What did you do today? - 2021 version

[EastWest Gal]

DH and I have been scanning old photos and documents, and I've been on Ancestry trying pin down information. We have a doctor's bill from 1904, 8 visits in 8 days, for $16, for DH's adoptive great-great-grandfather. It didn't work out too well; he died in 1905. I also located names and birthdays for my own l great-great-grandparents who never left Tiflis, Russia (now Georgia). when the great-grandparents trekked from Russia to Portland Oregon with four children, ages 2-9 years in 1907. They had 7 more after arriving to the U.S.

This afternoon I spent two hours on Zoom at a high school band/jazz band/orchestra reunion held by our band director. It was amazing fun and we want to get together again before too long. I have been in contact with several of them over the years, but it was fun to talk about funny events, favorite events, least favorite events, etc.

I took a walk before dark. Made a batch of low carb rolls. DS and DH are getting restless staying at home so much. I'm starting to as well.

 

[ls99]

Cleared a trail at camp, then came home.

 

[RobbieB]

Drove DSD to Los Angeles (UCLA) and dropped her off at the apartment with provisions and a ninety pound coffee table that yours truly lugged up 4 flights of stairs. Then we drove back. Left at 9:30 am and returned at 8:30 pm.

Ate road food with the mobile spice kit (disposable salt & pepper shaker) now required for elegant covid in car meals.

I'm beat. Now drinking whisky and soon to bed -

 

[Venturer]

Since it was raining all day on the 1st I called my best friend to see if he wanted to take our annual Jan1st polar bear ride on Jan 2nd. He did so we met him and his DW about 10o am and headed out for the mountains. Got to restaurant about 11:30 and there were 6 other bikes in the lot and 10 people inside. We were seated a comfortable distance from everyone else and had a great meal. Then we loaded back up and rode back home through a twisty road. Got home around 3 pm and had the last Christmas package for darling GD sitting there so we took it to her. Spent a couple of hours with them and back home. It was a good day!

 

[Christine]

Looking over my finances planning the new year. Challenging since many of the more expensive items depends on when I'm vaccinated.



Steaming a rib of lamb for dinner.


Inbetween I'm reading a Donald Duck cartoon I bought for Christmas. Always buy one since it's become one of my season traditions. Still love reading those. And once a year is a suitable dose.

 

[ElizabethT]

Took our new Advanced Elements inflatable kayaks out for the second time, and continue to be impressed with how well and thoughtfully they are constructed, and how well they perform in the water. Stopped off at Balboa Island midway through our Newport Harbor paddle to pick up lunch to go, which we ate back at the kayaks. Outstanding paddle, weather, and day.

 

[Walt34]

A rainy cold yucky day so we're going to do nothing.

 

[Nemo2]

we're going to do nothing.

Ooh ooh ooh...I've done that....it was great!!

 

[Lawrencewendall]

Don't know what I'm doing but this is the Horseradish I harvested. Tops are back in the ground for this Fall. Roots washed and will be peeled and ground tomorrow. Too cold today!

 

[GlennN]

Set up first year of required minimum distributions from my Thrift Savings Plan account. Oh joy, more taxes

 

[doneat54]

Celebrating my 4th anniversary or FIRE'ing. Wow, can't believe it has been that long..... until I stop and think about all that I have done/has happened in those 4 years. Never been busier.

But reflecting on my age, and as I told a friend on a Zoom call last year, I said "I have accepted the fact that halftime is over, and we are well into the third quarter." Interesting times ahead, bought a second home 2019, trying to figure out where/when to move, DW retiring in a year and a half. Kind of a "do it while you still can" attitude.

Fun times ahead for sure.....

 

[REWahoo]

Watching the market crater on the first trading day of the year. Couldn't you guys wait a few days to take your annual withdrawal/RMD instead of everyone pulling it out today?

 

[2017ish]

Still doing year end/beginning financial stuff, and beginning to mentally pack/organize for our three weeks in Puerto Rico beginning Thursday

 

[ls99]

Since effective today, our protective father the Guv. magnanimously allowed the public to sit down in the coffee shops, I took a 10 mile drive (on cruise control) to my favorite, had Americano in a paper cup, whille sitting in a leather chair by the fireplace. Read a magazine from the stack of them under the table, Gave a nice tip to the baristas, which I don't normally do. Then stopped at goodwill, scored three pairs of designer named socks still in the manufacturer's wrapper.

 

[Nemo2]

Picked up some groceries......unpacking at home....phone rang.

Surgeon's office....."You're having your hip replacement this Friday; tomorrow you have the pre-op class, and then go to the HS for a Covid swab....I'll get back to you with details".

 

[NW-Bound]

Watching the market crater on the first trading day of the year. Couldn't you guys wait a few days to take your annual withdrawal/RMD instead of everyone pulling it out today?

You've got to beat everyone else getting out the door. The longer you wait, the less you will have.


PS. Today, I have been busy selling put options to add more shares to the positions that I already have, if the price drops a few more percents. I've got to buy some to help out the people who are doing RMD early.

 

[jcfradio]

Picked up some groceries......unpacking at home....phone rang.

Surgeon's office....."You're having your hip replacement this Friday; tomorrow you have the pre-op class, and then go to the HS for a Covid swab....I'll get back to you with details".

Good luck with the operation. At least your local COVID case numbers are low right now - BGH or KGH?

 

[Car-Guy]

Took down the Christmas Tree, outside lights and decorations....

 

[Nemo2]

Good luck with the operation. At least your local COVID case numbers are low right now - BGH or KGH?

Thanks...BGH.....(to avoid Covid they're operating on me out in the parking lot. )

 

[socca]

Spent 5 hours using TurboTax Deluxe on Mac to produce a scratch version of my 2020 federal tax return. I'm pleased with the software - the maturity is pretty much where you'd expect for January 4th.

A change for 2020: Form 1099-MISC Box 7 (non-employee compensation) is now reported on Form 1099-NEC. I hadn't heard about this until I went to the Intuit website to generate 1099s for the partnership I manage.

 

[W2R]

Watching the market crater on the first trading day of the year. Couldn't you guys wait a few days to take your annual withdrawal/RMD instead of everyone pulling it out today?

Well, I did my best! I didn't need to withdraw from Vanguard this year. With a paid off house and car, SS, Medicare, monthly RMDs, and my three figure mini-pension, there just is no need for an annual withdrawal this year. I'm surprised that the market dropped like that, but I have no reason to think it will not recover soon.

Picked up some groceries......unpacking at home....phone rang.

Surgeon's office....."You're having your hip replacement this Friday; tomorrow you have the pre-op class, and then go to the HS for a Covid swab....I'll get back to you with details".

Good luck on your hip replacement! You're getting *really* close if your pre-op class is tomorrow. Let us know how the surgery and recovery goes. I am so glad that the pandemic didn't put it on hold for a few more years because why not enjoy a good hip ASAP (especially at our age).

I know that for me, the knee replacement made all the difference in my quality of life. The recovery was rugged but it's over, and these days I am constantly amazed at how strong and functional my new knee is. Hope your hip surgery has an equally good outcome.

 

[Calico]

First thing this morning (Monday) as scheduled my network access was terminated, and my security badge deactivated.

This afternoon I returned the computer equipment I brought home with me when we all fled the office for our homes on 3/13/20. My last actual w#rk day was 12/18/20, and the entire organization has been closed for the holidays since then.

I unplugged everything; gave it a cursory dusting; packed it carefully in boxes; labeled the boxes (twice) with my name; included a copy of the "checkout sheet" we had to complete before we could leave the premises with the equipment; put my security badge in the box; and last but not least, I took pictures of the whole shebang. I delivered it to the Facilities guy, who will to pass it on to an IT guy later this week. The Facilities guy is onsite every day (the only employee who is) while the IT folks come in sporadically as needed.

It's not that I don't trust the Facilities guy (I worked with him for 25 years) but as we know, "stuff happens." I envisioned the boxes accidentally ending up in a corner of the vast IT area, or in the basement for some reason, and getting notification in a few months from the "IT police" at work that I was delinquent in returning my equipment. I am so glad that all the CMA measures I had to take for 25 years (because other people might screw up) are now a thing of the past!! What a relief.

I'm adding that feeling to the ever-growing list of the little gifts of retirement I keep discovering every single day.

 

[1242Vintage]

Busy busy day.

Over the weekend my wife came back from the mailbox all smiles with what she thought was our stimulus check ... on closer inspection it was from a different federal agency ... the IRS!

Spent the morning on hold and then in several long phone calls with two different Departments of the IRS working to demonstrate why I didn’t owe an additional $4,700 in taxes. Solved the problem and no additional tax due!

Celebrated afterwards with a trip to the gym for strength training and a cardio workout on my favorite mountain bike. Also while I was thinking of minimizing our taxes, transferred $7k each into our IRAs for our FY 2021 contributions.

Looking forward to a quieter day tomorrow.

 

[Nemo2]

Went to the hip replacement pre-op 'clinic'; blood work, EKG, X-Rays, do's & don'ts, etc.

Very efficient.

X-Ray technician, an attractive young lady even with the mask, was quite conciliatory about having to place cushioning (or somesuch) right up between my legs, while I was in the supine position, in order to obtain a good hip shot.

Told her that, in my entire life, I'd never had a woman apologize for doing something like that.

 

[MBAustin]

Cleaned out the remnants of the vegetable garden and vacuumed up leaves from the patio - two friends are stopping by this afternoon for a patio visit and I wanted it to look a little tidier. DD is arranging for takeout for dinner tonight so I basically have the day off. I'll start on packing up the Christmas decorations after lunch, but won't work on the trees until Epiphany, tomorrow.