Trying to complete my taxes "early" (on April 14th instead of April 15th, which is when I usually do them)! My eyes are bugging out, and my shoulders are stiff. I would like to give the award for the most ridiculous, mind-boggling, and nonsensical form/worksheet to Schedule D from the IRS and the worksheet 22-1 for determining if any of your Social Security benefits are taxable. How are the many incompetent United States citizens doing all of these crazy math calculations!?!?!?
The Sistine Chapel (book), text by Fabrizio Mancinelli of the Vatican Museums. Not too much text and great reproductions. Shows how the cleaning has improved the paintings on the ceilings. Even though I went there last year in May, it is nice to have a real up-close-and-personal view.
The girl on the train (book), by Paula Hawkins. Didn't really read every word, since the book became due at the Vineland Public Library. There were several woman and the book jumps around from their various perspectives. I couldn't keep track of the dates and whether they were important. Our main protagonist was not very likeable....she drank was too much. She becomes obsessed with a woman she sees from the train and imagines her perfect life. Then circumstances bring her rather too close to this woman.
Lila (book), by Marilynne Robinson. A lot of musings by Lila, who was stolen as a baby, lived a hard life and ends up married to an older man, who is a preacher in the small town of Gilead.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Fast and furious
I do not ordinarily do action movies, but agreed to go with a friend. I jumped into Fast and furious 7 (movie) even though I had not seen 1 - 6. It was preposterous! In retrospect, it was all about fights, explosions and car crashes....and nobody ever DIED?!?! They got out of these smashed cars like it was a walk in the park. Rarely did anyone bleed or complain.
the PREVIEWS were hard to take, especially the one for the redo of Mad Max. What a disgusting movie!
Jersey Angel (audio book), by Beth Ann Bauman. I picked up this young adult book cause it was about the Jersey shore. Not my shore, I am pretty sure. The town is unnamed but it seemed like Long Beach Island area. Boy, these high school students were pretty dissipated...drinking, drugging, smoking and sleeping around. Angel was a bit of a loser with no goals. She wasn't very likeable. She made some bad decisions but vowed to do better in the end.
A very dreary day. Drizzle and back to being cold. At least my ceiling does not seem to be dripping onto my table.
the PREVIEWS were hard to take, especially the one for the redo of Mad Max. What a disgusting movie!
Jersey Angel (audio book), by Beth Ann Bauman. I picked up this young adult book cause it was about the Jersey shore. Not my shore, I am pretty sure. The town is unnamed but it seemed like Long Beach Island area. Boy, these high school students were pretty dissipated...drinking, drugging, smoking and sleeping around. Angel was a bit of a loser with no goals. She wasn't very likeable. She made some bad decisions but vowed to do better in the end.
A very dreary day. Drizzle and back to being cold. At least my ceiling does not seem to be dripping onto my table.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Unwholesome lyrics
Trying to delete really wicked songs off of my Youtube list. It is hard to delete Eminem and Elton John singing Stan at the Grammy's, but the lyrics are really bad. I am KEEPING, however, Janie got a gun, by Aerosmith.
The memory palace (audiobook) : a memoir, by Mira Bartok. Had to stop listening to this. Essentially, I am not interested in hearing about the schizophrenic mom who had lots of great ideas, but ended up homeless and crazy. Her daughters come around for her dying days. The narrator sounds kind of drugged, adding to the general gloom. (Bridgeton Public Library - AUDB BIO BARTOK)
Feeling somewhat self-righteous, as I cleaned part of the bathroom today. Also, I cooked a turkey burger from the Amish market and had it with some summer slaw I bought at the Acme. Nice to have some REAL food, for a change.
The memory palace (audiobook) : a memoir, by Mira Bartok. Had to stop listening to this. Essentially, I am not interested in hearing about the schizophrenic mom who had lots of great ideas, but ended up homeless and crazy. Her daughters come around for her dying days. The narrator sounds kind of drugged, adding to the general gloom. (Bridgeton Public Library - AUDB BIO BARTOK)
Feeling somewhat self-righteous, as I cleaned part of the bathroom today. Also, I cooked a turkey burger from the Amish market and had it with some summer slaw I bought at the Acme. Nice to have some REAL food, for a change.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Technology is driving me crazy today!
Cell phone uncharged. Lots of connection problems at work today. And does anyone care about FIXING is on a weekend? Yahoo suddenly has lost a bunch of my contacts....very unnerving. Realized some had been lost a while ago so I do not know if I should attempt a RESTORE. More like a RE-TYPE...thus ruining my plans of printing out my address book today. It is a herculean task anyway. I had almost 700 contacts, now down to 600. Quite a bit for someone who rarely calls anyone.
What to do when there's too much to do (ebook), by Laura Stack. Another one of those books relating to the workplace. Can't really remember much about it except that it was SHORT. That is a benefit to me these days.
The Potter's field (audiobook) : an Inspector Montalbano mystery, by Andrea Camilleri. I really enjoyed this audiobook. Yes, it was kind of confusing with all of the Italian names of people and places, but it didn't bother me like it sometimes does. Takes place in Sicily. Montalbano is an aging detective. He lives by the sea, is a terrible driver, has a girlfriend in another town that you have to fly to. There is a mystery of a chopped up body discovered in the rain and a story of his right hand man who is acting strangely. Also great descriptions of the food, making me quite ravenous. In the book he reads a book by....Andrea Camilleri! I found it quite funny and captivating. I loved the banter between the various employees.
What to do when there's too much to do (ebook), by Laura Stack. Another one of those books relating to the workplace. Can't really remember much about it except that it was SHORT. That is a benefit to me these days.
The Potter's field (audiobook) : an Inspector Montalbano mystery, by Andrea Camilleri. I really enjoyed this audiobook. Yes, it was kind of confusing with all of the Italian names of people and places, but it didn't bother me like it sometimes does. Takes place in Sicily. Montalbano is an aging detective. He lives by the sea, is a terrible driver, has a girlfriend in another town that you have to fly to. There is a mystery of a chopped up body discovered in the rain and a story of his right hand man who is acting strangely. Also great descriptions of the food, making me quite ravenous. In the book he reads a book by....Andrea Camilleri! I found it quite funny and captivating. I loved the banter between the various employees.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Ate too much chocolate
I asked a friend to get me some salted dark chocolate from Something Sweet, a chocolate store in the front of Bogart's books. I should have just eaten ONE square. Two are making me feel a bit overstuffed.
A spool of blue thread (book), by Anne Tyler. I like her. Liked the book enough. Stories of an aging couple, their children and their house in Baltimore. Back stories tell how they came to have the house in the first place. Now, they will be aging out of it. The blue thread reminded me of the blue paint argument of some of their ancestors. He wants the porch swing to show the wood grain and she wants to paint it blue. (Millville Public Library - F TYLER)
"The thing about caller ID is," Red said, more or less to himself, "It seems a little like cheating. A person should be willing to take his chances, answering the phone. That's kind of the general idea with phones, is my opinion."
A spool of blue thread (book), by Anne Tyler. I like her. Liked the book enough. Stories of an aging couple, their children and their house in Baltimore. Back stories tell how they came to have the house in the first place. Now, they will be aging out of it. The blue thread reminded me of the blue paint argument of some of their ancestors. He wants the porch swing to show the wood grain and she wants to paint it blue. (Millville Public Library - F TYLER)
"The thing about caller ID is," Red said, more or less to himself, "It seems a little like cheating. A person should be willing to take his chances, answering the phone. That's kind of the general idea with phones, is my opinion."
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Things I hate about New Jersey
Things I love about New Jersey:
- people pump our gas for us
Things I hate about New Jersey:
- Very high property taxes
- Top in the nation for car insurance costs
- 4th in the nation for number of active hate groups
MY car insurance seems to be TWICE the average rate, even for NJ. time to shop around. It HAS been time for quite some time but I have been paralyzed by the good customer service received from Palisades and the sheer number of companies who want my business.
- people pump our gas for us
Things I hate about New Jersey:
- Very high property taxes
- Top in the nation for car insurance costs
- 4th in the nation for number of active hate groups
MY car insurance seems to be TWICE the average rate, even for NJ. time to shop around. It HAS been time for quite some time but I have been paralyzed by the good customer service received from Palisades and the sheer number of companies who want my business.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
I really need to get the Internet at home
Using the Internet in public places just gets me aggravated! People talking loudly about people back in prison and getting high and people owing them money.
The millionaire next door (book) : the surprising secrets of America's wealthy, by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko. Read that one of the authors died recently so I thought I would read the book. Also, because I am trying to be frugal and I know that is the theme of the book, that a lot of wealthy individuals are careful and not profligate with their money. I didn't read it all that carefully as it is somewhat dated and full of statistics about millionaires.
Wolf hall (book), by Hilary Mantel. Was a bit reluctant to read this. First there were two pages of historical characters, the Tudors and the Yorkshire claimants to the throne. I don't know how I could ever keep all of them straight. The book starts out with a man beat within an inch of his life by his own father. I said to myself, "I can't read this!"
The millionaire next door (book) : the surprising secrets of America's wealthy, by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko. Read that one of the authors died recently so I thought I would read the book. Also, because I am trying to be frugal and I know that is the theme of the book, that a lot of wealthy individuals are careful and not profligate with their money. I didn't read it all that carefully as it is somewhat dated and full of statistics about millionaires.
Wolf hall (book), by Hilary Mantel. Was a bit reluctant to read this. First there were two pages of historical characters, the Tudors and the Yorkshire claimants to the throne. I don't know how I could ever keep all of them straight. The book starts out with a man beat within an inch of his life by his own father. I said to myself, "I can't read this!"
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