Category: Life News

I can’t wait for tax time. You know why? ‘Cause I usually have a large return coming. I’d like it not to be so large [I don’t really enjoy giving the federal government a tax-free loan], but I’ll take it this year. I usually have so many deductions that it’s hard to put enough exemptions into my payroll deduction. However, selling the house has put a large dent in my itemized deduction capabilities and from now on, I will be making itemized deductions based solely on my charitable contributions… Good thing I’ve started tithing to my church! [For those of you who don’t know, “tithing” is the practice of donating 10% of one’s income.] It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, but have been too overwhelmed by my personal consumer debt to attempt to give. However, the time is fast approaching when that debt will be gone forever and the credit cards, which are only used as balance transfer agents these days, will be canceled and cut into tiny, tiny bits.

Laura and I also make a practice of donating our least-used clothing items and often times [especially in our recent “downsizing” of our residence] furniture to charitable organizations. This gives us a good feeling of not being wasteful with what we have as well as giving us a nice tax deduction for our non-cash contributions – you should try it! It’s kinda fun, too!

Merry CHRIST-mas, everyone!

Snow in Houston! Unbelievable! Well, it’s not really good snow, but it is coming down here in downtown Houston. This doesn’t happen much [like once every 10 years or so] but I guess we’re due for it. I hope it keeps up so I can actually get a picture of it. It’s melting pretty quickly on the roofs across the way, though.

Well, a ‘whitish’ Christmas Eve isn’t bad when we’ve seen 80 degree weather on Christmas morning before. Enjoy the holidays wherever you are!

As the Christmas holidays approach, Laura and I have been spending time getting the new apartment ready for the holidays. We’ve discovered those little 3M removable tabs – they work great for hanging Christmas lights in windows. Since we’re in an apartment these days, we don’t want to leave to many nail holes behind – especially since I’ve already done quite a bit of damage installing the surround sound speakers. So, we’ve hung lights in our dining and living room windows and some on the railing of the balcony. Unfortunately, since our windows mostly overlook a cemetery, not many people besides us will benefit from the lights in our windows. Still – it feels good to put them up. Never thought I’d say that…

After too many years in which Christmas time was a painful, lonely time of year I have finally recovered some of my childhood love for the season. Laura has helped tremendously. Together, we’ve overwritten some of the most painful memories in my life – both memories of locations, seasons, and other events that I associated with a dark period in my past usually causing emotional “flinches” when they were mentioned. Now, those associations have been mostly broken [I’m sure there are a few left, but only time will discover them] and the joy can return to things like Christmas.

I have just gotten my living room back to 5.1 surround sound. I had to leave my old speakers at the old house since the buyers like the way I’d wired them into the house using galvanized electrical conduit. So, I bought a new set of speakers and just last week hired someone to help me put them up. It was a LOT of work. We ended up routing the wires up through the crown molding – sounds easier than it actually is. There were way too many cross braces between studs to be even close to easy. However, it’s done now and I can watch movies the way they’re supposed to be watched – except since this is an apartment, I now have to keep it quieter… Darn.

We are preparing to take our Thanksgiving week as vacation and head out to Wyoming to visit my sister and her family. It just so happens that the rest of my family will be there as well. How fortuitous! Laura and I will take the first three days on our own in a cabin in the North end of the state and just relax. Then, we’ll head down to my sister’s place for the big day. We’ve seen the new house, but not in it’s final state, so we’re excited to see the finished product.

Not only that, I’m excited to see snow. Laura is excited to see snow, but not to be in snow… I guess I shouldn’t plan that winter trip to Norway just yet…

I have returned from my trip to Washington, D.C. this week and I have to say that I like the feel of the city. Never-mind the inherent corruption that festers there – I’m talking about the great food and the feel of the city itself. It reminded me of a combination of Amsterdam [without the smell] and Zurich [where everyone speaks English – at least as a second language]. There were many beautiful old houses and quaint little neighborhoods – as well as numerous slums [but, I didn’t spend much time there…]. Several of the national monuments were under renovation so I didn’t get to see the District unspoiled, but I will be going back next month. Maybe I’ll get some good pictures then.