what did you do today? (2008-2015) (closed)

[Dawg52]

Skipped golf this morning. Played 4 straight days so ready for a break. So I took the mutt on our weekly hike at a local park. Beautiful day too. Finally looking like fall, but trees will be prettier in another week or two.

Grocery shopping for this afternoon and plan to head to the club tonight for a few med's and dinner. I hope someday I get used to this retirement gig.

From this morning...............

 

[brewer12345]

Ducked out of work to go to one of NYC's heavily Asian areas (not Chinatown), which I have not been to in probably a dozen years. Unfortunately, I was there to attend a funeral. Never been to a Buddhist funeral before.

Tonight is allegedly date night (sans kids) with DW, but after spending in excess of 4 hours on public transportation and going to a funeral I cannot say I really am interested.

 

[freebird5825]

Today was extremely productive...INSURANCE FIXING day.
It started with a visit to a different broker for the EXACT SAME insurance company and EXACT SAME coverages for my home, auto, and marine (boat) policies yielded some serious savings, thanks to Mr. Boston.
My previous broker did not enroll me in a cost savings program available to safe drivers with multiple policies with the same insurance company.
All coverages are identical. I checked every single line item.

Net savings on auto...$786 annually (conversion from 6 month policy to 12 month, paid in full upfront vs. monthly scheduled payments, and a HUGE safe driver discount)
Net savings on home...$87 annually, with possible another $180 for my security/fire alert system. TBD for that.
Cancelled an unnecessary* life insurance policy, savings on premiums...$1632 annually
Cashout of current life insurance policy cash surrender value...$1400

* I converted my FEGLI term life to a whole life policy after I resigned in 1Q07.
I have no dependents. Hellloooooo! What was I thinking ?

The day ended with making a team effort to make a big pan of lasagna. No cheese was spared.
Leftovers will be frozen in individual portions and eaten over the winter.

 

[Nords]

So far all I've done today is read websites and answer e-mail, and I probably have another 2-3 hours to go. Then I'll load up the blog with another week of posts.

However I can hear the rest of the world rushing by outside as they catch up on their errands before going back to work on Monday, so I don't mind being a hermit for a couple days. I have most of a Costco veggie pizza left over, too.

Impact Publications is printing up a new catalog and putting together new web pages for the book, as well as:

We've developed a couple of press releases with photos of the covers... We'll also send you a copy of our new 14th edition of "The Military-to-Civilian Transition Guide." We took the liberty to feature you and your forthcoming book in a new chapter entitled "Benefits and Retirement." It should give us some good pre-publication publicity.

I'm looking forward to that read. Impact is still tentatively planning to put out the pocket guide in February and the book in March/April.

Spouse is coming home Monday. I'm gonna have to do some cleaning in there too somewhere.

I am the last house on the grid in my canyon. My neighbors are always trying to convert me to solar.
Thing is my average bill is $40, 2 months of central A/C shoots it up $100. So at $600 a year and a $20K conversion. I don't think so.

You're probably not paying 25 cents/KWHr with the prospect of another 20-30 years of inflation on the cost of hauling oil across 2500 miles of the Pacific Ocean, either...

But it's always easier to lower consumption than to raise production. We did it by sending a third of our family to a Mainland college and I think we're still ahead on the deal.

 

[REWahoo]

Today was extremely productive...

Net savings on auto...$786 annually

Net savings on home...$87 annually, with possible another $180 for my security/fire alert system.

...savings on premiums...$1632 annually

Cashout of current life insurance policy cash surrender value...$1400

Wow. In addition to a one-time windfall of $1,400, you reduced your annual budget by $2,500!

Today was extremely productive...

That's an understatement. (Words I never thought I'd be typing in response to something you posted. )

 

[Nords]

(Words I never thought I'd be typing in response to something you posted. )

Pot... kettle... black...

 

[WhoDaresWins]

Stunning weather here in Pittsburgh all week. Must be the calm before the eventual storm...although predictions (for what they are worth) are for a mild winter. Yes! There is a God...especially after last year.
I had spent the last two days just doing stuff like walking the dog, gym, laundry, dusting, cooking, car wash, bill paying. I was starting to feel like a domestic drudge so I hied into Pittsburgh to see a movie "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" (Swedish) and some Middle Eastern food. It was a nice change from the same-old, same-old out here in the boring burbs, and I also hit that mecca of Pittsburgh foot fashion (Little's of Squirrel Hill) so there was not a more perfect day in my humble opinion. Rain and cooler weather moves in tomorrow.

 

[Gumby]

Bought an old black Western Electric type 302 telephone at the flea market. They are sometimes called the "Lucy" phone, as that was the kind she had on the TV show. Brought it home and opened it up. Didn't see any obvious problems. Did see that it was built on January 2, 1949 by the 3rd shift and appears to have all original components. Buttoned it back up and, after a minor rewiring of the wall jack (removing the RJ-11 and hardwiring the phone cord), fired it up. It works great and sounds like a telephone should, with the proper whir of the dial when calling out and the loud clear ring of actual bells for incoming. The phone number in the center of the dial is LOcust 2-2396. I like it.

I think that tomorrow I will take it apart again and clean and polish it up so it shines like new inside and out.

Here is a picture of the type of phone:

 

[Purron]

Took in 3 foster kittens. One looks just like the cat I lost recently.

But they're happy to be here

 

[WhoDaresWins]

Bought an old black Western Electric type 302 telephone at the flea market. They are sometimes called the "Lucy" phone, as that was the kind she had on the TV show. Brought it home and opened it up. Didn't see any obvious problems. Did see that it was built on January 2, 1949 by the 3rd shift and appears to have all original components. Buttoned it back up and, after a minor rewiring of the wall jack (removing the RJ-11 and hardwiring the phone cord), fired it up. It works great and sounds like a telephone should, with the proper whir of the dial when calling out and the loud clear ring of actual bells for incoming. The phone number in the center of the dial is LOcust 2-2396. I like it.

I think that tomorrow I will take it apart again and clean and polish it up so it shines like new inside and out.

Here is a picture of the type of phone:

I love old rotary phones. I remember our one phone from back in the day...a party line no less and still recall the number: ESsex 5-5697.

And Purron, your foster kitties are sweet. I had to log back in just to see their photos. I would love to have a cat but my son is allergic to them. He only visits about once a year, but I don't want him to think his Mama loves a cat more than I love him (by getting one, or two).

 

[Khan]

Another warm sunny day, to change tonight; brought in the clothesline.

 

[Nords]

It works great and sounds like a telephone should, with the proper whir of the dial when calling out and the loud clear ring of actual bells for incoming. The phone number in the center of the dial is LOcust 2-2396. I like it.
I think that tomorrow I will take it apart again and clean and polish it up so it shines like new inside and out.

Since you're able to pulse-dial now, around here you could drop the touch-tone dialing from your phone bill and save about $1.50/month...

 

[harley]

Went to the local university. A group of Tibetan monks have been there this week creating a sand Mandala. Pretty cool, they put colored sand in brass cones, and rub a stick up and down on it to shake the sand put of the hole at the end. It gives them great control, but I tried it and it's really hard. So they create this absolutely incredible work of art, then on the last day they destroy it, demonstrating the impermanence of the universe. It was pretty unbelievable. I think we're going back tomorrow for the prayers and dancing, and the destruction of the mandala. Here's the process, and a couple of pictures I took. The Mandala Construction Process

 

[NW-Bound]

Since you're able to pulse-dial now, around here you could drop the touch-tone dialing from your phone bill and save about $1.50/month...

Man, I forgot about the difference between pulse and tone dialing, and the required hardware at the other end. I would have thought that by now pulse dialing would not be available at all.

 

[bruce1]

Man, I forgot about the difference between pulse and tone dialing, and the required hardware at the other end. I would have thought that by now pulse dialing would not be available at all.

My phone company will never get rid of pulse since they would loose the excuse to charge extra for tone.

 

[keegs]

I have an old Ericsson in the kitchen that looks just like that. It must be about 3 or 4 pounds. It's become a relative pain to dial but it's a keeper.

 

[brewer12345]

Brewed 10 gallons of stout and raked a mountain of leaves to the curb yesterday, so I am knid of beat today. So a slow morning. We will shortly be heading off to a Costco excursion and then do lunch at a snazzy Indian chaat house that is basically set up so you sit on a couch and eat off what amounts to a coffee table (with excellent food). Kids and DW have never been there, so it should be interesting to see how the kids like the place.

 

[Nords]

An hour or two of writing, then field day today before spouse comes home tomorrow. I'm on it. Here I go. Just a couple more posts.

I'd been sitting quietly in the livingroom for a while (our house was totally still) and then I went out the front door. As I stepped onto the front lanai I startled a family of four quail that patrol daily through our yard. Man those suckers can move fast when they want to.

Man, I forgot about the difference between pulse and tone dialing, and the required hardware at the other end. I would have thought that by now pulse dialing would not be available at all.

My parents-in-law routinely opt for pulse-dialing service. They switch their electronic phone to its "P" setting, "dial" their number on the keypad, connect to the voice-response system, and switch back to "T" to enter data. It makes my FIL happy to know that the bastids aren't screwing him out of $1.50/month by forcing him to use touch-tone.

One day our kid tried to use their phone to make a call and thought it was broken. She was fascinated by the history lesson.

... then on the last day they destroy it...

I've always wondered-- after they destroy the mandala do they use the mixed-up sand for landfill, or are the sharp-eyed apprentice monks assigned to separate the individual grains back into their component colors to supply the next mandala?

 

[Amethyst]

Visited the city today; stunning weather (soon to change, alas)...noticed that, evidently, someone from the ER Forum had visited the Wish Tree in the Hirschhorn Sculpture Garden (you scribble a wish on a scrap of paper and hang it on the tree).

Amethyst

 

[Amethyst]

Hirschhorn Wish Tree

And here is the picture I meant to add to my previous post...

 

[NW-Bound]

We want to get Amethyst's handwriting, which we will then submit to a handwriting expert along with the above posted photo.

 

[Amethyst]

Heh heh heh! The handwriting is not all that different from mine...but isn't mine. If I wanted to play tricks on y'all, bet I could come up with something more inventive!

Amethyst

 

[REWahoo]

My daughter told me she has an employee at work who has a granddaughter with an interesting first name. It is pronounced "Absidee" and is spelled Abcde.

 

[harley]

I've always wondered-- after they destroy the mandala do they use the mixed-up sand for landfill, or are the sharp-eyed apprentice monks assigned to separate the individual grains back into their component colors to supply the next mandala?

. I did go to the dismantling ceremony today. Pretty cool. They had a ceremony where they consecrated/blessed the mandala. The chanting was totally wild. One monk did something with his voice that made him sound like a human didgeridoo. Anyway, after they finished the ceremony they took the mandala apart, signifying the impermanence of everything. Half the sand was put into little baggies and given to the onlookers as a blessing. The other half they took to the river and poured it in (more ceremony, of course). This is supposed to move the blessing through the land, and into the clouds and all over the world. Nice concept.

As far as the sharp eyed young monks, I think they make them paint the individual grains for the next mandala.

 

[freebird5825]

Today I perfected the fine art of drinking beer and shooting the breeze with some really good folks. Mr Boston and I had a great time starting with coffee, moving on to draft beer, bought and munched out on XXSharp NY cheddar cheese and crackers, and watched football with vets of all ages and service records.

Ordered a pepperoni pizza "to go" at a local mom-n-pop pizza place to stimulate the local economy.

Life is good.