Month: November 2022

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I knew I should have bought that PowerBall ticket!

Oh well, 2 Billion dollars would probably have been more of a pain in the ass than it was worth.

That’s how I console myself anyway.

Winner

Then I really started thinking about it. 2 billion would actually have been a pain. Okay so you know you’re going to lose at least half to taxes. If you’re in California you’re going to lose 2/3 because California has to fuck you as much as possible.

But then after that, you’re going to have to take the millions you’re left with and put it into some kind of savings. I don’t know about you, but my bank would probably tell me “no”. Even if they said, “yes” the full amount of deposit wouldn’t be insured against the bank failing. (Not likely, but in this economy something to think about.)

So that leaves you with investment accounts. Have you seen the stock market lately? Crypto-currency? Oh hell no!

Let’s not even consider all the scam artists trying to get their paws on your winnings with “Can’t Lose” business propositions.

You can’t really gift money to your relatives because then the gift gets taxed again.

I could see myself paying off the house, credit cards, and other debts then hiring reputable contractors to do some maintenance and improvements to the house. After that, I’d be wondering what next?

I suppose I’d spend some time traveling. A tour of National Parks would be fun. I could see getting a 4×4 pickup truck with room for the dog and setting off on an adventure. Part of that adventure might be to explore with an eye to finding a quiet out of the way place to just live quietly. I’m not talking completely off the grid, but someplace with space and open natural vistas.

Nothing fancy or anything, but I’d like to be able to have a mailbox, postal delivery, and look out a window while having my morning coffee, occasionally seeing a deer or elk wander by.  I’d like a place where I didn’t have to put clothes on for the sake of nosey neighbors, and I’d like a garage, or a barn for vehicles but that’s about it.

The funny thing is that I could do these things with far less than the post tax-rape leavings from a 2 billion dollar win. I’d probably have a lot less headaches too.

Maybe I’ll just buy a couple of California Lottery tickets…

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Happy Birthday USMC

Happy Birthday Marine Corps.

USMC Birthday 19

I know, I’m pissing in the wind when I say this, but to all the Marines out there, don’t get too screwed up tonight. 

Have a great time, and be good to each other.

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On the nice side of life…

We had our first snow of the season last night.

IMG 2518

The dog is overjoyed! Me, not so much. But we’ve successfully cleared the decks, driveway, and a good chunk of the road.

My exercise ring is complete, the activity ring is mostly complete, and my stand ring has a way to go. My knees are aching but there’s no sharp or excessive pain so I think I’m good for the moment. What remains to be seen is if I’ll be able to move tomorrow.

Getting old is a challenge, but on the bright side I can legitimately be a crotchety old man!

The solar panels (which are still not online) appear to be clearing themselves quickly. The snow wasn’t high enough to block the black frames so they started heating up when the sun hit them. Then the more the panels were exposed, the more heat they absorbed and so on. I enjoy watching natural effects and seeing how they impact stuff in surprising ways. 

Honestly, I hadn’t thought about how the panels would affect snow sitting on them. I kinda thought that once covered, they’d stay that way until a thaw.

The poor UPS guy got his truck stuck, the driver had no idea how to handle Ice and snow. The more he struggled the more the truck started sliding sideways until it looked like he was going to hit an electrical pole.

A neighbor and I helped him out. I asked him how much it was worth for him to get out… I think he may have thought I was serious. We got him righted and I promised him we’d get him out without damaging his truck. 10 minutes, and a little instruction from the neighbor about driving on snow later, the UPS guy was on his way again. UPS should maintain their tires better. That truck had six bald tires and shouldn’t have been running up here or for that matter on a wet road.

Word to the wise, don’t screw around with UPS trucks on wet pavement, give them wide berth, the driver probably can’t stop even if they want to.

It’s a sunny day now, that should finish clearing the icy spots on our street, and will hopefully clear the roads in the upper elevations too. A couple of roads up, the houses are mostly vacation homes so there’s no-one to clear the streets or drives.

I’m guessing that we’ll have the first snow players up here tomorrow and then through the weekend. Maybe this year will be better than last and they’ll keep to the designated play areas. I know it’s unlikely, but I can still have a smidgeon of hope.