Dad 706: Oxygen Deficiency

(Dad writes today. He got a call back after he wrote this. Appointment tomorrow! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! A cool, cloudy day in the Northeast. But no snow in the future for us. Only one day until March. Will be one of the most snowless Februarys on record. Spring is on its way. We'll take it!

 

Well, I spent Monday at urgent care attempting to regain oxygen for use. My oxygen levels are not where they should be at times, and I have been short of breath and have trouble finishing sentences, etc. I wait for an appointment for an outpatient stress test. I think it is called "nuclear" because it is done with no activity.

 

Also I'm waiting to get oxygen at home. Just waiting. Waiting for a call back from nurse at doctor's office. I feel good and hope to clear up my heart problem. (All other tests are good except for this problem with my heart.) The body getting old is not the best thing that happens in the aging process.

 

Tune in next week. I may have better news.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Technology Woes

Our computer files at work were "re-organized" by our I.T. office.

And now the files are disorganized.

It's been messed up for a week now, but we are making do until everything can be fixed.

What fun we are having!

😕

Taxes Done

I have finished tax return preparation for another year!

All three Federal returns have been "accepted."

I am still waiting for two Maine returns to be "accepted."  Hopefully that will happen in the next day or so.

Now on to other projects that are hopefully more fun. 😁

Taxes Update

I just e-filed income taxes for Matt and Emily. I did our own last week, so I just have my father's left to do. I am planning on looking at his tomorrow.

I found a great emoji to include at the end of this post. The title of it is "Money With Wings." Seems appropriate for the subject of taxes!

💸

A Good Season

The Rockets season ended last night with a loss in the regionals. I imagine they wanted to go further into the playoffs, but they still should be proud of the winning season they had.

Dad and I enjoyed watching the games. Lew sometimes joined us. We still marvel at the technology which allows us to sit in Maine and watch a high school basketball game being played in Illinois.

Thank you, Rockets! It was fun. 🏀

Dad 705: An Easy February

(Dad writes today. I am happy to be back to my two-day work week! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! About noon and our weather is similar to the recent pattern of the outside looking good from the inside. A very little storm is on the books for the weekend. Should get a little snow, about one-to-three inches across most of the state. About one-to-six inches in one little spot up on the border. The coast, however, will get a little snow then rain clearing the land of the snow. This is about the easiest February I can remember in my 85 years. No large weather issues for the rest of February. We'll take it, but I do feel bad for the people depending on snow for their businesses.

 

Tomorrow marks four months without Mary Lou, my partner of 63 years. I have my moments when I am not filled with happy thoughts. One thing is for sure, though: I am getting closer to being with my partner again. Then I will be happy. Nothing wrong with my company now, but the best is yet to come!

 

Tracy seems to have the schedule for her bookkeeping job straightened out to what she was hired for, which is a two-day work week. Now she works to get our taxes done. Then we'll be ready for the rest of the year.

 

Tune in next week!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Leftovers

Breakfast out with Lew, Carole, and Donna.

The rest of today's dining:

• Lunch: Leftover Chipotle.
• Dinner: Leftover lasagna.

Yum!

A New Dining Experience

I had a late lunch with a friend today.

She suggested going to a place I had never been.

That place? Chipotle! (Yes, I am behind the times.)

I enjoyed the food and I even have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

When I see the commercials I now can say, "I've eaten there!"

Tax Season

My annual tax return preparation service has begun! I hang no shingle outside, though, since I only do three returns.  😁

I just e-filed the tax returns for Lew and me, so two to go!

Have you started YOUR taxes yet?  Just shy of a couple months left to get them filed. Have fun!

Dad 704: Valentine's Day

(Dad has some good words for us all today. ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another beautiful day as seen from the inside. Temperatures are still south of freezing.

 

Let us have a simple day with a simple wish for everyone to have a spectacular Valentine's Day. Take a good look at your Valentine. Enjoy your company. Life is short. Make your day worthwhile. It will be worth it for you.

 

Happy Valentine's Day.

 

Tune in next week; I'll try to write more.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

A Precise Weather Report

Amount of snow predicted for our area today: A COUPLE INCHES.

Actual snow received today: NONE. (Hooray!)

Snow received in other states not too far south of us:  A BUNCH... TOO MUCH!

❄❅❆⛄❆❅❄

Monday Musings on Super Sunday

I was rooting for the 49ers, so I was a little disappointed in the outcome of the game. But it was fun to watch. Congrats to the Chiefs. 

I thought Reba McEntire did a nice, respectful job singing the National Anthem. 

The half-time show. Eh. I'm of the opinion that the half-time length should be just like it is all season. Don't need to have a longer half-time just to have an elaborate production. The drama of the game is enough. 

I just listened to a few snippets of some Taylor Swift songs. Eh. I want to like her, I really do want to, but I don't understand why her music is so popular. Apparently I am not her target audience! But I guess she was good for NFL viewership this season, since all the "Swifties" were watching just to see her sitting in a box at the games. Now that the season is over, will her romance with Travis Kelce continue much longer? Stay tuned, Earthlings!

As for the commercials, I did enjoy many of them. Some were trying so hard to be unique that they fell flat. I didn't have a favorite, and I didn't rush out to buy any new products today.

Our Super Bowl special food: Lew made cheese nachos. Yum. Thanks, Lew!

Super Sunday

Yesterday's post indicated my schedule for today. How I did:

• We did go to church this morning. The sermon text was Colossians 4:4-6. Speak wisely and graciously!
• On our way home from church we picked up Dad's ziti dinner. We also got him a brownie. Lew got an Italian sandwich. I got a lunch-sized ziti meal and a whoopie pie. (Yum.)
• Caitlin Clark scored 31 points in the game today, but Nebraska beat her Iowa team by three points. She has to score only eight more points to be the highest scorer in NCAA Women's Basketball. Iowa's next game is at home on Thursday, and she will probably do it then.
• I just finished the book I've been reading, Father Elijah: An Apocalypse by Michael D. O'Brien. It's entry #8 on my 2024 Reading List page.

As for the rest of the day, I hear there is a big event on TV starting around 6:30pm our time. I guess I will watch.

Super Sunday Schedule

Tomorrow:

• Go to church.
• Pick up a Ziti dinner for Dad.
• Watch Caitlin Clark play basketball.
• Finish the book I've been reading.

Let's see.... What else is happening tomorrow?!

😀📺🏈

Divine Chocolate

I often wonder whether there will be chocolate in Heaven.

Then I remind myself that our present food won't compare to Heaven's feast.

Note to self: Rest easy!

Think, Jessica, Think!

The TV show Murder, She Wrote is currently available on Amazon Prime Video. I just discovered this last week. To allow myself the guilty pleasure of enjoying the show, I only play it while I'm using the elliptical machine.

I've watched the first few episodes of Season One. I am surprised that Jessica Fletcher has put herself in danger a few times. For example: In the show I watched today, one of the characters asked Jessica to meet her in an abandoned warehouse down at the dock that evening. And Jessica went!  What was she thinking?

The answer to my question is this: Jessica Fletcher wasn't thinking. She is a fictional character.  It's just a TV show... but an entertaining one.

Dad 703: A Project in Penmanship

(Dad writes today. Our joint project – see 2nd paragraph – is going slowly, but we'll get there! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another day which looks like a spring day from inside. Temperatures in the 30s. The professional prognosticators have said Saturday may approach 60°. Then back to winter. But only about three weeks of February left. Slowly sliding our way to spring. Bring it on!

 

Tracy and I are sending out "thank you" notes for the sympathy cards we received after the loss of Mary Lou. (The only problem I have is it takes me a long time to succeed in completing one "thank you" note!) It sure was nice to receive correspondence from acquaintances and friends we've made throughout the years.

 

We have watched all but one of Zachariah's Rock Falls basketball games from Illinois. I believe they have almost finished the regular season schedule and soon will be involved in postseason games. We will continue to watch the games. They certainly shoot the ball well. Good job, Zach. The team scored 100 points in 32 minutes a couple weeks ago!

 

Life goes on and we are still participants in it. We change and adapt to our surroundings. Enough for today. Enjoy the day!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Write, Write, Write

Once upon a time I tried to write a novel. I finished a draft of it. I didn't do anything more after that, since I wasn't all that excited about it. (Translation: It wasn't a very good story!)

Recently I've been reading about the craft of writing. It's got me thinking I should try again, especially since my two-day work week will allow me to have some creative time.

Instead of a novel, I'm going to try my hand at short stories of the "whodunit" variety. I love mysteries, so this sounds fun to me.

Now that I've told my blog readers about it, I guess I should follow through soon!

Lew Saves My Day

My alarm went off at 6:00 this morning. I "waved" the snooze button. (It's a motion sensor.)

It went off again a few minutes later, and I again waved.

The next thing I knew, Lew is saying, "Hey, babe...."  It was 7:30!

He had been downstairs taking care of the kitties and realized he hadn't heard anything going on upstairs. So he came to wake me up.

Thank you, Lew!

P.S. I was only a few minutes late to work.

Sunday Encouragement

Our pastor has been preaching through the book of Colossians. Two more weeks to go after today!

The main topic of today's passage was prayer, which reminded of the best encouragement I've heard regarding prayer. (Can't remember where I heard it.)

Many people, myself included, struggle with staying focused while praying. Here's the encouragement:

Pray until you pray.

Have a blessed week! 

Can't Win 'Em All

A couple tough nights for the Rockets. Close games last night and tonight, but they came up short in both. Still fun to watch. We are grateful for streaming technology.

Only a few games left in their regular season and then the playoffs. We'll be watching!

68 Cents

Forever postage stamps have been around a while now. Because of this, I usually have no idea what it costs to mail a letter. The price isn't on the stamp, so... out of sight, out of mind.

I picked up a roll of stamps for my father today, so I learned that the cost is now 68 cents a stamp. Apparently this is up from 66 cents, and apparently this price increase just happened within the past couple weeks. Go figure.

Lew and I watched a news program earlier tonight, and the question was posed:

What is the price of a Forever stamp?

I knew the answer!

What a difference a day makes.

My Recent Obsession With 0 and 1

I'm a little miffed at my friend Mary. She told me about a binary puzzle game on the internet, and now I can't stop playing it! There is something really satisfying about getting all the 0s and 1s in the right squares on the grid.

P.S. In reality I'm not upset with Mary. I just needed a catchy sentence to start this post.

P.P.S. Happy February!