The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Kitty O'Neil. Today on the blog is a mixture between updates, plans, and passing on a little information.
I'm still reflecting on the visit of Uncle/Dad Frank and Cousin/Sister Dixie. Every time I think of the visit I go into an emotional high. We really had an outstanding time. They and Don & Belva that joined us are very special people.. We had so many laughs. In my humble opinion, it is what we all needed. I know Mom and I have felt better since the visit. Wish they could visit every week. In honor of them I have a question for all of you. I would like to know if you had people in your life other than your parents that influenced you and made you feel like you had a second set of parents. It could be an aunt, uncle, brother, sister, cousin, or friend. Inquiring minds want to know. I certainly hope that you all had a cousin Dixie, Aunt Velma, or Uncle Frank in your lives.
Now that we talked about last week on the agenda next week is my car to the garage on Tuesday, Tuesday night and Wednesday at Mom's, Thursday it is Mom and yours truly to the foot doctor. Kind of busy but not like some of the past few weeks.
On the entertainment front. In a surprise Kevin won Top Chef and I think that was the popular choice. On America's Got Talent my favorite, ten year-old Jackie Evancho didn't win, Michael Grimm did. He then proposed to his girl friend. Tomorrow Dancing With The Stars starts and I'm pulling for Anna & Kurt. I did attend a movie this week, THE TOWN. To much shoot them up for me not to mention a couple of really stupid scenes. Near the end of the movie is the worst dying scene in movies in a hundred years.
Now let's talk taxes. Some time ago DR forwarded an email to me about taxes and I really thought the email was a scare tactic. There is going to be a lot in the papers and on the Internet the next few weeks about how we are all going to pay a ton more in taxes. What is happening is the Tax Cuts put through in 2001 and 2003 had an expiration date. It was a procedure that made the tax cuts easier to get through Congress. The expiration date was 12-31-2010. If Congress does nothing before then, the tax law reverts to what it was prior to the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. Currently President Obama has proposed legislation where some of those tax cuts are kept. There was a really good article in today's Oregonian that explains what is going to happen to the taxes. It is done as a question and answer session. Although I originally read the article in The Oregonian I couldn't find it in their online edition. I did find the article on Kentucky.com. Here it is:
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/09/19/1441597/qa-fact-and-fiction-in-debate.html
I'm off to breakfast with the guys. The blog is now yours. Tell me what is going on in your lives. Introduce yourselves. Vent. Cuss. Spit. Yell. Smile. Whatever strikes your fancy. It is your day.
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10 comments:
To your first question, I'd have to answer no. No relatives as second set of parents. I did have a couple of teachers, one in h.s. and one in college, who were very big influences on me. Looking back, one of them may not have been entirely the best influence in all areas, but there you are. Nothing's perfect.
I was glad Kevin won CHEF, and surprised Jackie Evancho didn't win TALENT. I worry about her, though. She's so young, and I hope she and her teachers are careful to nurture and protect that amazing voice so that she doesn't burn it out before adulthood.
As to the tax thing, I pretty much already knew the bare bones of it, just not the actual percentage tax rates. Anybody who's paying attention at all would know what I know. To me it's a no-brainer to accept Obama's proposal to leave the cuts in place for the middle/lower earners and let them expire for the rich folks.
Not that $200K/year makes you really rich these days, but it sure makes you better off than the majority of foks, and that majority is struggling. Leaving the tax cuts in place may help them a little bit, so why not?
Bill, thanks for the article on the tax issues. Be interesting to see what kinds of games they play and just how this affects the average, middle-income person or family.
I'm so glad you're still on a high from the visit with Frank and Dixie. It's always fun to share old stories and memories with people who've been a major part of our lives.
Yes, I had a second set of parents. After the war, Daddy and Uncle Lowell (married to Mom's sister) built houses side by side on property they bought. My cousin, Steve, was born six weeks before I was. We were basically raised as brother and sister and either set of parents was there to encourage or discipline. One favorite story is that they fenced the two yards as one, with a gate at the front walk, because we toddlers wouldn't stay in the yard. Steve was a natural monkey and at the age of about two or three, figured out how to climb over the gate, unlatch it and set me free. It took the various neighbors a while (in some cases many, many months) to figure out which kid belonged to which set of parents, as one Aunt D might discipline me and Mom discipline Steve or they'd see Daddy carrying Steve and Uncle Lowell had me. We lived side-by-side until I was almost six, then we were never more than twenty miles apart, until after I went to Mpls to school.
I was sad to see our friends pull out Sat AM, headed back to AZ, but we all have hopes things will get squared away and they'll be back here to stay in six months to a year. We went out to celebrate TJ's b-day and MA and I spent most of Friday together, playing at the pool, searching for souvenirs for some folks in AZ, going through her jewelry. We'll miss the shared cooking and meals and eclectic conversations.
As usual, when sad or unhappy, I went on a sort and pitch mission for the weekend and have visible results. Next week is hunker down and get in a lot of work hours, to get back on schedule.
During my childhood, my dad's double first cousin (who we all called Aunt Violet) was special, I can remember my childhood best friend & I spending 2 weeks each summer at her house in the country. We called it country as we lived right at the edge of downtown Indy and anything that was more than a 20 minute drive we called the country. Aunt Violet and my best friends mother Barbara who we also called Aunt, were in my life for as long as I remember. My dad and their husbands were all in a country music band together, so spent a lot of time with these folks. I think both of them & their husbands were around enough to influence me in a lot of ways and I only hope I can be half of the kind of people they were and are still. My Aunt Lissie, moms sister, was a very big part of my life as well. This was her house I live in now. I have more memories of this home and things I did with her than I can tell. I often joke I was her daughter and just adopted by my mom and dad. She taught me to cook, clean, garden, can, roll down the hill, have fun & smile when you don't feel like it. So yes I had some great people in my life that I can be proud to say I have had the fortune of knowing.
Bill hope this week goes well with the doctor visit for both you and mom.
Pat I may have missed it, but hope you are better from you cold/flu? I think you sent something this way as I am coughing quite a bit. Thanks.
DR, Sorry your buddies are gone, but the months will probably fly by. If you need more time to sort and pitch come on over, I can help you there or you can just help yourself. :)
Now as far as whether I want to Vent. Cuss. Spit. or Yell. I would love to Spit and Yell, but think for now I will just call it a day and Smile.
Hi Pat
Teachers count.
I was also glad Kevin won. I'm with you on Jackie Evancho, they need to handle her with kid gloves. I actually think it works in her favor not to have won AGT. She isn't stuck in Las Vegas now.
She can go anywhere with her career.
Most of the tax thing is out there but that doesn't keep people from distorting the facts or sending out false information. The reason we are still in a recession because we haven't given the middle class a chance to recover.
Bill
Hi DR
Both sides play games and because we are so polarized both sides believe what they are told and the truth never gets out there about legislation.
That is interesting because My dad and my Uncle almost always lived in the same town. It is neat that you also have cousins as brother and sister! I absolutely love the story and the neighbors not knowing who belonged to who!
I will hope that TJ and Maryanne return to S.C. It is so hard to be close to someone and see them go.
I bet it was one of the best birthdays TJ had. I also wish them a safe trip.
I find it interesting how we all deal with loss, and TJ & M leaving is a loss. You pitch. I go to a movie.
Bill
Hi Dona
I love stores of you visiting your double cousin's house. It is so neat to have the support system and you had some great Aunts to be there if you needed them! I never knew you dad was in a country music band. Did he like Elvis too? You are already a stunning person and I'm sure they would all be proud of you. How lucky you were to have so many people that cared about you!
The foot doctor is a piece of cake, just that minor foot surgery, and for mom it is nails cut. She can't bend over to do them and her feet are so fragile neither sis or I want to chance it. So it is going just to be a cleansing vist.
And damn it you better get better. That's an order.
Keep smiling. You know the old saying. Cheer up things could be worse. So I cheered up and sure enough they got worse. Seriously were are here whenever you need to vent!
Bill
Dona, I'm really sorry if you caught my bug over the Internet. I hope what you have is a different bug, because this one REALLY doesn't want to leave. I'm not sick any more, but my nose is still running more than it should. This is taking WAY too long!
Thanks Pat, but haven't you ever heard of computer virus? So I am sure I got it from you. But thats ok. :)
So far the nose isn't running, but the coughing is ridiculous! I hope your nose quits running soon.
Hi Pat
I don't want to intrude but that has lasted so long maybe you should go to the doctor and be checked out. I'm kind of worried about you.
Bill
Dona
Those computer viruses will byte you in the butt.
Please get well and if it hangs on you need to go to the doctor too!
Bill
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