Wreckage - I Might Live to Write Again, But Life Isn't Cooperating

Our newest assignment for LJ Idol, due tomorrow, is "From the Wreckage". It's a highly appropriate theme, given that our Moderator lives in Florida and had to evacuate during this last hurricane. He said he wasn't super affected by it, but without doubt, there are thousands of people who weren't that lucky. I haven't the vaguest idea of what to write and it's due tomorrow. I'd better try to get my thoughts in order quickly, but today is a kitchen day, and those days simply can't be skipped. 

As always, my thoughts bounce here and there and 
everywhere. But I do have to focus a bit today, 
I have a lot that I have to get done. 

I'm also dealing with getting our security system at the shop upgraded to wireless before we switch to our wireless phone system. DH asked a good question yesterday, and after 10 phone calls with various people in the security company arsenal around the nation, I still don't have an answer for him. Currently, we pay a monthly amount to the security company for "Monitoring Services". These constitute "Intrusion Alarm Monitoring" and "Monitoring - Total Connect". For that service, we are billed approximately $150/month. DH wants to know if the monitoring will be the same after we switch, and more importantly, what it will cost us per month. We need to build that into our budget. After speaking with more than 10 people, I still have no answer. I'll keep trying today in between cooking. We do need an answer. 

Argh! ... just ARGH!

We have decided to pay for the wireless security system up front, which is almost $1000 (I did manage to get them talked down from $1200, but couldn't improve past that). If I was going to be in business for another five years, I'd probably finance it over 60 months. But I'm not planning to be in business past next year, so no. I won't obligate myself to pay for something I won't be using. *sigh* What a PITA. 

A while ago, there was a full digital scan done of an 
iconic wrech - Titanic on the ocean floor. The detail 
they were able to get in the scan, despite the depths 
and darkness, is exceptional. Such a joy to find 
this photo to share with all of you. 

So, as I look back upon my personal wreckage, I could write about that ... but how boring. No. I need to figure out something that will be far more interesting to read about than real life - LOL. I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday. I'm bundling up (it's a cold morning), hoping I can get a good look at our "Super Moon" and heading to the swimming pool. Have a wonderful Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Shopping, Shopping and Talking on the Phone - That's My Wednesday

Those who know me well, know my love of pictorial calendars. I have them all over my house - my ever-changing portable art show. This year I have a lot of waterfalls, my usual zen gardens to calm my soul, a lovely calendar of environmental artwork, and several others. One in the computer room is bothering me, however. As I flipped it to February on Tuesday night, I realized the hanging holes in the calendar were so small, and so close to the edge of the page, that the pages simply can't support the weight of the upcoming pages. It's rather like life, sometimes. The weight of what's to come can weigh you down, and sometimes break you. 

Sometimes the weight of life can get you down. That 
seems to happen to people more often in the winter - 
I guess we need that sunshine and the warm days to 
function better. We're in the deep of winter right now, 
so I'm I bit introspective today. 

This one will have a quick fix. I'll grab a hole puncher, either from the shop or I might have one in the craft room, and I'll punch a new hole. For now, though, I strengthened it by taping January to February at the hole, and that gave me two pages plus the tape to give it more strength. Again, it's rather like life. When you're tearing apart, you find whatever tape or glue is available to put yourself back together again. It's these many mends that make us the people that we are, and that strengthen us against those cracks that are bound to occur in our futures. 

I know I have some hole reinforcements at the shop 
as well, but this hole is cut so close to the edge 
that even a reinforcement won't fit properly. It's bad 
calendar design, to say the least. I may have to tape 
each page to make it sturdy enough for the month. 

Today will be a very busy "day off" with some cooking, lots of laundry, some computer work to reset passwords for several locations and clarify some other projects, and I'll end up with a lovely chat with Aearwen. Somewhere in between here, I'll also get my quarterly call from my broker (yes, I have one, but only because DH does and I'm an accessory to the crime - LOL). I don't need the monthly calls that DH has, quarterly is just fine for my investments, which aren't nearly as large nor as interesting as DH's are. But talking with Tom is just one more thing to fit into my schedule. I suspect, as usual, that I'll be in one or another grocery store when that call comes through. 

I need to go to both of my grocery stores today - Whole 
Foods and my local grocer. Of course, DH has taken over 
my little part of the freezer with some steaks for Super 
Bowl weekend, but I actually need my little space, so I'll 
be trying to re-arrange things today. I have to have my 
freezer space. I have things that have to go into it. 

So, it's going to be a busy day, and I'd better start it out by getting some gas. In our super cold temps (although it's actually 2 F today instead of sub-zero), my gas usage goes down quickly, and I don't want to be getting too low. So, I'll add getting gasoline to the errands of the day. Well, I'm getting exhausted just thinking about everything that needs to be done today, so I'm going to wish all of you a wonderful Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Today is a Busy, Busy, Busy Day!

A super fast post today for a super busy "day off". I heard the snow plow go by as I was settling into my daily meditation, so I know I'll have to shovel at least the end of the driveway. The snow yesterday wasn't a massive amount, but the WIND! OMG! It was hard and strong, coming from the Northwest and a good clip, and the snow was blowing almost parallel with the ground. It was crazy. 

It was crazy windy yesterday, and the snow, instead 
of falling down from the sky, was blowing in 
horizontally, parallel with the ground. It was snowing 
consistently all day, so we did definitely get some 
accumulation, and it was a total PITA, so I closed 
early so we'd be safe on the drive home. 

I shoveled at the shop, of course, but within five minutes it looked almost untouched. We actually didn't get a lot of snow, but the wind made everything miserable. I only had one person in the store all day, and we didn't even get any phone calls. What a mess! So, I closed 30 minutes early to let Chickie and me have plenty of time to brush off our cars and head home while it was still light out. 

It's going to be a day of phone calls, and a lot of 
computer work today. I have a ton of stuff to try 
and get done, and it's not going to do itself, as much 
as I might want that. 

Today will be super busy - a day off to be sure, so I'll be shopping at some point. But I have my quarterly convo with my broker at 9:00 am, a WildFit Check In Zoom call at 2:00 pm, and my weekly convo with Aearwen at 4:00 pm. Then I have a 6:30 pm appointment with my accountant for the corporate income taxes. I actually had to write everything down so I wouldn't forget it. Crazy! 

Once again I'm "Busy, busy, busy!" It's going to be 
a packed day - errands and tasks galore. 

So I'm making this very short, wrapping it up and heading out to shovel and swim. I'll need to rush home, then run to the store and get my groceries so that I'm home before Tom calls at 9:00 am. I'll try to take a breath around noon - LOL. Have an excellent day and I'll be back tomorrow.