Hectic Week

It is more than a week since I have written anything for the blog. My regular readers probably think I am having more computer troubles. I am happy to report that the new computer is doing very well. My absence is due to my getting involved in too many activities. The groups at Frisco Lakes are becoming very active. Everything happened at once. All of a sudden I am feeling very stressed and feel that I may have over committed. The activities are supposed to be fun. The photography group which was one that I really wanted to participate in but they are having meetings that do not start until 7:30 PM. Many people at Frisco Lakes are still working and have trouble getting to earlier meetings. Since I am fully retired I like daytime activities so I am afraid the photography group is one I am going to cut.

 

I am attempting to learn how to play Mahjongg. I am getting a little feel for the game, but I have a long way to go before I can look at the tiles and figure out what hands are possible.. I have been to the Canasta group sessions two times. Canasta is an easy game to play and does not not take a great deal of skill. There are five of us who are now taking Bridge lessons. I have played at Bridge but have never had formal instruction. I am going to stick with the Bridge lessons.

 

On Tuesday I went to the Museum of Nature and Science. There was an exhibit called Body Works. I did not realize the exhibit consisted of real human cadavers. I found it disconcerting. There was also an IMAX movie on the human body. I went with a group from the Frisco Senior Center. In April I am going on two day trips with them. The first will be to the Dallas Arboretum and the second will be to the art Dallas Museum of Art  to see an exhibit of work by Matisse. I just signed up for a trip in May to Granbury. There will be a riverboat dinner cruise and a musical at the Granbury Opera House.

 

Yesterday my neighbor drove me to Plano to see an eye doctor. My eyes were dilated and I really appreciated my neighbor volunteering to do the driving. Last year I was in Beaumont, and it was very difficult for me to drive back home after my eyes were dilated. The doctor, who I saw was a young woman. The office was not crowded and the exam only took 45 minutes. I could always count on being at eye doctor's office in Beaumont a minimum of two and a half hours. I have concluded that Beaumont needs more doctors. 

 

Last weekend Sears had a sale which was applicable to the garage cabinets that I wanted. I had been watching their sales since January and had not seen any that included the garage cabinets. I rushed in and purchased the cabinets. They were delivered today. The man who is going to assemble them will be out this weekend. It is good that I will be able to get the garage organized before hot weather arrives.

 

I am still working on my income tax. My taxes are complicated this year because of all the moves I made to get ready to purchase the new house. I worked all morning on the forms and am finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel. I calculated my taxes taking the standard deduction just to get a feel for how much I owe. I am now working on the itemized deductions. Just property taxes and sales tax exceed the standard deduction. My big problem is placing values on all the things I donated to Goodwill and the Salvation Army last year.

 

I still do not have a printer that works with the new computer. I wanted to print out the IRS Publication that details the 2006 sales tax deductions. The deduction for sales tax had expired. Congress extended the deduction after the Form 1040's were sent out. There is a separate publication. I went down to the community center this morning to print the tables I need. There were two problems. They were completely out of 8.5 by 11 inch paper. When I tried to print out the tables on legal size paper, someone else's print job kept printing. Someone had must have submitted the same job dozens of times. The computers that are only a month old have been trashed by my computer illiterate neighbors. Grrrr! I was really mad.

 

After I finish with the IRS I have to take my car in for service and get the State inspection so I can get the registration transferred to Denton County. When that is accomplished, I will finally consider the move complete.