Taking Care of Business

A new year always brings new challenges. I usually spend quite a bit of time as the new year begins taking care of business. I'm rather anal, and I'll be the first to admit it, and that causes me a bit more work than most people, but the system seems to work for me.

I keep a lot of data. I have a rather complex budget, so as the new year rolls around, I get the budget ready for the new year. My main goal is to ensure that I do not spend more than I bring in; in other words, I have a balanced budget. Wouldn't it be great if our federal government worked that way. But, alas, it does not, so our country owes a ton of money, and a large chunk of that is owed to countries that are not necessarily friendly to us.

But I digress . . . .

So, as the old year comes to a close and the new one begins, I work on the budget for the new year. But I also keep a spreadsheet for tax deductions. So as the year comes to a close, I tally all of the numbers for that year and get them ready for my tax accountant.

And of course, there are taxes to deal with. I always prepare a folder for all my tax forms, and mark items off the list as they arrive. I'm always happy to get tax season behind me.

Concho Valley Dawn

Good weather continues in the Concho Valley

Since the cold spell moved out last week, we've been blessed with some pretty good weather out here. I've truly enjoyed getting outside for my daily walks, most of which I have taken in short-sleeve shirts. I do enjoy getting a daily dose of sun. And I really enjoy seeing my neighbors bustling around the neighborhood. Some of the men out here have shops set up in their garages, and they do wood work and other crafts. Some of these guys have really been busy. Others have been taking down their Christmas lights. Others have just been sitting out enjoying the sun and mild temps.

Spring isn't that far off.

Sunrise in Geezerville

We're back on diets

Well, Donna and I -- mostly me -- got out of control during the holidays and put on a few pounds. So, we're back on our diets. Actually, we don't really diet, we just watch calories on a regular basis. Sure, we slip from time to time -- such as during holidays and when we travel -- but for the most part, we have some pretty healthy eating habits.

I'm glad to see the pounds sliding off once again. I guess I had just a bit too much holiday cheer this year. But I'm a cheery sort of guy, so . . .

I never tire of the colorful mornings here.

A pretty busy week

We've been pretty busy this week . . . at least, busy for us.

Since we've lived at Rio Concho West, we've been getting our hair cut at the clubhouse. Several months ago, though, the lady running the shop moved and was replaced by another lady. We used the new lady several times, but just weren't quite happy with the results. So, we've started going back out into the community and getting our hair cut, and I've not found a place yet that I really like. As I've said before on this blog, a good barber shop is hard to find these days. I miss the old style barber shops. I like the smells of an old-fashioned shop, and I like getting trimmed around my ears and nape of the neck with a straight razor. Not many places do this anymore. Recently, a place called Great Clips opened just across the highway from the entrance to RCW, and since they were offering a $5.99 introductory special, I thought I'd give them a try. Not bad. I think I'll give them another chance, especially if that introductory price holds a little longer. But I'll keep looking for an old-timey shop.

I took the car in for its routine service. I do like the service department at our local Toyota dealership. It's easy to schedule service, they get you right in when you arrive, and the work is done quickly. I've found this to be the case at all the Toyota dealerships I've used over the years, but Mitchell Toyota in Angelo is definitely my favorite.

Some days are more wintry than colorful. You have to take the bad with the good.

Donna and I jumped on the geezer bus for a ride to the Manor downtown where we had lunch with some of the other inmates. As I've said before, the food over there isn't that good, but it is plentiful and cheap. Best of all, we just enjoy the visiting we do on the ride over and back as well as in the dining room.

Bilbrey Tours came to town one day and shared information on all of their upcoming trips for 2019. I don't know yet if we will take any, but there certainly are some out there we are interested in.

Thursday evening, we went over to the clubhouse for dinner. This is another case where we don't really go someplace for the food, but rather to visit with friends and neighbors.

Let the rain fall

We ended the week with a nice day of rain. We didn't get that much, just a bit more than half an inch, but we've been getting rain on a pretty regular basis and that has helped keep the ground moist and the lakes at their current levels. The farmers will appreciate this ground moisture when it comes time to plant in the spring, and the winter wheat in the ground now will certainly benefit from the rain.