Taxes Finished

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 48 degrees, high 52 degrees, partly cloudy, windy

We had a storm line that came through the area last night with heavy rain, high winds, and tornado warnings. We have tornado sirens all over the county, but they didn't sound off until well after the weather event was finished. Was somebody asleep at the switch?

With the windy and cool weather today, we decided to not do anything outside until it warms up again. That gave us the time to finish our income taxes, which ended up being a big ouch! How is it that someone like us pays as much as we do, while I hear about people in a much higher income bracket that pay a lower percentage? Not to mention the 49% of people who pay no income taxes? Something seems screwed up in our system.

Don't get me wrong, we appreciate everything we have, and worked hard to accomplish it. But, when I realize how much we have paid in taxes over the years and how hard we worked for the money, it just grinds my gears.

Another thing I did today was get a haircut. It had been about eight weeks since the last one, and I was starting to be a candidate for dog tags. Since I was so unhappy with the person who did the last one, I tried another shop, where the only barber was a woman. Over the years, I have gotten a lot of haircuts from women, and I can think of only a couple that I was unhappy with. Today's haircut was a good one, with just the right amount taken off. Carolyn was happy with it, so I guess that's the seal of approval.

I found more food that I can eat today, as we decided to try lunch at Appleby's. We tried their 2 for $20.00 deal, which included an appetizer and two entrees. The appetizer was boneless chicken wings, which looked to me like over-sized nuggets. Carolyn says they were good, but I couldn't get past the first bite, as my balky taste buds rebelled at the sweet sauce that was on the wings. Luckily, my entree was grilled sirloin steak, mashed potatoes, and spring vegetables. All of the entree tasted fine, and I couldn't finish it. So, I had the rest for supper. Carolyn ordered some kind of pasta dish with penne pasta and a white sauce. She said it was very good.

I watched NCAA college basketball tonight, as Florida played BYU and the nation's leading scorer. This was a game between two very good teams that went back and forth before ending in a tie in regulation. Florida got a quick start in the overtime period and won the game 83 to 74. That puts Florida in the round of eight, where they will play for a chance to move on to the semi-finals.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Columbia, South Carolina: The Metro

Not all who wander are lost.