Friday Roundup

  
We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.
Mother Teresa

Yesterday I got on the bus to return home from Weight Watchers, and there was a guy on the bus giving her a hard time.  I sure gave her a lot of credit for keeping her cool because he was pretty darn rude.  He finally got off the stop before mine.  I pushed the button for my stop and moved up.  "Sorry you're having such a bad day." I told her.  She sighed and told me she was pretty used to this.  When I went to get off, I looked at her and smiled, "Hope the rest of your day is a good one".  She smiled back and said, "Thanks, you just made my day."

Brrr!!!  Winter has returned.  The sun was out for a short time, a very short time only. My hands were so cold I needed my gloves yesterday.  Big difference from those wonderfully warm days I spent in the park.

Coyotes in the city?  Who would have guessed?  Most of them are living in city parks, This is our fault.  Mankind and our need for more and more territory.  We've taken their land away, and they have no place to go.  Hope they don't decide to take up residence in my park.

I've reached a plateau in my weight loss.  After losing 33 pounds I gain .2, then lose .2, then stay the same.  Can't seem to move that scale any further.  Not giving up though.  I know exactly what it is.  Because of a fibro flare and now a bout with sciatica, I've been unable to walk as much as I was.  Perhaps in my haste I pushed myself too far too fast.  16 to 17 blocks a day is quite a bit for someone who is not used to long walks.  Now I am taking it easier.  3-4 blocks at a time, and I'll slowly move back into it.  

I am so, so happy.  I received mail yesterday from the New York State Department of Taxation.  My first response was, "Uh oh, here we go."  I am so afraid of them and the IRS.  Not that I am guilty of anything.  I've got to be the most honest person around, but sometimes we unintentionally make mistakes.  I've been audited before and paid what is due.  I was so fearful this time because I am so broke.  My son's birthday is this weekend, and I've no money for a gift.  I'd agreed to make him a lasagne dinner for he and his girlfriend, but I honestly didn't know where that money was coming from.  This living on a tight budget is all so new to me, and, in all honesty, being this broke was my own darned fault for being frivolous, but I am not going to get into that now.  I'm just going to do better from now on.

So, when I opened the letter I was thrilled to find a check for $348 from 2013.  I'd been audited again, but this time it went in my favor.  And this time I am going to use it wisely.  It's not often we are blessed so.  This time it's going into the bank and staying there.  No more money spent on Facebook game cards.  Yes, I was addicted, I admit it,  and learned my lesson the hard way.  That's why it's good to be back in classes with homework taking up much of my idle time.  By the way, I dropped out of Beginning Chinese and instead took up a course on population health.  So much better.

And with that I bid you a wonderful, fun-filled weekend.