When I stepped out of the shower yesterday morning, I could hear helicopters hovering directly over the house. The first thing I thought was, I must have really screwed up this year’s tax return. Continue reading
I left some time this morning before work to photocopy my 2011 business tax returns and to get my first 2012 payment in the mail. I was surprised by the lack of activity both at Kinko’s and at the post office. Kinko’s had a copier ready when I walked in, and the line at the post office was only about five minutes long. After my own flurry of activity over the past few days, Tax Day arrived with a whimper.
The blogs I follow have been eerily quiet today. I guess I’m not the only last-minute tax filer. I already have an estimate good enough to request an extension, but I’m determined to beat the deadline this year. I have roughly 32 hours to go.
Today is Easter Friday. It’s a so-called Meat Friday because the Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays is set aside on solemnities, and the entire first octave of Easter is a solemnity. So what does my wife plan for dinner tonight? We’re meeting her sister for all-you-can-eat fish fry. Where was that two weeks ago during Lent? Tonight I need an all-you-can-eat steak fry.
Have you checked out my travel blog?
I haven’t published much here recently, but I notice there are still a few of you following. Have you checked out my travel blog? It’s called Pilgrimito, and it’s at http://pilgrimito.com/. You should have a look!
The debt ceiling crisis and the myth of the Clinton surplus
Whether he meant to do so or not, President Obama has tossed the myth of the Clinton “surplus” under the bus. Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Random Tagged Clinton, Debt Ceiling, Deficit, Myth, Obama, Surplus Leave a comment
Gratuitous cat photo: Russy on alert
Here’s a photo of Russy, standing on high alert on the kitchen counter. I have no idea what he sees or thinks he sees. The picture was taken March 23 this year. Continue reading
Unusual: A two-dollar bill in my change
I suddenly felt hungry on my way home from work this afternoon, so I decided to stop at a Dunkin’ Donuts for a small coffee and a donut. The bill came to $2.71. I gave the cashier $20.76. He gave me back a ten, a five, a one, and a nickel.
And a two. Continue reading
Posted in Random Tagged 2 Dollar Bill, Apple, Best Buy, Dunkin' Donuts, Federal Reserve, Money, Two-Dollar Bills 2 Comments
Humor at work: Hear what?
I’m the guy who’s generally really quiet at work. That said, when I do open my mouth to say something, I want it to be memorable. Continue reading
More travel stories at my other blog
I haven’t written much on this blog recently. However, I have been writing on my Pilgrimito blog, which has just my travel stories. You should check it out, if you haven’t already done so.
If you prefer the format here at Pearls of Nonsense, don’t worry. I’ll be back to writing irrelevant nonsense in the very near future.
Yes, it’s Election Day today
I want to remind my U.S. readers that today is Election Day. In particular, some of my family members get upset if I don’t put a mention of it in my blog. Of course, last November was an exception, since it was impossible not to know when Election Day was. Continue reading
The price of free chicken
Basha’s, a local supermarket chain here in Arizona, has been recently promoting rotisserie chickens for $4.99. I haven’t tried one yet, so I don’t know if it’s a good price or not. For me, the more interesting part of the promotion is the store’s guarantee that chicken will be in stock between 4 and 7 pm or it’s free. Continue reading
Kentucky Fried Chicken: new menu, same lousy service
As I was reading Wise Bread this morning, I found a coupon for a free two-piece grilled chicken meal at Kentucky Fried Chicken. I was telling friends this weekend, I’m a little surprised Kentucky Fried Chicken is pushing its new grilled chicken so aggressively; it seems to me the grilled chicken fad started and ended over a decade ago. However, free is the right price, and since I missed out on their free offer last week, I thought I’d give the coupon a try today. Continue reading
Posted in Food, Random Tagged Arizona, Fast Food, Green, Kentucky Fried Chicken, KFC, Phoenix Leave a comment
Upgrading memory on the Mac mini
Several months ago I bought a 2 GB RAM upgrade for my Mac mini. Admittedly it was a total impulse buy. I saw the price, thought it was a bargain, and snagged it. After the new memory arrived, I finally decided to look into how to install it. That may have been a mistake. It turns out there was no guidance from Apple for upgrading RAM in a Mac mini. The official position was to take it to an Apple Store, which would undoubtedly have cost much more than the memory. Unofficially, there was a tutorial available in the Mac Forums, but it looked complicated enough that I didn’t want to undertake the project until I was prepared to see it through. So, for all these months, the modules have been sitting idle on my kitchen counter. Continue reading
First experience: Sonoran hot dogs in Phoenix
On a flight home after a Presidents Day vacation with Kathryn, I read an article in the USAirways in-flight magazine about the Sonoran hot dogs sold by street vendors in Tucson. The description made my mouth water. A Sonoran hot dog is a hot dog wrapped in bacon and fried in bacon grease, served in a bakery roll with mayonnaise, pinto beans, diced tomatoes, onions, and whatever else is available. It sounded delightful. When we arrived, I wondered aloud whether similar hot dogs were also sold on the streets of Phoenix. The next day, Kathryn asked around at the hospital, and one of her co-workers said the only place he knew was at 20th St. and Indian School Rd., and only after 6 p.m. We sort of forgot about it after that. Sonoran hot dogs in Phoenix
Into the darkness
After not having flown at night in over three years, I recently decided it was time to regain my night currency. In the interest of safety, I thought it would be a good idea to take an instructor along. Continue reading
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Tying the knot
Some of you have commented to me privately that I’ve been on a blog holiday for way too long now. When I started this blog, I had a personal goal of posting a minimum of once every calendar month. It should be evident by looking at the archives that I haven’t met my goal for the last three calendar months, and short of posting today, I’ll fail for a fourth. Clearly, the pressure is on. Continue reading
There’s an election today?
Just to remind to those of you who live here in Phoenix, there’s a general election today. Continue reading
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Arachnid encounter
Despite having lived in Arizona for over three years, I’ve somehow managed never to see a living scorpion until just a few days ago. I wouldn’t have seen it at all if it hadn’t stung my girlfriend a few moments earlier. She’s okay. Continue reading
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Godsmack at Dodge
I enjoyed the music at the Godsmack concert at Dodge Theatre here in Phoenix last night. What pissed me off were the other people there. Continue reading
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