So I get home today and am greeted with a letter from the State of CT Department of Revenue Services. Is it ever good news when you get a letter from the CT equivalent of the beloved IRS? I think not. The letter is titled "Property Tax Credit Overstated Refund Issued". Huh? Long story short, the state screwed up on the instructions to calculate the property tax credit so now about 7% of CT residents (we're one of the "lucky" ones) have to pay back money to the DRS after we already received our refunds. I laughed out loud when I went on their website and in their press release they state that "When we make a mistake, we own it and fix it immediately". This press release was issued on a Friday of course because there is less chance of people hearing about it at the end of the week. The name for that is a "news dump" and is a standard practice throughout the media when a company (or in this case a State) has bad news to report. I'm just a walking encyclopedia of information, aren't I? I'm showing my age...make that a walking Wikipedia of information!
So they "own it" eh? If you own the mistake doesn't that mean that you also own everything associated with the mistake? Maybe I should send the DRS an invoice for $90 for my pain and suffering over receiving their letter and call it even...isn't that what people do nowadays? But of course if they were to "own it" and forgive the money that everyone owes that would just add to the $500 Million deficit. They actually said that we can either pay this now or we can wait until we file our 2016 state taxes and include it then. Wow, you guys are awesome! Of course if you do neither you will be subject to fines and penalties...in other words, pay me now or pay me later!
Just how much did this little mess up cost? Between $11 to $12 Million in underpaid taxes. That's a lot of $90 invoices. So I will write a check to the DRS and be done with it. I could be cynical and mention that our state is either near or at the bottom of virtually every "Best State To..." list but I won't go that far. Don't get me wrong, I love this state, but this little snafu just adds another bad check mark to an already lousy reputation for the state. I promised myself when I first started writing this that I would not get too political, so allow me to give you the definition of insanity...doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Or in other words, voting for the same people over and over and expecting things to get better. It's fairly obvious that hasn't happened.
Wow, I just re-read this blog and it is a real downer. So let's end this with some good news, shall we? Um, okay, you go first!
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
There is a Reason for Everything
Did you ever wonder if you made the right move? I don't mean in the small stuff like putting too many mushrooms in the spaghetti sauce (which, by the way, is NEVER a good thing)! I'm talking about life changing decisions that may affect the future for months and years to come. These decisions are not come to lightly nor should they be. It is reassuring, however, when one of these decisions is made and you have a peace about you that suggests you did the right thing.
My wife Madonna (or Donna to those of us who have known her longer than microwave ovens have been around...yea, we're that old) recently made a decision to resign from her job at a non-profit organization. This decision was made after much soul searching, discussions between us, and prayer. I know the decision was a tough one for her to make because it has been her passion to reach out to those women and families affected by ovarian cancer as she is a survivor of the disease herself. Many of you may already know some of the following details but indulge me as I briefly mention a few of them again.
Madonna's cancer journey began on my mother's birthday, August 10, 2003 when she was found to have "some sort of a growth or tumor in her abdomen". This growth ended up being ovarian cancer, something we had never encountered in our lives. Likewise with the unrelated uterine cancer they discovered during the operation for the ovarian cancer. As with anyone else who has encountered cancer in their lives we were changed forever as a result of the diagnosis. I would say that she was one of the lucky ones if I believed that, which I don't, as I fully believe that the power of prayer saved her life. Plus God had other things in mind for her!
Fast forward to July of 2009 when Madonna founded the CT Chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC), volunteering her time and efforts to spread the word on ovarian cancer and its signs and symptoms. Then there were the three appearances on the Dr. Oz show (I can see about getting you her autograph but you may not be able to afford it...I know I can't). Then finally going to work full time for the NOCC national where she reached out to hospitals across the United States setting up programs to distribute literature and comfort items to newly diagnosed women.
Which brings us to today and her resignation from her job. Is it a coincidence that her father, who has Parkinson's Disease, will be moving in with us this weekend, and her last day of work is this Friday? Actually yes it is, but as the title of this blog suggests, there is a reason for everything, so in that respect it is not a coincidence. Over the past few months Pop's symptoms have become a little more pronounced, and even though he's in no real big hurry to move he knows it is the best thing for him, and so do we. We now believe that God has His hand on the situation and starting Sunday my wife will be a big part of the plan.
There is a Reason for Everything. Madonna has volunteered in the chemo wards comforting women and families while they go through the unthinkable. She has appeared on Dr. Oz in front of millions of people; I joked about that earlier but those appearances were no small feat. I am certain that her appearance on one of those shows saved many lives. Just how many we won't know this side of Paradise, but one day we'll find out. Her work at the NOCC over the past years, taking a program from its infancy to over 200 hospitals nationwide, was an accomplishment to be proud of. Oh, and did I mention that she is a survivor herself? I think I did! Now the next chapter of our lives begins. To quote Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose".
There is a reason why we met back in 1974 at the most romantic spot in all of Eastern CT, the NFA cafeteria (she just smiled at me, giggled and said "Hi, I thought your name was Eddie!"), there is a reason why we were married in 1977, there is a reason why we endured her cancer journey, there is a reason why she founded the CT Chapter of the NOCC, there is a reason why she volunteered with so many ovarian cancer patients, some of whom became good friends and have since passed on from the disease, and there is a reason why her dad is moving in with us. And there are many reasons why I love this woman, my best friend and companion, too numerous to mention. Suffice it to say the the next chapter begins Sunday for this beautiful caregiver and I look forward to it, and to watching her do what she does best...spreading her love and compassion with those in need, even it it happens to be her dad. I am so proud of what you've done babe, and what you are about to do. To quote my mom, I'm glad "I chased you until you caught me!" And what a catch that was! After all, There is a Reason for Everything, right?
My wife Madonna (or Donna to those of us who have known her longer than microwave ovens have been around...yea, we're that old) recently made a decision to resign from her job at a non-profit organization. This decision was made after much soul searching, discussions between us, and prayer. I know the decision was a tough one for her to make because it has been her passion to reach out to those women and families affected by ovarian cancer as she is a survivor of the disease herself. Many of you may already know some of the following details but indulge me as I briefly mention a few of them again.
Madonna's cancer journey began on my mother's birthday, August 10, 2003 when she was found to have "some sort of a growth or tumor in her abdomen". This growth ended up being ovarian cancer, something we had never encountered in our lives. Likewise with the unrelated uterine cancer they discovered during the operation for the ovarian cancer. As with anyone else who has encountered cancer in their lives we were changed forever as a result of the diagnosis. I would say that she was one of the lucky ones if I believed that, which I don't, as I fully believe that the power of prayer saved her life. Plus God had other things in mind for her!
Fast forward to July of 2009 when Madonna founded the CT Chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC), volunteering her time and efforts to spread the word on ovarian cancer and its signs and symptoms. Then there were the three appearances on the Dr. Oz show (I can see about getting you her autograph but you may not be able to afford it...I know I can't). Then finally going to work full time for the NOCC national where she reached out to hospitals across the United States setting up programs to distribute literature and comfort items to newly diagnosed women.
Which brings us to today and her resignation from her job. Is it a coincidence that her father, who has Parkinson's Disease, will be moving in with us this weekend, and her last day of work is this Friday? Actually yes it is, but as the title of this blog suggests, there is a reason for everything, so in that respect it is not a coincidence. Over the past few months Pop's symptoms have become a little more pronounced, and even though he's in no real big hurry to move he knows it is the best thing for him, and so do we. We now believe that God has His hand on the situation and starting Sunday my wife will be a big part of the plan.
There is a Reason for Everything. Madonna has volunteered in the chemo wards comforting women and families while they go through the unthinkable. She has appeared on Dr. Oz in front of millions of people; I joked about that earlier but those appearances were no small feat. I am certain that her appearance on one of those shows saved many lives. Just how many we won't know this side of Paradise, but one day we'll find out. Her work at the NOCC over the past years, taking a program from its infancy to over 200 hospitals nationwide, was an accomplishment to be proud of. Oh, and did I mention that she is a survivor herself? I think I did! Now the next chapter of our lives begins. To quote Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose".
There is a reason why we met back in 1974 at the most romantic spot in all of Eastern CT, the NFA cafeteria (she just smiled at me, giggled and said "Hi, I thought your name was Eddie!"), there is a reason why we were married in 1977, there is a reason why we endured her cancer journey, there is a reason why she founded the CT Chapter of the NOCC, there is a reason why she volunteered with so many ovarian cancer patients, some of whom became good friends and have since passed on from the disease, and there is a reason why her dad is moving in with us. And there are many reasons why I love this woman, my best friend and companion, too numerous to mention. Suffice it to say the the next chapter begins Sunday for this beautiful caregiver and I look forward to it, and to watching her do what she does best...spreading her love and compassion with those in need, even it it happens to be her dad. I am so proud of what you've done babe, and what you are about to do. To quote my mom, I'm glad "I chased you until you caught me!" And what a catch that was! After all, There is a Reason for Everything, right?
Monday, November 16, 2015
Just Say No.
Normally when I set out to write a blog it is about things that happen in our lives that we can all find some humor in. This is not one of those blogs. Governor Dannel Malloy, the Governor of our State of Connecticut just made the following statement, according to Channel 3 Eyewitness News: "If refugees – many who are children fleeing a horrific, war-torn country
– seek and are granted asylum after a rigorous security process, we
should and will welcome them in Connecticut".
I wholeheartedly disagree with the Governor, and apparently the vast majority of the citizens of Connecticut do too. Channel 3 did a poll to ask: Do you agree with Governor Malloy's decision to allow Syrian refugees in Connecticut? So far a whopping 91% disagree with his decision. So much for representing the wishes of your citizens. As of the writing of this blog 17 governors of other states have said they will not accept refugees in their state, and the list is growing.
The Governor mentioned that many of these refugees are children, but he neglected to mention that many of them are young men who are at the age that either can or have been influenced by organizations such as ISIS, some of which I am convinced are terrorists themselves. The number might be a small percentage but are you willing to take the chance that an ISIS cell began here in CT because our Governor was very hospitable towards a war-torn country? I for one am not. I do feel badly for the legitimate victims of the war, but I am not willing to surrender the future security of my family for a kind gesture that could end up backfiring, to put it mildly.
The Governor also mentioned if they (the refugees) "...are granted asylum after a rigorous security process..." What kind of "security process" is going to occur...what kind of a vetting process will that be? Are government workers in DC going to call Damascus and ask them for these peoples' papers? Do you really think the government of Syria would drop everything to do this, especially since the nation is in the midst of a civil war? My prediction? If our government vets these people at all, and I am in no way convinced they will even make the attempt, the government of Syria will rubber stamp every one of them to expedite the process. If I don't trust our government with this process then I certainly don't trust a government from a foreign country.
Governor Malloy, your first duty as Governor of Connecticut is to keep its citizens safe, because without that you no longer have a state. The ramifications of what you are proposing could bring grave consequences to your citizens...have you even thought about that? Or are you too busy shoring up your favor with the Democratic National Committee for future considerations, because that is exactly what it sounds like to me. Just keep the party line going without any thought of what happens in the future, except of course what Cabinet position you may be appointed to if a Democrat wins the next presidential election.
I know some people will disagree with me and that's fine - that's part of what makes this country great. That is of course until Sharia Law is enacted. If you are not familiar with that term you had better Google it because there are some Muslims here in the United States unwilling to assimilate to our way of life, and want to impose their backwards system of laws onto us, circumventing our Constitution. There are a few of our judges that have begun using Sharia Law as a basis for their rulings from the bench. That is disgusting and any judge willing to do that should be impeached. If you a citizen or looking to be a citizen of our great nation then do so the proper way and leave that portion of your life back in the country you fled.
I promised myself this would only be a paragraph and apparently I broke my promise. Oh well, I'm in a mood so blame it on that! Or better yet, blame it on the Governor!
I wholeheartedly disagree with the Governor, and apparently the vast majority of the citizens of Connecticut do too. Channel 3 did a poll to ask: Do you agree with Governor Malloy's decision to allow Syrian refugees in Connecticut? So far a whopping 91% disagree with his decision. So much for representing the wishes of your citizens. As of the writing of this blog 17 governors of other states have said they will not accept refugees in their state, and the list is growing.
The Governor mentioned that many of these refugees are children, but he neglected to mention that many of them are young men who are at the age that either can or have been influenced by organizations such as ISIS, some of which I am convinced are terrorists themselves. The number might be a small percentage but are you willing to take the chance that an ISIS cell began here in CT because our Governor was very hospitable towards a war-torn country? I for one am not. I do feel badly for the legitimate victims of the war, but I am not willing to surrender the future security of my family for a kind gesture that could end up backfiring, to put it mildly.
The Governor also mentioned if they (the refugees) "...are granted asylum after a rigorous security process..." What kind of "security process" is going to occur...what kind of a vetting process will that be? Are government workers in DC going to call Damascus and ask them for these peoples' papers? Do you really think the government of Syria would drop everything to do this, especially since the nation is in the midst of a civil war? My prediction? If our government vets these people at all, and I am in no way convinced they will even make the attempt, the government of Syria will rubber stamp every one of them to expedite the process. If I don't trust our government with this process then I certainly don't trust a government from a foreign country.
Governor Malloy, your first duty as Governor of Connecticut is to keep its citizens safe, because without that you no longer have a state. The ramifications of what you are proposing could bring grave consequences to your citizens...have you even thought about that? Or are you too busy shoring up your favor with the Democratic National Committee for future considerations, because that is exactly what it sounds like to me. Just keep the party line going without any thought of what happens in the future, except of course what Cabinet position you may be appointed to if a Democrat wins the next presidential election.
I know some people will disagree with me and that's fine - that's part of what makes this country great. That is of course until Sharia Law is enacted. If you are not familiar with that term you had better Google it because there are some Muslims here in the United States unwilling to assimilate to our way of life, and want to impose their backwards system of laws onto us, circumventing our Constitution. There are a few of our judges that have begun using Sharia Law as a basis for their rulings from the bench. That is disgusting and any judge willing to do that should be impeached. If you a citizen or looking to be a citizen of our great nation then do so the proper way and leave that portion of your life back in the country you fled.
I promised myself this would only be a paragraph and apparently I broke my promise. Oh well, I'm in a mood so blame it on that! Or better yet, blame it on the Governor!
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
The Primitive Bathroom
If you had asked me what a primitive bathroom was before this project began I would have told you an outhouse would probably be a great example. Can't get much more primitive than that, with the possible exception of going in the woods, but that is for another blog (betcha can't wait for THAT one, can you)??? It seems the idea of a primitive bathroom, or PB for short, is to make things look old but function as a normal bathroom would. A normal functioning bathroom is a good idea because the thought of me getting a bucket of water from the creek 5 times a day is not too appealing, especially considering that the nearest creek is about 1/4 mile away. I suppose I could just siphon some water from my neighbor's pool but he may frown on that.
The bathroom did need to be redone so this project didn't come out of the blue. Want to hear a good example of the difference between how men and women think? Me: the bathroom needs to be painted, possibly change a fixture or two and clean up some mold on the window. My wife: yes, that's correct, but I was thinking that we could change just a few other things, like paint the ceiling, replace the bathroom fan, change all of the bathtub fixtures, replace the shower curtain rod, put up wainscoting then paint it, put in a new floor, refinish the vanity, replace the mirror, get a new medicine cabinet, new lights, new toilet paper holder, new bathroom window, new door trim, new hooks for towels, and install a vessel sink & water pump faucet. Can you see my dilemma? I know the guys do!
Out of everything listed here a "vessel sink" is something that I was not familiar with. (However, I am very familiar now so if you have any questions feel free to ask.) Apparently an integral part of a PB is a vessel sink, because one can't have something that looks normal in a PB bathroom with the exception of the toilet because, well, just a hole in the floor wouldn't cut it if you catch my drift. And I don't think The Architect would approve of it either. For those of you who are primitive-bathroom-challenged a vessel sink is a large bowl that sits on top of a vanity with its companion the old fashioned water pump faucet. I posted a picture of it above to give you an idea of just what I'm talking about. By the way, not listed in the "new" stuff my wife mentioned above is the plumbing below the vessel sink...yeah, that was enjoyable.
If anyone were to ask me my opinion now on how to construct a PB my advice would be to purchase a huge chunk of styrofoam the size of your bathroom, shove it in there, hollow it out to like a cave and paint it black, red, brown or any other primitive color. Done. Actually, the easiest thing to do would be to move to a home that already has a PB...I know a house in Canterbury that has such a bathroom and can now be purchased for around $1,000,000 or so. Not that the new things in the PB were that expensive, but the cost of labor was ridiculous!
Friday, May 22, 2015
Happy Memorial Day!
Happy Memorial Day! Just a quick blog about this important holiday we celebrate this weekend. Many Americans will be traveling on this long holiday weekend. There will be many parties, cookouts and times of fellowship. During all of this I hope everyone takes a moment to realize the reason we celebrate Memorial Day and what it actually means. This holiday is to remember those in the military who have lost their lives defending our freedom; those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as those servicemen and women who have passed on before us.
The mere fact that I am able to write a blog such as this to express my opinions is a direct result of the brave members of our armed forces who have fought and died for this privilege - that of free speech. This freedom and many others must never be taken for granted. There are those among us today who think nothing of slowly eroding the freedoms that our forefathers shed their blood for, and that burns me more than you
can imagine.
During this holiday I think of my father, who was in the Navy during World War II. He was on a munitions ship in the Pacific Ocean, and although he did tell me a few stories about his life in the military I would have loved to hear more about it from him, but he has been gone for many years. My father in law was in the Marines at the end of the Korean War and he has shared some stories of that time with me. I cherish the times that we speak, as well as the times my father and I spoke. As I grow older I have a deeper understanding of what it means to be a member of the military and the sacrifices they as well as their families make on a daily basis.
During the festivities this weekend take some time to say a prayer for those families for whom this Memorial Day is especially poignant - those who have lost a family member in the defense of our country. Those families realize the true meaning of the holiday. If you know a "Gold Star" family such as this, reach out to them this weekend, even if it's to just say you're thinking about them.
So knowing the meaning of Memorial Day, should you thank a current or past member of the armed forces today? Absolutely. Not only today but anytime you think to do that. So just to name a few, thanks to my good friend Jim in Florida, my father in law, and of course my son Justin, and the many other men and women who are currently serving. But let’s not forget the real meaning of the holiday. So have fun, enjoy the weekend, say a quick prayer, and have a hot dog for me!
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
The Incredible Shrinking Driveway
I don't mind a little cold weather, like 60 degrees. Anything below that is inhumane...period. I blame the cold on the thermometers. Here's my theory - way back when, before the dreaded thermometers, the weather here in CT was about 75-80 degrees all year round. But, because the stinking thermometers say that it is -5 degrees the weather must cooperate and thus it becomes -5 degrees. Who programs these lousy thermometers anyway? I have proof that it is all a conspiracy. The word "degrees" - did you know that originally the word started out as "decrees"? That is how the thermometers were given the power to affect the temperature and thus the weather. It wasn't until some lunkhead (probably Mr. Thermo) went ahead and invented these insidious devices that we have the unbearable weather we now enjoy.
Because of the (say the next word in the most sarcastic way possible) THERMOMETERS and the accompanying weather I now have a driveway that is about 2/3 of its normal size. Why? Because there is nowhere to put the snow! Mr. Thermo, don't let me meet you in a dark alley anytime soon - I'm getting fairly good at wielding a snow shovel as I've achieved the level of Black Belt just this year. Be afraid, be very afraid.
Of course I know that most of New England has the same problem I have, but to quote Rhett Butler, "Frankly my dear..." You know the rest. A quick aside: the last sentence has the words "New England" and "Butler" in it. I now expect to get well over 100,000 hits on the blog from people looking for stories about the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots and the hero of the game Malcolm Butler! I'll take any help I can get. And now in my best anchorman voice, "now back to the weather!"
Up to this point I have been hesitant to mention the words "snow blower" because there is a certain faction of people out there that believe that if I actually purchase one the snow will magically stop falling for the remainder of the winter. That might be true...I bought a new generator and the power has not gone out once since I got it...last week. But speaking of purchases, quite possibly the best purchase I have ever made was when we first moved into our house and I bought some Elephant Repellent...man, that stuff works great!
Because of the (say the next word in the most sarcastic way possible) THERMOMETERS and the accompanying weather I now have a driveway that is about 2/3 of its normal size. Why? Because there is nowhere to put the snow! Mr. Thermo, don't let me meet you in a dark alley anytime soon - I'm getting fairly good at wielding a snow shovel as I've achieved the level of Black Belt just this year. Be afraid, be very afraid.
Of course I know that most of New England has the same problem I have, but to quote Rhett Butler, "Frankly my dear..." You know the rest. A quick aside: the last sentence has the words "New England" and "Butler" in it. I now expect to get well over 100,000 hits on the blog from people looking for stories about the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots and the hero of the game Malcolm Butler! I'll take any help I can get. And now in my best anchorman voice, "now back to the weather!"
Up to this point I have been hesitant to mention the words "snow blower" because there is a certain faction of people out there that believe that if I actually purchase one the snow will magically stop falling for the remainder of the winter. That might be true...I bought a new generator and the power has not gone out once since I got it...last week. But speaking of purchases, quite possibly the best purchase I have ever made was when we first moved into our house and I bought some Elephant Repellent...man, that stuff works great!
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
"But at least it's not a heavy snow!"
.jpg)
The Snow. Roughly two feet of that nasty white stuff. Raise your hands if you love the snow. Okay, now put your hands down so I can give you some medication, because it's obvious you need it.
Admit it, during this past storm did you actually utter the words "but at least it's not a heavy snow"? I'll bet that if you had to shovel it you didn't say it, nor did someone say it to you if you just came back from shoveling, say, for about four hours. It is the winter equivalent of telling someone in Scottsdale, Arizona "but it's a dry heat". Sure, it's 115 degrees in the shade but at least it's not humid. That makes me feel only a little less like a baked potato...which at this point would be much better than feeling like Olaf. If you don't know who that is may I suggest asking anyone under the age of 10, then prepare to be serenaded by the song "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?". I think Beethoven wrote the original score.
I went outside to do some shoveling (some...yea, right) but then I decided to do some exploring in my driveway to see what I could find. It took an hour or so but I found what appear to be two automobiles. I have decided to keep them and I have named them "Focus" and "PT Cruiser" for no apparent reason. I believe Focus is about 10 years old and PT Cruiser is about 8. I could tell their age by looking at their teeth - it was easier than cutting them in half and counting their rings.
Apparently some people have given up and want winter to come to a close. Even vehicles are giving up. I noticed around our neighborhood vehicles have their windshield wipers raised in the air. For those of you who don't know, this is the way that a vehicle shows it has given up...happens every snowstorm.
Last year we did not get much snow. This storm was the equalizer. So because of that I hereby declare that there should be no more snow this year...okay, this month...okay, this week. What's that? There are two more storms forecast for this week? Where's that medication I gave everyone earlier, I think I'll be needing it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)