting Gypsy* there too as sort of a Family Reunion, then returning to New York, or...
#2 - fly to Texas for a week or so, meeting Gypsy* there too as sort of a Family Reunion, then fly to California spend a week or so there with Gypsy* & her friends, then return to New York, or ...
#3 - fly to California and then drive to Texas in Gypsy's* truck, spend time in Texas and then drive back to California before returning to New York.
#4 - do nothing stay in New York and don't go to Texas.

All but #4 will cost me money. Money I'm not sure I want to spend as of yet. I shall have to weigh the pro's and con's and decide.

* - Name withheld on request.

Traditions...

2005-12-26T07:12:00.000-05:00

Christmas is all about - Traditions - old and new. It occurs to me that my Traditions have changed over the years and now consist of the Traditional Christmas Brunch, followed by the Traditional Christmas Dinner of Saurbraten etc. The first due to the long standing relationship and friendship with Thelma and her family, the second due to the second marriage of my Father and the addition of more members to an extended family. Not to be left out of course is the Traditional Christmas Eve making and eating of the Potato Croquettes, compliments of my Italian descended neighbors next door. Funny how all these Traditions tend to center around food...*smile*

This year despite some misgivings I'd say it was a very enjoyable time all around. Things seemed more relaxed and fun at Thelma's this year vs. last and despite the untimely death of a family member, my Christmas at my step-brother's was just as enjoyable.

Now to gather my thoughts, my aspirations and begin preparations for the New Year. I'm getting a somewhat early start on my day - one load of wash is now hanging in the cellar, a second load is in the washer. I still don't have a dryer since my old one died last summer and yet, I don't really miss it. I seem to be managing fine with a line outside and the lines downstairs. We'll see how it goes. I should probably replace it, but a refigerator/freezer comes first as the one I have is from 1972 and definately is not energy efficient. Now with the Tax Laws changing in January and the possibility of getting a tax credit for buying energy efficient appliances, I'm more inclined to wait a few more weeks.

Thelma's grandson works at Sears and after the 1st he'll be in Appliances so I figure I'll go there and do business through him and he'll get the commission etc. Since Sears is where I figured I'd buy the appliance due to their payment plans and so forth so why not give the commission to someone I know? Right now I have a side by side, but I'm leaning towards a freezer on top type model now - they are supposed to be more energy efficient. Or maybe a freezer on the bottom....hmmmm. More research to do first.

For now, after the wash and my breakfast I think it will be a paper - related day. Tabulate the damage Christmas did to my finances and calculation anticipate expenses and so forth...only a week left to make those charitable deductions...though based on my calculations so far my adjusted gross income will be low this year so I should benefit tax wise etc.

Write some letters, Thank You's and work on the storyline in the Tomb - it has been idle way too long.

9 Days and counting...

2005-12-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

It is hopeless...I am just not full of Christmas spirit this year and when I think I might be coming around something happens to put a damper on it...such as waking up this morning to 6 - 8 inches of snow...yuk!

Last night/evening we had a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain and at 11pm there wasn't much accumulation but during the night - actually early morning as the paper was delivered and there are no footprints so the bulk of the snow must have started around 4 - 5am. Now there is a ton of it out there and now I have two driveways to shovel...lucky me.

Plus Travis has gone out of town till Sunday and Thelma is on her own. Usually someone goes to stay with her at these times, but Linda was just here and then fell and broke her elbow and I've been sufferring with a severe chest cold etc. so she did not ask me. Today - Friday Aaron is supposed to be around, though Saturday no one may be there...I'm deciding now what to do and will probably go out there either tonight thru sunday or tomorrow thru sunday. I had planned on saturday anyway to go through bills and so forth, now I'll just pack more things to take.

But then there is this snow...sigh...what a thing to wake up to.

And I did not go to the Calling hours or Funeral...not with this chest cold/cough and the cold temperatures...I stayed in and tried to keep it from getting worse. At least now I seem to be able to sleep in the bed and not have to sleep in the chair due to the constant coughing.

11 Days and counting...

2005-12-14T09:51:00.000-05:00

Well I did accomplish one thing...I got my Christmas cards done and in the mail. No Christmas Letter - I had toyed with the idea since my last letter was back in 2002 or so, but I haven't had the inclination to write or otherwise work on one. So it will wait another year.

I also went to the Bank and used my meager cash reserves to buy two Savings Bonds as gifts and get $100 cash (in new twenty dollar bills) to also give as gifts. I still need to go and shop - I need to get to Yankee candle and pick up a few candles, then there is all the rest to do as well. I need to get out of this gift giving cycle...though I have limited the number during the past couple of years I still need to do more.

It is -1 degree out right now, though sunny and the heat keeps coming on naturally. Supposed to get up into the 20's by noon and then down into the teens tonight. Tomorrow will be clear a bit, before a major snow storm comes through - Thursday afternoon thru Friday evening - possibility of sleet, freezing rain, snow mixtures etc. No word yet on amounts we can expect to receive.

Just finished washing the sheets etc and they are now hanging in the cellar...hopefully they will be dry by this evening...LOL Otherwise I may be sleeping in the chair, which might be the case anyway due to this cold and cough that disrupts my sleep whenever I lay down.

Let's face it all I want to do right now is hibernate.

12 Days and counting...

2005-12-13T10:08:00.000-05:00

12 Days to go and I have not even started. No cookies, no cards, no gifts and I don't have much enthusiasm to get started either. I must make a list, limit myself, and get going on things. Today it is cold, single digits right now 7 degrees...brrrrr. Sunny but cold, tomorrow is supoosed to be sunny as well though a bit warmer so perhaps today I map out my strategies and hit the ground running tomorrow or try to as tomorrow is also calling hours too 4 to 7pm only, then the services are at 9am on Thursday at the church. I'll probably get to the calling hours but I doubt if I will get to the church....I don't seem to function very well in the mornings anymore. Face it I'm not functioning anytime of the day right now.

I need to set some goals, find meaning for everything in my life, a reason other than being at everyone else's beck and call.

Oh well, and there are more autopays to contact...the Post-Standard for one. They will be charging my account later this month and I must tell them the card no longer exists. This is becoming a pain as this was my primary card and now I need to figure out which one I shall use in the meantime.

It gets worse

2005-12-12T10:51:00.000-05:00

Last night I got a call...my step-brother's wife's father had passed away unexpectedly Sunday morning. No details other than he had not been feeling well the past few days. I have a real problem dealing with Funerals - Calling Hours and so forth, that and Hospitals. Probably relates to my Mother and her multiple stays in the Hospital and so forth when I was growing up.

I did not know him well, only seeing him on the Grandkids birthdays and at Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. He wasn't that old having just retired a few years ago though I don't know what if any health problems he had. Arrangements are incomplete will have to watch the paper etc.

Still it gets you thinking ... who will be next ... what arrangements have you yourself made for the eventuallity, in my case none though I have started on my Living Trust/Will thingy it has sort of sat unattended over the past few months. I really need to get going on that.

Then this morning I get a call from Chase/Bank One's fraud department, seems my Visa card has been compromised. There has been a lot on the local news about hackers breaking into the Visa Card database, but I thought I was safe since the one thing all those transactions had in common was Sam's Club Gas Stations and I have never frequented them. Well I guess not. There were two transactions - AOL and Circuit City, both I believe for $1 and both online transactions on the 10th. Chase says I am not liable and the card has been cancelled and a new one will be issued in 3 to 5 days...now to notify/change/cancel all the autopays on that card...wonder what if anything will happen to my reward points ... probably be transferred to the new card along with the legitimate transactions, I suppose.

Snow & Christmas - got to get moving

2005-12-09T13:45:00.000-05:00

They said it would end - they lied. Still snowing out and very windy. Says it is 30 out, but I'm sure it feels much colder, wind chill of makes it feel like 17. I shoveled this morning for the first time this season. About 2 - 3 inches of the slippery, slidey wet kind of snow. Now we are getting the occasional flurry or two of lake effect - dry and fluffy. At least the snow falling now doesn't appear to be sticking, as the driveway is staying clear (lightly covered to wet in spots - roads are wet the plow came down early this morning (BIG SURPRISE) and salted).

My feet are cold though, as I really should invest in some wool socks. Face it I need more than just socks, but I don't want to spend the money, trying to conserve and so forth. Let's see what do I need or want:

- Sweat pants L (need)
- Socks white, tube type 10 - 13 (need)
- Socks white, ankle length 10 - 13 (need)
- Socks wool, any color 10-13 (need)
- T-shirts XL white (need)
- Briefs L white (need)
- USB Hub extension, self powered need more USB ports (want)
- Web Cam, I have one, but it is old and I'm sure newer ones have better capability (want)
- Blank paper 14 x 17 have a new wide format printer but no paper to take advantage of it (need)
- West Wing Season 5, have all the others (want)
- Book 'Why do Men have Nipples' the answers to all life's little puzzlements (want)

I should keep this list going, then I'd have something to tell people during the Christmas season. Of course I have managed to get out of the majority of my gift giving through mutual agreements not to exchange, but still there are some that that does not apply to and that is causing me stress right now as I have not even started with Christmas and all that yet. My cards still sit in their boxes, no cookies have been baked and my gift purchasing has not begun - again I don't want to spend, sigh....but spend I will have to at least a little and soon since there are only 16 days left til Christmas.

And that paperwork I mentioned previously...well it still looms over my head.

A blog resumes...

2005-12-07T08:52:00.000-05:00

Ok strip me naked and throw me out into the snow...I have been neglectful with regards to posting in this blog lately. Chaulk it up to stress...Christmas...Finances...Family...Friends...and maybe a little bit of depression.

The "Winter Texans" are finally in Texas after a two-three week delay due to medical issues. Naturally it all came about on the day they were to leave and just as naturally I had shut off the water and gas and heat at the house the day before (it was in the 60's then). So there I was turning it all back on and flooding the kitchen - not once but several times before we finally figured out which values to keep closed and which ones to keep open. There is a pipe with a leak (obviously) in the upstairs apartment (not used), the leak has been there for years between the floors and difficult to get to. Anyway that was resolved and the appropriate pipes turned on etc. So there was water and heat, to a degree - tends to take awhile to sort itself out after the hot water system is drained and bled and bled again. Initially not every room was getting heat, but by the end of the first week the rooms were getting too much heat.

And classes resumed. Mainly working to clean up and organize the financial records etc. Now I need to create some lesson plans and email them to Texas - such as creating backups and reports and sorting through transactions etc.

Then just before Thanksgiving they got the go ahead to go and off they went, after naturally turning off the water and gas and heat and repacking the motor home a second, third and fourth time :-) They left on Tuesday morning and by Friday they had reached Alamo, Texas just outside of Mc Allen (not THE Alamo) safe and sound and avoided a major snowstorm that was due to hit CNY over Thanksgiving - turned out it was only a passing blow.

Since then actually on the day they arrived there - Friday - I developed a sore throat which progressed to a chest cold, to a chest cough to probably bronchitis. I still have the cough and it is worse when I talk or lie down on my back. Plus the constant draining in my throat etc is annoying. But having no insurance, makes one pick and chose whether a Doctor's visit is really, REALLY, necessary.

I cancelled/rescheduled a blood tests/Doctor visit in November to next April (2006) precisely because of the expense. That last time (April 2005) the whole process cost close to $300 after the tests and Doctor's fees. $300 that can be spent better elsewhere so I'll wait and see what happens and get the cholesterol, homosistens, PSA, liver function etc checked once a year instead of twice. I'm still looking for Medical coverage but I can't see paying $600-$1300 a month to join as an individual in an HMO plan. So I've relegated my search to a decent Hospitalization plan only - in case of emergencies. We'll see how that goes.

The Lake Effect machine is cranked up hitting the northern suburbs very hard...whereas south of the City (me) we haven't had too much. I haven't even had to shovel yet this year it has been amazingly mild, but of course within an hour that could change as it always does. It is 21 out right now with a wind chill of 5 and hazy sun - by afternoon the predictions are that we will have 2 - 4 inches of snow on the ground as the Lake Effect bands more south and break up.

They say we are in for an expensive winter in terms of heating costs. I am on the budget plan with National Grid and so far (thru November) had built up a credit of $226 that they owed me. Each month I have been paying $121 for gas and electric. But I guess there have been BIG increases in the budget plan amounts beginning in December - so much so that National Grid sent us all a letter warning us of the expected increases, but not saying how much since it is calculated individually. Since late spring I have been turning off appliances etc and unplugging them only plugging them in when I need to use them - microwave, toaster, coffee maker, TV etc. It has cut my KWh usage. Of course my clothes dryer died too and since then I have been either hanging clothes outside when possible - or in the cellar like now and that seems to be working out ok. Not sure how good it will be when I wash the sheets etc.

I had the furnace checked and cleaned too, the first time in about seven years...I know...I know...shame on me. It was installed about seven years ago. The temperature I have set on a programmable thermostat - 10PM it goes to 55, at 6AM it goes to 58, at 8AM it goes to 64 and at 5PM it stays at 64. So I essentially keep the house at 64, except when I am sleeping then it goes to 55. And of course when I am not here for an extended period of time it goes to 58 (I manually set it then). This month's bill will be the first with this scheme of things as I kept the furnace off through much of November (it was unusually warm - 60's & 70's).

Now I need to work on paperwork. A task I have been dreading and delaying for days, but today maybe I will accomplish something - at least I will have posted in this blog. I have a meeting with Rachel on the 15th to discuss finances and plans for the future and so forth and I need to pull some figures together, especially my budget and what I have spent.

Then there are taxes. It is that time of the year again though based on my preliminary figures my income (adjusted) won't be very much, which surprises me as I expected it to be higher, but the stock etc that I sold didn't have the gains I expected so that saved me from having to pay a huge amount in taxes. So I may have gotten a large sum of money, but in actuality the gains were quite small. Right now I'm looking at an adjusted income basis of about $3500.00, which no doubt will increase once all the funds pay out their year end dividends etc this month. Money that will be needed to pay bills for January and so forth. I think I have managed to set aside enough to pay December's aside from County Property Taxes for 2006 which I sometimes pay in advance, but probably not this year.

Plus I have transferred some debt (about $4400.00) to a 0% cedit card offered from State Farm Bank good through November. Initially the debt was $7900.00 - my part of the windows and insulation work done in 2004. I had that billed to Amazon.COM first (gettings my rewards points), then taking advantage of a 0% offer transferred it to Bank of America thru October 2005 and now to State Farm Bank til November 2006. So basically I'm using others money and making regular payments at no interest. I'm planning on making $400 payments over the next 11 months and pay it off by next November. If I am succussful and I don't incur anymore debt all I will owe is loans on Life Insurance policies. It is a goal and probably why I get indundated with credit offers all the time.

Credit offers that I cut my name and address and and codes off of and return to the companies in their business reply envelopes. My own mini protest for all the junk mail they send.

Of course all this would be easier if I got a Job...even a part-time one. I keep thinking I should, but then I would be committed to set hours and so forth.

But back to paperwork the Christmas Cards I need to get together and send, the Christmas Letters to write and the Round Robin. After almost two years it finally made it around again and I have it and have had it since probably the end of October...sighhh

Catch up Time...

2005-10-21T05:34:00.000-05:00

Wow...well I should not be surprised that it has been almost a month since I last posted. It has been a busy, overly consuming time.

Thelma held her Garage/House Sale over the Columbus Day holiday which happened to coincide with the LaFayette Apple Festival weekend - of course the weather changed. The weeks leading up to this particular weekend had been dry, and warm (above normal temperatures), then Thursday, the day before it all started the temperatures dropped, the rain started and the beginning of a period of cold, drizzle, rain etc began. Still she managed to make a small profit and in the process got rid of a lot of stuff. Things were full price the first day, then the second day we'd come down a bit if they asked and the last day everything was 50% off. Worked out fairly well

I spent Sunday Oct 2nd thru Monday Oct 10th working exclusively on the Garage/House Sale. Prior to that it had been off and on type stuff. Most of the time working from 9 to 12 hours a day in pursuit of getting things up and ready to go in time. On Thursday the day before I wanted to keep working but by 10PM they sent Travis over to bring be back (but I came early the first day of the sale to finish last minute preps). From putting up a tent, to covering a lean to in plastic, to getting tables (rented 9 tables for a week - in addition to the 15 we already had from family and friends), to setting up tables and displaying china and so forth (I washed every bit of china! - think it sold better as a result), bringing stuff to sell (via the truck), working the sale, working with the appraiser who came the day before (three hours of walking around pricing things and so forth - and still we missed some things!), adjusting merchandise as things sold and calculating the costs vs. the returns and then after the sale packing things up and taking the tables back it was a long long 9 days. And the rain continued throughout and by the last day the mud was terrible out by the tent.

The tent held most of the furniture, the garage (held 18 tables - 6ft long), the lean to held another 6 tables which contained mainly kitchen stuff.

Unfortunately I brought a lot of the stuff home with me...LOL Some to be stored upstairs - stuff Thelma decided to keep and the rest for myself, just what I needed. Some dishes (Depression Glass), kitchenware, collectibles and assorted other stuff. Now I need to find a place for it all. There is also a dresser that has yet to be brought here...I took it in lieu of the table rental cost. Since those that did look at it wanted it for nearly nothing. I was suppsoed to take a desk I had - wooden, locking - one that I got from my Uncle Floyd way way back when he moved to Florida, but after I cleaned it up and put a coat of polyerthane on it it looked to good to sell so it sits in the garage (along with a metal pantry cabinet and a lawyer's bookcase and lawnmowers and boxes and assorted stuff (I won't say junk yet - others will but I won't).

Anyways after the sale I took the next week or so to decompress and just vegetate. Didn't do much at all. Of course it rained/drizzled the whole time. In fact we've had 13 days of somesort of rain/drizzle in a row. Up until yesterday when it was sunny for much of the day and today is expected to be the same before the rain and cold returns for the weekend.

It is obvious I need to devote a day to working on the "Parents" computers. Dad's especially - he's had it since maybe June/July and it is woefully slow right now. He moved everything from the old Gateway over and now it is exhibiting some of the same problems that computer had ... sigh. What he needs to do is DELETE the stuff he hasn't access or doesn't plan to anytime soon...but he might so he wants it there. Then there is Quicken and their Finances...I just don't know what will happen when they head for Texas.

Right now the schedule looks like it will be a mad dash to the finish line for sure. They've so much to do and so little time to do it in.

Then there is my own stuff I need to do...like research and get a clothes dryer... sigh. Hanging clothes in the cellar I don't think will cut it since they get musty...maybe I should invest in a clothes rack (for drying purposes etc).

Well time to go...got to think about cutting the lawn while I can and I need to cleanup the garden as well...arghhhhh.

Class Day - Progress. . .

2005-09-21T09:08:00.000-05:00

Class day occurred as scheduled and it went very well. In fact it went extremely well, so well that I lost track of time as we keyed in data - Quicken data. It was 6pm before we stopped. Initially we worked on finding various examples of Clip Art so that it could be used with the sewing machine. You bring the clip art in, digitize it, outline it and then add colors thus creating a pattern in color and stich for use on the sewing machine. So in reality you could also bring in any picture and do the same to it.

Now I have thoughts going through my mind - setting up a Filing System so things are easier to find - writing up some procedures for backing up the Quicken Data - writing up procedures for creating reports of interest income, dividend income, taxes paid etc. That will be the difficult part, plus we need to do some clean up of catagories and security names - all of which requires some research on my part.

And I got the Round Robin as well.

~ * ~

Today I go to LaFayette - a doctor appt - finances no doubt - and quite possibly a look at the garage. Lots to do there...I should probably take my laptop and paper ... still need to create the photo disks too!

~ * ~

Better mood at the moment - need to lose weight, exercise and so forth. Also need to plan for winter - winterize house - especially cellar windows and any nooks and crannies - should cover the outside cellar door with plastic...the old one has long gone. It did help with the rain seeping into the cellar. Then there is the mailbox, another avenue for heat to escape etc and the garage...work at making it mouse proof - LOL - an almost impossible task. Then there is the yardwork - lots to do there as well.

Winterization will be a priority, especially now that energy prices have risen and will probably rise even more...first it was Katrina and now it is Rita...bad year for hurricanes.

Class Day ... Possibly

2005-09-20T08:07:00.000-05:00

Tuesday. A typical class day. We'll see how today goes. Yes, I suppose I am going up there, but I am not sure what it is that I will be "teaching".

I should remember to bring the Harry Potter movies, they are sitting on the couch.

~ * ~

Thunderstorms in the area, getting dark and I can hear the thunder in the distance. A storm passed through this morning around 6AM for it woke me up ... for a short while. not long almost a non-event to me. I suppose I should get off the computer, but it does not appear to be too severe. We need the rain though most if not all of the gardens veggie and flower are well past their peaks. The leaves are falling too, so that means that we are in the midst of the waning days of summer. Actually Summer ends tomorrow and Fall begins.

Wednesday I take Thelma to a doctor's appt in Tully, maybe we'll check out the Apple Orchards afterwards...not sure but possible some of the apples are being picked about now. In a couple of weeks definately. Then there is Halloween and the inevitable question should I decorate - I 've always thought I should make some crosses or tombstones etc. But usually that is all it ever amounts to is thinking about it as too many other things interfere all too often.

Actually I need to look at Finances, Genealogy, Photo's and the like - in short I have a ton or more of paperwork to do. At least I did arrange the computer room and have a bit more flat surface to work with. I need to continue that process and get my files in order.

Cutting costs for everyone but the consumer

2005-09-13T07:44:00.000-05:00

I now have a 10 foot USB cable (compliments of Radio Shack and $29.99) to attach my "New" printer - the Wide Format HP 9800 to my computer. You'd have thought that the cable - any cable for that matter would have come with the printer, but NO...

Of course it says so on the box - that it does not come with the cable, and I recall when I ordered it from Officemax.com (never seeing the box etc) that they suggested accessories at the time which included a cable etc, but I never gave it a thought until I opened the box. Just another way to cut the cost of the product for the manufacturer as I am sure that after eliminating the cable they did not reduce the price of their printer. My God printer cartridges cost enough. Oh well live and learn and read the fine print...a rule of thumb we must all follow in this day and age.

Now to get some big paper - 11 x 17, or larger and test it out...more money.

~ * ~ * ~

No yardwork yesterday. I did manage to go get the cable - see above - and a battery for Thelma's phone and groceries, but that was about all. My back, my hip joints really were in agony. Enough that I took two pain pills and sat against a heating pad for much of the afternoon. Probably due to all the furniture moving and lifting and the change in weather. Getting cooler and damper and that always seems to affect those joints in my lower back - the two dimples either side of your spine. Usually it isn't too bad, but yesterday it was difficult getting in and out of the truck and walking - they stiffened right up and it took awhile for them to get limber...sighhh I guess I'm getting old or out of shape or both.

Hopefully today they won't be so alive as I have a class to give and the chairs there are none too comfortable.

The rat race continues...

2005-09-12T06:37:00.000-05:00

August was a busy month...of the 31 days that comprise it, I had only 5 to myself, all the rest I had something going on, an appointment, an activity or an obligation. September seemed to start out that way as well, but at least I had the past weekend to myself and I used it moving furniture, re-arranging the computer room/den and kitchen. I am, I am afraid a "flat surface addict". I need flat surfaces in abundance upon which to stack paper, books, and assorted other stuff...LOL I moved the dropleaf table from the kitchen (it expands with two leafs in it) to my computer room/den. I built two risers - about 4 inches high upon which I put the legs of the table on and thus gave me the clearance I needed to put three two drawer file cabinets under the table. In the kitchen I replaced that table with the small round dropleaf table I got from Thelma and put one of two pantry cabinets there as well. Now I have a table sutitable for my needs and room to strore can goods and so forth.

On top of the table sits my Apples IIGS computer and printer - it actually still works - I have some genealogy on it that I need to transfer to the Windows Computer and then I need to go through the files and either sav'em or delete'em. Computer books, and Office supplies neatly arranged of course. I then had to re-arrange the other side of the room where the printer, scanner and computer was as well. Now to finish up the few odds n' ends and install the new printer - an HP 9800 wide format printer - one that will print on paper bigger than 8 1/2 by 11 or 8 1/2 by 14. It will be a godsend for my genealogy charts. Though to get things to work efficiently I suspect I will have to buy printer cables - USBs that are longer than the ones that came with the printer and probably a USB hub since I am attaching more and more USB devices. I also got at the same time a LEXAR 1 GB USB drive...will make things easier to transfer files between the laptop and the desktop or so I hope.

The garden has been fruitful. All that is left is a few tomatoes - waiting for them to turn and pole beans. Lots and lots of pole beans, they just don't seem to want to quit. I've given quite a lot away and have blanched and froze about a dozen quart bags already. Next up is the garden cleanup for which I should get some lawn and leaf bags. This weekend is brush pickup for September and I should devote some time to cutting branches and cleaning up the yard and then hauling the assorted debris to the road. Probably today since....

Tuesday is computer class.

Wednesday is Dad's cataract surgery.

Thursday is Thelma's bill day and garage re-organization. But I don't know if Dad's surgery the day before will impact this.

Friday is my day.

Then Saturday & Sunday are the days we're allowed to placed yard waste etc on the road side.

I suppose I should stay up nights and concentrate on the paper aspects of everything, then devote the daytime to the physical aspects of everything...seems like I am busier now than I was when I worked!

And the things we desire most remain elusive at best...

Life goes on....

2005-08-31T08:22:00.000-05:00

Rain...rain...rain. All night last night and we expect more this morning with thunderstorms this afternoon and more tonight. It is Hurricane Katrina - now a tropical depression as it passes us. The devastation in New Orleans is unbelievable and I understand the whole city has been ordered to evacuate now that the leevees have broke and 80% of the city is flooded. That and the damage to the oil industry's infrastructure and we are all going to pay. I filled up my truck yesterday when it was still $2.65 a gallon...some places now are selling gas for $3 or more now. Not good news cause people are going to start to cut back, the rise in oil prices etc is definately going to have an impact on the economy.

Of course all this rain has got me thinking of the creek along the back side of my property...it almost overflowed earlier this spring when we had a massive downpour etc. The draingate got plugged where the creek flows into the sewer system...I saw it getting high and went to the grate witha rake and spent the next three hours clearing it. I don't relish having to do that again...so last night I had a restless sleep as I kept checking the cellar (just a little water - the normal amount) and listening to the rain fall.

Today is computer class day...need to write up some more instructions - for downloading pictures from digital cameras to the computer using the "Explore" option. Seems easier and more direct than some of the camera wizard options. Will also pick up my photos or really Thelma's photos from Industrial Color labs on the way to class. I dropped six rolls of old film off...film that we'd found when cleaning out Thelma's house...and they said they'd develop them and if there were pictures print them too. They called Monday saying they needed more time (originally I was scheduled to pick them up on monday), which was fine with me as I wasn't expecting to pick them up until today anyway. They said there were pictures so it will be interesting to see what is on them.

Thursday (tomorrow) it is out to Thelma's - Doctor appointment, bills, paperwork to look through and we need to measure her houses in prep for getting quotes for a new Insurance company and so forth.

Friday is free...but Saturday is scheduled. Sears is suppose to come back to finish making repairs to the treadmill. Last week they did correct the incline problem, now they will be back to install a new digital displays, since they had to order it. I opted to let them install it lest I break it doing it myself etc. Anyway, sometime Saturday they will call and arrive to fix it as the part came yesterday.

Maybe next week won't be so hectic.

Too many things to do...

2005-08-30T09:13:00.000-05:00

Been about a week...and still there are lots of things going on. Too much, too many demands, I almost feel like I am back at work and I'm almost certain that my blood pressure is up. Unfortunately it doesn't look like it will change, that does not seem likely at least for the foreseeable future.

The Family Reunion was held in Peruville on the 21st and turned out well. The four of us went together - in the caddie. My Father, Rosemary, Thelma and I. There were about 19 people there. Margery was not there due to health problems, serious ones that may prevent her from holding the reunion next year. At least that is my thinking. If it turns out to be true, then I suppose being the next in line it will be here - which leads us to the next step - can I be ready in a year, you'd think so, but there is an awful lot of stuff that would have to be moved, thrown, sorted etc. Obtained more genealogy and now need to get to my aunt Gen's as I need to scan her books on the family history so I can organize and fill mine out. Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days she is free, and Tuesdays is class day so that leaves Thursdays only notthis Thursday as Thelma has a Doctor appointment.

Garden is doing well or was. The tomatoes and bush beans and zucchini have about had it...but the pole beans, well they are just starting and show no signs of stopping. I think I planted too many. Next year I shall make some major changes to the garden. The raised bed is going or part of it anyways and I will be moving one of the trellis's to create more open space. Of course I should do this in the fall...when I clean up the garden. One more thing to add to my list.

Thelma's house renovations are nearly complete, will need to take more pictures though to get some with the new floors installed and the rooms in their pristine condition. Then of course will be her garage sale - still planned for Columbus Day weekend and still a lot of work to do to accomplish that and then there is the budget and paper files to get organized.

I'm off to the eye doctor this afternoon, another expense that I don't need. I'd like to go until January before I have to liquidate any more assets, but I doubt if I will be able to unless I borrow on credit etc. Just seems a shame to sell a mutual fund just before it is due to pay out dividends and capital gains.

My father has cataract surgery on the 6th of Sept, supposed to be a one day in/out type of thing and hopefully it will be a success, despite the coughing etc. The doctor seems confident it will go alright. Then I suppose they will be looking towards Texas and getting things ready for the move or should be so that there is not a lot of last minute tasks to accomplish. If they started preparing in Sept for the drive etc in Oct/Nov they'd be much better off, but I know they won't as they both procrastinate and stay active with all their other activities to the determint of the preparations until the last minute.

Wednesday will be a computer class...actually they are not much in the way of classes...more like here is a box of statements and receipts, key them into quicken for me...they need to learn that if you do it as the receipts are obtained it is so much easier to keep track of things and so forth...they also need to learn to manage their catagory lists. But it takes time and patience and too many other things interfere. Two people, two computers, two ways (different) of doing things and both computers will get messed up. It is inevitable. One already is basically a desktop littered with icons and shortcuts and programs obtained and loaded but never used. But they might be, so let's load it out and then wonder why the computer runs so slow or messages pop up out of no where. Even the newest one bought less than three months ago has problems and why...because when it doesn't shutdown fast enough we just hold the power button down....rather than take the time to see why....that is if we shut them down at all.

Need to get focused...focused on tasks here rather than other people's tasks. I'm neglecting things and that is not good.

Done!

2005-08-18T04:43:00.000-05:00

The house is empty. Wednesday we finished emptying the last room...three loads to the garage for the sale and for sorting and two loads to my house for storage. Mainly paper - genealogy etc and appraisal stuff that we didn't want to leave in the garage. That stuff will go back to La Fayette when the appraiser is scheduled to come. Which we hope will be sometime in early October just before the sale begins on Apple Festival weekend - Columbus Day weekend. The festival draws upwards of 50,000 people and many will travel the back routes to get there so...it seem logical to hold the sale then.

Today I'll finish unloading a small bit of appraisal stuff from the truck and update the new lease and then go to La Fayette again in the early afternoon to work on paper, then friday and saturday a big push to get ready for the reunion - I still need to scan the pictures into the computer. Plus I still need to resolve the transportation issue.

Need to also resolve the sleep issue as well...again tonight I did not sleep...I was tired and in bed by midnight but awake at 3:45am and up by 5:00am. Plus my back hurts/sore - left side again just below the ribs....sigh, seems to always be sore these days - probably due to all the lifting and carrying etc etc.

I need time to myself, I need to isolate myself, but there is something planned or an obligation every day thru the 23rd...I'm beginning to feel that life sucks!

Updates...

2005-08-17T07:17:00.000-05:00

Today it is back to Thelma's. Yesterday she and Sue worked on the one remaining room and it sounds like everything there has been made ready to move. Most will come here, some will return later (Appraiser stuff) once the gararge is setup for the sale. The appraiser said he'd come back once everything was displayed and laid out...so that is what we will do...we think.

Now there is a big push to get the Lease updated since the prospective tenants are coming back thursday to put a deposit down so they don't lose the house. Sighhh, naturally the Lease is on my computer - but I'd already updated it and now I've added a short statement concerning the garage & outbuildings.

Then there is the matter of the title to the car....the title shows a lien/loan, which was satisfied years ago, but Thelma never got around to getting a new one, so now we have to contact the bank...Key we believe (it should be on theTitle) and get a release before she can give the car away.

It is always something...

Monday I tried to get things accomplish, but was sort of distracted and gouing from one thing to another. I did manage to get through the mail, but not do all that I wanted on the compute, instead iwatered the gardens, did the wash, and finanlized an order to the Sea Salt Society for sea salt etc. It is supposed to be better for you and taste better than regular salt. That order should arrive by Friday I believe.

Yesterday morning (Tuesday) was when I managed to catchup, somewhat on the computer, then I went to my father's for the usual computer class, but they were not there ... appointments, food giveaways, dinners etc....actually they were there a short while, but I keyed in info into their Quicken (a huge basket of stuff - half of which was garbage), we downloaded pictures from their camera, and then after they'd left for dinner I erased the pictures from the camera and fixed the printer problem they were having. Actually it does not appear to be a printer problem. Their printer prints last page first and they have a habit of only putting in one page of paper at a time, so the printer runs out and lots of times they lose their print job. Why? so they can use the back side of the paper. So I told them to either put in a sufficent amount of paper or print their jobs one page at a time...not to try to beat the printer, by flipping the paper for the next page. I'll have to look at their printer preferences the next time I go up...next Tuesday.

We also discussed briefly the reunion and that did not go well since I don't believe we can all fit in their car with all that we have to take - computer, scanner, wheelchair, walker, food etc etc etc.

Moving Day 2, 3, 4 and 5

2005-08-15T06:51:00.000-05:00

Moving Day 1 turned into moving day 1 thru 5, but we succeeded finally. By 8pm last night (Sunday) we had managed to clear all the rooms upstairs (including the storage room - which may now be turned into a walk-in closet) - three bedrooms and a full bath; and all but the Den downstairs - living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry, half-bath and closets too numerous to mention and of course the basement of the 60+ years of accumulations. Now the renovations can begin - the goal was to clear all the rooms but the Den by Monday. The Den is to be used by Thelma as a staging area for the items she wants the appraiser to see plus more paper etc. The days have been long and both Thelma and I are surprised at how well we've all held up. Most days we've spent 8 to 9 hours sorting, boxing and moving and a couple of days we spent 10 - 12 hours doing the same. I'm sure once this is all done we will all collaspe :-)

In addition to the furniture being stored here, I've also unloaded two trips of nothing but boxes - paper, china, and other "keep" stuff. Eventually Thelma will sort through this as well. There is another load still in the truck and no doubt from the den will be one or two more - hopefully I will have the space.

Most of the other stuff was taken to the garage where it lies in wait for the "Garage Sale".

I've taken several BEFORE pictures, one set with the rooms full, another with them empty, but I did not get one of the dumpster, which was huge and is FULL. We started in earnst August 2nd and thirteen days later managed to accomplish the goal. Seems like the entire month of August has been consumed by this one task - which it has. Either working at Thelma's or getting things prepared here for storage. Good thing Thelma had help - Sue, Linda, Travis and I as well as the hired help - two kids each day to carry and haul and do just about anything you asked of them, otherwise I can't see where she would have been able to get so much stuff sorted, boxed and labeled.

So today is an "off" day the first since the 2nd of August for Thelma. Then Tuesday Sue will be there and they will work in the Den etc, I'm thinking of coming out Wednesday or Thursday to get another load of stuff from the Den for storage, but that is still up in the air.

In other news...

Saturday morning my dryer died, I went to dry my whites as I was getting low on t-shirts etc and nothing but smoke poured from the control panel. I didn't need that, not in the midst of cleaning Thelma's house. In the end I just hung them on the line and left them - for a day and a half and thatis when I discovered that the trellis in the veggie garden that holds the pole beans is leaning precariously to the west, seems all the plants are in the garden so I am assuming we must have had a very strong wind. We did have heavy rain and strong storms Friday while we were cleaning. So today (I'm not heading to Thelma's today - it is catchup day for me here at home), I will try and stabilize the trellis after I do the wash. I also want to pull up the old beans - yellow & green and maybe replant with italian flat beans - they may or may not provide a second crop depending upon how soon winter arrives.

Then I have to scan my pictures in prep for the Family Reunion in Groton next Sunday, wash and clean the truck (unload the truck too), pack up the computer and scanner, make something - pies plus ? and if possible get to my Aunt Gen's to get her pictures too. Plus of course continue the moving process for Thelma and give a computer class to my father & Rosemary and on and on and on.

And you call this retirement?

Moving Day 1

2005-08-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

The first of what was two days of activity using my truck to move Thelma's stuff has now turned into three days...looks like I'll be giving up "MY DAY - Friday" to the effort. Yesterday we moved primarily furniture out of the house and brought two china cabinets, two chests of drawers (that the china cabinets sat on), another chest of drawers and a dresser and half of the master bed) as well as a few boxes and a wooden chest to my house for storage. Then we also brought two metal pantry cabinets which I'm keeping...there is also a table I'm looking at...

When I say "we", for the most part it was one of the kids, except for the china cabinets that was Travis and I must say everything got here safe and sound. No kids today, Linda and Thelma just can't keep up with them, so today we'll be boxing (I'm going back out too). Most of what is left is scattered in partially filled boxes, today we hope to consolidate, label and organize so that Friday when the kids are back, they can just load'em and take them to the garage. I'll probably load up too and bring a load of boxes here for storage - also the rest of the bed.

By the end of wednesday my back - left side, lower ribs was killing me. Three pain pills later and a good solid night's sleep and I feel fine this morning. Now to get dressed, unload the last few things from my truck, load a table, get gas, get my lotto tickets and head on back out to La Fayette.

Crunch Time!

2005-08-09T08:52:00.000-05:00

Tis crunch time, crunch time for Thelma as she prepares to rent out her home of 60+ years. But first we must empty it and paint and fix it up. All to be accomplished in the next three/four weeks as the goal is to rent it by September 1st. Thus I have adjusted my schedule so that my truck can be used to take things into storage - storage at my house. Right now that consists of two dressers, two china cabintes, two chests of drawers, an oversized bed, a small end table and an untold number of boxed items. The rest is going into the Garage sale or being given away to family members and friends etc. Once the stuff is out of the house (three bedrooms, two and half baths, a dining room, a laundry room, a libing room, a kitchen and a den), then Thelma can concentrate on getting it organized and sorted in the Garage for a sale, throw, storage or give away.

So today I have a computer class at my father's, the first since their return from Atlanta and then Wednesday and Thursday I'll be carting stuff via my truck.

Going to be a busy week - now to work on email and paper before going up to my Father's and I still have to get going on my Genealogy for the reunion on the 21st. One of the things I need to do is get with my Aunt Gen and scan any pictures she has...a process I'm doing now with my Father's that I found.

Happy Birthday - Mom!

2005-08-06T21:25:00.000-05:00

Had my mother lived, today would have been her 89th birthday and Monday will be the 36th anniversary of her death.

Well, I spent today working upstairs for 8 hours. The room is clean, organized and basically emptied and thus available for the storage of Thelma's stuff. Now when the stuff will arrive will probably depend on the availability of my truck and Travis as I suspect we will be making several trips as there are at least six pieces of furniture and an untold number of storage boxes to come. Right now though, I'm tired and sore and need to focus on some mundane tasks to ensure that all the routine stuff is also getting done.

Right now, this minute I'm going to bed, it has been another busy and long day.

Moving, Sorting, Cleaning, Carrying...

2005-08-06T05:01:00.000-05:00

The past two days have been ones of activity. Thursday I went out to Thelma's planning on getting caught up with assorted types of paperwork and so forth. Only, that never happened, instead we headed over to her house and there we stayed from about 11AM to almost 7PM sorting, cleaning, moving and carrying her possessions as we prepared the garage. You see she is in the process of emptying her house of 60+ years of all of its possessions, so that the workmen can renovate to some degree in prep for renting. The down side is that for 60+ years her nickname has affectinately been known as "Ms. Packrat" *smile*

Over the past year or so she has done quite a lot ... thrown a lot ... given away a lot ... and now we sort that which will be sold ... that which will go to family & friends ... that which will be kept to be appraised and that which we can't let go of just yet, and of course now we are under the gun. We need to empty the house NOW, so that the workmen can get it in shape so that hopefully it will be rented by September 1st. Thus plans for a "House Sale" in which items are left in the house have gone by the wayside, instead it will be a combine House/Garage sale in the detached two stall garage. Hopefully by Columbus Day weeknd/Apple Festival time frame.

So in addition to preparing the garage we also tried to mark items in the house that were intended to go to the garage since Travis had arranged to have a couple kids available to help him move things on Friday and Saturday and into Sunday possibly. Though originally it was only Saturday and Sunday - another change in plans inflicted on Thelma and at this point that is not an option to inflict upon her, she just can't take it - it is too much stress - the improptu change in plans etc.

So we worked on one of the hottest and humidist days of the year in the dirt of the garage and the dust of the house, with the sweat just pouring off of me, literally. Thursday's high temperature was 95 degrees, though the humidity made it feel like 100. Needless to say, since I did not plan on this I wasn't dressed appropriately nor did I have a change of clothes.

But in the end we finished, had dinner and then I tried to do some paperwork and managed to sort through things and find when we went online another problem or glitch to resolve which will require an in person visit to the Bank...sigh. I was home midnight and went to sleep thinking about the "storage" problem - i.e. where to put all of Thelma's furniture and stuff she is keeping - looking into possible self-storage facilities.

Friday morning - my day - and the intentions were to leave it at that - I awoke at 4AM, still thinking of the moving, sorting, cleaning etc activities and of course the "storage" problem to which I think I have come up with a solution, which I intended to discuss when I called Thelma that morning at 8AM, only, she dropped the phone after a very, very groggy hello and after that there was no reaching her and apparently Travis was gone as well since no one answered his phone line either. So this time appropriately dressed I headed out there once more and spent another day getting things out to the garage. Only this time I directed the activities in the house, telling Travis and his assistants (2) what could go and where to place them once there. For which they used my truck and that made the process a bit easier since it held more and I had cleaned out the back that morning. It was a good setup as we succeeded in getting most of the big items - the furniture to be sold or given away - out of the house and in the garage. And we did so without causing too much undue stress on Thelma. Now of course the house itself looks as if a cyclone blew through it with boxes everywhere.

And we solved the "storage" problem, Thelma can store her stuff here at my house in Cheri's old room - the orange room - upstairs. It will provide a secure environment and still be close by and once the boys move out and there is room the stuff can be moved to Travis's. Plus there is plenty of space, it is cost-effective, simple and it took a load of stress off of Thelma and Travis as they sought to figure out what to do with the stuff and who to hire to store it at. Plus with the kids coming back to school in September there would be a premium on secure, environmentally protected locations. Now to get the room ready here for that which she is keeping. The big items will most likely be two chests of drawers, two china cabinets, and two dressers w/mirrors and tons of boxes of china, and the ever present paper.

Today (Saturday), Linda is coming down and together she and Thelma will work inside sorting through boxes and getting stuff separated for the appraiser, keeping, and selling. While Travis and his assistants will probably work at carting what they have ready for the garage to the garage and cleaning out the cellar.

So we all have our tasks to do today.

On another note - the Aiken/Chase Family Reunion is to be held on Sunday the 21st and I need to get pictures scanned and labled into the computer, and get to my Aunt Gen's and do the same the same there, hopefully before the reunion. I talked with Marian and she impressed upon me that Thelma should attend as well, she usually does, but last year so soon after her hip surgery she did not. This time she will though and we'll bring the wheelchair, walker etc. Thelma and Marian are relatively the same age and both enjoy each other's company immensely.

Well gotta go - wash is just about finished and tim eto hang the stuff out on the line, then check email, get coffee and get to work.

Later...

Norton Internet Security Software a pox on it!

2005-08-02T05:25:00.000-05:00

Last nights efforts to fix my Internet Security 2005 problem was for naught. I spent about 2 - 3 hours de-installing and then re-installing Norton Internet Security and where am I? Right where I was when I started. If I enable the Firewall portion of the Security software I am blocked from accessing the internet. All access is blocked and then when I go to "configure" the Firewall - I get message about script errors on the pages. All that downloading of updates and rebooting and downloading just to get me back to where I was. Plus it did not seek to have me register it so with my luck in 15 days or so it will probably stop working...sighhh, unless it knows that I'm already registered. Funny thing though I have the same software on the laptop and there it works fine.

I guess I'll go to the Symantec site and see if anything will help me there or write them an email. I don't recall doing anything unusual...it just stopped working one day. Now I have Norton Internet Security activated for everything but the Firewall - for that I have the built in Windows Firewall working.

The parents should be returning from Atlanta, whether or not they get home today is a question...as is whether or not they will expect a computer class. I think it took them about three days to get there so I am expecting the same for them to get back which if they left Sunday it would be either Wednesday or Thursday and they did say about 14 days which would be Thursday - just when the heat arrives. I checked on the cats yesterday - they were glad to see me and the mail and then made a trip to the Post Office to pick up a package for my father - medicine I believe - what a trip that was the Teall Ave Post Office is so slow and inefficient, it is almost a joke. I stood in line for 20 minutes, by which time the line behind me was out the door...the clerks (3) seemed to be in slow mode...and talkative. Obviously they did not impress me.

Will today be the day that I actually accomplish something or at least feel as if I did? Yesterday all the running around and watering gardens and so forth I didn't actually do the things I wanted to do. Stay tuned maybe, just maybe I will report some progress later.

Later...

Another Day, a another...#2

2005-07-31T12:55:00.000-05:00

So what happened? The hell if I know. No one called nor made any attempt to reach me - and I stayed home all day waiting just in case. I even took the cordless with me when I went in the back yard to water the garden.

What do I speak of? - The Rainbow Representative - they never showed, not at 10AM, 11AM, Noon, 1PM, 2PM or 3PM. No call, no sign that there was even an appointment scheduled. Now I suppose the Rep may have been sick, or maybe they no longer participate in this line of work or the Rep may not have even known about the appointment since it was the "Marketing Rep" - Jennifer who made the appointment for the demonstration by Stephanie and I suppose that they will be calling me again to set up another appointment, that is if they even know that the past Saturday's appointment was missed.

Not that I was going to actually buy the vacuum cleaner it was more to help Thelma & Travis get that air cleaner. Sigh, we'll see.

The "Children of Dune" soundtrack is playing and causing me to want to watch the mini-series again. I think the music is fantastic and the series is great as well - a Sci-Fi Channel production. Now I could go watch it - a form of procrastination - or I could get busy and work on the computer. I have run my anti-virus and Spybot, actually I started the anti-virus scan and then took off for the grocery store - Green Hills - $20.13 later I'm home, mainly milk, bread, bananas, radishes, carrots, celery some lettuce and a watermelon...oh and plums too. Saved $10.24 with my shoppers card.

I am going to try and eat more veggies, less meat, less dressings, and so forth. I saw this program that seemed to indicate you'll live longer and healthier if you consume very few calories. There appears to be a direct correlation between the number of calories we eat and how fast the cells in our body deteriorate and die. They've apparently found the those who eat and strive to eat few calories - their cells live longer and repair themselves quicker than those who eat a high number of calories per day. So we'll see how it works as I strive to eat veggies and so forth.

Off on a sidetrack there...anyway I ran Spybot and it seemed to indicate a problem with my Windows Security Center - something about notify disable for my firewall and anti-virus...well the firewall with Norton Internet Security is out to lunch anyways - it won't let me on to the internet so naturally that is disabled. (I need to deinstall and re-install it) And I thought I had enabled the WIndows XP Firewall - when I checked that was disabled too - funny I was almost absolutely certain that I had activated that one when I deactivated the Norton version. Now I shall monitor things more closely. At least everything else has not indicated a problem. And I do power the computer down when I am not using it.

Later....

Another day, another...well no I don't work

2005-07-30T06:51:00.000-05:00

Well here it is Saturday morning and as is usual I sit at the computer going through the routine sequence of events - checking emails (and getting rid of spam which the vast majority of the email is), reviewing news items (Yahoo - really need to find something else more interesting I suppose, but it is my home page) and comtemplating all the things I need or should be doing. At 10AM the Rainbow representative comes to demonstrate a Rainbow vacuum cleaner. My father has one and I use it whenever they head to Texas (unless they take it with them), so I know what they are about and if the truth be told I would like to have one but and it is a BIG BUT is the cost - $1500 plus is a bit out of my budget. But I'm doing this so that Thelma can get an air cleaner...some sort of promotion if 4 of her and Travis's contacts agree to a demonstration then they get the air cleaner....I wonder what the air cleaner costs by itself? Or even if you could buy it that way.

Still have a ton of paper related activities to deal with...and I really need to clean out the cellar and organize it as well i.e. place all the tools etc in one location and label things. I also need to call Sears to get them here to fix the treadmill - the display has gone wacko - can't read it etc and the incline option doesn't work properly (hasn't since I got the damn thing) - you set it, it moves up but then the instant it hits your setting it drops down again to zero. It doesn't stay. I also need to get Sears here for the annual Washer Maintenance and that means doing some cleaning and arranging there too. Then there is my Garage Sale idea...LOL I have a Garage full of stuff that I gathered two years ago and there it sits awaiting some energy from me.

And then there are my thoughts...my personal thoughts I need to express or better yet sort through and make some decisions. Maybe by doing so I'll find some solutions or some purposes. Hmmm a Journal to write things down in might help, god knows I have enough books around I could use. Or maybe something online, but then I'm not sure I want to bare my soul to the internet and anyone who happens upon my writings. I've heard too many horror stories about that.

Then there is politics...but that is another avenue better left unexplored at the moment as I have to take a shower and pick up things a bit before the Rainbow Rep arrives.

Later...

Insomnia strikes again

2005-07-28T02:25:00.000-05:00

Ahhhh...relief. The heat wave we had been under...the 90+ days with high humidity are gone. It is 57 as I write this, with quite a bit of fog outside, still it feels wonderful as I sit here in front of the computer. Now if only I could get eight hours of sleep consistently...back in the old rut of waking up three hours after going asleep and then lying there. Hence why I am typing this so early in the morning.

The real change occurred Wednesday afternoon when it started to rain, previous it was in the mid-70's and humid. I had harvested beans - yellow, green and flat italian from the garden and I was soaked with sweat etc. Of course I was wearing a t-shirt and long sleeve shirt as well as jeans. I have discovered that something in the garden...zucchini...beans...tomatos? Is giving me a rash when my bare skin touches it. Most apt to appear on my arms or legs...thus the need to cover up...never happened before to my recall. Anyway I now have a ton of beans and the zucchini have started in earnst...the tomatos look just about ready to burst as well.

Back to the temps...the rain came, a soaking steady downpour, not too heavy, but slow and steady the right kind of rain. The kind that you like to lie in bed and just listen too. I'm sure it will revitialize the grass etc which after the weeks of heat had stopped growing - only the weeds seemed to thrive. By evening we were down to 66. So we have shutoff the central air and opened all of the windows.

Checked out the parents garden while they are in Atlanta. Picked some zucchini and cucumbers and stuck them in the frig up there. Looks like the heat has done a number on the lower garden at least on the zucchini plants as they appear to be dead now...the butternut squash on the other hand are thriving.

Got my haircut too yesterday - $5 for the cut (hair & beard), $2 tip - a bargain considering what I used to pay which was between $15 - 18 at the barbershop, then I found this place a hair salon that does a basic men's haircut for $5 - walkins welcomed - not bad sort of fills in the blanks between the normal hair appointment customers.

Now I must get serious about some paperwork around here and my Tomb Stories. Once again I have been neglecting them for too long. I need to figure out what projects I want to do - those that can wait till winter - inside and those that can't - outside. Plus for two years I have been talking about having a Garage Sale and I really, really need to do that....or try Ebay, but that will probably become too much of a hassle.

Let's see off the top of my head :

- learn and create a webpage (at least I've started this Blog - but have alwayts wanted a web page)

- do a preliminary estimate on my Income Taxes - need to calculate Capital gains so far from the sale of the S&S Fund. Hopefully the Gain won't be too much - at least this year I've budgeted for estimate taxes - both State and Federal.

- scan the old pictures, label and create a photo scrap book. A lot of the pictures are my mother's and father's some are identified, some are not and then there are all the pictures I have taken over the years - oh boy!

- work on genealogy, both mine and Thelma's. Hers is on the Apple IIGS and I did get that out of storage and setup and it works!, now to see if the printer does and if the ribbons are not dried up yet. I need to print off her stuff, then key the information into the Family Tree program on the Windows PC....as for mine I have a Family Reunion coming up in August and I need to get to my Aunt Gen's to scan her pictures etc.

- then there is the Living Trust and to decide who should be my trustees and who should get stuff when I am gone etc etc etc.

- and I really should devote some time to reading...set aside a couple of hours to just sit and read.

The list could go on and on...but I will stop here for now.

Later...

Unions - a plague on our society

2005-07-20T04:51:00.000-05:00

I have to give the City credit, they did respond (one of the three Councilors at least) to my email concerning the recycling of batteries and she elevated my concern to the Deputy Commissioner of Public Works who just happens to be a neighbor (a couple of blocks away anyway) and he called me the next day to discuss the issue. Asking me what I saw, Who was working that day etc. I told him about the previous incident two years ago and now this and all in all the conversation went well - he planned to touch base with the work crew on mine (and his) route and they had already issued a memo reminding all workers of the recycling policy.

It is strange there are actually two crews each trash day. One handles the recyclables - paper, cans, bottles etc, the other takes the non-recyclables - except this one month out of the year (July) the non-recyclable crew take the batteries - seems ridiculous, but apparently that is policy or maybe Union rules, and if so another example of a misguided policy.

Speaking of misguided policies & Unions: Case #1: The local Community College once had a Dental Assistant program but found the cost of the program in relation to the graduation rate was too high to maintain. But it did supply local Dentists with a pool of assistants and provide free Dental Care - i.e. guinea pigs while people were training on how to clean teeth etc. But it closed. Then over the course of several months dentists and educators got together and made an effort to revive it and after months of work it appeared that the program would be back - though not run by the local College, instead another College from Northern New York with more experience and a better track record. They would use the local College's facilities, but supply their own educators/instructors and associated educational programs. It was a win for all - local free care, Dentists and students and then the local College's Union spoke, threatening to sue because the action violated a clause in their contract with the local College, even though all the local college was doing was renting the facilities to another - in the end both colleges walked away to avoid litigation. So who won? The Unions I suppose, they succeeded in denying educational benefits to students, free dental care to those who can't afford it and local dentists who now must search elsewhere for assitants and raise their costs appropriately, oh and their members they are still without jobs though my understanding is that when the program closed those involved retired and most likely are not interested in returning.

Then there is case #2: A Convention Center Hotel, something like a $65 Million dollar investment in the Community. Construction jobs, Hotel jobs, and the spill over effect for the local businesses and restaurants - all held hostage by another Union and their demand that before any State funds are approved to assist in the development or construction of the hotel the Hotel's Developer and Managers must agree to a "Neutrality Clause". Which essentially from what I have been able to determine would compell the Managers of the Hotel to remain silent concerning any efforts to organize future Hotel Workers into a Unionized workforce. Other issues were also involved but they have all been negotiated - and from what news reports say the Hotels Managers bowed to all of the Union's demands, the Union has yet to concede a thing. All except this last clause which the Hotel Managers will not abide to and rightly so. This clause is akin to saying that only Democrats can campaighn in an election. Only Democrats can voice their positions on issues or candidates - the Republicans must remain silent unable to express their points of view or ideas leaving a one sided discussion of the issues of the pro's and con's.

If I were the developer - I'd walk away and lay the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Union, for right now it's members are unemployed and have been so now for several years when the Hotel Syracuse closed downtown due in part to mismanagement and Union demands. And all I can see is a radical Union whose leaders are more interested in being obstructionists rather than facilitators and consequently are not looking to provide jobs to it's members, but instead to exercise control and power over others.

Arghhhhhhh

2005-07-14T07:37:00.000-05:00

Well my morning started off well...already ticked off. July is Household Battery Recycling month here in Onondage County - City of Syracuse and we are instructed to place our used batteries in an orange bag on top of a close trash can or bag. Then when the Sanitation Engineers pick up our trash, the batteries are supposed to be separated from the non-recyclable trash. Supposed - is the key word here as for the second time in three years they have thrown my bag of batteries into the back of the truck and compressed them with the rest of the trash. Last year I didn't recycle my batteries, instead I held on to them until now...though now it appears as if my efforts were fruitless.

So why bother?

I called the City's hotline - yeah right - no one there bothered to answer and thus I have sent emails off to two of my Councilers at Large (two of them don't have email - which is ridiculous state of affairs for an elected official to be in) and my own District Counciler as well as City Hall registering my displeasure and my belief that an Eductional Program needs to be put in place for the City's Sanitation Engineers. Especially when Household Battery recycling occurs once a year during the month of July.

That elusive thing known as sleep

2005-07-10T11:31:00.000-05:00

Still can't seem to sleep. maybe once a week I'll get a good night's sleep, one where I'm in bed by 11PM and don't wake up until 8AM or so. Usually I end up in bed by 11PM or 12Mid and then wake up two or three hours later, after lying awake awhile I get up and go get on the computer and tackle some mundane task - email, finances, or play a game or two.

This morning I woke up at 1:45AM, thinking there was water running, only to discover that it was someone's boombox on the street behind me. The street is a dead end with the dead end being at the creek that runs along my back yard. Lately - actually it doesn't matter but there seems to always be a party or something going on at 1, 2, 3, and 4AM. I sometimes wonder how the other neighbors feel - I'm about three houses away from the offender and they would be right next door. If it isn't the music, its the yelling and arguing that will wake you. In the winter once the leaves are all gone from the trees, the lights from the cars coming down the street shine right into the bedroom...and there is one person who's car talks - when the back up it says "Attention please...the car is backing up...Attention please...the car is backing up"

Anyway aside from that distraction, I'm just not sleeping well. I guess too many tasks at hand, too many things to decide, too many demands on my time and too many problems to solve. Partly because I'm "retired", everyone thinks I should be available for them. Consequnetly my mind is thinking and thinking and thinking and thus I am not sleeping. Typically I'llslepp for two three hours be up for another two or three, catch a quick nap and then get up "officially" by 8 or 9AM, then later in the day it's nap time as very thing seems to want to shutdown. In short my sleep sequence has gotten disrupted.

Now to work on one of those mundane tasks (I did calendars, schedules, to do lists etc earlier this morning) - Taxes - going to calculate how I'm doing so far this year and get a feel for what the end result will be like. Also need to calculate my Networth - every Quarter I do that - and June 30th just past by. Who knows after I finish this I may discover that I need to get a job - boy that will screw things up royally!

The soothing sound of rain showers...

2005-07-09T03:50:00.000-05:00

Started to rain around 10PM last nite. They have been predicting rain for days now, rain that we desperately need only it came in droves all around us but not here, until last nite. At least our rain was of the shower, steady, light consistency and not the heavy sudden downpours that come one minute and are gone the next and don't do any real good. So far and it is now 4:52AM, the rain has been the steady soaking type - perfect for us gardeners.

It has also been nice to lie in bed and just listen to the rain fall on the leaves of the trees and various plants, then a slight breeze picks up and the rain cascades from the trees and so forth. Now as dawn approaches the combination of the rain and the birds waking up, it seems so peaceful...as it will be for a few hours before area residents wake up, rev their cars and take off for the day's activities. Living in the City and sometimes you can miss the quiet and solitude of a country like setting.

2005-07-07T08:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the grocery shopping day - Aldi's, Green Hills, Eckerd's and Family Dollar. Actually I only bought stuff at three of the four places and by and large all of it was for Thelma. She is busy getting her house ready and stocked for Dorinda's visit beginning Saturday. Do will be here for a week and then return home to Indiana.

I went to Eckerd's for myself, looking for Rug Shampoo and since they rent the "Rug Doctor" steam machine I thought that they would have rug shampoo...well the did...but no way, no how was I going to pay $17.99 for a small bottle of shampoo. No wonder the rentals are so cheap...they get you in the supplies. So later today I shall go to P&C or Green Hills and see what generic brand - i.e. Bissell that they have for shampooing rugs. Elsie has a dirt devil shampooer, and she is willing to let me borrow it to do my rugs...which need it badly. But she doesn't have shampoo - we used the last of hers to fill up the machine so she could do some spot treating on her rugs. Oh well, I'm sure I will find something.

So our President falls off his bike and then later there are explosions on the London Underground. I guess unlike other G8 conference this one will not be uneventful. Market is expected to be down this morning as a result as terrorist fears are once again raised...sometimes the whole situation can get to be very, very frustrating.

Happy Fourth of July 2005!!!!

2005-07-04T04:29:00.000-05:00

It's the Fourth of July, it is 5:30AM breezy and 68 degrees outside. Been lying awake awhile listening to the wind blow through the trees and ignite into song the makeshift wind chimes I have hanging in my garden (a stick, string and tin coffee can lids), meant to distract and hopefully keep the critters away from the garden.

It is a very nice morning...made my coffee, so I am all set for now. What I need for mornings like this is a deck that I can go and sit on and relax as the birds begin to wake. I suppose I could sit on the front porch, small typical concrete on houses like mine that were built in 1952. I'd much prefer a deck in back with more privacy or a front porch like my grandfather's that stretched across the front of the house. Pillars on either side of the stairs to the sidewalk. I wonder what it would cost to have porch like that? And if I would need permits and zoning variances. Started getting light around 4AM, but the birds haven't broken into full song yet.

Today is the day to fly the flag. At least two houses on the street will have flags flying, Mrs. A and me. We keep ours up year round and replace them about once a year. Sad when you really think about it how few people really do fly the flag. When I think back to my childhood nearly half if not three-quarters of the houses on the street flew the flag on the Fourth of July, now we're lucky if a hand full fly it. To fly the flag on the Fourth of July or Flag Day or Veteran's Day is a sign of respect and appreciation for being who we are and living where we do. It is NOT political, though many would have you believe so and in essence attempt to have you believe that to fly the flag - means you support the current government's or the party in power's policies - whatever they are - and that could not be farther from the truth. To fly the flag is simply a way of saying Thank You for living where we do and enjoying the Freedoms we have and a way of conveying those thoughts and appreciation to our Men and Women in uniform that have helped to make it all possible.

Of course things were different 40 years ago, you knew who your neighbors were and the neighborhood was almost like an extended family. For the most part people respected each other, their beliefs, their heritage etc. Today we are all primarily isolated unto a world of ourselves, polarized over religion, politics, foreign affairs, etc. suspicious of change, suspicious of anyone different than ourselves. It is Red State vs. Blue State, Right Vs. Left, Ultra-conservative vs. Ultra-liberal, Republican vs. Democrat, heterosexual vs. homosexual, those who believe that our government should be guided by religious principles vs. those who do not, those who believe marals are something to be legislated vs. those who belive morals are an individual's choice.

Polarization has become the norm, the everyone for one's self syndrome I call it. Now we only truly know a few select neighbors, most likely those who we've know for years, the rest we politely wave to as we go by not knowing their names or much about them, only that they are our neighbors. Sadly that seems to be the way of todays fast paced world...and we lose something of ourselves, and of life in the process.

Another day in the gardens

2005-07-03T19:32:00.000-05:00

Seems like gardening and lawn mowing will never end. Even with these past hot and humid days things keep on growing. Oh well, soon maybe I will enjoy the fruits of all my labor. Mowed lawns today, mine and Mrs. A. Then spent a lot of time in the gardens doing more weeding and so forth as well as pulling more unproducing pea plants out and replacing them with pole beans. We'll see what happens.

Now I need to work on resolving my Computer problem and get thinking about a Family Reunion and so forth that is coming up. I have drawer full of pictures that I'd like to scan into my computer, print and see if I can identify everyone in them. They are a jumble right now some from my father's side and some from my mother's side.

I also need to work on the Living Trust and figure out July's bills. Got my City/School tax bill - $769.36 According to the tax bill to manage and provide service to a City of 140,000 it will cost $24,592,251.41 whereas to manage and provide educational services in the School District for 22,000 students it will cost $59,184,940.51

Friday My Day, Woodrow & the Supreme Court

2005-07-01T12:04:00.000-05:00

Friday...my day...the one day of the week that I set aside just for myself. No appointments, no schedules, no activities unless it suits me. Supposed to be relaxing, but it was anything but this morning. Got up this morning, turned on the computer and - page cannot be displayed - or some such message no matter what website I tried to go to. Spent two - three hours investigating and trying different thing and I had come to the conclusion that the problem was with Internet Explorer (since the laptop computer worked ok - internet and all) on my main PC. Then for reasons I have yet to fathom I disabled my Norton Internet Security program and viola! problem solved. Further researched revealed that the Norton Firewall was blocking my access (and still is...sigh), so I turned the Norton Firewall off completely/permanently and turned on the Windows XP firewall, then ran a Security Check (from the Symantec website) and I passed. The first time without any firewall enabled I failed. So now I have the Windows Firewall activated and Norton Internet Security - without their firewall. At least I have access now and can take my time figuring out the problem. And the computer remains protected and so forth.

There has been some activity at the old shed...possible Woodrow has reaered his ugly head, then quite possible gravity or nature just cause my makeshift wall blocking an entrance to the shed to crumble. So I have reinforced it and restored it's function and we'll see if anything changes. So far though I haven't seen any sign of Woodrow. If I do...then I'll flood the burrow again...actually I should go out and clean up inside the shed, fill in the hole etc and see what happens. Hmmm maybe lay some chicken wire down on the floor and cinder blocks to hold it down around the entrance...not today though...maybe tomorrow.

My garden continues to grow...and grow...and grow...just isn't yet producing anything other then lettuce. I pulled two sections of peas out - they were not really producing and they are a pain - and replaced them with pole beans...regular pole beans and flat italian pole beans. The other pole beans in the garden are outgrowing the trellis's...they are 16 - 18 feet high and need to be 20- 25 feet I guess...but that isn't going to happen. At least I have blossums on the cukes, bush beans, zucchini, and tomatoes of course...I have little green tomatoes and at least one green pepper.

It will be sad to see Sandra Day O'Conner leave the Supreme Court - just heard a few minutes ago that she announced she was retiring. Actually I would have liked to see her become the Chief Justice, as she in my opinion was one of the few Justices on the bench who used common sense in deciding the cases. Now we'll have to wait and see if there is a battle over the next nominee, especially if there is more than one...the Chief Justice could still retire and some of the other Justices are getting up there in years. Unfortunately what we need - more moderate/centertrist judges we probably won't get - we don't need ultra conservatives nor ultra liberals on the bench...we need people who will take a common sense approach to cases before the bench. Sigh, it is going to be a long summer...

This n' That

2005-06-30T07:34:00.000-05:00

Up at 5AM, (Hazy, Hot and humid again) actually I did not sleep very well. Tossed and turned probably until 2Am or so, my back has been killing me of late, the kind of aches and pains I used to get when I worked...slept during the day then worked all night so rest wasn't actually a dep, refreshing, relaxing thing...now it's back or so it seems to be becoming add that to the fact I'm not sleeping and you can see where I'm headed...sighhh

Being "retired" isn't all it is cracked up to be, especially when you get more and more people demanding your time...to teach this...to track that...to go here...to bounce ideas/problems off of...to fix this or that...sometimes you can lose sight of yourself and what really is important in the world. Especially if you have a hard time saying "No".

Oh well, I have gotten some wash done, Thelma's sheets are hanging out on the line...washed them to freshen them up for when Dorinda arrives. They had been packed away in a closet in a plastic back for months. Plus I have cut my coupons and made my lists and checked them twice, so I will soon be out grocery shopping and going to the bank and of course buying my Lottery tickets (gotta have those!).

I did look at the paper...and I should not have been surprised...the letters to the editor page was filled with letters calling for President Bush's impeachment, calling for immediate withdrawal from Iraq, etc etc etc. I knew it would be, after his speech as the Syracuse Post-Standard is not impartial in it's coverage nor it's stance on things. Highly critical of the Bush Presidency and so forth. What amazes me is that everyone seems to criticize, tear down, anything the Bush Administration proposes yet the very same people don't have any solutions either, they know they hate the current track the country is on, the current policies and so forth, but when asked they have no alternatives. No solution to how to leave Iraq, yet leave behind a stable government and not chaos, no solution on how to fix the looming financial crisis with Social Security and Medicare, and so on and so on. If you won't talk to the other side, if you won't offer alternatives and willing enage in a civil debate, the polarization will just get worse. Too many it seems have closed their minds and no matter what Bush or anyone in his administration says or does it won't satisfy. Too many are content to sit on the sidelines and criticize and say I told you so rather than offer a helping hand or engage in a sane discussion.

Sad, so sad what this nation is becoming.

A Gardener's work never stops

2005-06-26T10:01:00.000-05:00

Its 11 AM and already it is hot - 85 degrees, though it doesn't appear to be too humid yet...that will come later. I just came in from working in the garden...weeded the beans and built a trellis for the pole beans - tall branches I'd saved when they took the trees down and string, it should last this season. Next I think no more peas, they just don't seem to produce, so instead along the back trellis which is about 15 feet high and sturdy - chicken wire and 2x4's - I'll plant pole beans next year...maybe even this year if I get some enthusiasm.

The beans - yellow, green and italian are strange this year, at least I don't remember them growing like this...they are tall, leggy and leafy...still waiting for the blossums and the beans, maybe it is too early. Tomatoes are in bloom and some have little tiny tomatoes starting and the zucchini is just beginning to bloom, so things are looking more and more like an actual garden.

Woodrow the Woodchuck - I haven't seen him lately. Than again that doesn't mean he's gone, I had begun to think that before and then there he was muching on the grass (not the garden). Since then I discovered his burrow in the back shed and I have flooded it out once and blocked off all entrances to the shed - where he'd dug etc. and no new ones have appearred as of yet. So if I am lucky perhaps he has moved on to more hospitalble climes.

I've yet to cool down from my time outside...I've even had a cool shower yet still I'm hot, sticky and sweaty...yuck. Will have to get a fan to create a cool breeze...at least it is only 74 inside...that is what I keep the central air set at and it seems to maintain a good comfort level.

Later...

Hazy, Hot and Humid Musings

2005-06-25T08:10:00.000-05:00

What else could I call this - it is going to 96 today or higher. We are about to enter another stretch of 90 degree days, started yesterday and expected to last through next Thursday. Right now it is 81 degrees outside and 74 inside (smile)...the central air just came on...

Everytime I hear it come on I think of the electric bill...sigh, Oh! the price we pay for comfort. At least I have a very good impression that the central air conditioner is in good shape. DJ was up from Florida a week ago and he checked it out (installs heating & cooling - primarily cooling for a living). The contacts were still like new, the coils looked good, the filters were fine (furnace - I use 3M Filtrete Ultra Allergen - they do a very good job and it cuts down on the dust etc), and he installed a cleanout plug for the drain pipe. All I need to do is pour a cup of bleach in the plug and that will help to keep the drain plug free of debris, mold and mildew. I need to do that too, now that I have the plug. The air conditioner was installed in 1998.

While he was here he also, replaced my kitchen faucet, fixed the kitchen sink so it doesn't leak and re-chaulked the tub/shower. It is so good to not have to use vise grip pliers and turn water on or off from under the sink..*smile* Why you ask? or maybe you don't care, but I will tell you anyway...it was a sort of Thank You for all the times I've mowed, shoveled or come to the rescue of his mother Alba. I look upon it as neighbors helping neighbors and this was just his way of saying how much he appreciated it. He also did similar stuff for another neighbor and of course his mother. In between he did manage to get to all the places he wanted to re-visit etc, so that was good as at first all he was doing was work and didn't seem like much of a vacation.

I see the last time I wrote in here it was March...mental note to post more often than every three months. LOL Let's see a lot has been going on...

- Teaching the parents how to use Quicken for their finances as well as solving computer problems they may have (once a week classes, usually stay for dinner and the whole process takes about 6 hours)

- Working on Finances both my own and Thelma's...bill paying, juggling, and now devealing into the murky world of Living Trusts, Health Care proxies and the like - Estate Planning actually. Had our second meeting with the Lawyers Office last Tuesday...took me weeks to gather all the information we needed and that was double the work as I had to do it for myself and Thelma. Now to research and fill in the holes and ... do the hard part figure out beneficaries, and who gets what. Initially it sounds good, simple ideas, easy to do, but when you start, it isn't as easy as it sounds. Probably why I've put it off for so long. Right now there is no will, no health care proxy, nothing, nada, zilch. In all other areas I'm a stickler for detail and documnetation, in this I've avoided it until now.

- Then there was Thelma's Tenant house (old ones left - repairs/sprucing up was done/new ones interviewed and new tenants moved in). I tried to avoid being involved in that, but in the end...I printed up the lease and other forms, and walked with the prospective tenants through the house on the final walk through before they moved in. Travis should have but he had an emergency/last minute teleconference call with Singapore.

- Took my truck in for routine maintenance and repair ($557.27). They did the usual oil change and rotated the tires, and also changed the differential fliuds in both axles and cleaned the fuel injectors and replace various filters as well recharged the air conditioning system. The truck was purchased new in 1997 and has only 52,000 miles on it. So I figure it was money well spent and I seem to do it at least once a year, spend a lot the rest of the time it is just oil changes etc. Though now...I probably should have the brakes checked as there is a vibration when I stop or slow down from high speeds. I'll go to Greeley's for that rather than take it back to the dealer where I bought it. Of course everytime you wonder if you really need all this done or not - what I should/need to do is take the truck to a diagnostic center and have someone check it out - tell me what it needs or doesn't need...impartial inspector rather than someone at the dealership. AAA has something like that, but I need to call and set it up. Costs about $89 and last about 1 1/2 hours.

- Of course continued to work on my garden...everything is growing...harvesting lettuce and peas...spread the pine mulch/chips I got from the men who took down Elanie's pine tree - the smaller branches were run through a chipper etc. and they dumped it all in my driveway - took me 5 days to move it all and psread it around my yard and gardens. These were the same men who took down the willow tree that had fallen on Alba's garage (riddle with ants). They also took down two trees on my side of the fence as well ($525), and so now there is a lot more sunlight in the back yard especially in the late afternoom etc. The trees were close (within 5 - 10 feet) of the house and though not diseased I figured it was best to get them removed...one was a maple, the other an ash and both were about 25 - 35 feet high. That was another project that occurred during the past three months.

I have 14 tomatoe plants and I don't like tomatoes. This year seems like everyone kept giving me the plants and I couldn't just let them die. Oh well the ladies next door will be making sauce...that I will eat...I just don't like tomatoes raw. I also have zucchini, beans (four varieties - green pole, green bush, yellow bush and italian flat beans), cucumbers, lettuce (red & green), parsnips, radishes and green peppers.

Hmmm I was going to upload a picture of the garden...but it probably was too big. Something I will have to check out later.

Seems that my weeks are spent running here and there...much too much and I don't have time to spend on the computer, my stories or my genealogy (there is a reunion coming up too!!!...arghhhh!!!). I have a drawer full of photos I need to scan and tabulate and print. I wish there was a way to print off my Family Tree easily...the All-in-One measures about 20 ft by 13 ft and printing that all on legal size paper then taping them all together doesn't enthused me. I did that once when it was 13 ft by 8 ft and doubt if I will ever again.

Well I'm about done for now...time for more coffee...and it is now 84 degrees outside...

Hypocrites!!

2005-03-12T07:38:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the Onondaga Nation a leading member of the once mighty Iroquios Confederacy filed a massive Land Claim against the State of New York and it's local governmental bodies. They did so saying that they did not wish to evict anyone nor seek monetary rewards, but primarily to force the State etc to bargain with them and cleanup the environmental damage inflicted by the "evil white man" - my words - on their ancestral homeland.

Yeah Right!...it is about power, control and indeed money... based on a technicality in treaties signed long ago by their ancestors.

I say they are hypocrites because while on one face they proclaim themselves the pious, protectors of the environment on the other hand they make money hand over fist as on a daily basis as cars and trucks stream off Route 81 and down Route 11 to their Smoke Shop. There these same pious protectors of the environment sell to those whose ancestors robbed them of their land various tobacco products which not only pollutes the very same environment (cigarette butts, smoke etc) they claim to cherish, but also causes immense burdens on our health system. For Gods sake these people are selling a known drug and carcinogen with impunity and though legal who knows how much death and suffering they have caused as a result.

Righteous indeed, pious protectors of the environment, please the Onondagas an Indian Nation seek only to line their pockets, the pockets of hypocrites.

Why is feeling good and looking good so much work?

2005-03-11T03:58:00.000-05:00

Sigh...today I start my new vitamin/supplement routine. I've decided that just taking a multi just isn't cutting it so now I shall endeavor to consume the following on a daily basis:

1 Lipitor (Would like to get off this...at least it is the lowest dose 10 mg)
1 Multi-Vitamin & Mineral w/ Beta Carotene
2 Folic Acid (400 mcg each)
1 Flaxseed Oil (1000 mg)
1 B-Complex with C
1 Fish Oil - Omega 3 Fatty Acids (1000 mg)
1 Coenzyme Q10 (75 mg)

Most are centered around controlling my cholestrol, benefiting my circulatory system & heart and of course stress (Vitamin B-Complex). The Folic Acid was the Doctor's advice when I started taking Lipitor, the rest is my own from reading and trying to figure out what I should or shouldn't take. Yesterday I created a chart listing the ingrediants of each of the pills I was about to take and what a surprise it was to find that the multi-vitamin I was/am taking didn't provide at least 100% of the daily recommend dose for some vitamins. Granted others in the vast list were more than 100% but several - Vitamin K (35%), Calcium (4%), Biotin (10%), Iron (50%), Phosphorus (3%), Magnesium (25%), Mangenese (42%) and Chromium (22%). Of course I have next to no clue as to what all of these things are for or more precise their benefit, but wouldn't you think that a multi-vitamin would have at least 100% or the daily recommended dose?

Of course they probably figure that a normal person will achieve the normal dose via the course of their day and what they consume. Then of course there is the fiber...must get 25 grams of fiber each day. Not an easy thing to do sometimes, but we try.

I've also decided to FAST one day a week. We'll see how that goes...LOL

I am suppose to be walking as well - 5 miles day. But that hasn't happened. For a week I walked about 2.5 miles each day and then the weather turned cold and snowy and my body began to protest the demands I was placing on it, so we sort of went into hibernation as far as walking is concerned. It is too damn cold! Right now it is 17 degrees. Plus the walking I did do I think may have pulled a muscle or aggravated an already existing condition...leaving me with a nagging dull ache, which is getting annoying. Since I suspect it might be a hernia, I hesitate to go to the Doctor's, but will wait and see if rest and relaxation and possibly low impact exercise will resolve the issue. If it doesn't then I guess we will be going to the Doctor, which brings up other issues as how does one pay for it.

My insurance which I currently have is good until April 30th, actually it is good until March 31st at the moment, I'll get a monthly bill for April later on this month and if I pay it then I will have coverage until April 30th. The search for Health Insurance isn't going very well, especially when I find that some programs administered by the State, aren't accepted at various Hospitals and Offices around here...so I'm looking for an independant policy, one that will cover Hospital stays etc, but probably not Doctor's visits, or Prescriptions.

Sometimes I wonder is it worth it all?

In like a Lion & out like a Lamb?

2005-03-01T11:10:00.000-05:00

There is an old saying that if March comes "In like a Lion, it'll go out like a Lamb". Well I certainly hope so. I had thought that winter was getting behind us, but No, that couldn't be the case as today's weather indicates...snow...snow...snow and now more snow perdicted for later in the week (Lake Effect)...ahhhh the joys of living in Central New York.

I need to get busy on a number of issues and a number of fronts. So many tasks to do, that I tend to procrastinate writing lists of things to do and then revising them, so that in the end nothing gets done. High on that list now is finding affordable Health Insurance - How's that for a paradox? "Affordable Health Insurance"...the COBRA Coverage will run out come April 30th, so I have two months to find something or go without. Last year I spent about $4100 on Health/Dental Insurance, who knows what an individual policy will cost me. And being 50, soon to be 51, it is a long time till I'm 65 and eligible for Medicare...if it is even there when I get there.

Then there is the Doctor and his efforts to get me to lose weight and so forth...unfortunately at my last visit (early Feb) everything went up...blood sugar, cholestrol, blood pressure...and so on...not the direction one wants to be headed in, especially if one is without Health Insurance. I need to get off my butt and increase my activity levels...then maybe I'd lose weight or something. He (the Dr.) wants me to walk 5 miles a day, every day, unless there is a thunderstorm...ever try walking through snow clogged streets and unshoveled sidewalks? Beside I need to show some progress since I see him again in May.

Ahhh to be young, a kid again "If I knew then what I know now" so many, many things would be different I'm sure. So if that is the case why not just make the changes now? Because back then we were carefree, now we have responsibilities to ourself and others...I need to rebel....throw offf the yoke of RESPONSIBILITY and become carefree and reckless, with out regard to how things look or the impact they'd have on others sighhhh. Hmmmm...maybe I'm in the midst of a mid-life crisis. Of course if I were I wouldn't think I was nor think I might be so then I guess I'm not and I'm just plain old me...boring me...

I think I'll go back to me lists now...

Early Morning Musings

2005-01-29T06:56:00.000-05:00

These sub-zero temperatures just don't want to go away! Yesterday it was -16 when I got up at 6AM, today its -1 an improvement yes, but not much. But good news is on the way, by the early part of next week we should be in more seasonable temperatures, the 20's and 30's.

Checked on the parents house yesterday and started their car. Had to trudge through snowbanks (about 3-4 feet high) where the plow had gone by then walk up the driveway through about two feet of snow to the back door. At least there the wind was such that most of the snow had drifted awy from the house. Then it was in the house, get the keys and then through the snow again to the back driveway where the car sat - a red cadillac - which they bought just before they left for Texas. Earlier I was going to remove the battery and bring it down to my house where it'd stayed warm and charged only in a cadillac the nbattery is located under the back seat and there did not appear to be an easy way to remove it (once I found it). So it remains and I go up and let the car run awhile every other week or so. Maybe this year when they get back the car battery won't be dead, like it has been in years past.

Paper...paper...paper. Despite having computers (two), the paper just continues to build up. Whomever predicted that computers would create a paperless society was way off the mark. Not only my own, but Thelma's as well. Still trying to get her organized and sorted and systems set up for bills and pills. A long term process. And now I'm about to go through my neighbors Medicare and Supplemental Insurance papers to see what has, hasn't or doesn't need to be paid. She gets a letter stating they are reviewing her claims - AFTER - they have sent her a statement saying they paid the claim, which the previous letter states they are reviewing. I hope when I am 70, 80, 90 years old there is someone around who will be able to act as an advocate and figure out what these doctors, hospitals and insurance companies are doing and saying...LOL If I make it that long.

People are posting again in the Tomb. I need to write, get lost in my thoughts and worlds of my making. Had intended too yesterday, but things got involved and interferred and then there is the truck. I keep wondering if it will die the next time I drive it...sigh. It runs good and is in good shpae but I have a high pitched whine or hum coming from the engine. Seems to be more active during cold vs warm weather. And after yesterday I've decided that it probably has something to do with the accelerator and fuel injection system. Since it tends to happen once the engine has warmed up and when you gradually accelerate from a light or slow traffic. Then if you quickly rev the engine it stops or sometimes release the gas pedal it stops. So with this newly determine information maybe the garage can fix it. The last time they could not find anything. So I will write things out relaying my observations and see what happens besides it is time for an oil change, lube and filter and who knows what else...50,000 mile check up I suppose. It is a 1997 Ford Ranger, I don't drive it much...LOL.

NYS Dysfunctional continued....

2005-01-22T10:17:00.000-05:00

More on my Dysfunctional NYS Government. I was so annoyed at their letter that I wrote an email to one of our local TV Stations. They have a piece called “Your Stories” which is essential tips received from their viewers concerning local issues or other matters to which the consumer or taxpayer can’t get a straight answer or resolution. So I emailed them asking them about this Dear Taxpayer letter I had received. They called me the very same day and to make a long story short...

No one knew anything about the letter, they interviewed me and it was broadcast on the evening news and they contacted the New York State Tax Department. Seems that in an effort to save about $1 Million in printing and mailing costs they decided to send these letters out instead of the forms, only most of the letters were mailed so late that they will arrive after the deadline for ordering...so Thanks to my inquiry and the TV Station's (WIXT TV9) follow-up, the New York State Tax Department has rescinded the deadline and you can order the forms to be mailed to you indefinitely.

I recorded my brief two minutes of fame and now have to figure out a way to copy just the portions I want and delete the rest. Plus they have been broadcasting the story (not my interview) almost non stop for the past few days to ensure that everyone knows you can still get the tax forms.

* ~ * ~ *

Tis cold...brrrrrrr, as I type this it is minus 8 and we are expecting 8 – 10 inches of snow later this afternoon...sighhh. I have so many things I need to do – outside – too! I need to go up to my father’s and start their car and check on the house as it has been awhile, but it’s cold and my truck doesn’t like the cold. I have a high pitched whining noise (and no it isn’t from the driver’s seat *smile*), coming from the engine...sporadic and usually when it is cold out, yet the engine is warm. Doesn’t seem to happen when you first start the truck or first drive it only after it has warmed up a bit. During the warmer weather it doesn’t happen. I think it has something to do with the emissions system as if you step on the gas it goes away, sometimes. It is driving me crazy as you never know when or if it will occur and just as you think it isn’t...it does. It’s annoying. I had the Dealer (where I have most of the maintenance done etc) check it out once but they did not find anything.

Now if I could win the Lottery I could buy a new car/truck. After all it is a 1997 Ford Ranger with about 51,000 miles on it and still in very good condition. Should be able to get a fairly decent trade in on it...or I should just keep it and get it refurbished and drive it into the ground...sighhh.

NYS Dysfunctional Govt

2005-01-14T07:07:00.000-05:00

Idiots! Yesterday (13th) I receive a "Dear Taxpayer" notice from NYS Department of Taxation, seems they have decided to save on printing and mailing costs by - NOT - mailing tax forms to NYS Taxpayers this year. If you want them, you have to order them. Who in their right mind "wants" Tax Forms, maybe someone who is getting a refund which might be an underlying reason why they are not mailing them...the longer it goes the less likely NYS Taxpayers will claim their funds quickly thus allowing our dysfunctional and financially strapped state to hold on to the money. Not only that but the notice gave you an option to order the forms by calling a toll free number - but you had to do it by the 14th - I just got the notice for Gods sake!

So I called late last night - my forms will be prepared for mailing on January 27th...if I'm lucky I'll get them by mid-February. Yeah Right! Just another example of how our Government here in NY strives to make things easy for it's residents...NOT!

Opinions

2005-01-11T08:43:00.000-05:00

I have all these opinions in my head and a need to write a few (?) letters to the Editor. At times it can be a drag being so opinionated and yet not expressing it, keeping it in, buried beneath my thoughts. Perhaps a Journal would help...where I would write these thoughts down for clarification and expansion later? Or I could put them here, but who would be interested in my opinions about the political infighting between the City and County, the School District which thinks the solution to all its problems and the lack of education of it's students is to spend more and more money, then there is the Federal Government and the myriad issues there. Though I did write an email recently - when the Democrats in the House and (1) Senator object to Ohio's Electoral votes...I sent a blsitering email to Senator Boxer, Clinton and Schumer complaining that there were more important things to be debated, things that they could make a difference on...for cripes sake people are dying...I just can't fathom their priorities sometimes. One thing though it did not endear me to the Democratic Party...not that I am enamoured with the Republicans either...they have just as crazy ideas as everyone else.

Oh well maybe the journals I ordered yesterday (Lord of the Rings) will be put to some use. Most likely they will gather dust like so many other notebooks etc.

As Gandalf says "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us", the trick is in the deciding.

To the New Year!

2005-01-05T05:20:00.000-05:00

Let's see it is now January 5th, five days into the New year and I still haven't made any New years resolutions. Not that it matters much as I wouldn't keep them. But I sometimes try...I really do. So maybe we'll try again...

Resolutions (a draft list to begin with - to be editted - in no particular order):

1 - Get Finances in order, verify Budget, verify Incomes.
2 - As a result of #1 Look for a Job(???)
3 - Find God (I know he's there but we're not really communicating), or find a meaning to Life.
4 - Exercise and lose Weight (this will make my Doctor happy, not sure about me sounds like work).
5 - Get back to writing, have neglected the Tomb for too long.
6 - Find emotional satisfaction, build network of friends.
7 - Who am I? What am I? Where am I going? and Do I want to go there?
8 - Keep New Years Resolutions this year.

We've lucked out so far and are in the midst of a mild winter BIG *SMILE*, very little in the way of snow, about half if that what we should have gotten by this time this year. Plus the temps have been above normal. I'm not a fan of snow and ice and tend to want to stay indoors when it comes, I suppose that is an aspect of life that happens as we age.

I am spending time working on finances, tweaking figures, calculating budgets and so forth. It looks like (and somehow I don't believe it) I've spent more in 2004 than in 2003 and that is after excluding the unusual expenses. I have to investigate further, plus work on taxes which will be a BIG PROBLEM, since I did not pay much in advance and nobody took anything out...I figure (preliminary) I'm looking at a $5,000 bill come April - Federal and State combined. Maybe I'll luck out but I doubt it.

Snow...Snow...Snow...Brrrrrr

2004-12-19T15:39:00.000-05:00

I have shoveled for the first (and I am sure it won't be the last) time this winter season. This morning it was 38 out, now it is 14 and steadily dropping. Should be in the single digits, possibly below zero tonight and only in the single digits on Monday for a high. But after Monday things look better as we should be in the 40's by Wednesday. Still though I had to get out of the house and what better way than to shovel the three or so inches that lay on my driveway.

Now of course there are those who would tell me not to since I have a very bad cough - probably bronchitis - but they are not here to rein me in so out I went. I'll probably pay for it later.

Of course I have a story to write in...taxes to figure out...finances to budget...Christmas shopping to finish...cookies to bake etc, etc, etc.

Looks like I will be liquidating the remainder of my savings bonds before the end of the year - which is a bummer as it will boost my income for 2004, but I have a number of bills coming due - Long Term Insurance, Medical Insurance, County Property Taxes, and it doesn't look like the dividends will cover it all or at least not arrive in time to cover it all.

MUST CUT EXPENSES - first to go will be Cable...outrageous, now they are charging $122.77 a month, which I can't figure out, the bill has so many miscellaneous charges and so forth...the rates were going up in January, but from the looks of the bill it is retroactive to November????? Will be calling them anyways on Monday. Will probably cut back to Basic ($9.77 and Road Runner (ISP) $44.95) instead of the Digital Cable and Road Runner I have now...which is another problem I was paying $43.52 for my Road Runner, but now it looks like I'm paying $44.95. My bill for December was a combined $92.77, now it is a combined $122.77 - $30 more and it doesn't make any sense.

You'd think that for this amount of money you'd be able to pick and chose the channels you want but NO you can't so I end up with something like 5 shopping channels and 15 sports channels none of which that I watch.

Christmas Shopping

2004-12-16T08:23:00.000-05:00

Well despite my best efforts...Christmas shopping became a necessity yesterday. Spent about seven hours going from store to mall to store. At least we had a list of things we semi-knew that we wanted and now what happens I get home and discover I missed one!!! Damn, I thought I was done. At least I have managed to cut back or so it seems yet the credit card still managed to get used...too much to my liking.

Plus...the muffler is going on the truck. Another hassle and another expense.

And while cleaning in the garage...items I thought I had secured, weren't and having only two hands instead of six I got clobbered. Now sporting about a three inch gash/cut on my head just above the right ear from a heavy metal pipe...as well as a sore throat/chest cold - not related to the cleaning of the garage.

My one fear is that the cold/cough will develop into bronchitis...just in time for Christmas. Oh Jolly! ... Jolly! at that prospect.

Wildlife

2004-12-09T06:28:00.000-05:00

Tis early morning (6:29am) and the Trashmen are coming (I suppose to be PC I should say Sanitation Engineers)...I can hear their trucks as they back up as well as when they compress the trash etc. First it will be the trash...then the recycle guys...at least this week the trash and the blue bins (recyclables) are out to the road in time. Lots of times it sits in the garage for two weeks before I get it out ... LOL I don't take it out the night before because of all the creatures out there - raccoons, skunks, cats and so forth. Living in the city and I have to deal with wild life, sometimes it is amazing. Cats I expect, skunks too...occasionally, but raccoons, woodchucks and the rest sighh, well I guess they are proving they can adapt.

Got the Christmas Cards done the other day...most anyway...still have a few last minute ones to do after verifying addresses etc. Have finally used up all the pre-printed ones and have had to resort to the non-pre-printed ones. Now to wrap up the few gifts that I have had to buy and wrap up a couple of packages to mail.

Still haven't written in the Tomb...this writer's block or lack of motivation is killing me. So is my body...but that is another story.

Regrets...we all have em'

2004-12-01T04:06:00.000-05:00

Well I actually feel as if I accomplished something - wrote two long overdue letters - one had been waiting for almost 11 months... :-( , the other only about three weeks... :-)

But now they are done, now to think, mind you I said think about Christmas cards. usually I have them done and out by now, but I'm giving serious thoughts to cutting back this year. I have already done so with my gift giving having arranged with many to NOT exchange gifts. Now I wonder if I am going to the extreme...I mean I am not working, I am so called retired, but 65 is a long ways away and to pay the bills etc isn't as easy as it used to be when the cash assets were just sitting in the Bank. Now one has to decided which assets to sell and when is the best time to do so...a dilemma sometimes a hassle always.

Regrets? I have many I'm afraid. Things I could have done differently, people, places etc. That old addage - If I knew then what I know now, is so, so true. Of course had I done things differently I might not be where I am today. Nor know the people I know today...hmmm on one hand there are the numerous missed opportunities and relationships on the other hand there is what you have today and the question - would it be that much different had I....???

Gone to College...moved to Buffalo...answered the door...set aside my inhibitions, if only just once or twice...went out for Sports during High School...if I didn't drop that Advanced Placement course...if I didn't say no and not go to that party...if I had spent less and saved more...gone to Church and really learned what religion is all about...

The list can go on and on and I can torment myself with any number of what ifs, but I can also decide today that things will change and I will live based on who I am, who the REAL me is...if I can find the REAL me.

Or I could make a list of all the things I have never done...or ever wanted to do...hmmm

The Art of Procrastination

2004-11-27T15:21:00.000-05:00

Procrastination, a facet of my life that I excell at. But maybe just maybe the log jam is about to break, at least I have finally written a letter to a former co-worker that has been languishing beside the computer for about 11 months. Now maybe I can write a couple of more letters and get back into the appropriate frame of mind to write in the Tomb.

I have taken to creating a list of things to do in a steno notebook - a list of things I need to do for myself - does not include things I do for others. So far I am up to six pages of things to do, investigate or other wise accomplish. I suppose I could put the list here, but why would I and who would be interested in reading it?

I'm frustrated...physically and mentally and I need to release. When it comes down to it - I don't really know what I want or have ever wanted out of "Life". I've kept things hidden inside me for so long that I've lost it. Lost my soul, my "me". Maybe lost is too strong a word, perhaps I have misplaced it...like Anthony Quinn says to the Doctor, the wife of the Reporter when she questions him about Love etc in the movie The Shoes of the Fisherman...he says words to the effect that perhaps Love is not lost just misplaced and that all she has to do is find it once more...so maybe I haven't lost my "me", just misplaced it and have find it to truly know what will make me happy and content.

Christmas Indecisions

2004-11-26T07:25:00.000-05:00

Today, the day after Thanksgiving the "official" start of the Christmas shopping season, only I don't have to participate. All year long I have been hinting and at times requesting that no gift exchanges occur between me and others...sort of a one man effort to cut down on the stress and hassle of finding that "perfect" gift for each person. Last year there were close to 20 or so people on my list, now that is down to about 7. Plus those 7 will be simple, in fact most are already done. I've tried to cut back (well being unemployed/retired) one has to make sacrifices and limit the gift giving to kids and a select few. Calendars - National Geographic - are great gift ideas that last all year and are relatively easy, that and Yankee Candles and of course for the kids US Savings Bonds. And there you have it...no hassles...it is all done.

Then why am I beginning to feel an urge to splurge? Probably all the Thanksgiving hype/Christmas Sales and the effort of the Retail Establishment to brainwash us into thinking if you don't shop and spend, spend, spend, then you are not celebrating Christmas. Well I'm resisting that idea and will seek to celebrate Christmas in my own way...now to deal with the issue of decorating the house, putting up a tree and so forth. May put out some decorations in the house, but may not put up the tree...limited space and well, it is time consuming to put it up and then take it down after...a ceramic Christmas Tree may have to suffice this year.

Turkey Day

2004-11-25T10:53:00.000-05:00

Turkey Day!!!

37 degrees outside right now, down from a high of 61 at 2:00am. Raining too, though they expect that to change to lake effect snow by late afternoon, probably about the time I sit down to eat.

Ahhh, winter is coming, snow, sleet and ice.

OK OK I know that this is lame. Now that I have created this Blog I need to learn how to use it and how to voice my until now "silent" opinions and thoughts.

Early Morning Insomnia

2004-11-25T00:59:00.000-05:00

Ever have one of those nights? Of course you have, everyone does at one time or another. Only I wasn't until the phone rang at 12:03 am EST. The winter Texans calling from Florida and wanting to talk which wasn't bad, it was good to hear from them and both sounded well or at least they seemed to be over their colds etc and were having a good time ... now though I'm thinking of where to look for the keys they need and the rest, more things to look for and send on if found and of course a night of sleepless tossing and turning, the mind whirring for one thought to another ... money ... life ... home ... things to do and the end result is that everything is still there, still unfinished the next morning.

Thoughts of stories, twists and turns, all in my head all at once and none written on paper or the computer...maybe, just maybe I'll remember enough to spark my creative juices and finally write that long overdue post in the Tomb.

Oh well, I guess we'll start all over tomorrow and maybe just maybe get something done...at least my vacuuming and my dishes are done and tomorrow/today is Thanksgiving - Turkey Day - and I shall spend it among family.