What did you do today? 2019 version.

[Ronstar]

Hiked, harvested a nice piece of Osage for another hiking stick, cleaned my workshop, and screwed up a woodworking project to the point where it may not be salvageable.

[MRG]

Woke up to a fresh blanket of snow. Just a few inches, the forecast said it was going to snow till tomorrow morning. Snow covered everything and it was very quiet outside. We watched some of the Broncos/Texas game, after halftime we walked a mile around our neighborhood. No plows had been through and it was difficult to walk. When we got home it was deep enough to run the snowblower around the driveway. Somehow DW allows me all the fun.

After we finished up outside, restarted the Denver game and watched the Chiefs/Patriots game. Unexpected ending to both games. It stopped snowing perhaps it's done?

[aja8888]

Today is the third week anniversary of my total hip replacement. I am off the walker about a week now. The pain is very minimal and I only take tylenol at bedtime. Showers and sleeping are normal. Two weeks sleeping in the recliner was enough!

I am walking the dog a few times per day in this nice Fall (70s) weather and averaging ~5,000 steps per day, using my trusty old walking stick. No distance or pace issues. Yesterday, we waked almost 10,000 steps and I used an ice bag on the hip last night due to a bit of overuse. Today's walks (so far) have been painless.

The dog, and DW, are glad that I am self sufficient and pretty much back to normal (90% anyway).

[street]

Shoveled some snow for two elderly ladies. I will get a carving packaged up for Christmas gift someone bought.

[Walt34]

Cleaned up my old Stihl chain saw that quit running last spring. Confirmed that it still had spark so that means fuel system, almost certainly carburetor. When it died it slowly quit running, suggesting a fuel system clog anyway.

Since this thing is almost 40 years old I figured the chances of finding parts were about zilch, but to my astonishment I found several sources of rebuild kits and complete carburetors. The difference in price was small, single digits, so I opted for a new carburetor from Amazon, at $14 which includes new fuel line and a spark plug. If it works, great, if not, well I got my nickel's worth out that saw anyway.

[ls99]

After skating and coffee, I dropped off all my unused satellite TV receiving equipment and soma ancient boat anchor radios at the recycling center. I am done with TV in any form. A slow beginning or minor progress to downsizing.

[Philliefan33]

DH wrecked my RAV4. Thankfully he is okay— not even a scratch. My SUV, however, probably will be totaled. No other cars involved, he went off the road/ back on the rain. Unfortunately he hit some fence poles along the way. There’s a lot of damage to the front right quarter and right side. I think we will be auto shopping later this week. [emoji53]

After 30+ years with no insurance claims with USAA, we have two within a month. Not looking forward to our next term renewal.

[MBAustin]

Sorry about your car, Philliefan, but very glad no one was hurt.

Today was the official start of misery season for me - otherwise known as "cedar fever". It's not caused by cedar trees, but ashe junipers, and doesn't involve a fever, but it is pure hell for many of us in Central Texas for 3-6 weeks each year. I unfortunately didn't start Zyrtec last week as I had planned and now I'm paying. Itchy, watery eyes, constantly running nose, and post-nasal drip cough. Ugh.

I did count the offering at church and go to yoga this morning, but since then I've just been miserable. Tomorrow should be better as a rainy cold front is blowing in - the high today was 82, tomorrow the high will be 43. Hopefully we'll get enough rain to knock everything down for a day or two - but then the pollen counts will skyrocket as the rain will encourage the trees to bloom.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBAustin I unfortunately didn't start Zyrtec last week as I had planned and now I'm paying. Itchy, watery eyes, constantly running nose, and post-nasal drip cough. Ugh.

Bummer, I'm far too familiar with the misery you are experiencing.

I learned my lesson years ago and now start taking Allegra each Thanksgiving in preparation for the coming plague. My doc said in a situation like yours to double your dosage of antihistamine until the pollen count starts to slack off, hopefully by late January.

[TromboneAl]

I was excused from jury duty today. Big trial that would have gone into next year.

Actually, one of the reasons I started writing legal thrillers was that it might get me out of jury duty (lawyers don't like it if jurors know the law). But I didn't even get to to that point today. In a sense, that's too bad, because I want to know whether that strategy works.

Also, ironically, now that I write legal thrillers, being on a jury would have been helpful and I wouldn't have minded as much.

I would have given up on writing the first legal thriller (Conclusive Evidence) when I was halfway done, but I told myself, "It's just to get out of jury duty. That's all that matters." Then it turned out that it's my most popular book by far. Life is strange.

Apparently, I was excused today because we live 33 miles from the courthouse.

[ls99]

Drained water pipes at camp, filled pipes with winter windshield washer fluid. Camp is ready winter, several cords of firewood stored under cover for days when I show up and stay overnight. Let it snow!

[MRG]

Went to the springs this morning, it was 20° when we arrived. It was an amazing sunny day, the mountains snowcapped in the distance. Pretty steamy outside at that temperature and lots of hot water. Couldn't see too much but it was still nice as we had the place to ourselves.

Went to lunch on the river but skipped sitting outside. The river is getting frozen in that area, the banks are snow covered.

Washed DWs Wrangler on the way home. I'm not sure it's much cleaner now but it makes her happy. Came home and made sous vide chicken breasts for the first time. Wow, I'm impressed.

[O2Bfree]

Got some business done today. Gathered and mailed off the forms to transfer my HSA from my ex-employers custodian to a no-fee Fidelity account. Made an appointment to meet with my mom's FA to discuss how to proceed with her 2019 RMD and manage some cash she's accumulated from dividends. I had no idea she hadn't taken the RMD yet. Over the past few months she'd occasionally say her FA was going to get in touch with me, but he never did, and I wasn't anxious to deal with him. But I finally called and learned about the RMD and a few other issues, so I'd better dive in. Also talked to her CPA, who said she should consider paying her entire estimated tax bill for next year out of an RMD taken in the first quarter. Or, I should be checking on her to make sure she sends in her quarterly payments. He's noticed she's not as sharp as she used to be.

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99 Drained water pipes at camp, filled pipes with winter windshield washer fluid. Camp is ready winter, several cords of firewood stored under cover for days when I show up and stay overnight. Let it snow!

Why fill with fluid? We just blow out lines with a shop vac and leave air in them... we keep all faucets open over the winter so if there is residual water in the pipes that freezes it has room to expand without busting the pipes. We have used this approach for 30 years and haven't had a problem. Seems a lot easier.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski Why fill with fluid? We just blow out lines with a shop vac and leave air in them... we keep all faucets open over the winter so if there is residual water in the pipes that freezes it has room to expand without busting the pipes. We have used this approach for 30 years and haven't had a problem. Seems a lot easier.

Maybe he meant drain pipe traps.

[Koogie]

Found out yesterday a former colleague had died last week. Massive heart attack. He was made redundant at 59 and decided to take the "hint".
He was 64 when he died.


ER. Looking better and better everyday.

[Souschef]

Quote:

Originally Posted by O2Bfree Also talked to her CPA, who said she should consider paying her entire estimated tax bill for next year out of an RMD taken in the first quarter. Or, I should be checking on her to make sure she sends in her quarterly payments. He's noticed she's not as sharp as she used to be.

You can set up the quarterly payments through EFTPS. Just make sure she has enough in her account to pay them.

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover Maybe he meant drain pipe traps.

Ah... that makes sense... we fill the traps with RV antifreeze... not windshield washer fluid though I guess windshield washer fluid is also good to 20 below or more.

An interesting thing that I just found out... RV antifreeze has both a freeze point and a burst point... so it freezes one temperature and then expands at a much lower temperature.

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by O2Bfree ... Also talked to her CPA, who said she should consider paying her entire estimated tax bill for next year out of an RMD taken in the first quarter. Or, I should be checking on her to make sure she sends in her quarterly payments. He's noticed she's not as sharp as she used to be.

You'd be better off to pay her entire estimated tax bill out of her RMD because for the purpose of underpayment penalties the IRS considers withholding to have been done ratably throughout the year no matter when it is actually done... so withholding in December is the same as withholding in January or each month during the year.

So no need to make estimated payments. I have used tIRA withdrawals and withholdings to "pay" my estimated taxes for the last two Decembers.

I would do the RMD in December with withholding for estimated taxes for the year (federal and state if applicable).

[pacergal]

DH learned of a high school buddy who died while on a trip for the holidays with his family.
This is the third friend who has died this year!