In the late evening...

Now, in the late evening, it is raining buckets, but I don't have to be out there so I am glad. The dog very briefly went out back and was more than happy to come back inside. He got wet enough in the very short time that he was out there. The cat very wisely is staying inside where she belongs. It may be a matter of being smarter or having better bladder control, I don't know. 

I'm fighting my sleepiness with a cup of instant coffee. It does serve its function in that capacity.  I haven't replaced the coffeemaker yet. There's been no opportunity for it yet. It will wait a while as long as I have the instant coffee, I just have to get a better brand.  Much as I dislike drinking it, I'm sure that will make a difference. 

It's been an interesting day today. I found out what I already suspected. I didn't have to file income taxes over 2011. I had gotten no paperwork about it and started to get big doubts so I called the tax office. The woman I got on the line confirmed my suspicions and reassured me that I would not have to. That was a relief to hear. I thought I might have been going into default and have gotten into trouble.

Because I'm switching energy companies, I was waiting for the final closure bill from my old energy provider with some dread. I thought I might be owing them all sorts of money because it had just been wintertime and an expensive time of the year. That bill came in the mail today and much to my relief, I'm getting a nice amount of money back that I can really use. The gods smiled kindly upon me. 

Because of circumstances beyond my control. I had today to get a new telephone number and I thought that was going to be a quite involved process, but it turned out to be fairly easy. After a few formalities it was done in a flash and I will know my new number in a few days when it will be sent to me in the mail. My old number has already been disconnected so the problems with it should be resolved. The new number will be a secret number. 

I made an appointment for the dog to get his fur trimmed and I don't even know if the Exfactor will be able to take him there. If he can't, I will have to take him and I will have to be up to that, but at least I will have the money to pay for it thanks to the windfall from the energy company. 

That will also pay for the new identity card that I have to apply for shortly because my passport is about to expire. I will have to have those god awful passport photos taken and go to city hall and be finger printed. At least you can make an appointment for it nowadays and not have to wait in line. 

My headache has returned and I'm taking the painkillers again along with two tranquilizers a day to help relax me. The area around my right eye is hurting too and it seems to me that my eye hurts also. I do definitely have to wear my glasses and I can't cheat and only wear them now and then. It's too much of an adjustment to take them off and later put them on again. It's always something...

That about sums up my day, except for the usual odds and ends. The laundry and the dishes and changing the bed, etc. 

I hope you'll all have a good night and lots of good news. 

Ciao,

Irene

Massive cheer up time...

I was good this afternoon and took care of all the paperwork that I had left lying around for some time now. I also visited my bank account to see if I was still solvent and paid some bills. I got the end of year bill from the energy company and am actually getting some money back. Phew, that was a relief. I thanked the Higher Being for that big favor. 

When I was all done with the paperwork, the damage was actually very small and I could put a lot of things in the recycle box. The rest was noted and taken care of and filed. I felt very virtuous for having done it in such a relative short amount of time with such little pain. I had not been a job that I was looking forward to, but it always is much less bad than I think it is going to be. 

Now I won't have to put anything off for a while anymore and I can take care of things as they come in. The fun part about emptying the mailbox right now is the fact that there are Christmas cards in it and not just official mail. That does make it a lot nicer and reminds me that I have to send some myself. The season is sneaking up on me before I'm quite ready. I still have to buy stamps. 

My daughter and her father are going to be here in another nine days and will spend Christmas and New Year's here. I haven't seen her in four years and I'm looking forward to it very much. It's very difficult not to see your own daughter for such a long time. You have to close up a lot of feelings inside your heart. I can let them out for a while shortly. 

I just took the dog for a walk in the cold, windy evening air. It was not a great pleasure to be out there, but we survived it anyway. I think the dog minded it less than I did. I should have worn a hat because my head was very cold, but then I thought about 'hat hair.' That's so unbecoming that I decided to be cold instead. I am a vain enough woman not to want to look ridiculous. Even if it is dark outside and nobody will see me and no one will see me when I get home. 

I haven't watched the news tonight. It seems that the stories on the news are all very negative and cause nothing but worry and fear. They tell you everything that's wrong and no way to get out of it. You start to feel so hopeless and helpless. Maybe they are over realistic and maybe they paint the wrong picture. I don't know who or what influences the stories that get told on the news.

I must eat some dinner, my body needs to get fed. The Exfactor brought me some rice pudding and I think I'll have that. 

Have a great evening, all of you.

Ciao,

Nora

In the time it takes snow to fall...

After today, the days will start getting longer again, although the warming up effect will not be felt for a long time yet. It will be March before we feel anything like warm sunshine again and go about without wearing layers of clothes. I can't even imagine that now. What it will be like to go outside without a jacket on and a scarf. It will be the most amazing and appreciated thing. I look forward to it already, but that doesn't mean that I'm miserable now.

I refuse to suffer from the weather the way it is now and I'm bound and determined to make the best of it. Of course, not many demands are made of me and I don't have to travel far away from home. I can go anywhere I have to on foot or stay home if I choose to do so. I don't have to get in a car and drive half an hour to get to my job. Woe are those who have to. It's a tough assignment, but it can be done with a lot of patience. It just may take a while longer. 

More snow has fallen during the night and there really is a winter wonder landscape now. It's possible to look at it in awe if you forget the negative aspects. You just mustn't try to get anywhere far away in a hurry. If you just walk through it slowly, it's very pretty, but you must be dressed for it. Kids in the neighborhood have built snowmen and forts and done very good jobs at them. I remember making them when I was a kid and we had winters like this. They weren't unusual back then. 

I wish I could tell you that I had slept for a good  long time, but I didn't. Just as I was about to go to bed last night, my sister called me to tell me that she had gotten home safely from Milan and that was a relief, because we hadn't been sure if it would have been possible. For some reason, her plane, bus, train and taxi all were on time and had no delays or problems with the weather whatsoever, while there had been delays and cancellations all over the place. She must have had a guardian angel.

I woke up early, because Tyke and I both had urgent toilet needs, and I stayed up. I was ready to be awake and enjoy the silent hours of the morning. I do have to forsake some sleep for that, but hopefully I can take a nap later today. 

The Exfactor is supposed to be here today to do the groceries, but there's some question as to if he's going to make it. It depends on the weather. Even he isn't indestructible. I'm going to see my SPN this afternoon and I will walk there, because I'm not sure if it's safe to ride my bike. I don't know how clean the streets are. Mine isn't at any rate. 

Oh, I had been waiting with dread for the end of year energy bill and was afraid that I would have to pay a phenomenal amount of money extra, because last winter had been cold and dark and I was afraid that I'd used more energy than I had paid for. My neighbors had gotten a huge end of year bill and I was prepared for the worst. 

It came in the mail yesterday. I said a silent prayer and opened the envelope and looked at both the gas bill and the electric bill. In both cases not only did I not have to pay anything extra, I was even getting a couple of euros back. I thanked God with a huge sigh of relief. That was a load off my shoulders. Whatever I'm doing, I'm doing right, because I don't pay a very large monthly amount. I must have a guardian angel too. 

This goes to prove the theory that's developing that a lot of things go right. That there are all these little happy endings all over the place. All I have to do is be on the look out for them and I can consider myself lucky. I can think of many instances when a piece of good luck came my way just when I needed it. When the timing was just right and I was saved by the bell. 

Now I've got to take my medicines and start the day. It's nice and warm in here, so I can get dressed now. I hate to take off my bathrobe if it's still chilly. 

Have a nice day, even if you're snowed in. 

Ciao,

Nora