random thoughts – Day 2,172 (Thursday) – poor choices

It was a day with some less-than-ideal dietary choices. It kicked off with cherry pie and coffee for breakfast. At least it was a smallish piece of pie, and the pie is almost gone and then it will no longer be a temptation. 

Lunch was a healthier improvement with homemade turkey vegetable soup from the freezer, with some fresh mushrooms and carrots added, plus half-and-half. It was delicious. In the words of an ex-husband, the first bowl “tasted like more” and was followed by a second bowl. And a third. In my defense, they were small bowls.

It didn’t take long before the food pendulum swung back to highly questionable choices. This time, it was an afternoon snack of too many sugar wafers with coffee flavored frosting schmeared on them.

Casserole cross-section,
before being heated.

After the day of reckless consumption, the plan was to give the digestive system a break and skip dinner. That idea didn’t last long and the next thing I knew I was dining on a square of the penne, salsa, cheese casserole from the other day. Later, there were more sugar wafers, but without the frosting this time.

Tomorrow I will do better. It will be easier because I have plans with Mom and won’t be sitting at home all day. 

random thoughts – Day 2,171 (Wednesday) – resting phase

The sight of snow falling steadily when I woke up this morning caused a small degree of sadness. Knowing it was cold out and not knowing how long it might snow, the decision was made to be a homebody for the day and the corresponding “probably not leaving the house” outfit was chosen.

What the heck,
puzzle company?

The jigsaw puzzle started on Monday was completed. It was a brand-new puzzle, still wrapped in the outer plastic, with the pieces encased in a sealed bag inside the box. And it is missing a piece. Thanks, puzzle company. There was a card in the box with a code to get a “free gift” and I almost emailed the company to ask if the free gift might be my missing piece and if the code was the secret password to ransom it from a hostage-type situation.

The special offer free gift is a vinyl sticker and a discount code to buy puzzles online from the company. Prices are around $20 for a 1,000-piece puzzle, and free shipping kicks in at $59, so I think I’ll take my chances at the puzzle swap table at the library, thanks. Especially knowing my current puzzle from the company came missing a piece.

After the puzzle, the domestic kitchen gene kicked in and a penne, fake sausage, salsa, and cheese casserole was baked. It was really good, and solved the “what should I eat” question for both lunch and supper. So efficient!

Home for the day.

For snow day entertainment, I snuggled under the beautiful afghan my Aunt made for me (which coordinates perfectly with my couch) and watched Finnish crime dramas on Prime video. I had abandoned them for a couple years (or more) when it felt like I had seen all the free ones. Today, I learned that my carefully curated watch list was full of shows “no longer available due to license expiration.” Oops. I guess it has been a while.

While Detective Maria Kallio played in Finnish with English subtitles, I enjoyed the thrill of still recognizing words. It’s been a few years since I last took the Finnish classes at Saima Park. I bailed after a couple terms because the language is very difficult, the drive from Lowell was a pain in the butt, and seriously, do I really think I'm ever going to Finland? 

Overall, it was nice day of rest. Even in the afternoon when the sun came out, I continued my outdoor boycott with no guilt. 

random thoughts – Day 2,170 (Tuesday) – breaking up is hard

Today I hit the road to visit the bank with the IRA CD in need of a visit and paperwork. The highway was delightfully clear of snow and light on traffic. The Fitchburg roads were about what I expected. The potholes were plentiful but the snow clearing was adequate on the major streets.

Welcome!

Near the bank, blue and red emergency vehicle lights were flashing like it was the Independence Day parade. A police car blocked the plaza entrance nearest the bank. An ambulance and a fire truck were parked nearby. Two cars sat facing each other in the entrance with another police cruiser behind them. A cluster of people talked with police officers. I drove to another entrance and was able to access the bank, but I might have been better off to take the scene on arrival as a sign to keep driving.

The transaction took a long time to process because it was an IRA CD and not just a regular savings CD. It was the banker’s first IRA distribution. A manual was consulted for the many forms to be filled out, printed, and signed. It was my first ever IRA distribution. I wasn’t prepared for the question about having taxes withheld from the transaction and after a nano second of thought, opted to have a random percentage withheld for federal taxes thinking to reduce taxes owed with the 2026 filing.

Calculations were made. Papers were signed. A check was printed for the account balance, less the amount of the federal taxes. The banker never asked how I wanted the funds. I had assumed it would just be put into my checking account at the same institution. A bank check was printed along with a copy of all my paperwork.

During my time in the bank, a flatbed had arrived and left. The ambulance, firetruck, police cars, and personal vehicles were gone. Something that sounded like a grandfather clock chimed on two occasions.

I drove to the credit union where I have opened accounts as part of my breakup with the old bank and deposited the check from the CD. The finance portion of the day took so long that I cancelled the food shopping part of the day, got some gas, and headed home.

At home, I went online to the oil company website to pay for the oil delivered late last week. My account showed no record of a delivery and no amount showing as due. I called the office and got a recording to leave a message for a callback. I’ll try again on Wednesday.

A couple hours later, a call came from the bank. The back office had found an issue with the CD transaction. Apparently, if federal taxes are withheld from an IRA distribution, Massachusetts state tax must also be withheld. The system did not provide an alert, and nothing prevented the transaction from processing, which seems like a flaw, but what do I know.

To correct the issue, the back office reversed the CD closing transaction and issued a stop payment order on the check I had been given. Yes, the check I had just deposited into my account at the other institution. (I’m pretty sure they are called financial institutions because after dealing with one in any capacity as employee or customer, you are pretty much ready for a nice long, medicated vacation in an institution. Or maybe that’s just me.)

The banker suggested I call the credit union to ask for my deposit to be reversed to avoid me being assessed a fee when the check is rejected in the system due to the stop payment. The back office at the credit union coordinated with the branch, reversed my deposit, and suggested I come in to pick up the original check, which might be fine if not for the half-hour ride to get there. And now I can look forward to doing the whole CD closure all over again. Had it just been deposited into my checking account at the bank, it would have been a breeze to unwind. This is what I get for trying to break up with a bank and move on. It is feeling like a bad boyfriend scenario all over again.

In considering all the screwy screw-ups of the past week, I checked to see if we are in Mercury retrograde because it sure feels like we are. During Mercury retrograde, miscommunications, delays, travel issues, and technical glitches are common. Based on the glitches in the past week (misinformation, absence of communication, plaza access issue, bank account headache, oil company account mystery), I don’t even want to speculate what could go wrong during the actual retrograde period which begins February 26 and ends March 20. Yay. Can’t wait. Should be fun.

random thoughts – Day 2,169 (Monday) – snow day aggro

Snowy day. Again.

The blizzard raged with cold air, hostile steady snow, high winds, and occasional white-out conditions. Snow clotted on the window screens and gathered on the ledge between upper and lower panes. It blew and cleared some roofs and drifted in driveways, against sheds, stairs, and homes. The storm was a combination of fascinating and picturesque, best observed from inside. 

In between watching episodes of the never ending reality show “winter snow 2025-26,” regular daily life of emails, job applications, and phone calls took place. This included the frustrating labyrinth of bank customer “service.” Short version: last Tuesday (because Monday was a holiday), I called the bank with a question about an IRA CD that had matured on the 14th and had a 10-day window for changes. Based on the crappy rates provided, I said I wanted to close the CD and was told it could be closed and moved to my checking account easy peasy, it just might take a couple days.

Today, after checking for the millionth time and seeing it hadn’t happened yet, I called to ask when this transaction might happen.  I learned I had been misinformed last week and because it is an IRA instrument I need to visit a branch to sign paperwork. This information was noted in my bank file, but was never relayed to me. Nice. And tick, tock, the 10-day clock is slipping away.

Relaxing with a puzzle.

It looks like tomorrow I’ll be making the 15-mile journey to the closest branch, which could have been accomplished at several pre-blizzard points last week, including Wednesday when I was next door to said branch. I can’t wait to be fully divested of business with this bank.

To restore calm and shake off the aggro, I started a new small side quest with a jigsaw puzzle. It has only 500 pieces, but it’s harder than I assumed. It’s good diversion for housebound annoyances and aggravation.

random thoughts – Day 2,168 (Sunday) – prep and dread

Snow and ice sculpture.

The shadow of an approaching blizzard loomed over the day like a comic supervillain. At dance practice, I noticed the snow and ice balanced on the edge of the roof. The thick snow had slid and hung off the roof like some sort of avalanche in the making. The icicles hung at crazy angles that looked like monster fangs. It was fascinating, and also hard to photograph from inside due to the full screen outside the window and impossible from the outside due to the deep snow behind the building.

Driving home from dance practice, I mentally ran through the contents of the pantry and decided I would go to Aldi if the list of needs was longer than two or three items. The items I came up with were half-and-half (for coffee), milk (for cooking and baking), and refried black beans (for more empanadas). Then I remembered there was enough half-and-half for a couple days and I had bought instant milk for baking purposes so I was off the hook and spared a pre-blizzard grocery run.

To use the remaining box of pie crusts approaching its best by date, I baked a cherry pie using canned pie filling. Lessons were learned. First, canned cherry pie filling is okay, but not that great. The edge of the crust was overbaked because I didn’t put the foil on the edges quickly enough to prevent such.

Cherry pie.

The biggest lesson was that not all off-brand pie crusts are alike. Specifically, Hannaford store brand pie crust isn’t as good as the off-brand pie crust I used a few days ago for the empanadas. The Hannaford crust stuck to itself and cracked during the unrolling step. The other crust had been rolled with parchment paper which made it much easier to unroll. Unfortunately, this is only partially useful information because I don’t recall the brand of the other pie crusts or where I bought them and the box is out in the recycle bin.

At 8:15 p.m., the snow hadn’t begun yet, but it’s coming and preparations have been underway. Parking bans, trash delays, and school cancellations announcements rolled in during the day. This afternoon, a recorded phone message, a text, and an email notified me that my Monday appointment with the surgeon for the final follow-up appointment for last year’s broken wrist is cancelled. A blizzard warning is in effect for five counties (including mine) until Tuesday morning at 7:00 a.m. The governor declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm, and certain trucks were banned from traveling on Massachusetts highways as of 5:00 p.m. Yikes. 

The Weather Channel app says the magic hour for the snow to arrive in Gardner is around 9:15 p.m. I feel like the host of a family event who is dreading the arrival of that one predictably loud, obnoxious family member (with luck, the family has just one) and hoping that maybe it won't be too bad this time. 

random thoughts – Day 2,167 (Saturday) – winter life

Winter 2025-26 feels like it has already been six months of snow. There were another three or four inches of fresh whiteness this morning. The neighborhood critters were busy with tracks along the backyard tree line. The tracks in the driveway under the carport featured some very cute tiny little toe prints. Squirrel maybe?

The weather forecast for the weekend is described as a full-blown blizzard. Forewarned is forearmed, I guess, but so far, I have failed to dash out for bread and milk as mandated by American snowstorm protocol. It looks like I may be queued up at the grocery store Sunday afternoon after dance. Or not. The pantry is well stocked and can handle a day or two in the kitchen, it’s the freezer that has the capacity issue. Soup? Mac and cheese? Baked goods? It could be a wide-open stove-centered adventure. Or a guilt free stretch of time on the couch with a book. We shall see. My domestic ambitions tend to change like the weather.

But back to today. There was fresh snow in the morning and it was cleared. Then I met a friend at the movie theater in town. I had been thinking of show shoeing until she called and suggested seeing Wuthering Heights, which I had already wanted to see so it was a perfect idea. Two movies within eight days / two movies in one year is a level of movie activity (and giant popcorn buckets) quite possibly not seen since high school. There were previews shown today for other movies I’d like to see (The Devil Wears Prada 2, Odyssey), so this could be a big year for me and the movies.

As for Wuthering Heights, it featured moody UK landscapes and wet weather, interesting characters, and some gorgeous costumes. And Margot Robbie has been great in everything in which I’ve seen her (Wolf of Wall Street; I, Tonya; Suicide Squad; Barbie, to name a few). It was an afternoon well spent.

random thoughts – Day 2,166 (Friday) – motivated

Today saw some tasks get knocked off the list. The tax return is finally done and submitted. Most of the tax forms had been rounded up, except for the one from my old mortgage bank. I called their customer service number and learned that a form had been sent out, but it's anyone's guess where it is. I could either wait for a new one in the mail or pick one up at a branch. I opted for the branch pickup, and in no time, I had my form in my chilly hands.

In the library.

From the bank, I traversed a block or two over to the library and finally got myself a library card. When I tried to get one in the summer, I didn't have documentation showing my new address with me. Today, armed with my excise tax bill, I got my library card.

It’s a beautiful library with lots of wood, windows, and cozy nooks with comfy-looking chairs. I wandered around like I used to do when I was a youngling, turning down random rows, pausing at random shelves to read titles. One title would spark and idea and then I would be off looking at something else. 

The snow, which had started when I left the bank a few minutes earlier, gained intensity as I worked my way through the library and got heavier as I made my way home.

Snow falling.

The main roads were primarily wet, but the streets in my neighborhood were collecting snow. Back at home and looking out the windows, it was like being inside a snow globe. The snow was falling and blowing and swirling from multiple directions and piling up fast. It was pretty on the trees out back and across the street, and covered the yucky dirty snow. With the snow swirling outside and a new library card in my wallet, I was feeling sufficiently motivated to continue the momentum. The tax return was revisited and finally finished. 

The little timekeeping feature in TurboTax, which I imagine is intended to be encouraging, estimated my return would take 54 minutes. It was laughable, because in all the years of using the program, I've never been able to finish within the estimated time. 

Worse than the gross inaccuracy of the estimator was the way it held fast to that original estimate like if it repeated the lie enough it would finally be true. It passed an hour the first day I logged in and clocked more than six hours by the time I was finished. But it’s finished, officially crossed off the list, and it’s all over except waiting for the direct deposit of the refund. Bonus, I don’t need to deal with it for another year.