Jan's Journal

February 11, 2005

IT'S FRIDAY, MY FAVORITE DAY!!

Sunday, after the Super Bowl, we headed back down to the coast. It was so foggy that it was hard to see the road, especially in the Subaru. That car is 23 years old and has been rode hard and put away wet. It sports three colors (if you don't count the rust) and the old windshield has so many rock chips and pockmarks in it that it sort of diffuses the headlights of oncoming traffic at night. The windshield wipers just smear the rain around and the windows fog up regularly. But the thing gets 30 miles to the gallon, and that makes it okay in my book. Besides, every mile we drive in that keeps a mile off the Jeep, and right now we are still over our mileage allotment on the lease on that thing. So we drive the old Subaru Brat and cross our fingers that it will hold up! As usual, on our trip back Sunday night, I rode shotgun to keep my eyes peeled for deer, elk and other wild beasts of the night. We made it safely home around 9:00 p.m.

Monday, I got up early and headed for my aerobics class. I have missed about 2 weeks worth of exercises, so it was like starting all over again. I also got some other things done around the house, like washing about three loads of clothes. It was necessary, as I was down to my last pair of clean underwear!

Taxes, ugh!! I managed to get all our paperwork gathered up and left the whole pile at the CPA's office while we were in town. Now it is off our backs and we just have to wait till the accountant gets all the numbers together to see how much we have to take out a loan for to pay this year. I also did my mother's taxes and got them off. Hers are so much easier that I just used a computer tax program to do hers.

Tuesday morning, Ray (our contractor) came by and started the recycle center in the laundry room. Now, you think, a recycle center doesn't sound that exciting, but if you are an Oregonian, it is a must to have a recycle center; we recycle everything!! Anyway, he made a huge drawer that will pull out four containers for metal, paper, plastic and glass. There is also room for newspapers and magazines. I am so excited about this! He's designing it so that it will look something like the rest of the cabinets, and will install the whole thing when we get back from our trip.

Tuesday evening, we left for town again and on Wednesday, before the Blazer game, we stopped by the CPA's office to give him some more numbers for our taxes and then drove by the cemetery to leave some daffodils on Dave's parent's graves. Dave's dad loved daffodils and would also pick a bouquet for us in the springtime.

We had a Blazer game on Wednesday and we also had to set up early for a talk show back to New Orleans. After the talk show, we also had to work the game, so it was a long night by the time we tore everything down. That was the last Blazer game at home before the All Star break and our next game won't be until February 23rd.

Thursday, I went over to my Mom's and packed her suitcase for our trip. The three of us are leaving this morning at the crack of dawn for Phoenix to visit with my sister for a week. (It's in the contract between Dave and I that when we moved to the coast, I would get to fly to Arizona and get a little sunshine every winter). We have had such a mild winter here that I really can't justify going down south to get some sunshine. And now, the Weather Channel tells us that they will be having their heaviest rainfall of the year in Phoenix this weekend, which figures. Last year it rained while we were there, too. But it will be a change and we will be down there all next week, so maybe we can wait out the weather and get a little sun. We'll be coming back next Friday so I hope I will be able to update my journal with pictures. If not, you will know that I am on vacation.