In this part of the U.S. this week is the winter school vacation. This dates back to the 1970s when there was an energy shortage and closing the schools this week saved a week of expensive heating of the schools. For those of you not in the U.S. the third Monday in February is an annual Monday holiday related to George Washington’s (our first President back in the 1780s) birthday which is February 22. It is still officially called “George Washington’s Birthday”, but since the purpose of it is to celebrate all of our Presidents, it is commonly called “President’s Day”. So, around here the 3 day weekend resulting from this Monday holiday was extended to a week of no school.
While many to most people are off from work on Monday, only those working at schools have the week off. The only connection that others have with the week off is what to do with their children while the children are off from school and they are working. Husband worked at an agency for children with mental health problems which followed a school year as it was also a school program for the children so he is used to this week being a vacation week. While he was still working and I was working full time for myself (back when we still stayed at hotels when traveling) we would go away this week to Lancaster, PA. It would be nice and quiet as was/is not a school vacation in Pennsylvania and in many other adjacent states so not many people were traveling mid week.
Husband had planned to go there for the day this coming Friday - but it is suppose to rain, so he moved it back to Tuesday (yesterday) which was suppose to be and was nice. At the last minute he changed his mind and we did not go.
Okay you are thinking - What does this have to do with organizing?
Well, a lot actually. If we are going away - even for a day - I have to plan around the trip to get done what regularly needs to be done in the house plus have everything ready for the trip. Even a day trip seems to take a bit of packing these days. I bring my work laptop, which has to be charged. I bring a small case with a spare wallet, just in case we were robbed while traveling or one of us lost their wallet and the credit cards had to be canceled. There is a credit card for me that he does have and a credit card for him that I do not have, there is extra cash, and there are assorted store cards and such which are for stores out of the area. We used to carry Travelers checks in also, but found out that no one takes them any longer so we (with much trouble) cashed them in a couple of years ago. I bring a spare set of one day’s medications - just in case. I might also have some craft business related papers so if we buy materials (fabric, wood, yarn) that will go into something we are making for sale, we will not have to pay sales tax - different forms for different states. If we are looking for something specific to buy while away we might bring something to match it to for size, color, etc. Depending on the weather we might bring warmer - or cooler coats/sweaters than we plan to wear - maybe even a rain coat when it is warmer weather if rain is possible. We also might bring a spare pair of shoes each - again depending on the weather. So much for the carefree easy travel of our younger years.
This year we have been traveling on these one day trips to Lancaster in our RV. Not that we plan to stay, but the RV is not driven enough - especially off RV season (late fall to early spring) and the engine needs the exercise. Last year we did not so this and we went to have our annual state inspection for the RV, it had not been driven enough for the tests to work, so we had to drive it locally for a few hours just to put enough mileage on it. Waste of time, waste of gas and we had to work it out so we went and came back between rush hours. So we take the RV when we go to Lancaster for day trips - well, this would have been the second time we did so. The other advantage to taking the RV is that the refrigerator can be turned on in it when we leave in the morning and will be cold by the time we are there. A can of soda for lunch will still be cold (especially if it is cold outside) when we have it and we can buy food items we like that are local to Lancaster and not available at home that need to be refrigerated and bring them home safely. (Last year when we went with the car husband bought chicken salad - he likes the type they make there and not what they make here) without the fridge and it got too hot in the cold bag in the back of the car, even with ice blocks in it and it had to be tossed.
So Monday I pointed out that if we were going away on Tuesday, we should get extra cash at the bank and did so. When we came home I packed what papers and such we would bring with us and had the laptop ready to charge. I then paid bills which were due out today so they would be ready to go out today even though we would not have been home yesterday.
Then Monday night - after not doing things I planned to do Monday so we could go away, he decided we were not going. It was a question I asked - “Do we need to take the stuff we stored in the RV out of it?” There is all sorts of stuff for the RV that we keep in the house when traveling (in the dining room) and then put in it for the off season so we have a nice dining room for the holidays. He thought about it and the fact it was raining and decided not to go.
So I got a day to work at home that I had not planned on.
I managed to finish filling the corporation tax forms for a client - due March 15. I still have to proofread it (and check the numbers and math) and print it all out, but the hard part is done.
I have been working on storing the Christmas stuff. I took the ornaments off the dining room tree and took the tree apart to store. It goes in a cardboard octagonal box (opens down the length of the box) which then “slides” into a carry bag (opens on one end). It has never been easy to get it into the box - much squeezing and many hand scratches and packing tape to hold the box together and then hard to get the box into the bag. This year the entire setup exploded - okay, part was my fault. I thought there were 3 sections to the tree (in height) and there are four. I was so confused that the tree section was longer than the box that the box got ripped apart on one end from my attempts. Even after I figured it out and took the 2 sections apart - the box was far gone. I then tried to tie each of the tree sections together so the branches would be compacted into place for storage - did not work either. I finally sort of got the box together - much packing tape - and still it only fit partway into the bag as the box was not as compact as it should be. I gave up - the entire thing was put downstairs on the box the main tree is stored in, as is.
I packed up the large figures we have in the living room. Someone husband worked with would give him these figures as a Christmas gift. Somehow they grew on us and we kept them even though we would not have bought them - well... It started with a Santa who is about 3 or 4 feet tall. He was joined by a wooden elf a bit shorter. Then a Santa who is a bear with toys and a bird in a cage. I had made separately and unrelated an elf who is making a doll - he joined the others instead of sitting standoffishly across the room. We found a small plastic Santa from when husband was a boy. I liked a girl elf figure that finally came down cheaper enough (well below 50% off) who joined them. Add 2 angel bears and it is a friendly group. It goes where a chair is moved to the dining room during Christmas to get it out of the way. They are also stored on top of the box for the main Christmas tree - in large plastic bags.
Then I took the small figures - mostly bears (oh, the angels above join them in storage) and stored them in their box in the basement. Our Christmas stockings (embroidered and commercial) and some other “soft” decorations I have made store in the box with them.
Three fancy gift boxes I use for storage have been packed with the items stored in them each year and are upstairs for storage when the Teddy Village comes down (they go in the trunk the village is on).
While doing the laundry now, I brought up the last 2 boxes to store Christmas decorations in - except the bear village. I will pack these two over the next couple of days.
So, we missed out on a day trip, but I have made good use of the day we were home instead - and kept working until it was done .
To feel a bit like we had a trip we went out to dinner tonight to a fancier (more expensive) Asian buffet tonight. The really nice one is much more than we felt like spending this year (technically this is our Christmas dinner out) so we went to one in between. Very nice and much better than the ones we go to normally. It made him happy and it that is worth it.
THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK -
1 - Even short day trips work better with a bit of planning.
2 - When one gets an unexpected day to get work done - get as much done as possible.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Thursday, February 15, 2018
INCOME TAXES ARE HERE AGAIN
Well it is February and time to think about (at least here in the US) income taxes. With the exception of a few rare documents, most of the forms about your income were required to be mailed to you by January 31 and you should have received them.
Again, while I am an accountant and tax preparer of over 40 years, nothing should be taken as specific income tax advice and you should consult someone who can help you with your personal situation. The information I am giving is general information to help you organize what you need for your income taxes - this varies greatly depending on one’s individual circumstances.
The most common forms that people receive about their income are the forms W2 for wages and withholding from their employer, a variety of different forms with the number 1099 (dividends, interest, capital gains, pension, IRA, and other types of income), and if one has an interest in a partnership, a “subchapter S corporation”, a trust, an estate, or an LLC form K1. (The latter are due out by March 15 as these organizations need a bit more time to prepare the forms as their tax returns have to be done first.) You know these forms have been coming in - have you collected them in one place - a folder, an envelope or some other type of holder? If not - go and find them - now. They are of the utmost importance in preparing your tax returns. These are income amounts paid to you (and/or your spouse and possibly children) and you want to check them to see if they are correct (generally they are) and have them together as these amounts have been sent to the Federal government and possibly also your state to be matched up with your tax return when you file. It is better not to miss any - but if you do, you will hear about it and receive a correction to your return.
If you have medical insurance through the ACA Healthcare Marketplace(aka Obamacare) you will receive a form 1095 which is needed to calculate if you received the correct amount of advanced credit to offset your medical insurance costs - or if you owe money on same or are entitled to a larger credit.
Now that is the easy part. The items you can deduct vary depending on who you are, what you do, the kind of job you have, where and how you live, etc. A summary of what you might need or have follows -
Medical expenses - records of amounts paid to doctors, dentists, pharmacies, eye glasses, medical insurance and other deductible medical expenses. Since I post my checks into a checkbook software program, I can get a printout of all the items in question. Don’t forget to include items paid by check or credit card or cash - cash being the one that is hardest to keep your receipts for. Did you know that if you can deduct your medical expenses you can deduct transportation for medical related trips? If you use your car there is per mile amount allowed plus any tolls or parking costs. If you take a taxi cab or similar or take a train a receipt from same will help you deduct these costs if your situation allows you to itemize your medical expenses. These will be needed if you itemize your deductions.
Income taxes - if all of your income taxes are withheld from your wages or other income this is easier, but many of us also pay estimated taxes during the year. While the amounts withheld will be shown on your W2 (and possibly on some 1099 forms) you have to keep track yourself of any amounts which you paid for estimated taxes - to IRS and your state (and possibly other states if you work in a state other than the one you work in). In addition to needing this information if you itemize your deductions you will need it as well as to be able to properly take credit for the taxes you have paid in against your final calculated tax for the year so that you pay the correct amount due or get the correct overpayment amount.
If you own your home and pay real estate taxes - make sure you have that amount (the changes from the tax law effect your 2018 tax, not the current tax which is your 2017 tax, so the limitations in the new law do not apply for this filing. It is deductible if you itemize your tax deductions. Also, if you have a mortgage on your home you should have received a form 1098 which will tell you how much interest you paid on the mortgage for the year so you can deduct it if you itemize your deductions.
Sales taxes based on a chart amount based on where you live and your income plus large purchases (such as a car) are deductible instead of your state and local income taxes if the sales tax amount is larger - remember this is an either or situation (either state and local incomes OR sales taxes).
There are other taxes which may be deductible depending on your state and other matters.
If you make contributions you should have received receipts for your contributions. If you contributed a monetary amount it will show how much the organization shows you contributed. (Sometimes these are end of the year statements from the organization.) If you contributed “stuff” - you know you have all the items you are clearing out of your home as you organize and you gave it to Goodwill, Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul Society, or the rummage sale at your church - you should have a receipt - but they are not allow to tell you what the items are worth. You can go to the Salvation Army’s website and find a listing of what the range of values for these items are or check the items on E-bay to see what the item is selling for.
If you have expenses related to your job - union dues, required uniforms, transportation if you travel between multiple locations other than your “commute” (first and last trip of the day), required education (but not to meet the minimum requirements of the job or to qualify for another job) and such they may be deductible this year (as of now they are not deducible next year) and can be deducted on your return as Miscellaneous deductions (there at the bottom of Schedule A). Expenses related to your income is also deductible here - your bank vault if you keep income, information you paid for to help you make investment decisions, your income tax preparation cost, and some other items.
A problem with two of the above type of deductions. With the exception of medical and “miscellaneous deductions” you can deduct what you paid. However, you can only deduct your medical expenses over a percentage of your income and the same - but a smaller percentage - with the miscellaneous deductions.
If you are paid for employee related expenses - your boss reimburses you or gives you a per diem when you travel for example - make sure to check with your tax preparer about deducting the expenses you paid. This can be done on a different form than above, up to the amount you received in reimbursement.
If you are self-employed and file Schedule C with your return, of course you also need whatever expenses you paid out for your business during the year.
Remember this year’s taxes are basically the same as last year’s. It is the returns that you will in 2019 which will reflect the changes made to the income tax law for this year - 2018. Be aware that the amounts being withheld from wages based on the new tax law may or may not be correct for you as everyone is different. I don’t have all the information to correctly prepare estimated taxes for clients who need to file them. In the past I would presume all would be the same - this year I cannot.
While the standard deduction is being raised, and along with that more people will probably be using it due to limitations on deductions - remember the standard deduction is not really being “doubled” but going up from $12,700 to $24,000 (difference of $11,300) for married couples and from $6350 to $12,000 (difference of $5650) for single people.
At the same time, as I understand it, another deduction called the “Personal Exemption” is being eliminated. For 2017 this amount was $4050 each for you - if you are filing jointly - your spouse, and for each of your dependent children. In addition if you - and your spouse if you are filing jointly - are entitled to an additional Personal exemption if you are legally blind or over age 65.
So, in 2017 a single person is entitled to $6350 plus $4050 (if they have no children and are not blind or over 65) which is a total of $10,400 - which is only $1600 less than the new standard deduction. If one is single and has a child and/or is legally blind or over 65 the new standard deduction for 2018 will be less than they could deduct for the combined 2017 standard deduction combined with the personal exemptions.
In 2017 a married couple is entitled to $12,700 plus a personal exemption each (again, if they have no children and neither is legally blind or over 65) of $4050 which comes to $20,800. This is only $3200 less than they will receive next year. Again, if there are any children or either of the spouses is legally blind or they have children - they will be deducting less in 2018 than they would be able to deduct for the combined 2017 standard deduction combined with the personal exemptions.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
Income taxes need planning before you go to your tax preparer. Make sure you have all of your income items as well as any items that you may be able to use for an itemized deduction - in case they come to more than your standard deduction, and if you are self-employed for your business related expenses.
Now is also the time to think about next year. Get a file or a large envelope - label it - and start putting in items that are related to your income taxes next year - better to throw a receipt in that is not deductible than to be missing one next year.
Again, this is general information and not tax preparation information related to you. Check with your tax preparer about your specific information needed.
Again, while I am an accountant and tax preparer of over 40 years, nothing should be taken as specific income tax advice and you should consult someone who can help you with your personal situation. The information I am giving is general information to help you organize what you need for your income taxes - this varies greatly depending on one’s individual circumstances.
The most common forms that people receive about their income are the forms W2 for wages and withholding from their employer, a variety of different forms with the number 1099 (dividends, interest, capital gains, pension, IRA, and other types of income), and if one has an interest in a partnership, a “subchapter S corporation”, a trust, an estate, or an LLC form K1. (The latter are due out by March 15 as these organizations need a bit more time to prepare the forms as their tax returns have to be done first.) You know these forms have been coming in - have you collected them in one place - a folder, an envelope or some other type of holder? If not - go and find them - now. They are of the utmost importance in preparing your tax returns. These are income amounts paid to you (and/or your spouse and possibly children) and you want to check them to see if they are correct (generally they are) and have them together as these amounts have been sent to the Federal government and possibly also your state to be matched up with your tax return when you file. It is better not to miss any - but if you do, you will hear about it and receive a correction to your return.
If you have medical insurance through the ACA Healthcare Marketplace(aka Obamacare) you will receive a form 1095 which is needed to calculate if you received the correct amount of advanced credit to offset your medical insurance costs - or if you owe money on same or are entitled to a larger credit.
Now that is the easy part. The items you can deduct vary depending on who you are, what you do, the kind of job you have, where and how you live, etc. A summary of what you might need or have follows -
Medical expenses - records of amounts paid to doctors, dentists, pharmacies, eye glasses, medical insurance and other deductible medical expenses. Since I post my checks into a checkbook software program, I can get a printout of all the items in question. Don’t forget to include items paid by check or credit card or cash - cash being the one that is hardest to keep your receipts for. Did you know that if you can deduct your medical expenses you can deduct transportation for medical related trips? If you use your car there is per mile amount allowed plus any tolls or parking costs. If you take a taxi cab or similar or take a train a receipt from same will help you deduct these costs if your situation allows you to itemize your medical expenses. These will be needed if you itemize your deductions.
Income taxes - if all of your income taxes are withheld from your wages or other income this is easier, but many of us also pay estimated taxes during the year. While the amounts withheld will be shown on your W2 (and possibly on some 1099 forms) you have to keep track yourself of any amounts which you paid for estimated taxes - to IRS and your state (and possibly other states if you work in a state other than the one you work in). In addition to needing this information if you itemize your deductions you will need it as well as to be able to properly take credit for the taxes you have paid in against your final calculated tax for the year so that you pay the correct amount due or get the correct overpayment amount.
If you own your home and pay real estate taxes - make sure you have that amount (the changes from the tax law effect your 2018 tax, not the current tax which is your 2017 tax, so the limitations in the new law do not apply for this filing. It is deductible if you itemize your tax deductions. Also, if you have a mortgage on your home you should have received a form 1098 which will tell you how much interest you paid on the mortgage for the year so you can deduct it if you itemize your deductions.
Sales taxes based on a chart amount based on where you live and your income plus large purchases (such as a car) are deductible instead of your state and local income taxes if the sales tax amount is larger - remember this is an either or situation (either state and local incomes OR sales taxes).
There are other taxes which may be deductible depending on your state and other matters.
If you make contributions you should have received receipts for your contributions. If you contributed a monetary amount it will show how much the organization shows you contributed. (Sometimes these are end of the year statements from the organization.) If you contributed “stuff” - you know you have all the items you are clearing out of your home as you organize and you gave it to Goodwill, Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul Society, or the rummage sale at your church - you should have a receipt - but they are not allow to tell you what the items are worth. You can go to the Salvation Army’s website and find a listing of what the range of values for these items are or check the items on E-bay to see what the item is selling for.
If you have expenses related to your job - union dues, required uniforms, transportation if you travel between multiple locations other than your “commute” (first and last trip of the day), required education (but not to meet the minimum requirements of the job or to qualify for another job) and such they may be deductible this year (as of now they are not deducible next year) and can be deducted on your return as Miscellaneous deductions (there at the bottom of Schedule A). Expenses related to your income is also deductible here - your bank vault if you keep income, information you paid for to help you make investment decisions, your income tax preparation cost, and some other items.
A problem with two of the above type of deductions. With the exception of medical and “miscellaneous deductions” you can deduct what you paid. However, you can only deduct your medical expenses over a percentage of your income and the same - but a smaller percentage - with the miscellaneous deductions.
If you are paid for employee related expenses - your boss reimburses you or gives you a per diem when you travel for example - make sure to check with your tax preparer about deducting the expenses you paid. This can be done on a different form than above, up to the amount you received in reimbursement.
If you are self-employed and file Schedule C with your return, of course you also need whatever expenses you paid out for your business during the year.
Remember this year’s taxes are basically the same as last year’s. It is the returns that you will in 2019 which will reflect the changes made to the income tax law for this year - 2018. Be aware that the amounts being withheld from wages based on the new tax law may or may not be correct for you as everyone is different. I don’t have all the information to correctly prepare estimated taxes for clients who need to file them. In the past I would presume all would be the same - this year I cannot.
While the standard deduction is being raised, and along with that more people will probably be using it due to limitations on deductions - remember the standard deduction is not really being “doubled” but going up from $12,700 to $24,000 (difference of $11,300) for married couples and from $6350 to $12,000 (difference of $5650) for single people.
At the same time, as I understand it, another deduction called the “Personal Exemption” is being eliminated. For 2017 this amount was $4050 each for you - if you are filing jointly - your spouse, and for each of your dependent children. In addition if you - and your spouse if you are filing jointly - are entitled to an additional Personal exemption if you are legally blind or over age 65.
So, in 2017 a single person is entitled to $6350 plus $4050 (if they have no children and are not blind or over 65) which is a total of $10,400 - which is only $1600 less than the new standard deduction. If one is single and has a child and/or is legally blind or over 65 the new standard deduction for 2018 will be less than they could deduct for the combined 2017 standard deduction combined with the personal exemptions.
In 2017 a married couple is entitled to $12,700 plus a personal exemption each (again, if they have no children and neither is legally blind or over 65) of $4050 which comes to $20,800. This is only $3200 less than they will receive next year. Again, if there are any children or either of the spouses is legally blind or they have children - they will be deducting less in 2018 than they would be able to deduct for the combined 2017 standard deduction combined with the personal exemptions.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
Income taxes need planning before you go to your tax preparer. Make sure you have all of your income items as well as any items that you may be able to use for an itemized deduction - in case they come to more than your standard deduction, and if you are self-employed for your business related expenses.
Now is also the time to think about next year. Get a file or a large envelope - label it - and start putting in items that are related to your income taxes next year - better to throw a receipt in that is not deductible than to be missing one next year.
Again, this is general information and not tax preparation information related to you. Check with your tax preparer about your specific information needed.
Thursday, February 8, 2018
NO MATTER WHAT ONE DOES - IT CAN GO WRONG
This week was to be a busy one for me. I was suppose to give a talk at my embroidery chapter meeting - today, Wednesday, and I also had to go to the same client again as she will going out of town and I have to do her books for February. And we had to go and take money from husband’s IRA to pay bills.
I spent the evenings the past week working on the talk about the history of embroidery samplers. I made an outline of what I wanted to say, both so I would not forget anything and would not wander - I tend to wander even more when I speak than I do when I write. I checked information that I knew, just to make sure I remembered it correctly. I searched for photos of samplers online to download and print out to show and pass around at the meeting, both to explain what I was saying, and because I knew the ladies in my group would love to see them - probably even more than listen to me talk.
I had started working on the research a week or so later than I planned to do so, but as of Monday night, my notes were finished (well, okay, I remembered something afterwards to add) and I had photos of samplers I liked and which went with talk. My husband was going to print the sampler photos for me on Tuesday afternoon and evening. He was bit miffed that I was not using any of the photos he has taken over the years of samplers at exhibitions, but polite about it. (I only was not using them as I have seen his photo organization - everything has the original number assigned to it and is a folder by year of every photo he took that year.) I was going to bring a reproduction of a 1700s sampler I had stitched - and I had a photo of the original. I planned to bring about 3 or 4 of the books I have with photos and info about samplers. Yes, for once I was organized and not going to have to work in a panic at the last minute - I am a major procrastinator. The weather since last week had said it would rain today - I figured out how to pack what I was bringing (especially the reproduction sampler and books) so it would not get wet.
Yesterday we went to the banks and dealt with moving money around. I had been unsure if I should go to the client yesterday or tomorrow and tomorrow was suppose to be the better weather day and it gave me more time to prepare for the talk. Everything was going great.
Then yesterday the weather report changed! The rain today changed to snow - not too much in this area, but it would be coming down while everyone was driving to the meeting and some members come from the county to the east and others from the county to the west - and let’s face it - we are a bunch of, literally, old ladies. Heck, I live around the corner and up the block from where we meet and I was concerned about driving to the meeting. I kept figuring I would hear from the chapter president to talk about the weather, but I did not. Finally I telephoned her - good thing, she had not heard about the weather. So, we split the membership list to call and tell them the meeting was canceled (not a big group and there are members who are friends and/or come to meetings together so we can call one and have them let the other know).
So, now I have a lot of time as I will not be giving the talk until May. I will not get complacent and will make sure husband has time to leisurely print the photos and he will time to look for a few photos he took for me. (I like to make him happy as much as he likes to make me happy.)
So I planned to call my client and ask if I could come tomorrow - but the weather is to be below freezing and it is still raining on and off, so ice is a good possibility. She is not always in on Fridays, but luckily this week she is, so I will go then when it was to be a tiny bit warmer and dry. Of course once I made the appointment there was suddenly a 20% chance of snow on Friday! But the local news covers parts of 3 states and the sections north and west of us tend to be the more likely to have snow, so I am hoping I will not get stuck driving in snow.
Spent the afternoon catching up on things on the computer as I had not expected to be home. Found some items online I promised to email to my mom and did so. A few bank statements had come in, so I did the bank recs on them, so they are done with for the month. I scanned magazine articles for my husband - in case the idea is forgotten - he had a number of issues of a reenacting magazine that for some years he no longer subscribes to. I suggested he go through the magazines, mark the articles he is interested in and I would scan the articles so he would have them if needed or wanted (and they could be magnified easily so he could read them easier) and then get rid of the magazines. Oh, and the file can also be searched if he is looking for info on a specific topic. I do this “between” other things. Today I got rid of 3 more issues. I also went through the work from last year for this client so that if I have any questions about anything I can look it up Friday to correct it.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
“The best laid plans of mice and men...” There are going to be times when what one plans goes awry - much more often than one expects. One just has to go with it. If you end up with time planned for one thing and then not doing that one thing, figure out what else to use the time for. I am now ahead on other things that I would have to do anyway and I am ready - except for printing the photos - for when I give the talk in May and I will be much more relaxed as I will not have had to rush to put together the talk then. Maybe I will even find some source for some things I know and cannot remember where I read them.
I spent the evenings the past week working on the talk about the history of embroidery samplers. I made an outline of what I wanted to say, both so I would not forget anything and would not wander - I tend to wander even more when I speak than I do when I write. I checked information that I knew, just to make sure I remembered it correctly. I searched for photos of samplers online to download and print out to show and pass around at the meeting, both to explain what I was saying, and because I knew the ladies in my group would love to see them - probably even more than listen to me talk.
I had started working on the research a week or so later than I planned to do so, but as of Monday night, my notes were finished (well, okay, I remembered something afterwards to add) and I had photos of samplers I liked and which went with talk. My husband was going to print the sampler photos for me on Tuesday afternoon and evening. He was bit miffed that I was not using any of the photos he has taken over the years of samplers at exhibitions, but polite about it. (I only was not using them as I have seen his photo organization - everything has the original number assigned to it and is a folder by year of every photo he took that year.) I was going to bring a reproduction of a 1700s sampler I had stitched - and I had a photo of the original. I planned to bring about 3 or 4 of the books I have with photos and info about samplers. Yes, for once I was organized and not going to have to work in a panic at the last minute - I am a major procrastinator. The weather since last week had said it would rain today - I figured out how to pack what I was bringing (especially the reproduction sampler and books) so it would not get wet.
Yesterday we went to the banks and dealt with moving money around. I had been unsure if I should go to the client yesterday or tomorrow and tomorrow was suppose to be the better weather day and it gave me more time to prepare for the talk. Everything was going great.
Then yesterday the weather report changed! The rain today changed to snow - not too much in this area, but it would be coming down while everyone was driving to the meeting and some members come from the county to the east and others from the county to the west - and let’s face it - we are a bunch of, literally, old ladies. Heck, I live around the corner and up the block from where we meet and I was concerned about driving to the meeting. I kept figuring I would hear from the chapter president to talk about the weather, but I did not. Finally I telephoned her - good thing, she had not heard about the weather. So, we split the membership list to call and tell them the meeting was canceled (not a big group and there are members who are friends and/or come to meetings together so we can call one and have them let the other know).
So, now I have a lot of time as I will not be giving the talk until May. I will not get complacent and will make sure husband has time to leisurely print the photos and he will time to look for a few photos he took for me. (I like to make him happy as much as he likes to make me happy.)
So I planned to call my client and ask if I could come tomorrow - but the weather is to be below freezing and it is still raining on and off, so ice is a good possibility. She is not always in on Fridays, but luckily this week she is, so I will go then when it was to be a tiny bit warmer and dry. Of course once I made the appointment there was suddenly a 20% chance of snow on Friday! But the local news covers parts of 3 states and the sections north and west of us tend to be the more likely to have snow, so I am hoping I will not get stuck driving in snow.
Spent the afternoon catching up on things on the computer as I had not expected to be home. Found some items online I promised to email to my mom and did so. A few bank statements had come in, so I did the bank recs on them, so they are done with for the month. I scanned magazine articles for my husband - in case the idea is forgotten - he had a number of issues of a reenacting magazine that for some years he no longer subscribes to. I suggested he go through the magazines, mark the articles he is interested in and I would scan the articles so he would have them if needed or wanted (and they could be magnified easily so he could read them easier) and then get rid of the magazines. Oh, and the file can also be searched if he is looking for info on a specific topic. I do this “between” other things. Today I got rid of 3 more issues. I also went through the work from last year for this client so that if I have any questions about anything I can look it up Friday to correct it.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
“The best laid plans of mice and men...” There are going to be times when what one plans goes awry - much more often than one expects. One just has to go with it. If you end up with time planned for one thing and then not doing that one thing, figure out what else to use the time for. I am now ahead on other things that I would have to do anyway and I am ready - except for printing the photos - for when I give the talk in May and I will be much more relaxed as I will not have had to rush to put together the talk then. Maybe I will even find some source for some things I know and cannot remember where I read them.
Thursday, February 1, 2018
HELPING MY HUSBAND ORGANIZE
Last Thursday I went to my client and of course everything went wrong - including my laptop dying and I did not have the cord with me. The drive home took 2 hours, but at least my car did not stall. I got home late and had to finish up from work around making dinner, etc. that evening. A rather anxiety causing day.
Husband is a big James Bond fan and he has a collection - of just about anything James Bond. Last year we managed to clear some book shelf space in our bedroom to move his books into there from our office as we needed the shelf space for other books. (We have LOTS of books of a variety of types, mostly informational, as opposed to fiction such as the Bond books.) I figured out I could store the stuff that had been on the shelves in the bedroom (moved there for safety when the house was treated for bedbugs) which was other assorted Bond items - magazine articles and such in plastic boxes on one side of the floor in the spare bedroom closets (a suitcase and a wheeled backpack take up the rest of the floor space - each filled with some other similar pieces we wanted to keep when we cleared out our luggage a few years ago). There are also 4 “tubes” with posters of varying subjects - including, of course, James Bond, that are stored standing on the floor.
Husband also has a shortage of space in his dresser for his clothes. One drawer was filled with additional James Bond stuff. So I had an idea. We bought 2 more plastic boxes (making 4 all together) and I fit the stuff in the drawer, the rest of what did not fit in the first 2 boxes, and some Bond items in an office closet into these 2 boxes.
I then went back to the bedroom and started going through husband’s sock and underwear drawer. He has more socks than he needs, but has trouble finding socks, so will not get rid of any. I moved the socks that he rarely (meaning never) wears to the bottom drawer that had the Bond stuff in it. I moved his junk jewelry to the bottom drawer - never used. I moved his new shoelaces “collection” to the bottom drawer (and will add the ones in my drawer when I guess a chance). I moved his warm weather socks to the bottom drawer - you know, the very heavy ones that one only wears if the temperature is really low and one’s feet might freeze. I separated the items in the bottom drawer into shoe boxes (and a space between them) to organize them for him. I then went back to his top drawer and sorted the socks so each style of socks was separate - with a space for the ones in the laundry. I had a shoe box on one side of the drawer for eyeglasses, cases for same, and pocket knives. I found a “space pen” that we had not been able to find and had replaced. Not bad for maybe 45 minutes work at most.
I was so glad that now his drawers would be neat - after all I had previously organized his sweatshirts, tee shirts and pjs right? I showed him what I did (understand he knew I was going to do this in advance) and he was happy (not egacstatic - who would be, but “great, that is wonderful” happy).. I had not been able to find some socks I knew he had for sleeping and asked him about them. He found them on top of his dresser and I stored them in the drawer. Finally, done!
Ha, ha. He showed me the tee shirts stacked on his dresser top. I thought that they were in use - no, he had no place for them. I started pulling open the middle drawers as everything used to fit. One drawer was partially filled with clothing and partially filled with electronics - mostly old electronics and some space around it all.
So, when I get another 45 minutes or so, this drawer will gone through to see what is in there and what can be done with it. I had found plastic photo slide cases (for one to set their own slide film into slides) in his top drawer - do you all remember slides? I then put them in with other photo stuff elsewhere.
I have been working on the notes for the talk I am going to give next week (hopefully it will not snow and result in a canceled meeting) at my embroidery chapter. I have also been noting photos I want to print to show the members. I was bound and determined not to rush and do this at the last minute (even this is later than I planed to do it) and I am sticking with that.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
Sometime someone in your household needs help with their organizing. Help them - but offer first, don’t just “touch their stuff” without permission. If you know what you will do explain it to them first. Don’t throw out anything (unless it really, really is garbage) without permission. I know that every scrap of paper was something he wanted. The one or two tiny scraps I was unsure of I asked about and was told what they were and that they needed to be kept. We all have stuff that makes no sense to others for us to keep, but we really feel those items are special.
Husband is a big James Bond fan and he has a collection - of just about anything James Bond. Last year we managed to clear some book shelf space in our bedroom to move his books into there from our office as we needed the shelf space for other books. (We have LOTS of books of a variety of types, mostly informational, as opposed to fiction such as the Bond books.) I figured out I could store the stuff that had been on the shelves in the bedroom (moved there for safety when the house was treated for bedbugs) which was other assorted Bond items - magazine articles and such in plastic boxes on one side of the floor in the spare bedroom closets (a suitcase and a wheeled backpack take up the rest of the floor space - each filled with some other similar pieces we wanted to keep when we cleared out our luggage a few years ago). There are also 4 “tubes” with posters of varying subjects - including, of course, James Bond, that are stored standing on the floor.
Husband also has a shortage of space in his dresser for his clothes. One drawer was filled with additional James Bond stuff. So I had an idea. We bought 2 more plastic boxes (making 4 all together) and I fit the stuff in the drawer, the rest of what did not fit in the first 2 boxes, and some Bond items in an office closet into these 2 boxes.
I then went back to the bedroom and started going through husband’s sock and underwear drawer. He has more socks than he needs, but has trouble finding socks, so will not get rid of any. I moved the socks that he rarely (meaning never) wears to the bottom drawer that had the Bond stuff in it. I moved his junk jewelry to the bottom drawer - never used. I moved his new shoelaces “collection” to the bottom drawer (and will add the ones in my drawer when I guess a chance). I moved his warm weather socks to the bottom drawer - you know, the very heavy ones that one only wears if the temperature is really low and one’s feet might freeze. I separated the items in the bottom drawer into shoe boxes (and a space between them) to organize them for him. I then went back to his top drawer and sorted the socks so each style of socks was separate - with a space for the ones in the laundry. I had a shoe box on one side of the drawer for eyeglasses, cases for same, and pocket knives. I found a “space pen” that we had not been able to find and had replaced. Not bad for maybe 45 minutes work at most.
I was so glad that now his drawers would be neat - after all I had previously organized his sweatshirts, tee shirts and pjs right? I showed him what I did (understand he knew I was going to do this in advance) and he was happy (not egacstatic - who would be, but “great, that is wonderful” happy).. I had not been able to find some socks I knew he had for sleeping and asked him about them. He found them on top of his dresser and I stored them in the drawer. Finally, done!
Ha, ha. He showed me the tee shirts stacked on his dresser top. I thought that they were in use - no, he had no place for them. I started pulling open the middle drawers as everything used to fit. One drawer was partially filled with clothing and partially filled with electronics - mostly old electronics and some space around it all.
So, when I get another 45 minutes or so, this drawer will gone through to see what is in there and what can be done with it. I had found plastic photo slide cases (for one to set their own slide film into slides) in his top drawer - do you all remember slides? I then put them in with other photo stuff elsewhere.
I have been working on the notes for the talk I am going to give next week (hopefully it will not snow and result in a canceled meeting) at my embroidery chapter. I have also been noting photos I want to print to show the members. I was bound and determined not to rush and do this at the last minute (even this is later than I planed to do it) and I am sticking with that.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
Sometime someone in your household needs help with their organizing. Help them - but offer first, don’t just “touch their stuff” without permission. If you know what you will do explain it to them first. Don’t throw out anything (unless it really, really is garbage) without permission. I know that every scrap of paper was something he wanted. The one or two tiny scraps I was unsure of I asked about and was told what they were and that they needed to be kept. We all have stuff that makes no sense to others for us to keep, but we really feel those items are special.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
DOES TIME EXPAND TO FIT THE WORK TO BE DONE - OR IS IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND?
Well my client was not there when I telephoned her last week. I will be going to her on Thursday. Due to not going to her and a few other bills that popped up I started to go into a panic about paying our bills on time. We pay every bill, every month in full - no payouts, with two much discussed before we did them, exceptions, in the almost 40 years we have been married and we each did so before. This was a timing error - bills were due out and the money was coming in too late to pay them. So we had to raid my tiny IRA for $1000 to carry us through. We will need to make a regular scheduled withdrawal from husband’s IRA next month to pay our quarterly real estate taxes and our semi-annual car insurance payment in February.
I packed up the rest of the ornaments from the main and studio trees over the weekend. Monday night I took the lights off the tree - except the top section which the lights stay in place on. My right elbow started hurting last week (maybe even the week before at this point) especially when lifting my arm or lifting something heavy with my arm and it has been hard to do all of this. Our main tree is artificial (well, all of them are) and had to be disassembled and the sections are too heavy for me to lift with this arm, so last night husband took it apart and stacked the pieces in the dining room where I told him to put them. This way he can warp his loom and start working on it again and the pieces of tree can “drift” downstairs as I can deal with them - he would get ill bending over to put them into the tree box. The studio tree is not in the way and will also find its way downstairs and after the these trees are down I will be able to take apart the one in the dining room- currently blocked by the pieces from the main tree. Since we don’t really get Christmas gifts there is nothing of same to put away - just one empty box that I will ask husband about tossing. I did move the “Christmas boxes” we use for storage out of the way - these are Christmas decorated gift or storage boxes that I store Christmas decorations in during the year and then put them - empty - under the tree so it looks pretty and like there are gifts under the tree. So today we warped his loom - without the tree there is enough room to do so. But he is still surrounded by Santas, angels, Christmas and Chanukah bears.
I finally had a chance to write a cover letter and get out the renewal reminders for our reenactment unit - I serve as the membership chair in addition to being the treasurer as it is easier than passing the info back and forth to someone else about renewals. I had been delayed due to an error on our national group’s website. Something interesting - when I went on their website with my computer and clicked on this year’s membership form I got instead a form for people to form and sign up a new unit. When I contacted the person in charge she said that when she clicked on it she got the membership form. Hmmm? Turns out if one went on the site with a computer one got the unit form, but if one went on the site with a tablet or phone one got the correct the form. It has been corrected thank to my asking about it - it also delayed sending out the renewals a week waiting for this. We put together the mailing t - folded cover letter and forms, put in envelopes, put on stamps and address and return address labels. Out in the mail today. The renewal reminders and forms went out in today’s mail.
I have out a stack of books to write a talk that I am scheduled to give at my embroidery chapter on our meeting next month - 2 weeks from today - on the history of samplers. I keep trying to get started writing it. I know the basics of what I plan to say and the order, but I have to get it all together and have an outline to follow - I would hate to suddenly forget a word in the middle of the talk and I don’t want to start to wander off point! Husband will print out photos for me that he has taken at exhibitions we have gone to - plus I may pull some off the Internet or out of the books I have. Somehow I know it will be done as I want to do it. I don’t feel that I can teach stitches or techniques at meetings as others have done, but I am real good at talking. (Can you tell that from my posts?) I sent out an email today to the chapter board asking if anyone had anything for me to include in the newsletter - which will go out next Wednesday (meeting is the week after).
I put my older software DVDs/CDs that I still need to keep in 2 new boxes as the old ones did not hold much and kept falling apart. The old ones will be donated next month - along with a bag of unworn pantyhose - I wore one and it was awful, so I tossed that one and the rest of the huge bag (from an outlet) will be donated. I have a glass bowl that did not make it in December when I went to Goodwill that will join them. Looking around for what else can be donated.
And now tomorrow I will spend driving to Queens, taking the subway to Manhattan, working for about 3 hours, and then take the subway back to Queens and drive home. I will spend between 4 and 5 hours in transit for the 3 hour visit. Hopefully our mechanic found the problem last month and the drive home will be comfortable. I have already put burgers in the refrigerator to defrost for dinner tomorrow night when I get home.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
We can get more done when we have to than we do when we don’t have to.
It seems odd to me that I normally have trouble getting through what I need to in a week, but then those weeks come when I have to do a LOT more - Christmas decorating or decoration storage, writing a talk to give at a meeting, catching up on laundry when I fall behind, tax season, and other assorted extra or emergency jobs. Somehow it all always seems to get done.
I packed up the rest of the ornaments from the main and studio trees over the weekend. Monday night I took the lights off the tree - except the top section which the lights stay in place on. My right elbow started hurting last week (maybe even the week before at this point) especially when lifting my arm or lifting something heavy with my arm and it has been hard to do all of this. Our main tree is artificial (well, all of them are) and had to be disassembled and the sections are too heavy for me to lift with this arm, so last night husband took it apart and stacked the pieces in the dining room where I told him to put them. This way he can warp his loom and start working on it again and the pieces of tree can “drift” downstairs as I can deal with them - he would get ill bending over to put them into the tree box. The studio tree is not in the way and will also find its way downstairs and after the these trees are down I will be able to take apart the one in the dining room- currently blocked by the pieces from the main tree. Since we don’t really get Christmas gifts there is nothing of same to put away - just one empty box that I will ask husband about tossing. I did move the “Christmas boxes” we use for storage out of the way - these are Christmas decorated gift or storage boxes that I store Christmas decorations in during the year and then put them - empty - under the tree so it looks pretty and like there are gifts under the tree. So today we warped his loom - without the tree there is enough room to do so. But he is still surrounded by Santas, angels, Christmas and Chanukah bears.
I finally had a chance to write a cover letter and get out the renewal reminders for our reenactment unit - I serve as the membership chair in addition to being the treasurer as it is easier than passing the info back and forth to someone else about renewals. I had been delayed due to an error on our national group’s website. Something interesting - when I went on their website with my computer and clicked on this year’s membership form I got instead a form for people to form and sign up a new unit. When I contacted the person in charge she said that when she clicked on it she got the membership form. Hmmm? Turns out if one went on the site with a computer one got the unit form, but if one went on the site with a tablet or phone one got the correct the form. It has been corrected thank to my asking about it - it also delayed sending out the renewals a week waiting for this. We put together the mailing t - folded cover letter and forms, put in envelopes, put on stamps and address and return address labels. Out in the mail today. The renewal reminders and forms went out in today’s mail.
I have out a stack of books to write a talk that I am scheduled to give at my embroidery chapter on our meeting next month - 2 weeks from today - on the history of samplers. I keep trying to get started writing it. I know the basics of what I plan to say and the order, but I have to get it all together and have an outline to follow - I would hate to suddenly forget a word in the middle of the talk and I don’t want to start to wander off point! Husband will print out photos for me that he has taken at exhibitions we have gone to - plus I may pull some off the Internet or out of the books I have. Somehow I know it will be done as I want to do it. I don’t feel that I can teach stitches or techniques at meetings as others have done, but I am real good at talking. (Can you tell that from my posts?) I sent out an email today to the chapter board asking if anyone had anything for me to include in the newsletter - which will go out next Wednesday (meeting is the week after).
I put my older software DVDs/CDs that I still need to keep in 2 new boxes as the old ones did not hold much and kept falling apart. The old ones will be donated next month - along with a bag of unworn pantyhose - I wore one and it was awful, so I tossed that one and the rest of the huge bag (from an outlet) will be donated. I have a glass bowl that did not make it in December when I went to Goodwill that will join them. Looking around for what else can be donated.
And now tomorrow I will spend driving to Queens, taking the subway to Manhattan, working for about 3 hours, and then take the subway back to Queens and drive home. I will spend between 4 and 5 hours in transit for the 3 hour visit. Hopefully our mechanic found the problem last month and the drive home will be comfortable. I have already put burgers in the refrigerator to defrost for dinner tomorrow night when I get home.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
We can get more done when we have to than we do when we don’t have to.
It seems odd to me that I normally have trouble getting through what I need to in a week, but then those weeks come when I have to do a LOT more - Christmas decorating or decoration storage, writing a talk to give at a meeting, catching up on laundry when I fall behind, tax season, and other assorted extra or emergency jobs. Somehow it all always seems to get done.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
FRUSTRATION'S ALL AROUND
Since the main Christmas tree did not go up until the last minute, I sort of figured that husband would be okay leaving it up a bit later than usual. Usual being this past Monday (3rd Monday in January - no reason other than it is a holiday here in the U.S. - honoring Martin Luther King, Jr - a civil rights leader - and therefore sticks out in one’s mind as it being the time to start taking down the tree and the decorations. But on Monday afternoon before I had a chance to bring up the subject, he asked when the tree would be down - so he could take back the living room for his weaving. He needs the length of the room to warp (set up threads on) his loom for his next project. He said that he regretted having to take it down, and the rest of the decorations could/should stay up for a while yet. This also led him to consider maybe putting the tree in the dining room next year to avoid this - the only time our living room is used for anything other than his weaving these days is decorating for Christmas, opening our limited presents on Christmas morning, and taking down the decorations. I told him that it was scheduled to start coming down the same day he asked and it would.
So after dinner I went downstairs and brought up box #4 for the tree decorations - last up, first off as it gets the outermost decorations. I started taking down icicles, plain balls, gold paper figures, etc used to fill in open spaces after the nicer decorations go on the tree. He suddenly realized what I was going and came into the living room, looked, and then said “Maybe it all should stay up a little longer.” I stared at him - “Yeah, I know it was my idea.” He then started helping me take things off the tree - actually trees as I have to pack the studio tree ornaments away at the same time as they are packed together and shared ornaments. I did most of 2 boxes of ornaments (out of 4). Frustrating - I would rather not have started yet - and then he says I shouldn’t have!
I am on a comics discussion group. As of a week ago Monday (maybe earlier, that is when I go online to the group to read a week’s worth of posts) the site was not so much there - and I was not sure if it was a problem with the site or my computer. A check with another computer showed that it was not accesible from that computer either. I figured all would be well the next day - it was not. I went looking back in my emails as I had a couple of email conversations with the fellow whose site it is. I never kept a record of his email address, because it is on the site. I found that, yes, there was a problem and it was “now” expected to be back by Thursday (last Thursday now) after it had not been back by “Tuesday” (2 days before last Thursday). As of last night it is still not working right enough to use. Frustration - I enjoy the company of those on that group and we have great discussions beyond the comics we are talking about.
I am also on an embroidery discussion group. This group is in the middle of migrating to a new site and “wonderful”changes. The site started moving in December and due to everything that was going on, I did not have a chance to register with and start to use the new site. The old site is still open (until at least the end of January) and I was communicating a bit with the members through that site. But it was now January and I signed up with the new site. Not as bad to use as I feared. There was one problem - either very few people were posting or I was not able to see all of the posts. The page numbers were listed at the top of the page - but when I clicked on any page number, I was still on the same page. Very frustrating I was missing seeing photos of everyone’s work and hearing about their holidays. I posted about this and finally had an answer appear as the last one in the list and therefore on the page I came on the group on - there was a problem and there was a work around. So finally last night I was able to move around in this group and read the posts for half of December and all of January.
Last night I went to make a monthly backup of my main computer, while at the same time making a quarterly backup of my work laptop -onto 2 separate external hard drives. The one I have been using for quarterly backups did not work. It had electricity, but did not show up on the computer. I then tried plugging it into my desktop computer - did not work there either. Oh, well, I had thought about replacing it, just had not gotten around to it. The biggest problem I had was this computer is wonky. The oldest back up of this computer is on the drive which did not work - and it is a “clean” backup which I need if I have to start this computer over.
I did what I hate to so. I told husband about the drive not working. This resulted in at least an hour’s worth of his repeating all I did with his computer. We then took apart the case the drive was in and took the drive out of it. When I updated the hard drive on my main computer we had bought an external drive case for the old drive so I could still access it when I found missing things. We opened that case, took out the old drive, and put the backup drive with the problem in it - it worked. I copied the needed file off it to the monthly back up drive. (And husband thought it a waste when I decided to back up the computers to 2 drives instead of one.) We then reassembled my old hard drive into the case and put the backup drive into a small box to keep it safe. I now will get a new second backup drive. (See backing up drives is important!) Now the backups are set up when I am going to backup and I walk away and they just run on their own. Very frustrating and a waste of time.
I have to go to my client in Manhattan as I have to do her payroll taxes - and the date for filing the company’s copy of her W2 has been moved up to January 31 from February 28. Last year I mailed the forms to her for her to mail out and it did not get to her - but came back to me in the mail, despite being correctly addressed to her. So I really wanted to get to her early this month in case there were problems getting the forms to her to mail. Then I realized something - she will have taken at most one payroll check last year (the business is not doing well) and I can make do the paperwork in advance and bring it with me. So I pulled out my typewriter and started typing the forms. I had ordered the forms from IRS in December to make sure I had them - 2 different forms and a different cover form for each - 4 kinds of forms in all. I was fine until I did the second form - there were no cover forms! I went looking and counting - they had sent me 2 sets of the other cover form. So I had to go online and order more forms - and I hope they will be here early enough to fill in and mail to her for her to sign. I am going to her tomorrow - I hope. We have had another snow storm - very light, but I didn’t want to drive in the snow. It was last night to today. So tomorrow morning I will get up and call the client and hope she says I can come there tomorrow - if not I hope I can go there next week. Not only do I have to do her work - I get paid quarterly and we need the money to pay bills. So, between the weather and IRS not sending forms it has been frustrating.
Now, tonight I took the garbage from the kitchen out for pickup tomorrow morning. Husband was having a reaction of some sort from the dinner we had and I did not want to open the garbage pail when he was in the room. I took it out while he was upstairs. I did not tell him I was doing so - I have taken the garbage out for the 29 years we have lived in the house and I just about never tell him I am doing so - unless there is some unusual reason to do so. I put the garbage at the street and came back to our side porch and pushed the handle button to open the storm door - the button did not move. I tried again several times - and it is cold out (not as bad as has been this winter, but still around freezing) and it did not work. I thought about the front door - but I had only cleared snow from half of the steps and I was concerned it might be icy since it would have melted and might have refrozen - so I pulled out my cell phone and texted my husband. He got the message and for a minute thought I was just telling him something - then figured out that I was stuck outside the house and came and let me in - and also went back and sprayed the handle lock. Following this I was told that I should never go out of the house without telling him! This led to an extensive discussion with no resolution as to my competence to go out alone without telling him - again, frustration.
I have been good at keeping up with my housework,, but - uh oh - I just realized that I never put in laundry to wash - I will do so as soon I get this posted.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
Frustration takes so much away from us (or at least from me). It takes concentration (why else would I forget the laundry) and time - I have had to keep going back and checking to see if the two group sites are working that I could have used on other matters. But we have to deal with it and move on.
So after dinner I went downstairs and brought up box #4 for the tree decorations - last up, first off as it gets the outermost decorations. I started taking down icicles, plain balls, gold paper figures, etc used to fill in open spaces after the nicer decorations go on the tree. He suddenly realized what I was going and came into the living room, looked, and then said “Maybe it all should stay up a little longer.” I stared at him - “Yeah, I know it was my idea.” He then started helping me take things off the tree - actually trees as I have to pack the studio tree ornaments away at the same time as they are packed together and shared ornaments. I did most of 2 boxes of ornaments (out of 4). Frustrating - I would rather not have started yet - and then he says I shouldn’t have!
I am on a comics discussion group. As of a week ago Monday (maybe earlier, that is when I go online to the group to read a week’s worth of posts) the site was not so much there - and I was not sure if it was a problem with the site or my computer. A check with another computer showed that it was not accesible from that computer either. I figured all would be well the next day - it was not. I went looking back in my emails as I had a couple of email conversations with the fellow whose site it is. I never kept a record of his email address, because it is on the site. I found that, yes, there was a problem and it was “now” expected to be back by Thursday (last Thursday now) after it had not been back by “Tuesday” (2 days before last Thursday). As of last night it is still not working right enough to use. Frustration - I enjoy the company of those on that group and we have great discussions beyond the comics we are talking about.
I am also on an embroidery discussion group. This group is in the middle of migrating to a new site and “wonderful”changes. The site started moving in December and due to everything that was going on, I did not have a chance to register with and start to use the new site. The old site is still open (until at least the end of January) and I was communicating a bit with the members through that site. But it was now January and I signed up with the new site. Not as bad to use as I feared. There was one problem - either very few people were posting or I was not able to see all of the posts. The page numbers were listed at the top of the page - but when I clicked on any page number, I was still on the same page. Very frustrating I was missing seeing photos of everyone’s work and hearing about their holidays. I posted about this and finally had an answer appear as the last one in the list and therefore on the page I came on the group on - there was a problem and there was a work around. So finally last night I was able to move around in this group and read the posts for half of December and all of January.
Last night I went to make a monthly backup of my main computer, while at the same time making a quarterly backup of my work laptop -onto 2 separate external hard drives. The one I have been using for quarterly backups did not work. It had electricity, but did not show up on the computer. I then tried plugging it into my desktop computer - did not work there either. Oh, well, I had thought about replacing it, just had not gotten around to it. The biggest problem I had was this computer is wonky. The oldest back up of this computer is on the drive which did not work - and it is a “clean” backup which I need if I have to start this computer over.
I did what I hate to so. I told husband about the drive not working. This resulted in at least an hour’s worth of his repeating all I did with his computer. We then took apart the case the drive was in and took the drive out of it. When I updated the hard drive on my main computer we had bought an external drive case for the old drive so I could still access it when I found missing things. We opened that case, took out the old drive, and put the backup drive with the problem in it - it worked. I copied the needed file off it to the monthly back up drive. (And husband thought it a waste when I decided to back up the computers to 2 drives instead of one.) We then reassembled my old hard drive into the case and put the backup drive into a small box to keep it safe. I now will get a new second backup drive. (See backing up drives is important!) Now the backups are set up when I am going to backup and I walk away and they just run on their own. Very frustrating and a waste of time.
I have to go to my client in Manhattan as I have to do her payroll taxes - and the date for filing the company’s copy of her W2 has been moved up to January 31 from February 28. Last year I mailed the forms to her for her to mail out and it did not get to her - but came back to me in the mail, despite being correctly addressed to her. So I really wanted to get to her early this month in case there were problems getting the forms to her to mail. Then I realized something - she will have taken at most one payroll check last year (the business is not doing well) and I can make do the paperwork in advance and bring it with me. So I pulled out my typewriter and started typing the forms. I had ordered the forms from IRS in December to make sure I had them - 2 different forms and a different cover form for each - 4 kinds of forms in all. I was fine until I did the second form - there were no cover forms! I went looking and counting - they had sent me 2 sets of the other cover form. So I had to go online and order more forms - and I hope they will be here early enough to fill in and mail to her for her to sign. I am going to her tomorrow - I hope. We have had another snow storm - very light, but I didn’t want to drive in the snow. It was last night to today. So tomorrow morning I will get up and call the client and hope she says I can come there tomorrow - if not I hope I can go there next week. Not only do I have to do her work - I get paid quarterly and we need the money to pay bills. So, between the weather and IRS not sending forms it has been frustrating.
Now, tonight I took the garbage from the kitchen out for pickup tomorrow morning. Husband was having a reaction of some sort from the dinner we had and I did not want to open the garbage pail when he was in the room. I took it out while he was upstairs. I did not tell him I was doing so - I have taken the garbage out for the 29 years we have lived in the house and I just about never tell him I am doing so - unless there is some unusual reason to do so. I put the garbage at the street and came back to our side porch and pushed the handle button to open the storm door - the button did not move. I tried again several times - and it is cold out (not as bad as has been this winter, but still around freezing) and it did not work. I thought about the front door - but I had only cleared snow from half of the steps and I was concerned it might be icy since it would have melted and might have refrozen - so I pulled out my cell phone and texted my husband. He got the message and for a minute thought I was just telling him something - then figured out that I was stuck outside the house and came and let me in - and also went back and sprayed the handle lock. Following this I was told that I should never go out of the house without telling him! This led to an extensive discussion with no resolution as to my competence to go out alone without telling him - again, frustration.
I have been good at keeping up with my housework,, but - uh oh - I just realized that I never put in laundry to wash - I will do so as soon I get this posted.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
Frustration takes so much away from us (or at least from me). It takes concentration (why else would I forget the laundry) and time - I have had to keep going back and checking to see if the two group sites are working that I could have used on other matters. But we have to deal with it and move on.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
VERY COLD START TO THE NEW YEAR
Being in the northeast US we had a terribly cold start to the year, well, technically it also ended 2017. It has been (according to the weather reports) the 3rd longest period with the temperature below freezing for this area since records were kept. I know many of you will scoff at this as the temperature where you are is (much) more often below freezing, but luckily for us, not that common here. Add to the unusually cold weather strong winds - in some areas wind chills were below 0 Fahrenheit - again I know elsewhere this is not that unusual.
As you know from last week’ post, we had a snow storm last Thursday. Due to the cold weather, the snow has stayed. - I must make a correction to last week’s post - I mentioned that a neighbor had helped us removes snow from one of the driveway cuts. I assumed (and you know what that means) that it was the neighbor who lived in the house immediately next to us on that side as he had been helping, what I thought was his wife. I was surprised as the neighbor has had back problems and even asked about same and he told me that he was fine. I later telephoned him and thanked him again. The next day I received an email from his wife - the neighbor had not been the one who helped us - he was in the house as he cannot leave same due to his back problem. The neighbor on the other side of her house - who we have never even met before (it is a main street and therefore we only know the neighbors on either side and one house to the other side, but that is due to a shared car accident by a 3rd party). Even nicer of him to have helped. She did not know his telephone number or email so I am going to write a thank you note. So, thank you, Dave! - Oh, and we did find the nut that goes with the handle that fell off the snow blower.
We stayed in the house on Friday for the entire day as it was the coldest day of this period of subfreezing weather. I took advantage of this time in the house to finally finish putting up my Christmas decorations - yes, on the twelfth and last day of Christmas I set up my teddy bear village! It is now setup and we are enjoying it. My normal time to start take down the other decorations is this coming Monday, but I may leave them up a few extra days - I will ask husband what he thinks and if he is ready. Between his worrying over the weather and our “visit to the 18th century” we have not really had a chance to look at them The village always stays up longer.
I checked with my mom - 88 years old - tonight to make sure she has groceries, heat, running water, etc. and she does. I asked if she needs anything and she told me no, she has groceries for at least another week and she is sure the snow will melt by then. She cannot open her front door as there is snow against it, but is sure after tomorrow (it is suppose to be 50 degrees Fahrenheit and to rain tomorrow) she will be able to open her door. I made her promise (which she would never keep) to call me if she needs food or help getting out. She is our only parent left.
Another followup to the snow removal story. When we put out our outdoor Christmas lights husband placed a strand on a low bush next to the steps to our door. He was draping them around the front of the bush. I suggested that maybe we did not want them that far forward and reminded him that once when we had someone to clear the snow, they ran the snow blower over the lights on that bush. He did not remember. Before the snow came I suggested that I unplug all the outside lights - afraid that water might get into the lights and short them out - maybe even start a fire. Husband instead turned off the breaker to that circuit. (The front outdoor outlet is on its own circuit as is the back outdoor outlet.) Good thing. As I mentioned last week husband ran over the Christmas light strand with the snow blower and we found pieces of the wire as far away as the other side of our small property). We have basically just left the snow as it was after we cleared it then as it was too cold and we were too discouraged to do anything about it. Today the temperature was in the upper 30s. Husband decided that the snow would not melt properly and he would blow some more of the snow out of the driveway cuts so that it would spread around more and melt faster. In addition we are suppose to clear the sidewalk in front of our house and had not done so - too much work and anyone can use our driveway to get from one side to the other. But, he also had not cleared the driver’s side of our van and to use it one needed to go in through the passenger side to get to the driver’s seat and he found it cumbersome, the time he tried moving the van to see if would move. So he decided to clear the sidewalk now, which would also give him access to the driver’s side of the van. (Normally the van sits there, but I need to go to a client next week and if the van is frozen in, he has no way to go out for lunch or to amuse himself while I have the car.) He was doing okay, but then the snow blower started to make funny noises and sort of “buck’. He pulled the snow blower to a spot on the driveway that was clear and shut it off. He looked inside (with a little shovel stick that came with the blower) - nothing stuck. He had me lay down the blower for him - handle to the ground and found the problem. Apparently much more of the light strand had been pulled by the blower and it was wrapped around both sides of the axle of the blower’s wheels. About 15 minutes later - with the help of needlenose pliers and a wire cutter - the blower was fixed.
Instead of going in, husband decided to clear the snow off the windshield and hood of our RV (remember this is a Chevy van). It would not move. I suggested starting the engine - by logic and what I have seen happen before - this would heat the snow on the bottom and it would slide off the hood easily - if not on it’s own. He insisted that would not work and kept pushing until he removed enough to make him happy.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
Okay two of them -
First, unplug or shut off the power to your Christmas lights before using a snow blower near them.
Second - Keep yourself, your loved ones, and your home warm in cold weather so that all survive safely.
As you know from last week’ post, we had a snow storm last Thursday. Due to the cold weather, the snow has stayed. - I must make a correction to last week’s post - I mentioned that a neighbor had helped us removes snow from one of the driveway cuts. I assumed (and you know what that means) that it was the neighbor who lived in the house immediately next to us on that side as he had been helping, what I thought was his wife. I was surprised as the neighbor has had back problems and even asked about same and he told me that he was fine. I later telephoned him and thanked him again. The next day I received an email from his wife - the neighbor had not been the one who helped us - he was in the house as he cannot leave same due to his back problem. The neighbor on the other side of her house - who we have never even met before (it is a main street and therefore we only know the neighbors on either side and one house to the other side, but that is due to a shared car accident by a 3rd party). Even nicer of him to have helped. She did not know his telephone number or email so I am going to write a thank you note. So, thank you, Dave! - Oh, and we did find the nut that goes with the handle that fell off the snow blower.
We stayed in the house on Friday for the entire day as it was the coldest day of this period of subfreezing weather. I took advantage of this time in the house to finally finish putting up my Christmas decorations - yes, on the twelfth and last day of Christmas I set up my teddy bear village! It is now setup and we are enjoying it. My normal time to start take down the other decorations is this coming Monday, but I may leave them up a few extra days - I will ask husband what he thinks and if he is ready. Between his worrying over the weather and our “visit to the 18th century” we have not really had a chance to look at them The village always stays up longer.
I checked with my mom - 88 years old - tonight to make sure she has groceries, heat, running water, etc. and she does. I asked if she needs anything and she told me no, she has groceries for at least another week and she is sure the snow will melt by then. She cannot open her front door as there is snow against it, but is sure after tomorrow (it is suppose to be 50 degrees Fahrenheit and to rain tomorrow) she will be able to open her door. I made her promise (which she would never keep) to call me if she needs food or help getting out. She is our only parent left.
Another followup to the snow removal story. When we put out our outdoor Christmas lights husband placed a strand on a low bush next to the steps to our door. He was draping them around the front of the bush. I suggested that maybe we did not want them that far forward and reminded him that once when we had someone to clear the snow, they ran the snow blower over the lights on that bush. He did not remember. Before the snow came I suggested that I unplug all the outside lights - afraid that water might get into the lights and short them out - maybe even start a fire. Husband instead turned off the breaker to that circuit. (The front outdoor outlet is on its own circuit as is the back outdoor outlet.) Good thing. As I mentioned last week husband ran over the Christmas light strand with the snow blower and we found pieces of the wire as far away as the other side of our small property). We have basically just left the snow as it was after we cleared it then as it was too cold and we were too discouraged to do anything about it. Today the temperature was in the upper 30s. Husband decided that the snow would not melt properly and he would blow some more of the snow out of the driveway cuts so that it would spread around more and melt faster. In addition we are suppose to clear the sidewalk in front of our house and had not done so - too much work and anyone can use our driveway to get from one side to the other. But, he also had not cleared the driver’s side of our van and to use it one needed to go in through the passenger side to get to the driver’s seat and he found it cumbersome, the time he tried moving the van to see if would move. So he decided to clear the sidewalk now, which would also give him access to the driver’s side of the van. (Normally the van sits there, but I need to go to a client next week and if the van is frozen in, he has no way to go out for lunch or to amuse himself while I have the car.) He was doing okay, but then the snow blower started to make funny noises and sort of “buck’. He pulled the snow blower to a spot on the driveway that was clear and shut it off. He looked inside (with a little shovel stick that came with the blower) - nothing stuck. He had me lay down the blower for him - handle to the ground and found the problem. Apparently much more of the light strand had been pulled by the blower and it was wrapped around both sides of the axle of the blower’s wheels. About 15 minutes later - with the help of needlenose pliers and a wire cutter - the blower was fixed.
Instead of going in, husband decided to clear the snow off the windshield and hood of our RV (remember this is a Chevy van). It would not move. I suggested starting the engine - by logic and what I have seen happen before - this would heat the snow on the bottom and it would slide off the hood easily - if not on it’s own. He insisted that would not work and kept pushing until he removed enough to make him happy.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
Okay two of them -
First, unplug or shut off the power to your Christmas lights before using a snow blower near them.
Second - Keep yourself, your loved ones, and your home warm in cold weather so that all survive safely.
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