It’s Tax Day here in the United States.
Bad News: I’m getting money back this year. I don’t like giving the Government a “free loan.”
Good News: I’ll have “found” money to put toward home repairs.
Great News: I am not writing huge checks to pay taxes like I did last year.
Now all I have to do is remember to sign my paperwork and dump it into the mail today.
I Do This To Myself
Yesterday I found out that an opening occurred for next Friday’s (April 24) Atlanta Photography Exhibit’s Southern Fried Photographers exhibit and claimed the spot. Now I have to rush to decide, print, frame, and price one of my shots to put into the exhibit. I sometimes don’t understand why I do these things to myself.
For the record, unlike with the auction I don’t expect my piece to sell so I am going to print something that I want to hang in my house.
ITP Flickr Pic Illustration
Did you ever read the Family Circus cartoon? Do you remember those panels that show Billy’s circuitous routes home?
That is how I felt on my hour-long journey home from work yesterday. I encountered one roadblock due to a malfunctioning traffic light and two more due to downed trees and utility work.
Wow, That’s Odd
I ordered that Silversun Pickups “disc” yesterday from Amazon. I had a $5 music credit, and much to my surprise they automatically applied that to the $3.99 purchase price of the download. Cool!
Also yesterday I purchased a physical CD. Through one of Amazon’s retailers I purchased the 2006 release from The Long Winters titles “Putting The Days To Bed.” I employed the “used CD” loophole in last year’s “No Physical Media” rule to justify the purchase of physical media.
I could have downloaded the “disc” from iTunes for $9.99 (yikes!) but found the disc used for $3.30, and with the $2.98 shipping cost the final price was $6.28. I’ll consider my $3.71 savings as wise money management.
One Vacation Destination Keeps Popping Into My Mind
Milwaukee.
Seriously.
I am contemplating a trip to a city I have never visited and Milwaukee keeps popping into my head. Why Milwaukee? Heck if I know.
I’m thinking Summer (duh!). I’m thinking of flying in and out of Chicago, spending a few days there as well. I’m thinking of taking the train that runs between Chicago and Milwaukee. I think that I’m crazy. I think it will be fun.
Now all I have to do is find a cheap flight in/out of Chicago.
Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – plump
Current Music – listening to the “MacCast” podcast
Website Of The Day – Organic Batter Blaster — think “Cool Whip, but pancake/waffle batter instead.” Think I’m in love.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Monthly
Foot Mileage – 3 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 15 (15)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 14
Marta Rides – 0
April Goals
none, and this is not an April Fools joke
2009 Goals
– Reduce my weight to 190 pounds (today’s weight was 199.5 pounds)
– Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
РEarn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Jalape̱o Beach SmugMug account I opened the other day.
– Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
– Attend at least one professional photography workshop
The Unmeasurable
– Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
– Become a proficient programmer in Objective-C (iPhone development) and Ruby on Rails (Black Sheep web page concept)
– Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem
Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]
I spent many weekends in Milwaukee when I lived in Chicago & my brother was going to law school at Marquette. The weekends usually involved a lot of drinking, so I don’t remember a lot, but I do remember we had a blast. Brewers games involved at least a keg in the parking lot before & after the games. I never took the train, mainly because I figured my brother would “forget” to come get me at the train station.
The train ride is an hour and a half… it may take you that long to get from Ohare to the train station. I’m just saying..
-FP
Spent a few weekends in Milwaukee, an old ex’s parents lived there, eh, could take it or leave it. I’m trying to figure out logistics for October. I’m hoping to somehow combine a visit home with the Chicago marathon…I don’t know if i’m just going to drive or fly to Chicago and drive to Lafayette or fly to Indy and drive to Chicago.
Anyway, tickets to O’Hare are running $200-225…I think that is pretty reasonable.
85 South was still backed up about 9 am…what a mess, northbound wasn’t all that great either due to what looked like a two bus accident.
$125 for Chicago!! In those famous word of Harry Carey- “Holy Cow!”
-FP
I know Steve, that is why I waited until after ING to sign up. I would have been PO’d if I had spent that sort of cash and then figured out I hated marathons.
I’d probably wouldn’t have a car in Chicago (I didn’t last time I went there) and would take the metro-train and walk to Union Station. It looks like a one-way ticket to Milwaukee from Chicago is $22.
I’m hoping for tickets to drop below $200. Since this is a solo vacation I’m willing to fly on Tue/Wed, generally the cheapest days to fly.
Wisconsin sounds like a great idea for a vacation. You certainly have plenty of cheesy friends from whom to obtain destination/entertainment suggestions (e.g Madison). We’ll be there around the July 4th holiday, any chance we’ll overlap? You could join us for the 5am keg tapping and then hang out curbside for the Racine 4th of July parade…
Wait – $125 to run the marathon? I thought Steve found a great price on plane tickets. Antoher reason I’ll never run a marathon……
Paulie – I can’t imagine the prices on plane tickets won’t fall at some point, especially if you consider flying into Midway. I’m looking at a 3 leg trip to Iowa, Colorado then back to Atlanta mid July – now that isn’t proving to be a very cheap idea. Good thing I just mailed the LAST truck payment on the Tundra – we are now an no car payment household again. Dave Ramsey would be so proud!
On July 3rd I’ll be flying over Wisconsin on my way to Chicago where I’ll be transferring to a flight to Atlanta, on my way home from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. That’s one of the reasons I’m thinking late August, early September for a Chicago/Milwaukee trip. It looks like 2009 will be a Mid-Western Extravaganza year for me.
Woo Hoo, Barb!
Reason #1 I’ll never run another marathon : I don’t want the pain / injury again
Reason #2 I’ll never run another marathon : They cost too much to run
Reason #3 I’ll never run another marathon : I don’t want to train
Reason #4 I’ll never run another marathon : I don’t need another shirt
Reason #5 I’ll never run another marathon : Been there, done that
I’d sooner run the Dances with Dirt trail 50k again.
The Hold Steady have a new live disc out that includes a bonus DVD. Might be worth breaking your boycott of physical media.
Paulie – if you really want the total midwest experience, go to Cedar Rapids, IA. You can stay with my parents, I’d say in my old room, but that has been changed many, many years ago. There are plenty of post flood photo opportunities if you want them. Down town still is a ghost town I’m told.
Iowa? IOWA? Why would I want to go to a state that has legalized gay marriage?!?! Kidding of course…. I’ve never been to Iowa, although I may have been through Iowa when the family took a New York to California car trip back in 1972.
This has quickly turned into a(nother) year in which I wish that I got more than three weeks of paid vacation.
Andrew, you make a good case for that purchase. I’ll have to keep that one under consideration.
I actually agree with you Paulie – I don’t want to go to Iowa either, but every once in a while I have to give in to the guilt trips I get from the parents and other siblings. It is very scary that Iowa is now considered a progressive state.
Reason #1 I will run another marathon: I already paid for it
Reason #2 I will run another marathon: I didn’t make my goal on the first one
Reason #3 I will run another marathon: My boy friends thinks it’s hot 😉
Reason #4 I will run another marathon: I need something to keep my fat ass off the couch
There is a Dances with Dirt in Gnaw Bone, IN (I haven’t been there but I bet it is just like it sounds), if you’re ready I’m there!
Ha! I’d sooner go to Iowa than to go to Indiana to run a 50k even if it is one of the Dances with Dirt runs.
Knowing how much you like music, may I suggest you go during Summerfest?
http://www.summerfest.com/flash/
Oh Summerfest – I barely remember spending a few nights there. John Cougar was one of the headliners, that was a fun show. It is killing me trying to remember who else we saw…. there was a lot of drinking going on.
Hmmm, Summerfest is the same time that I’ll be in Winnipeg.
Paulie, I’m insulted by your comment. Indiana is a wonderful place with lots of history, natural beauty and… okay, I can’t keep a straight face any longer… believe me, if my nieces didn’t live there I would never go back.
DwD is the same weekend I’m heading home but Nashville, In is a bit of a drive so I doubt I’ll make it….
Your Family Circle reference really took me back!
Thanks. 🙂
I’m having similar feelings watching this computer science lecture series recorded in 2007. The instructor must be about my age because he makes many references that I get, that none of his students do. For instance he said that something was funky, but not “George Clinton funky” **crickets** — but I knew what he meant. 🙂