Another attack in Europe, Brussels this time. It is the “new normal” in the world. We have forgotten that we have seen these times before. London and the IRA. Paris and the Algerians. The US and the Weather Underground in the 1970’s. We had all of the horror but 1/100 of the media. It didn’t seem so horrible.
I feel sorry for all the peace loving Muslims unfortunate enough to be living in the non-Muslim world. How scared you must be. Scared to let your boy play soccer. Scared to send your pretty teenage girl to school in her headscarf. And heaven forbid your mother goes to the store in a jilbab. (That is most likely limousine liberal clap trap.)
Nevertheless, Peg, remember that Mother Nature is a cruel heartless bitch.
Gotta read Heart of Darkness again. Quotes from it keep bouncing around my head.
The Weekly Special Salad – big avocado under the chicken salad.
After a three mile walk chilly walk and a short bus ride home – I stopped off at the asylum Bistro for lunch. Before I even went upstairs. Got the “special” salad. It was very good.
All Good and All Gone, Except for the Orange Stuff.
I don’t usually do salad dressing, and I never do orange dressing. Reminds me of what was called “French” dressing back in the day. And, it surely was reason enough for the French to consider us uncivilized barbarians.
A windy, chilly, day and I am watching turkey buzzards circling around. Not cool having buzzards circling the asylum!
Walked from the hospital to the lawyer’s office. Then continued on to 7 Corners. Where I checked out Danskos. They didn’t have any. Then, I ran to catch a bus to the asylum. Would have missed the bus – except – there was construction. So, I was able to get ahead of the bus.
Interesting. For many years, I lived 2 blocks from that shopping center. And, I am sure that I always drove to the shopping center. I was SO suburban then. In 2002, the Beltway Sniper took down #12 at our shopping center.
Those were really grim days for me. Mom had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Carlton didn’t seem to care very much. People were being shot at random. Carlton did care about that either. He said I was getting all worked up about things I couldn’t do anything about. Which was true. I wanted sympathy. Not “Put your big girl panties on!”
About shoes. I ordered a new pair of Sanita clogs from Zappos. Dansko clogs used to really be Sanita clogs. About five years ago – they went their separate ways. My hope is that the Sanitas will be exactly like my old Danskos. I figure Zappos sells lots of shoes and theirs might be “fresh”. And, at my age – how long do they have to last anywhy?
I loved those Samoan bats – the things that look like fruit are really bats.
Mentally, I am better today. But, I was pretty sure I would be. It is still cold and rainy. Except for a little brisk walk to the grocery – I stayed in today. Way in. As in, in my apartment. I went to the gym at 0615 and knocked off my 10,000 Fitbit steps. Plus got some good endorphins running around the brain. Then I went to breakfast. And off to the grocery next. Then I went into my apartment – closed and locked the door and I have been in here ever since. I made my own lunch and got room service to bring me soup and sandwich for dinner. Sunday dinner in the restaurant is a zoo, because only one restaurant is open. Room service works great – it just costs $4. Well, I’ll cheerfully pay $4 to avoid having to deal with the crowd. I know Carlton – you are kicking up a fuss over there in Georgetown. Trust me. I can afford $4. For what I paid to park your car at our old apartment – I can have room service EVERY night.
So, I napped. I listened to a audiobook. I read and I messed around with my photographs from last year. Hence, the bat picture. And, the American Samoan Mickey D’s on Xmas Morning. I think I had Xmas breakfast there. Gotta love Egg McMuffin and Coffee any morning of the year.
The new, post tsunami, Mickey’s in exciting downtown Pago Pago.
Tomorrow is another day and another week. Lots to do at work. And, I learned a good lesson today. I can stay in my room. I don’t do group things well. I never did group things well. And, now I live in a great big group home. It is necessary for me to get away from my 500+ new best friends from time to time. And, Sunday is a good day to withdraw from the community.
This widow business sucks. Carlton was high maintenance. It was “The Carlton way or no way”. But, damn, after 18 months – I still miss having him around. Having someone who knew me better than I knew myself watching my back. Today, I feel like I am furiously swimming against the current – making no progress. But, I have to remember that soon another wave will come along and get me unstuck.
And, it doesn’t matter that there are 500 plus friendly neighbors right here at the asylum.
Positives: I got the tax stuff done today. Maybe that is why I am feeling a little depressed. And, I started the day off with an hour on the treadmill. Plus it is cold and rainy outside. Wait – this was supposed to be about positives.
Think I’ll head downstairs and see what the dinner special is… But, I am thinking I’ll eat in tonight. And read. I miss talking to Carlton about what we were reading. Nevermind that I had to get the books for him and put them on his Kindle.
There is no dinner special tonight. I shall fix my own supper. And hopefully, by tomorrow morning – I will have escaped from this “grief hold down”.
Update on the Shoe Failure. Apparently it is not unique to Dansko. The material used for soles just “dies”. Suddenly. Guess I am lucky that just one corner of mine turned to dust. (So far.) And, these shoes seem to die quicker if they are not used. Which makes sense – since they were left in the closet all the time I was in Hawai’i. If I get a new pair – how will I know if they are “fresh”? I would hate to get a pair that had been in a warehouse for 4 years.
My clogs were a little muddy. So, I was giving them a little wash. To my surprise – one of the heels was completely worn out. And, it seems to have a monster stone wedged in a hole.
So, I guess I need new clogs. Who know those things would ever wear out? And upon research – it seems that these things can not be resoled since neither Dansko or their arch rival Sanita sell the soles to repair shops. Also, research indicates that these soles disintegrate suddenly.
Ah, the problems of being a car-free person. Your shoes are really important.
The DC Metro was broken today. I used that as an excuse to telecommute. Getting to work is much more work than it was from my last two apartments. It is 3.5 miles to walk or 2 bus rides.
Last night a dinner, I was eating alone – which is fine with me. A couple of old ladies were discussing their adventures as Army nurses during WWII at the next table. One of the women apparently spent most of her time in New Guinea. My Father was in New Guinea during WWII. And, this same woman mentioned that she had joined the Army to escape West Virginia. I was born in WV. My Mother was born in WV.
So, I had to ask “Where in WV?”. Williamson says the old lady. She was born in 1921; so was MomIda. I tell her about my Mom being born in Williamson. Figured I shouldn’t spring my Dad and New Guinea on her. We were both a little amazed by the WV connection. I’ll tell her about Dad someday soon. She mentioned having relatives in Ashland, Ky. I think I do too. Seems to me that Phyllis and I might share a cousin or two. Or she and Dad might have done the nasty in darkest New Guinea. Or both.
Phyllis is 95 years old. She says she has had a grand and glorious life and she is damn pissed that it is coming to an end. She circumnavigated the globe alone twice in her 80’s. Once by freighter. And, a second time by plane.
This wasn’t here when I went to Hawai’i… on the walk home.
Went to yoga after work today and then walked home. Didn’t make it home until 3PM. So, I missed my nap. Sort of missed lunch too. Soon, I’ll head down to dinner.
Waiting on the bus at O-Dark Hundred this morning, I ran into another inmate. She is only 61 and still works downtown. Her husband is “older”. So was mine.
Went to a little meeting about our “dining options” late this afternoon. Most interesting thing – they serve about 1,300 meals every day here at the asylum.
After a night over water – my first stop in Portland was Voodoo Doughnut – visittheir web page and you’ll see why I had to go. It was just a little shop in a rather “sketchy” part of town – my kind of place.
Some additional photos:
Voodoo Doughnut – most folks seem to buy’em by the box.Voodoo Doughnut – Chuckles was my starter husband!Voodoo Doughnut – more choicesVoodoo Doughnut – I sort of wanted this bad boy with bacon.Voodoo Doughnut – but, I went with my favorite – cake with chocolate. And coffee.
Woke up from a little nap this afternoon and discovered that the lights were off in the kitchen. I figured that maybe, unbeknownst to me, the lights were on some sort of motion detector. Upon closer inspection… I discovered that all the electricity in the unit was out. The hall was fully powered. But none of us had electric in our units. No one seems very worried. So, I am not worried either.
As for taxes. Box 13 on the 1099-INT may just drive me to a CPA.
Box 13. For a tax-exempt covered security, shows the amount of premium amortization allocable to the interest payment(s). If an amount is not reported in this box for a tax-exempt covered security acquired at a premium, the payer has reported a net amount of interest in box 8 or 9, whichever is applicable. If the amount in this box is greater than the amount of interest paid on the tax-exempt covered security, the excess is a nondeductible loss. See Regulations section 1.171-2(a)(4)(ii).
Yeah right. It is a new box. And, I am not sure that TurboTax is doing it correctly. That was causing my issue with the VA taxes.
About the picture: Since I am powerless at the instant – I picked this one off the server. It is a poor fish picture from 2001 – but I like all the people – who a clueless about the fish right under their feet. There is a lesson there.
I worked on the taxes ALL day. Except for a lunch break. I might have to get a CPA. Because rich white folks live in the type of asylum that I live in – ie – a not for profit CCRC or Continuing Care Retirement Community – living in one is “tax advantaged” to say the least. The rich white folk have waged many a battle with the IRS to preserve these benefits. But – filling out the IRS forms correctly – that isn’t well documented anywhere. And, it is past TurboTax’s pay grade. Even most deluxest TurboTax. But, the way I read things – I can deduct about 1/3 of my monthly bill as “medical expense” – because the asylum adds up what they spend on medical care in the year. They divide that by the number of residents and each resident gets that amount to put on their tax return as a “medical expense”. Never mind that I didn’t get as much as an aspirin from the asylum. Only rich folk could think up this scheme. On dumb folks wouldn’t take advantage of it. Even if I have to hire a CPA to make it work.
I spent a frightening 30 minutes after dinner. I stopped in the gym for a little time on the dreadmill. The gym was completely empty. Which was good. But, it was during the time of day when the TVs are all on FoxNews. The Donald was on. I will not compare The Donald to Hitler again. Hitler was a much better speaker. But, they both look a little strange…
After 30 minutes, I ran out of the gym. 30 minutes of The Donald completely wiped out the good effect of my dinner of chili, red wine, cheesecake and coffee. (I told you, the asylum is not the food police.)
Note to Carlton: You were always in charge of changing the clocks. And we had a lot more clocks than I have. Well, when I went to Hawai’i – it was still Daylight Savings Time. So, when I got home last Sunday, I didn’t change any clocks. And tomorrow – they will all be right. You are horrified I know.
As for the taxes: I have sort of finished them. Tomorrow is for checking. And rechecking. I was always pretty sure that TurboTax knew what it was doing – but this year – I am not so sure. I am used to checking my own work. But, this year – not so sure about TT’s logic. On the Virginia return. Not the Federal one.
TurboTax and I started on my taxes today. At 3PM – I had made a dent in the taxes, but had less than a mile on the FitBit. So, I walked around the Asylum enough times to click over 10,000 steps. 700 PegSteps around the exterior of the building. It was 72 degrees. And sunny.
Still working at really settling into the Asylum – my home for the rest of my life. While my unit was being cleaned I went downstairs for a second breakfast. 99 cents gets you a big bowl of good oatmeal – with raisins, pecans, and honey. And a cup of passable coffee. Not too shabby. I may have mentioned – the asylum’s food service is rather like a country club. I have a $400 a month minimum at the restaurants. I think that would be 404 bowls of oatmeal a month.
Tomorrow is another day of doing the taxes.
Note to Carlton: I think you would like it here. Or maybe not. There are no tennis courts across the street. You loved the tennis courts as much as I loved the Metro entrance just outside the back door. And, there isn’t any good place to ride a bike. But, there is the ice cream machine. And all the desserts you want at lunch and dinner. They are not food police around here.
Did another exploration around the new ‘hood this morning. I went to the local branch of the Arlington (that would be my former county) library to renew my card and confess that I had moved out of the county. The Glencarlyn Branch is 1.3 miles away from the asylum so a trip to the library knocks out half of my minimum daily mileage. It is a sweet little library. Problem with the walk is – it is very hilly. Lots of ups and downs both directions.
Started sneaking up on the taxes. And went to a coffee, a cocktail gathering, and finally had dinner in the dreaded “Formal Dining Room” – no denim, shorts or t-shirts allowed. Four of the more reputable residents provided enough cover for me to sneak in under the radar, in a denim skirt no less.
I am starting to feel better about living here. I still hate the location. But, the older I get the less important the location will be. And, until I get “housebound” – I’ll just deal with the location. They feed me – too well actually. They clean my apartment. They supply all the utilities. They even supply toilet paper and light bulbs. And, I am surrounded by 500 of my “oldest” friends. Nobody gets out alive.
