Saturday, March 26, 2011

Rainy Saturday

It's started out being a rainy Saturday. I met my brother-in-law for breakfast this morning after we decided there would not be any more hail. Yes, it hailed again briefly at around 6:00 AM. Luckily I had my car in the garage.

I then went to Wal Mart to get a few groceries and some cat food and dog food. The animals are very expensive to keep. Still, they have to eat.

I will clean house this morning and attend Donnie's memorial service this afternoon at 2:00. The paper said she was cremated.

I bought ten things at the market and the bill came to $33.00. Wow! Of course over $14.00 of that was food for the animals.

Yesterday the roof man came out and climbed up on my roof. He said I needed a new roof after the hail storm on last Saturday. I called my insurance company and submitted a claim. I should talk to their adjuster Monday afternoon. If I should decide to sell the house this year, I would have to have the new roof.

As I mentioned earlier, I also got my appraisal on my house for tax purposes this week and they raised the value of my house $5,400. In this economy, that's ridiculous. I had made no improvements. I will get an appointment next week to go protest them...not that it will do any good but if I don't try, I know they won't lower it.

More later...

I did attend the services. I am always interested in how many Christians are actually "vampire Christians". (only interested in the blood of Jesus). That minister was like that. And he preached what I always refer to as "salvation theology". But it takes both priests and prophets, I guess. Priests keep us from going off the deep end and prophets draw us into the 21st century.

I came back home and let Slinky into the kitchen. It's going to be 28 degrees tonight. That means I will probably be awakened at least once tonight to let him out. And since Missy is staying in too, I may be awakened another time to let her out.

But right now, it's bath time and wouldn't you know, I forgot to get my bath oil today at Wal Mart. Oh well....

Friday, March 25, 2011

Corporate Welfare

I was reading the New York Times this morning and ran onto this story about GE not paying any corporate taxes..in fact, we owe them $3.2 billion dollars refund. GE is the largest corporation in America and had billions in profits last year. Read more of this story here:


"The company reported worldwide profits of $14.2 billion, and said $5.1 billion of the total came from its operations in the United States.

Its American tax bill? None. In fact, G.E. claimed a tax benefit of $3.2 billion."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/25/business/economy/25tax.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2

That really makes me sick!

I got my real estate tax appraisal yesterday and the appraisal for the taxes on my house went up $5400. in this one year. I struggled to pay last year's tax. They had the house appraised at $72,000 last year and I appealed and they lowered it to $68,000. I will appeal again but I don't know whether I can win a second appeal. Nevertheless, I will give it a shot. I still owe the second half of last year's tax. My taxes on this house were nearly $1300 last year. Lord only knows what they will be this year if I lose the appeal.

Furthermore, one of my friends (whose husband used to be a contractor) came by last night to tell me that Saturday's hail storm had damaged my roof. I have $1,000 deductible home owners insurance since nine years ago Coffeyville had a major hailstorm here and every home in Coffeyville had to have a new roof. None of the insurance companies would even sell $500 deductible after that experience. So not only must I figure out a way to come up with the taxes on my house, but I also have to come up with another $1,000 to have my roof repaired. I have half a notion to sell my house and move into senior housing.

Then on top of all that, our hours at the job training position where I work, have been cut from 40 hours per pay period to thirty hours per pay period. So I will lose ten hours pay per pay period....or about $70 per pay period.

So I can't win for losing.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

A Day and A Half Left

One last full day of the workshop! It is very tiring just sitting for six hours. The workshop is well done and interesting enough but I have had these workshops in the past and so this is review for me. However, they do feed us lunch and we are getting paid for our time so I will tough it out and attend. He is going to let us out after lunch tomorrow. Then Monday, I will go back to the senior center from 8:00 until 11:00.

I finally did get paid for my first two weeks last night by direct deposit. I will pay a few bills in April, leave enough in there for my Blue Cross Blue Shield which is always taken out before my social security comes in the second Wednesday of the month. I won't have to worry about transferring funds from my savings for that now. That's a relief.

I will clean house Saturday morning and attend Donnie's funeral at 2:00 in the afternoon.

I let Slinky in this morning and he is asleep here at my feet on one of his dog cushions. It is cold out there this morning. He woke me up at 5:30 barking for his breakfast and he definitely wanted in the kitchen. So, I broke down and let him in. Later next week, it's supposed to get down into the 30's so I will have to let him sleep in those nights. I wish the weather would make up it's mind.

Slinky is such an old sweetheart. I fed him his dog food and most of my oatmeal. How that dog loves oatmeal! And it should be good for him. It's good for us.

It's ten til 7:00 now and I will have to go get dressed soon and get ready for the workshop at 9:00. I will put Slinky back outside when I leave. I feel so much better now that I have a little money in my checking account. That's a cushion.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

A Sad Day

Yesterday evening I learned that my friend Donzella died early yesterday morning. She was going to have to have a tricky surgery to repair two valves of her heart and would have to go to Joplin or Tulsa to have that done. They weren't sure she would make it through the surgery so she declined to do it. They sent her back to the Coffeyville hospital and she died there early yesterday morning. I don't know what Pete will do. That was all so tragic. Her funeral is Saturday at 2:00. Of course, I will go.

This is the third day of my workshop. First I have to go to Independence to have my hair cut and then when that is done I will get back in time to go to the workshop. I will have to be careful I don't hit a dear. There were about six notices in yesterday's newspaper about people who had hit dear. It will be dark when I go to Independence.

I will go to Cherryvale after work one day niext week to meet my friend, Gay, for lunch. She contacted me yesterday.

More later...

I got back home at 3:30. He let us out a few minutes early. I read the paper and Bob A. came to see me and tell me about his experience with Phyllis today. The poor guy is really having a hard time. She is really failing.

I got a notice today that tomorrow my first paycheck will be deposited in my checking account. I hope so since I am very low on funds right now. I will just watch TV tonight and go to bed early after that.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Second Day of Workshop

For some reason today was not as exhausting as yesterday at the workshop. Tomorow will be strange though. I leave here at 6:30 to be in Independence at the beauty shop at 7:00. This is the day for my haircut and yet I have the workshop at 9:00 so I have to go very early. The workshop is from 9:00 until 3:30.

Scott tried to call me twice this morning while I was in workshop. I had my phone on vibrate and in my purse so I didn't discover that until noon when I checked my phone.

Keith also called me once but when he learned I was in my workshop, he hung up and called me back after I got home. My brother-in-law came over after that too. He was upset because Hospice is now giving Phyllis bed baths and he thinks that is a bad sign. He had gone to Bartlesville by himself just for something to do to get his mind off of that. I feel so bad for him.

Exhausting Monday

Yesterday was extremely tiring. I had the workshop for my job training from 9:00 AM until 3:30 PM and then I had to drive to Independence for a board meeting at 4:00. I got there with 5 minutes to spare.

After the board meeting, I came home and fed the animals and wrote the minutes and sent them off to Susie. Then I ate some yogurt and some cheese and crackers for my supper. I watched a bit of TV but then just went to bed at 9:00.

I have this workshop all week long. After a person sits for six hours with only two breaks and lunch, it's very tiring. The lecturer is interesting enough as lecturers go but his powerpoint presentation only worked part of the time and so he was constantly trying to keep it going.

I have sat through numerous presentations of this sort over the years of my work life so it's nothing I don't already know. But I guess a refresher course never hurts either.

I talked to Bob A. about Phyllis last evening. She was fairly awake as she ever is when he went to visit her yesterday morning and was able to spend some time with him. Nothing much that she says makes sense anymore though. It's a tragedy.

Anyhow, tomorrow is another day of the workshop. I did learn that it may be a month before I get my first check.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Dry Sunday

I am so glad the day is going to be dry. I stayed home all day yesterday because of the rain and hail. I didn't eat too much either. I had my usual 5 - 6 bites of oatmeal before giving the rest to Slinky. (Slinky also spent the day inside) At noon I had half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk. (I gave the other half to Slinky). Then last night I had a small container of yogurt. Oh, yes, I ate three of my sugar cookies left from the party.

Mostly, I just surfed the net and watched some TV. Boring, boring, boring!

Today, I have the sermon at church. Afterward we will probably go out to eat somewhere...the six or eight of us.

Oh yes...those jonquils??? They are gone now...thanks to the hail!!

More later....

We ate at Bushwhackers today and I had fish and chips. I wasn't impressed. The fish was very greasy.

I got my letters done this afternoon and then this evening I went to the Living the Questions group. Unfortunately, the couple in whose home we met could not get the DVD to play on their DVD player so we just had fellowship and refreshments this evening. I got home about 8:15.

Tomorrow and all this week I attend the job training workshop at the college from 9:00 until 3:30. They provide lunch. That should be an interesting experience.