Hope you got your taxes in on time! This is not a good day for most people. But it's working for me. For the first time we filed electronically this year. Woo Hoo! This year we are also getting an unexpected refund. Can I head another Woo HOO!? Thank you son for going to college and getting us that needed tax credit. Woo Hoo!
So, now the money that we had budgeted to pay the taxes is sitting there. But have no fear we already found something to spend it on. Car repairs. OK, so this all worked out. I am grateful that we have the money to repair the car because it's the only car we have. The other transportation we have is hubby work truck which is not supposed to be used for personal use. So, the car needs to be taken care of and the previously set aside tax $ will be used to pay for it.
More good news. Today is my dad's girlfriend's bday. I always remember it because hey, it's tax day who could forget. I have to call her. Hopefully I won't forget to do that.
And even more good news. The car repairs seem to be all done and guess what the total cost has been less that what was budgeted for the taxes. So, it looks like we actually came out ahead there. WOO HOO! Now we get to think of what to do with the rest of it. Fun! I have to convince hubby to donate some of it in thanks for the refund and for the affordable car repairs. I have to think. Maybe I can find a cause that would interest him. Gotta think.
Also good today is that I am meeting up with a friend after work and we are going to a presentation about Cuban Art. I honestly know nothing about the subject and am really looking forward to going.
It's a good day!
Showing posts with label civics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label civics. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Bus Stops & Crosswalks
I wonder if the county school department of transportation even knows what the definition of words like bus stop and crosswalk. On my way to work I occasionally get to witness a pet peeve of mine that well starts my day with my panties all in a bunch.
I realize that I grew up in a different era, that things change yadda yadda but pretty much safety measures only get more stringent over time not more lax. I also know the driving rules and know that not everyone follows them. I know that when a bus stops ALL the cars around it are supposed to stop too. Both the traffic next to and oncoming. Fine. I'm also going to acknowledge that children can cross the street to get on a bus. Fine. But, and here's the rub, they should be crossing at a valid intersection, a crosswalk, you know a place were it is correct, legal and safe to be crossing the road because the bus should be stopped at a corner or at a bus stop waiting for them not in the middle of the street right before the train tracks making them cross 3 lanes of traffic, two of them oncoming including crossing a median on a main traffic street! HELLO! Can you say JAYWALKING!?I don't care how old the kids are it's wrong.
I realize that jaywalking is not a stringently prosecuted but should the county school board really be encouraging it by designing bus routes that require it? Give me a break. I tried to search on the Internet the bus routes and any rules and guidelines but it was taking too long and I wasn't finding what I wanted so I came here to complain about it.
Let's see what is the definition of jaywalking? Well, according to wikipedia, its: an informal term used to refer to illegal or reckless pedestrian crossing of a roadway. Examples include a pedestrian crossing between intersections (outside a crosswalk, marked or unmarked) without yielding to drivers and starting to cross a crosswalk at a signalized intersection without waiting for a permissive indication to be displayed. In the Unites States, state statutes generally reflect the Uniform Vehicle Code in requiring drivers to yield the right of way to a pedestrians at crosswalks; at other locations, crossing pedestrians are either required to yield to drivers or, under some conditions, are prohibited from crossing.
OK. Fine. Technically the kids aren't jaywalking because they are standing there, yielding to the traffic until everyone decides to stop for them and then they cross in between intersections across 3 lanes over a median to get to their bus. Still, it's wrong. It shouldn't be that way. Go to the corner, cross at the intersection, the bus could always turn into their complex (oh, the horror) and simply have them cross the street in there.
OK. Enough venting for one morning. Can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine. Hubby gets to hear it every time we see it happen. This is one time where he actually agrees with me. I'm taking a deep breath now and going to get my morning coffee. Gimme patience.
I realize that I grew up in a different era, that things change yadda yadda but pretty much safety measures only get more stringent over time not more lax. I also know the driving rules and know that not everyone follows them. I know that when a bus stops ALL the cars around it are supposed to stop too. Both the traffic next to and oncoming. Fine. I'm also going to acknowledge that children can cross the street to get on a bus. Fine. But, and here's the rub, they should be crossing at a valid intersection, a crosswalk, you know a place were it is correct, legal and safe to be crossing the road because the bus should be stopped at a corner or at a bus stop waiting for them not in the middle of the street right before the train tracks making them cross 3 lanes of traffic, two of them oncoming including crossing a median on a main traffic street! HELLO! Can you say JAYWALKING!?I don't care how old the kids are it's wrong.
I realize that jaywalking is not a stringently prosecuted but should the county school board really be encouraging it by designing bus routes that require it? Give me a break. I tried to search on the Internet the bus routes and any rules and guidelines but it was taking too long and I wasn't finding what I wanted so I came here to complain about it.
Let's see what is the definition of jaywalking? Well, according to wikipedia, its: an informal term used to refer to illegal or reckless pedestrian crossing of a roadway. Examples include a pedestrian crossing between intersections (outside a crosswalk, marked or unmarked) without yielding to drivers and starting to cross a crosswalk at a signalized intersection without waiting for a permissive indication to be displayed. In the Unites States, state statutes generally reflect the Uniform Vehicle Code in requiring drivers to yield the right of way to a pedestrians at crosswalks; at other locations, crossing pedestrians are either required to yield to drivers or, under some conditions, are prohibited from crossing.
OK. Fine. Technically the kids aren't jaywalking because they are standing there, yielding to the traffic until everyone decides to stop for them and then they cross in between intersections across 3 lanes over a median to get to their bus. Still, it's wrong. It shouldn't be that way. Go to the corner, cross at the intersection, the bus could always turn into their complex (oh, the horror) and simply have them cross the street in there.
OK. Enough venting for one morning. Can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine. Hubby gets to hear it every time we see it happen. This is one time where he actually agrees with me. I'm taking a deep breath now and going to get my morning coffee. Gimme patience.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
HE DID IT!
I don't want to say we because really all I did was vote and send him 20 bucks.
I still can't believe it. It's exciting. I'm excited. I honestly didn't believe the polls. Ask anyone who knows me. I kept saying this country won't elect a black man. I just don't see it. BoyOBoy, am I glad I was wrong. Wow! He did it.
Now he's got to get it done and he's being handed this country in the worst state its been in forever. Of course, I am also one of those who believes that no matter who was elected president, the economy hasn't hit bottom yet. That scares me because I am afraid that it will be blamed on him.
Only time will tell but I am excited. I am also very glad that it ended last night and there were no major glitches to drag it out. WOW. He did it!
I still can't believe it. It's exciting. I'm excited. I honestly didn't believe the polls. Ask anyone who knows me. I kept saying this country won't elect a black man. I just don't see it. BoyOBoy, am I glad I was wrong. Wow! He did it.
Now he's got to get it done and he's being handed this country in the worst state its been in forever. Of course, I am also one of those who believes that no matter who was elected president, the economy hasn't hit bottom yet. That scares me because I am afraid that it will be blamed on him.
Only time will tell but I am excited. I am also very glad that it ended last night and there were no major glitches to drag it out. WOW. He did it!
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Vote and be nice!
I voted this morning before work. OMG were people rude!
They had us standing outside in 3 lines, divided alphabetically to match the register lists inside. Well, the A-G line was moving the slowest and those people got VERY aggressive with the poll workers at why they were taking people from the other 2 lines and not theirs. One woman was yelling and screaming at how unfair it was, they were there when it was dark, it wasn't fair and others were going in first, it wasn't fair, yadda yadda...it wasn't fair. When we got inside, she saw that my line the P-Z had only two people in it where hers had like 20. So, she said to her partner, that now she understood that since the other line was empty, they shouldn't have people waiting outside for no reason. So, I turned around after signing the register and asked, So are you going to apologize to the worker you verbally abused outside. Her eyes opened wide as I continued, It would be the fair thing to do. I completed my ballot in the line for the booths. Since I didn't need to go to a booth I went directly to the scanner. She was behind someone at the next scanner. I waited for her at the door and just watched her. I didn't say anything. I just stood there with my arms crossed watching her. I think I intimidated her in to apologizing. The man accepted it graciously.
I truly pray that this is all over tonight and that there are no glitches. I don't think I can handle stretching this out any longer. Please gimme patience!
They had us standing outside in 3 lines, divided alphabetically to match the register lists inside. Well, the A-G line was moving the slowest and those people got VERY aggressive with the poll workers at why they were taking people from the other 2 lines and not theirs. One woman was yelling and screaming at how unfair it was, they were there when it was dark, it wasn't fair and others were going in first, it wasn't fair, yadda yadda...it wasn't fair. When we got inside, she saw that my line the P-Z had only two people in it where hers had like 20. So, she said to her partner, that now she understood that since the other line was empty, they shouldn't have people waiting outside for no reason. So, I turned around after signing the register and asked, So are you going to apologize to the worker you verbally abused outside. Her eyes opened wide as I continued, It would be the fair thing to do. I completed my ballot in the line for the booths. Since I didn't need to go to a booth I went directly to the scanner. She was behind someone at the next scanner. I waited for her at the door and just watched her. I didn't say anything. I just stood there with my arms crossed watching her. I think I intimidated her in to apologizing. The man accepted it graciously.
I truly pray that this is all over tonight and that there are no glitches. I don't think I can handle stretching this out any longer. Please gimme patience!
Monday, November 03, 2008
Election Eve
I am now going to review the amendments that are on the ballot and write out my answers. I have already studied the issues but I want to write out my answers and go in with a cheat-sheet of sorts so that I can breeze through it and not take a lot of time. I always vote that way. I don't want to have to sit there and read and reread the amendments which are usually cumbersome and worded to confuse us. I try to be prepared when I go in.
Tomorrow we will know the country's choice. They say they are expecting 80% voter turnout. That's unheard of. I think it's wonderful. People realize that its a historic election (no matter which party wins) and they want to be a part of it. I think that's awesome I hope that the trend to come out and vote stays with these people.
I have my doubts that my candidate, Obama, will win. Sadly, I am very skeptical and I'm not convinced that race won't be a big factor. I wish, I hope, I am wrong. We shall see. I honestly, cannot imagine 4 years of McCain and Palin and I swear I almost crashed the car the other day when I heard someone on the radio saying 2012 Palin for President. OMG! OMG! OMG! I just cannot imagine. If I compare my resume to hers, I am just as qualified....we both played high school sports, I wasn't a beauty queen but I was a debutante, her executive and management efforts in Alaskan govt, match mine in management for 14 of my 16 year career in (at the time) largest American bank in the world! Oops, I guess that might make me overqualified. She's a hockey mom, I was a soccer mom and now am a football mom. Again, maybe being a multi-sport mom overqualifies me. Well, here's hoping that she goes away and that her 15 minutes are up.
Tomorrow we will know the country's choice. They say they are expecting 80% voter turnout. That's unheard of. I think it's wonderful. People realize that its a historic election (no matter which party wins) and they want to be a part of it. I think that's awesome I hope that the trend to come out and vote stays with these people.
I have my doubts that my candidate, Obama, will win. Sadly, I am very skeptical and I'm not convinced that race won't be a big factor. I wish, I hope, I am wrong. We shall see. I honestly, cannot imagine 4 years of McCain and Palin and I swear I almost crashed the car the other day when I heard someone on the radio saying 2012 Palin for President. OMG! OMG! OMG! I just cannot imagine. If I compare my resume to hers, I am just as qualified....we both played high school sports, I wasn't a beauty queen but I was a debutante, her executive and management efforts in Alaskan govt, match mine in management for 14 of my 16 year career in (at the time) largest American bank in the world! Oops, I guess that might make me overqualified. She's a hockey mom, I was a soccer mom and now am a football mom. Again, maybe being a multi-sport mom overqualifies me. Well, here's hoping that she goes away and that her 15 minutes are up.
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