Now before everybody starts laughing, I do help the Micro Manager to do spring house cleaning. Spring house cleaning can be a big job and the micro Manager has trouble meeting that challenge.
Now some people may not be familiar with the term spring house cleaning. There is a pattern here where people give their house a thorough cleaning in the spring. Major dusting is done. The walls may be washed. Clothes closets are cleaned out. You get the idea.
Last spring was the first time I participated fully in house cleaning. I admit I wasn't happy about it, but it has to be done.
So there's some bickering during the house cleaning season.
Now we've been trying to downsize for maybe 10 or 15 years. Yes, we've got rid of things but there's still an enormous amount of stuff left.
That's where the bickering comes on the cleaning. The Micro Manager complains that it's a big job. I threaten to go on strike . Why? Well there are many things in the house that are unnecessary in my humble opinion.
We have too many nick knacks and stuff hanging on the walls.
So what did I do yesterday? I went around and counted all things attached to the wall or ceiling and all things set on a table, desk or floor. I didn't count necessary things like radios, knife sets, bread boxes, micro waves, toaster ovens etc. I counted 238 of these objects. Now I know that two of the bloggers I follow will have many times more of these objects. They probably have more than 238 Christmas ornaments. Ornaments are their hobby.
It's just that the house cleaning job would be much easier without all the clutter.
Who does spring cleaning?
Who has more than 238 objects? Maybe I'm just a whiner to complain about the situation?
See any nick knacks her besides me?
I have always liked listening to music. I'm not musician or a singer. I just enjoy music.
So there are many days when a tune, a phrase or piece of music rolls around in my head. Usually this bothers me as it comes back again all day. I can't stop it. It's known as an ear worm.
Now today was different. Bim Bom Bay popped into my head. I couldn't quite place the song. A few hours later Jimmy Rodgers popped into my head and then I remembered the song. Jimmy Rodgers was at the peak of his career in the late 50's. He was a singer and a song writer.
Now this is not the Jimmie Rodgers of country music fame who was from the Carter Family era. The Jimmie Rodgers known as the singing brakeman.
So I googled Jimmie Rodgers and found the song and listened to it. It's been 60 years since I heard Bim Bom Bay. It brought back a lot of music before rock and roll took over.
There was much good folk music in the late 40's and early 50's. ...the Lime Lighters, Burl Ives, There were some fantastic quartets like the Four Lads. the Four Aces.
Some of his will start rolling around my head in the next few days and I will remember the groups.
I'm sure other people have the same experience I do and music pops into your head.
So I looked up Jimmie Rodgers and found much more than Jimmie Rodgers.
Oh , Bim Bom Bay comes from a place in Portugal which has a similar sound but different spelling.
What music rolls around in your head?
As if spring wasn't late enough here , we got 12 - 13 cm ( 5 in ) of snow last night and today. To go with the snow we have cool temperatures for this Time of year. We had a high of minus 5 C (23 F) The forecast low for tonight is minus 21 C. So usually I'm patient about seasons , but this is a little much.
Some years the snow has melted and my lilies behind the back step and the blue bells are up. I've checked this year and there's nothing.
One thing I do know is that the season will advance very quickly when the snow melts as we have long days and our plants do well with the long days. However, there are no above 0 C highs predicted for the next 7 days.
So my photos are very dull to show the cloudy snowy day we have.
Every once in a while I have to give my head a shake and say I'm writing too much about myself. I prefer to write about other people, things and places.
However , some topics keep giving and giving. (I think I invented that saying!)
Now on Mar. 14 I wrote about how I fell off my back step in the dark. Now my detailed assessment of damage was that there was a small area bruise right on the hip joint. So I joyfully thought that in seven or so days the discomfort will go away and I'll be back to normal.
Now it's difficult to check your own backside. For me it's just not possible.
Now at about day 10 I could feel that down the outside of my leg from the hip joint to the knee joint was pretty tender when something touched it. This went on until I took a wee peak and saw bruising from the hip to the knee. Then I got the mirror and saw that the back of my leg from the hip to the knee was one big bruise.
So other than being a surprise it's okay and will take it's time to clear up. So I have a couple of photos that show the extent of the bruising.
These photos show the back of my leg. The dark spot at the bottom is behind my knee.
Now I also discovered that taking selfies of your backside is more complicated than I thought. Anybody want to try it?
This is a topic I know about. I had juvenile epilepsy and now have senior epilepsy. Juvenile epilepsy disappears with the onset of puberty. Other epilepsy will stay with you for a life time. Senior epilepsy shows up in seniors and is completely under diagnosed.
As a child I had epilepsy which hit me when I was about 8. I had grand mals which took place just after bedtime. I'm sure that my parents were terrified as they probably knew nothing about epilepsy. The old country doctor knew exactly what my condition was and prescribed medication to control it. Once diagnosed, medication kept me relatively free of seizures. However , in the late 40's and early 50's there was much stigmitism regarding epilepsy. I would not tell anybody I had epilepsy and I don't think my parents went out of their way to tell people either. I also didn't understand what epilepsy was and as a child I thought I was going to die. I knew that there were health risks due to epilepsy. Epileptics were feared and shunned because of their seizures.
Most years of my teaching career, I had kids with epilepsy that was not well controlled so there were seizures in class.
Senior epilepsy is much more surprising because I'm at an age when I understand things much better.
I went to emergency in 2008 because my wife thought I had a TIA. I had spent about 2 1/2 hours and did not remember anything that happened. A multitude of tests were given and there was no evidence of a TIA. A neat little term was given to my condition...trans global amnesia. The medical profession could describe what happened but they didn't know what was going on.
Three years later I had another incident of global amnesia. This time the Neurologist said, "It's no use doing all the tests over again as they won't show anything." But, she said, "There's one test I haven't done yet."
She ordered an EEG (Electroencephalogical) with sleep deprivation. I had to stay up all night and go in at 9: 00 AM for the test. This test showed a section of the brain with faster than normal activity. It indicates epilepsy. So the neurologist cheerfully told me that I had senior epilepsy and that it could be controlled with medication.
I happened to get a top notch neurologist who's bright, knowledgeable and with it. She's an awesome specialist.
I didn't say anything, but I thought , I've had epilepsy and that's not what this is. As soon as I got home I went to the computer and googled senior epilepsy. The first thing I found was all kinds of information on senior epilepsy.
There's much research being done on senior epilepsy. It's under diagnosed so many seniors live in a dozy state and their behavior is classed as senior moments.
So here's my contribution to publicize epilepsy on International Epilepsy Day. I hope that with more information epileptics receive better medical attention and supportive association from the community.
The American political situation is an easy example of truth that has gone off the rails. Politicians are not the only group to play fast and loose with the truth. Politicians lie to each other and about each other. Political parties hire skillful organizations to manufacture lies and skillfully publicize them.
I read terrible things about Donald Trump and I say to myself this should do him in. Nothing happens and he continues with his wacky ways. So then I have to ask, "Is the information dished up about Trump the truth." We know that Trump admits that he makes things up as in his discussion with Prime Minister Trudeau when Trump admits to making up information on the spot.
Some of our news organizations churn out endless fantasy. These organizations know that the general public can not be on the spot to witness what is reported. We depend on accurate reporting to form our opinions.
This week there was a larger scarier incident when Cambridge Analytica was caught red handed stealing info from 50 million Face Book users to manipulate truth. They found information to use and manufacture information to feed the public. Apparently it worked.
With modern media, news travels in many cases instantly. Truth moves rapidly. With 24 hour news channels someone is always on display peddling their lies. At the end of the day there's usually nobody to believe. News casters go chasing another story for the next day.
Now it used to be that people would argue their point by using available information to support their position. They played by the rules. They used logic and information. They presented the information in using intelligent discourse. They could still promote their cause and let people decide what they would choose. We could go to several sources and compare the information. We could do our homework.
Now we have nothing that we can rely on. We must do our own research. There are limited sources that give reasonable information.
So some how we have to turn this ship around and impress on leaders and news organizations that truth is valuable for the good of the citizens and the health of the earth.
Yes, old Red, the last of the great do it yourselfers, has filled out income tax forms for the last time! Now before some misread this as I don't have to file income tax! No such luck.
I have filled out income tax forms since 1959. It was a bit of a surprise for a 19 year old to discover he had to file an income tax form. So for for 59 years I have faithfully and honestly filled out my tax forms.
Why am I quitting? I'll blame it on the Micro Manager. Much of our reporting has to go together and the Micro manager is not willing to go through the hassle anymore.
I find that the forms get more convoluted every year. The government tries to satisfy many groups that lobby for breaks. So there are breaks for music lessons, bus travel, gym fees...you got it . Everybody gets a break...even seniors.
And that brings me to my point. Here's a challenge. Here senior couples, where only one gets a pension, can split some pension income so that they both can take advantage of a break and claim the maximum for non refundable tax credits. Okay, I won't complain about a benefit as it saves us $150.00.
Now here's the problem and I get a headache trying to write about this. The guy withe the pension transfers $2000.00 to the spouse without the pension. Pension guy's income is $2000.00 less. Pensionless guy must add $2000.00 to their income. After that, pension guy must subtract the tax he would have been paying on the $2000.00 he's giving away and pensionless guy must add the tax to their return. It's a simple switch.
Now you can guess the tax people could spoil this by inventing a form that is impossibly complicated. You have to read it a 100 times and each time the Micro Manager and I disagree because it is written in a very awkward way.
I know , accountants have to do their job and make a form that will do the job.
So with such convoluted forms , I'm not that unhappy to give up my job filling in my tax return.
Now I just have to look for an accountant that I like.
...and I'll bet there's no prize(break) for filling out tax forms for 59 years.
