That’s the way I am!
The expected did happen. Gladys was moved into the Health Care unit of her retirement community the other day (2/19). The doctor is operating on her back this afternoon and we hope that it will do her some good. She has had two other operations on her back just like the one today (cracked vertbrae) and both times the pain was eliminated (for the most part).
Jerilyn has come down with a cold (from me) and is working her way thru it. She is putting up a valiant fight, but you just have to suffer thu the thing like everyone else. Mine lasted about a week. I hope she has the same experience. Sometimes, a cold can last forever. She worries about giving it to her mother and not about how bad she feels. It is a habit of her’s to put others first. It’s great for the other folks, but not so great for her. I shouldn’t complain she always puts me first. What a wonderful person she is.
For the last few mornings anywhere from 10 -30 ducks fly into our backyard and eat the tiny acorns that fall from our tree overnight. They eat frantically, gobbling down as many as they can before their comrades can eat them all up. Then, almost on signal, they fly away, landing in the the canal about 50 feet away. I don’t mind the ducks, it’s the geese I dislike, they poop all over the place. I do enjoy watching the wildlife around our place. The squirrels constantly entertain us, the birds are a pleasure to watch, the Great Blue Herons are a delight and the occassional raccoon and possum are observed cautiously. For the most part, all of them are constantly looking for food. I guess that’s the way it is in the wild. Come to think of it, that’s the way I am!
Well, the tax season for me is well under way. I have finished ours and all that is left to do is sending it out. Gladys’ information has been delivered to the tax firm along with her husbands estate. I have finished my daughter’s taxes and they have been filed. What a relief it will be when all of this is over with. I do think that I will go back to Turbo Tax next year. Tax Cut is strickly an interview type program, whereas, TT lets you access individual forms. It cost twice as much but I think it is probably worth it. I dunno, I’ll have to give that “twice as much†idea some thought.
I watched the debate the other night between Hillary & Obama. I am having a lot of difficulty making up my mind about who to vote for. I want to vote for McCain but I’m having trouble with doing that. I do not want another president that “shoots from the hipâ€. From all I have read about him, he is a hothead and does not tolerate dissention. Hillary will say and do anything to get elected. I think she should have divorced Bill years ago (not politically expedient). There is something about her I don’t like but I cannot quite tell what it is. Obama is a likeable fellow. He appears quite intelligent and seems to have a cure for every ill. I worry that he will spend too much time trying to help people that do nothing to help themselves. I would like to see an orderly withdrawl from Iraq (but not like Vietnam), every kid under 18 with unlimited health insurance, and dealer penalties for every car sold that weighs over 2500 lbs and gets less that 37 mpg. I would like to see a balanced budget required and tax laws that are fair to all. I am not opposed to a flat tax for everyone over a certain income level. I think every adult that receives a handout from the state/federal government should have to pass a drug/alcohol test ever 4 months. If they cannot pass that test, I know what they are using their handout for and I want it stopped. I would like to win the lottery. This could go on ad infinitum. Me thinks I rant too much.
Jerilyn’s oldest grandson, Chris, celebrated his 18th birthday yesterday. What a wonderful age! I remember turning 18 on January 30th 1959 and a few days later taking the family car and driving to the local “watering hole†at a small part of our community called Red Jacket (Red Jacket Coal Co.). I walk into the joint around 5 pm, set down at the counter and ordered a beer. The waitress eyes me suspiciously, then says, “you just turn 18?†“yesâ€, says I, “do I need to show you my drives license?†She smiles mischieviously, reaches in the cooler and sets a Budwiser in front of me. I drink it slowly, pay and leave a tip, and head home, hoping Mom will not detect the smell of alcohol on my breath. I avoided her the rest of the day and my venture into adult vices went unnoticed. I was 24 before I had another beer. Nothing taste better to me, during the summer, than having a good cold beer after a hard day’s work outside.
You can find my blog at: http://tommyhale.blogspot.com/ or my pictures at: http://bipolar66.smugmug.com
I hope you’re enjoying whatever season it is in your part of the world. Thanks for reading my weekly missive.
Tommy
“Paradise is here or nowhere: You must take your joy with you, or you will never find it.” ….O.S. Marden
