I started the day at about 7:30, rolling over a few times and rising to prove hydration before finally rising. I was well-rested when I started my day. I soon found the liberal coffee and read the latest news soaked in Washington D.C. politics. Later, I would read posts on Facebook about the reaction to Trump/Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s public dispute. It was interesting to read a positive viewpoint of Trump and his dealings with Ukraine, though I failed to agree with any of it. I like to see what people are thinking. And this included some of the World War 3 threats being explained, and again, I think it is plainly wrong and without merit; it was interesting to see how this was justified. I heard echoes of “Peace in our times” in the explanation.
I wrote the blog and showered. I stripped the bed and washed the sheets in The Machine, trusting it would not flood the house today. It did not. I would later remake the bed with the sheets in the linen closet. The sheets did not fit; they were the wrong sheets–I have new sheets for the standard-sized bed too.
I showered, shaved, dressed, and headed to US Bank for an appointment via Air VF the Gray still at 80% charge. I met a younger man, Taylor, who helped me roll over my CD to 4.22% for five months. We then talked about money, and he said he had worked at US Bank for three years. Taylor explained that US Bank’s new savings account was paying 3.5% for large balances, which includes my CD in its calculations. I growled that this was my rate when I set up my first savings account, and then US Bank cut the rate. I was not instantly approved, to Taylor’s surprise. With no income or job, nothing is instant for me anymore. The account was approved overnight, and on Wednesday morning, I transferred the money and finished setting up the account using US Bank online banking. Nick and Sam from US Bank Wealth Management will meet with me on Friday morning to see what they can offer. Nick called me to set it up after getting a note from Taylor. I am looking to roll over my 401K to an IRA and begin slow withdrawals that are tax efficient.
With the interest from the CD moved to my checking account and waiting for my new account with better interest, I headed to Hillsboro. It was a pleasant drive, though traffic was heavy for lunchtime. I found a parking spot by the courthouse; Hillsboro is the county seat. I walked in sunlight after an Oregon Mist-filled morning to Cornerstone Tax, paid my bill, and picked up my finished taxes. They will transmit the results, and I need to pay Fed just under $1000, get a few grand back from Oregon, and a mysterious $125 from Portland.
I returned home, found an Acererak stamp (US Postage did a Dungeons and Dragons set of stamps, and the villain Acererak is one of the images), wrote the check for the taxes, and sent the payment (and Acererak) to the IRS–done! I called David S and wished him a happy Mardi Gras, and then he said, “What did you really call for?” and told him my taxes were done. “I knew it,” he said with a laugh. I have done this to him for years. I finish before he starts and call him. We laugh, and I wish him good luck with his family’s taxes.
I reviewed The Dummies Guide to Pre-calculus and prepared to meet with Corwin for math teaching. I reheated the jambalaya, and sadly, it was not as good. As warned in my classes in The Big Easy, the spices had changed. It was hotter, but the flavors faded against the heat. The New Orleans Cooking School recommends making their dishes flavorful and letting folks add the heat. Still, it was Fat Tuesday, and jambalaya still worked for me.
Corwin showed up while I was talking to Deborah on the phone, and they exchanged greatings; the phone was on speaker. Deborah rang off, and I started on math. Corwin had no lunch, so I warmed up my leftover couscous, chicken, and couscous sauce. It is delicious, and Corwin is then able to focus. We cover functions and transformation of the parent functions (i.e., f(x)=x², f(x)=|x|, and so on). I gave Corwin the problem text I found, and we reviewed which ones to do. There are about fifty. Corwin will work them this week and bring back any problems or failed ones for me to see if there is a pattern to any mistakes and to explain anything.
Corwin heads back home, fed and ready to do math, and Deborah and I chat (I call her back) while I dress for dinner. After discussing and checking various prices, we decided to stay in the same hotel. It is not much more, and it was a nice hotel. I will later add my driving hotels in Mount Shasta and the Fresno area for my trip to and from in my EV. Yes, I am going to drive an EV from Portland to LA!
I rang off from Deborah when Corwin arrived. I put on my gold vest and NOLA tie, find my pocket watch, and get that on, too. I use a summer hat to finish the Mardi Gras look. Corwin gets a tie, too, and sports a dress shirt. We headed to BJs Brewhouse (Mariha was ill) for drinks and a celebration of NOLA and me finishing my taxes. Eric is our waiter, and they work out a Sambuca Sazerac (they have no Absinth) for us. It was wonderful.
I had the full rack of ribs (and brought some home for lunch), while Corwin had the ribeye steak. My dinner was remade as somehow the ribs were cold (Eric and the manager were shocked). The second try was perfect. Coffee followed the drinks (one was enough!). It was a grand celebration.
We returned home, and Corwin, stuffed, headed off to the gym. I read and soon was in bed early, reading and falling asleep. TripIt was updated with my plans. I looked at possible events but could not understand how to connect to them from our hotel in Long Beach. I thought it best to wait and schedule items there. Deborah has four days of conferences that I can use to learn about the area. I will become her personal trip advisor in consultation with the locals.
With hotels, trips, and driving in my head, I soon stopped reading and slept. Thanks for reading!
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