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

[Nords]

And in contrast, the scene in my back yard yesterday morning:

The high quality of the photo makes it even scarier!

I think you've fulfilled my winter curiosity through at least the end of this decade...

 

[NW-Bound]

One can't even sing "All the leaves are brown...". There are no leaves left!

How about "All the trees are white..."?

 

[Lisa99]

Starting on fifth day of the entire side of my husbands immediate family being at our house for Christmas. Love them dearly but it's time they went home! Unfortunately they're not leaving until Monday which will give me two whole days to decompress before having to go back to work.

 

[Meadbh]

Starting on fifth day of the entire side of my husbands immediate family being at our house for Christmas. Love them dearly but it's time they went home! Unfortunately they're not leaving until Monday which will give me two whole days to decompress before having to go back to work.

You have my sympathies! Next week would be a good time to talk with DH about setting some limits on your hospitality for future years.

 

[Lisa99]

You have my sympathies! Next week would be a good time to talk with DH about setting some limits on your hospitality for future years.

Thanks Mead. Everyone lives so far away that this is the only time of year that we see each other. His parents are late 70s, so while I b*tch and moan about them all being here for 10 days, it's the right thing to do. However next year I will take an extra week of vacation after instead of before so I can be sane before going back to work.

 

[FIREd]

Day #10 with the family. This INTJ needs some alone time to recharge his batteries. Being stuck with 5 other people in a tiny European-size elevator on Christmas Day didn't help.

 

[W2R]

Day #10 with the family. This INTJ needs some alone time to recharge his batteries. Being stuck at 6 in a tiny European-size elevator on Christmas Day didn't help.

How scary! I definitely would not like an experience like that. Glad you got out safely.

 

[Nords]

A very, very generous friend scored tickets to the stage musical "Wicked", which has finally toured its way to Hawaii. I think the show dates sold out in a few hours.

Dinner at a local Italian restaurant, a short walk to the Blaisdell Center (which was completely illuminated in radioactive green), and balcony seats near stage right. The traveling cast even included a local actor playing the part of the Scarecrow, so about four hundred of his cousins & aunties & uncles were in the audience. Or else he's just a really good actor and that part of the audience was thrilled.

I liked the tech: the microphones, the staging, and even the video monitor on the balcony rail that the actors could watch from the stage if they couldn't see the conductor. I was also impressed that occupations like "Wig Coordinator" are considered worthy of program credit...

But gosh what a lot of people. (I'm glad we parked offsite and didn't have to deal with the traffic in that vicinity.) Like FIREd says, I'm ready to let my inner introvert spend the rest of the year by myself. Or at most with my fellow surfers.

 

[davemartin88]

Basically forgot that yesterday was the first day of the new year, didn't watch any parades or football, guess I really am retired. We did watch a BluRay, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" and we really liked it. More surprisingly, my DW liked it as well, she wasn't expecting us to be able to finish it. Then we watched "Dr. No", the first James Bond movie from the boxed set of all the movies. I really didn't remember any of the movie other than the scene where Ursula Andress walks on to the beach, lol.

Happy New Year all.

 

[W2R]

I didn't watch parades or football either! Instead, I completely closed out my spending for 2012, figured out what I wanted to spend in 2013, had Vanguard send that to my bank account, and then rebalanced. So, I'm all set for 2013. That was fun.

Afterwards we had a late lunch at a Chinese place and called it a day. I was so pleased to see that F is no longer needing his cane after his fall a few days ago. All in all, it was a very pleasant New Years Day.

 

[Nords]

The New Year's Eve fireworks weren't too bad. Not as much noise as we feared, and not much mess to clean up.

I helped a neighbor clear out her plugged kitchen sink drain. Two plugs. Twice. I don't think she would've found a plumber on New Year's Day. It was epic. I'll write it up as a separate "fun with plumbing" post.

I sold a semester's worth of I bonds from the college fund to pay for room & board. They're education bonds, but because she has a NROTC scholarship we have to launder the interest through a 529 account before I can take the exemption. So today I'll move them from Treasury Direct to the 529 account, and next week I'll pay the bills.

Spouse and I reviewed our net worth and asset allocation. She made a comment about taking more off the table, and I responded with my thoughts on raising our portfolio totals for inflation. She countered with the thought that we might want to start permanently lowering our equity allocation each year by at least the rate of inflation. I'm going to have to think about that one for a while. Of course as a married veteran I know she's right-- I'm just debating the tactics & timing, not the strategy.

Our daughter has 36 hours left before she gets back on the plane for her sixth semester of college. That translates into roughly two surfing sessions... one this morning with a lousy forecast, and tomorrow with a slightly better forecast. We'll see how she feels.

 

[bbbamI]

Didn't do much today...updated my financial spreed sheet and journal.

While writing my notes in my journal, I mentioned the new computer we ordered a couple of days ago. ...and the fact that the last computer we bought was ten years ago. Then I realized if this next computer lasts another ten years, I'll be old enough for medicare when we buy another one.

Thinking about this, I said to DH a little while ago...'Do you realize in a little over ten years you'll be 70?!' I roared with laughter.

He was not amused.....

 

[Lisa99]

Today is a milestone day for this pre-retiree.

I'm a PMP and just renewed my certification for the last time. Certification is done every three years and my planned retirement is Jan 2016, so this will be it...no more continuing education in this particular field!

 

[Retire2013]

OMG, Leonards malasadas? Yummmmm! you lucky!

Not that I could eat another thing at the moment. The parmesan crusted redfish topped with shrimp and crab and sauce and yummy stuff was out of this world, and this being Christmas Eve, I just had to order the bread pudding afterwards...

Please give me the name of that Italian restaurant. My daughter and I are planning a visit to New Orleans this winter. Thank you!

 

[Rustward]

Didn't do much today...updated my financial spreed sheet and journal.

While writing my notes in my journal, I mentioned the new computer we ordered a couple of days ago. ...and the fact that the last computer we bought was ten years ago. Then I realized if this next computer lasts another ten years, I'll be old enough for medicare when we buy another one.

Thinking about this, I said to DH a little while ago...'Do you realize in a little over ten years you'll be 70?!' I roared with laughter.

He was not amused.....

Try getting a new computer every 7.273 years -- just to make the math a little harder....

 

[W2R]

Please give me the name of that Italian restaurant. My daughter and I are planning a visit to New Orleans this winter. Thank you!

New Orleans is crawling with fabulous restaurants. The one we went to was Vincents, a well known restaurant that can be found in any restaurant guide. What you REALLY need instead of the name of one restaurant, is this link which will take you to a website that gives ratings and descriptions of restaurants by New Orleans' top restaurant critic (which I am not): The New Orleans Menu By Tom Fitzmorris

 

[Retire2013]

New Orleans is crawling with fabulous restaurants. The one we went to was Vincents, a well known restaurant that can be found in any restaurant guide. What you REALLY need instead of the name of one restaurant, is this link which will take you to a website that gives ratings and descriptions of restaurants by New Orleans' top restaurant critic (which I am not): The New Orleans Menu By Tom Fitzmorris

Thank you for the name of the restaurant and the Fitzmorris link. I've been to New Orleans before and enjoyed many wonderful meals in a number of restaurants. It's my daughter's first visit to New Orleans so I am going to do some research to plan all our meals and get reservations where necessary. Yeah.

 

[W2R]

Thank you for the name of the restaurant and the Fitzmorris link. I've been to New Orleans before and enjoyed many wonderful meals in a number of restaurants. It's my daughter's first visit to New Orleans so I am going to do some research to plan all our meals and get reservations where necessary. Yeah.

Great! If you go to the Fitzmorris link, with a little searching around you can find lists of the top restaurants (here) , and lists of all restaurants in a specific neighborhood (here). On most of the lists, clicking on most restaurant names will take you to a review of that restaurant. He gives Vincents four stars, which is very high despite the fact that he doesn't like the atmosphere. I am sure that browsing his lists will lead you to some superb restaurants that are just what you have in mind.

 

[bbbamI]

Try getting a new computer every 7.273 years -- just to make the math a little harder....

...oh, them there numbers make my head hurt.

If we are fortunate enough to live a long life, I imagine we'll have to replace our major appliances at least twice. Sure hope they last a long time....

 

[FIYes]

I was feeling a little out of sorts today...just a half step off and a little clumsy and irritable. DH came home with a markdown bouquet from the grocery. Just the thing to perk me up and put me back on the right side of everything. Truly one fortunate gal here.

Bbam's comment on replacing appliances reminded of when we replaced the roof in 2002, our contractor said probably "the last one you will need." My reaction was I hope not...roofs only last 20 some years! He was my age (forties at the time) and already was planning for less than 20 some years. Here is to hoping I need a new roof one of these days.

 

[rodi]

W2R - I noticed you ate a fish intensive meal. Was the restaurant offering up dishes to do the southern Italian "7 Fishes" meal? It's traditional in southern Italy (Naples and south, and Sicily) - but unheard of in northern Italy.

We've taken this on as a challenge - and hosted 16 people to 7 fishes on Christmas eve. It's a lot of fun. But a restaurant sounds much easier!!!

 

[W2R]

rodi, I didn't see it, but I didn't read 95% of the menu.

 

[freebird5825]

I remembered to sign on and say hello and Happy New Year

We went to New Hampshire for Xmas. We stayed an extra day because this horrific snowstorm was hitting central New York on the day we were originally going to drive home. I've seen enough footage (on TWC) of stranded motorists who insisted on driving in blizzard conditions to make that mistake.

Not much happened on the 2 past holidays. No family drama is my best report.
Xmas...I bought Mr B a collection of Mel Brooks movies and a Red Sox baseball. He bought me a beautiful pair of red stiletto pumps with gold decorated toes. I've NEVER owned a pair of shoes like that.
They were the right size, but darn it, didn't fit just right in the toes. So we returned them and bought the right size online. They should be here in a few days. I have to learn to walk in them.
NY's Eve...we went out for a few beers and were home by 930 PM. Yawn.

I'm baking Thracian chicken for dinner. Mr B is going to try out his new deep fryer and make us some homemade french fries. He ran amok in the kitchen section when he went to WallyWorld without me. Martians!

 

[Moscyn]

I dropped my smartphone into the toilet bowl and spent a good part of the day trying to rescue the drowned phone. At the end it is certified dead RIP. Now I am in the market for a new mobile phone!

 

[Walt34]

I dropped my smartphone into the toilet bowl and spent a good part of the day trying to rescue the drowned phone.

Well, at least I had a better day than that!

Went over to FIL's house with DW to do some final paint touch-ups on the recently redone kitchen in preparation for listing it for sale. Retrieved the car title from one BIL who had considered buying it until he found out what work it would need to pass inspection, which is about the car's value so it is essentially junk. The car will sold for scrap.

We are so happy to have the house ready for listing and hopefully will soon be rid of that list of to-do's.