What annoying problem can we find a solution for? — worry book, rental car, rest and window screen

​What annoying problem can we find a solution for?  

I’ve added the above line to my recurring To Do tasks. I try to find something each day that solves a problem, makes tomorrow better. Life’s been busy lately, haven’t worried about it too much. It’s a suggestion not a demand.

So anyway, a lot has been whirling around in our lives this week, and we’re both feeling overwhelmed. We found some info and solutions and may have gotten ourselves organized/focused. But it’s all verbal which is too easy to forget.

So I grabbed one of my many small notebooks. And each page, I wrote down one worry. And then, patient info we knew and tasks that needed to be done and questions still to answer. 

Then we reviewed it and felt even more settled about what was urgent and what wasn’t. And we can refer back to this when things change or we panic again.

Our worries on 3/7/26:

Car accident lawsuit

• Spok to SZ who gave good advice
  
• Wait until there’s an actual lawsuit
  
• Talk to State Farm 
  
• Look into buying new car using Sean funds 

Cindy surgery

• Follow doctors directions
  
• Take it easy 
  
• Be prepared to possibly be laid up for a few days

Cat being sick

• Find vet in Lkld (already researched) rather than the hassle of sticking with the one we love in Wesley Chapel.
  
• Consider taking her in on Monday — though that means giving her meds for next two weeks. 
  

Windshield in Subaru, cracked

• Call Nation glass first thing Monday morning morning to see when it can be scheduled
  
• Look up danger of crack spreading — we did, and it’s illegal to drive with a crack that big. The resulting ticket will be one that says: get windshield fixed within 30 days. But with our recent legal woes, I’d rather not risk getting another ticket.
  
• Rent a car — I’ve looked up nearby rental places and discounts from Costco. We figured out what days it’d be useful to have a second car, rather than rent for daycare dint need. This will friend on how tough it is to start/end a rental. Going today at 1.
  

Sean’s knee

• Advil & Icy Hot — acquired and being used
  
• Stay off leg — have to nag him 
  
• Sean to research a primary care doctor and set up with blue cross
  
• Sean to research podiatrist to discuss worsening plantar fasciitis which maybe lead to wrenching of knee 
  

Condition of the house 

• I arranged for a housekeeper. Costs more than Tina did but she’s licensed and bonded and above board. I had her scheduled for Monday but now I’ll be home, and we’re stressed so I delayed it a week.
  
• I’ve been tidying up slowly yesterday and today.
  
• Cleaning toilets and sinks today. 
  
• Moved Sean’s recently purchased but still unused swiffer to a far off corner rather than in DR near door.
  
• Going to move 5 boxes of Sean’s clothes to garage. 
  
• Going to cover a chair in bedroom. 
  
• Changing sheets ourselves on Monday.
  

Dog barking all the time

• Sean thought curtains in the window. I thought a darker film. But I came up with an immediate and free and perfect solution: we’re using a giant framed poster that’s been waiting to be hung up, and leaning it on door, blocking lower half of window. Luna can’t see cars and dogs pass, can’t see leaves float by. There’s been a noticeable lower amount of barking today.🐕‍🦺
  
• I also ordered two cheap spray bottles to fill with water to sitsyvhervwhen she barks.🔫🔫🔫
  
• And I took a used basket and filled it with empty water bottles to throw at her if needed. 😂😂😂
  

So a couple things we fixed. A couple got perspective on. And others have tasks to do eventually. A plan is good. Stress level modulated. 

LOOKED UP — windshields, personal injury lawsuits

​Can’t drive with windshield with long crack obstructing view 

Can someone sue owner of car on accident — yes

Lakeland vet

Work complaint — over-compensated bankers who can’t do their job

​Today I worked a lot. Same as yesterday. Lots of organizing papers digitally. People think accounting is math, but really the computer does most of the math. Preparing taxes is mostly -- at my level -- organizing the documents so the boss can easily review what is in the computer. And discuss things at a deeper level with client when need be.

My special skill is organizing things. That is why I am good at the prepping part of tax preparation. And I enjoy it. Most of the time.

Bankers though, man. I don't know what they get paid for. OK, most banks, I say: please send the tax documents for our mutual client. And it's easy breezy. 20 minutes later I get all the documents that I was expecting based on the prior year, and then a few more, because the client has opened new accounts, and the banker sent them unbidden because they know I need ALL THE TAX DOCUMENTS. It is their job to provide all of them to the client's tax preparer.

Recently I shared here a brief amusing story about a banker who does.not.work.like.that. *sigh* Like pulling teeth. I write very specific emails saying exactly what I need for exactly which accounts. and I always say: "plus any new accounts." But it always takes several attempts to get them all.

And things have gotten agonizingly worse and less funny since that short funny story a couple weeks ago. 

Like, after two weeks of back and forth emails and incomplete info, today the banker helpfully sent me a list of all the accounts that go with the 4 trusts and one personal return for this one mutual client. I said Thanks! Then I compared it to my list, and wrote back and said, ok, now I need all this stuff you forgot to send me based on your own damned list (paraphrasing naturally). It'd be amusing but we are running up big costs for the client spending inordinate amounts of time getting the documents from a person whose job is TO SEND THEM TO US.

AND THEN... let's just say, late this afternoon, the banker committed a fire-able offense. **blink**blink** I stared at the wrong document that was sent.

I deleted the thing the banker should not have sent me, but that email is still sitting in my in box. I cannot unsend it for them. 

We have informed the client that the banker is ... not good at their job. I said earlier this tax season to my boss: I don't want to tell the client the banker sucks because then he might change banks and that is a big hassle paperwork-wise. But at this point... DO IT! FLEE!!!!

Anyway, now I am drinking Limoncello Cream and playing board games online. And I will try to imagine this banker with their gigantic salary is ... not as a happy person.

Solar panel love

​Sean and I bought a house with solar panels (already paid for, so that was sweet as well). We had no idea how things worked. The former owners left us no info. We are learning, and we got one panel repaired (covered by warranty still, wheee!). We now have apps on our phones that talk to our roof!

And let me just say, our new house is nearly the size of our old house. And yet, our combined water and electric bill (it's altogether in Lakeland) is 1/3 of what we paid in West Palm Beach. Essentially it equals our old water bill. We are LOVING it. 

I have always been a big fan of solar power IN THEORY. Now I truly am a big fan IN FACT. And many houses in the neighborhood have solar panels, and I have plans to organize a Solar Panel Club so we can all get together and share what we know and repair people to recommend and such. I plan to bake muffins to share -- in my nearly free oven!

Enjoying my precious life

​Me, I prefer people who do things, even mundane basic things. Things that make them happy. Like reading books and discussing them joyfully with others. Getting together to play board games and have a good laugh. Riding a bike in nature, away from our online lives. Doing crafts, even not well.

People who just snipe from the sidelines? BORING.

I’ll be over here baking muffins to share with my new Solar Power neighbors club and joining a county committee to advocate for bike safety. I do puzzles to stay in touch with my mother in law; watch foreign films to connect with my son.

I started a community organization that hundreds of people have enjoyed for 11 years (so far) that benefits several local groups. 

I’m not worried about being cool or color-coordinated. I’m filling my one precious life DOING things and making memories and celebrating anniversaries.

Some of us aren’t living with our lights in dim. 

*dancing to Talking Heads in the living room*

Thanks for the reminder of how well I’m enjoying my life. 

Time to stretch & fold the sourdough.

Things I want to do in our new town:

• Join committee about bike safety and transportation
  
• Start a solar panel club in our neighborhood
  
• Go to events at the library
  
• Volunteer at Book Crawl 
  
• Organize a board game retreat for Flamingocon
• Keep writing birthday cards and postcards
• Bake sourdough bread and cookies 
• Listen to a lot of REM and Natalie Merchant and Talking Heads and folk music
• Go to board game events organized by other people, teach and learn games 
• Organize Sean’s books into a small publishing organization
• Monthly craft days 
• Do volunteer tax prep
• 
  

Back to Tampa this week

 I have not been journaling here much. Been quite distracted.

Catching up:

2/18, I went to visit Nana who had a cardiology appointment she was nervous about. Horrible traffic -- and I got a speeding ticket. The doctor was so delayed that even though I was an hour late, I still was able to attend the appointment with her. 

My story should've been the dramatic traffic story of the day for our family. But then that evening, Peter was in a bad car crash. He didn't go to the hospital, but the car was totaled and looked like it.

So we have been dealing with that. He's got back pain and chiropractor appointments in Lakeland, which is tough when he's in Tampa 4 days a week. And now I come up to Tampa for 3-4 days a week to drive him -- it's good cause i focus on work well here -- and he ubers if I am not available.

So today, I got up here, and baked off a loaf of bread I started in Tampa. And it smells amazing -- lots of extra parmesan in it. I've started the dishwasher. And unpacked. 

We are still dealing with last few threads of the house sale. Got a reimbursement check from insuarnce company. It's more than $5000 so I have to go to the bank. I really need to transfer some money to Fidelity for a CD ladder. Gotta move that up the priorities.

Went on a terrific walking tour of Lakeland, and learned lots of history and learned about old buildings, and got a good map of Lakeland to hang on the wall. 

And Sean and I finally biked the Ft Fraser trail along 98. And it was fantastic. And my brain is already planning more trips to Brooksville and Amelia Island and Sebring. 

Daily (when I remember) updates

​Do something today to make tomorrow better 

• I packed for 5 days at the condo — remembering meds, undies, chargers, both laptops, paperwork.
  
• I got Peter’s drivers ed course fixed.
  
• I knocked off two parts of my drivers ed course already. 
  
• I canceled cat food deliveries as we have too much
• I cleared out some storage on my phone.

My life is awesome photo — mediocre photo but great memory. We had a fantastic ride today down Ft Fraser Trail. So meditative to be off screens. So nice to spend time with Sean. Great exercise. 

Also more cheese makes sourdough bread better!

Small Joy: returning things we didn’t need and getting back $50+! 

What annoying problem can we improve: reminding Sean that if we put cat and dog food cans back in exact same spot in fridge, then we can always find them. And teaching him to give Skitty her gut medicine.