Ketchup

Busy, busy, busy!

All papers are graded and recorded so the weekend, which begins tomorrow for me, is wide open. Perhaps a movie looms ...

Made an appointment to have the windshields replaced in my two vehicles as the pounding winds in late spring and all summer long have pitted them so badly that I cannot see through them when I drive into the sun. Tomorrow, after 2 pm, both will be replaced with at-my-home service. Nope, costs are not covered by insurance as I maintain a $500 deductible, and that is almost to the penny what it will cost me for the 2 replacements.

Called my guy at AIG VALIC, which has my retirement account. I'm so glad MY firm got one of the first infusions of government funds, even if they did use it to go to a pricey spa in SoCal, which happens to be the main industry in the area where I reside, so maybe our economy benefitted from the initial stages of the bail-out. I directed my guy to reapportion my remaining assets into as "safe" a portfolio as is possible so the free-fall is minimized from this point on. Hope he did that before the 900+ point drop this afternoon as I called first thing this morning.

Made an appointment with an attorney to set up my living trust so my heirs can avoid probate after my demise. I've talked about doing this for at least a year, but put it off. I have a will, but need to update that, so I'm going on-line to one of the legal doc services. Setting up the living trust is expensive, to say the least, but should minimize the after-effects of my death--financially, at least.

Went shopping for the ingredients required to make a batch of Red Velvet Cupcakes with white chocolate icing, scheduled for either tomorrow afternoon or Friday after b'fast. If I had the cocoa, I'd probably make them tonight, but thought I had it, didn't buy it, but failed to realize it until after I returned home and settled in. I'm making them because I haven't had a Red Velvet Cupcake since I lived in Texas, and I am craving one. We don't have a fancy cupcake boutique that I know of in the Valley, so I'll make my own, give the rest of the batch away, and enjoy the hell out of the one I eat.

Not going to watch the debate as it makes no difference. The fix is in: Obama is [predicted to be] the next President, regardless of the company he keeps; the media has made a mockery of Gov Palin, who is now the "you betcha" punchline to a hideously not funny political joke; the Dow crashed again today, perhaps being manipulated by international powers behind Obama to assure that McCain has no chance in hell of even coming close to winning the election; and, as Sonny and Cher said so eloquently, the beat goes on.

So, I spent the little cash bonus from the college on windshields and heirs, but 2 of the long-ignored tasks will soon be off the to-do list, while others wait their turn to progress up the priority ladder.

And, oh, by the way, I went to the premier hand specialist in the entire valley. There is nothing wrong with my wrist. Nothing. Well, perhaps a little cyst or 2, but we'd need an MRI to ascertain that for sure, and as long as it doesn't seem to be bothering me, let's check back in 6-8 weeks and see how we're doing.

That won't be necessary: we're done.