Nothing like a good night’s sleep!

Man, I feel so much better today after sleeping with few interruptions until 7:30 a.m. today. Waking to the sun across the bed is wonderful and thankfully the winds are quieter today. Still moving the palm trees around a bit but not wild like yesterday. In fact, my sliding glass doors and kitchen door are open to allow the air to move through. Nice! The washer and dryer are busy taking care of my bed clothes and even my fuzzy slippers are being freshened up. For some reason, they get funky smelling, and I was blaming it on my wastebasket!

I am not sure what I am so happy about this morning, being that I have to write a sizable check to the Tax Collector’s office for my real estate taxes. Ugh! Yes, I should have paid them before the end of the year in order to get them deducted from the income taxes for 2010 but somehow, being sick much of December and then traveling, I simply put them on the back burner, and might have to pay the price this year. If I pay the taxes for this year before the year is out, I will get twice the deduction on 2011’s taxes. Is that prudent? Probably not but that is the way it is, for now.

At Monday night’s meeting, we voted to begin a Reserve fund for capital improvements. Over the years, it might accumulate enough that we will not be assessed so much every time we have a major project around here. Next up is likely the repairs to the sundeck, which leaks when wet, and drips a white solution (concrete and grout?)onto the cars parked below it. Some of the Owners who park under roof use car covers to protect their vehicles, or park outside when rain is predicted. Those with less ‘valuable’ cars will trade spaces with those who do have quality or newer cars, etc., to protect them. We have put it off for years, this is an on-going problem but the other projects took precedence.

We are also facing paving and repairs of the road down to the condos from the street, a cost to be shared with The Club and the other condo buildings on that end of the property. To start this Reserve, however, it needs to be fed, so therefore, besides the increase as of January for our monthly fees, we will now have an additional monthly sum charged to us based upon our square footage. Having the Reserves in place will help folks who are trying to sell their units because if the Buyer is getting a mortgage, the finance people like to have a Reserve in place before making the loan. Our last three sales in the building were cash buyers so the mortgage companies did not have to be involved, but now with tightened lending, more criteria have to be met. Hopefully this will help us all, hurting up front, help us later.

Friday my mailman brought me the recent book purchases, one which I have already cracked open, reading here and there. One of the titles is: “Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled---and More Miserable Than Ever Before”. Whew, a long title there! Let’s leave it at “Generation Me”. Another one is titled “The Entitlement Free Child” about raising today’s kids in the “Me, Mine, Now Culture”, and the last one is “The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupifies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future”. Further down the cover of this last book is a stamp that states: “Don’t trust anyone under the age of 30.” This is in contrast to the 60’s rant of not trusting anyone OVER the age of 30. Should be some interesting reading, not sure the “Me, Mine,Now” book though since I do not have little ones anymore. Might donate to the library or see if one of my friends with kids would like it. Hate to offer it to anyone, in case they would take it the wrong way.

Yesterday I had a lovely exchange with Robbie (a.k.a. The Maestro) who sent me the link to a biography of Paul Gerhardt, the German hymn writer. I love it that he thinks and knows I would like to watch/listen to this. He was telling me about the research he is doing of the lectionaries, trying to coordinate with Pastor regarding which source is being used for our services so that Robbie can more easily select pre- & post-service music as well as anthems for the choir to sing. We learned about this at the SoWE event last fall, some pastors planning up to 6 months or better ahead for this very purpose. Robbie was talking about his love for the hymns and ancient liturgies, doing the research. I am so excited for him!

Well, my sheets are dry and smell just like they were on the drying strings, as Justin would say. The soap I use is the Publix brand called Spring Fresh and I just love it. Even the dryer sheets are scented the same way. I will make my bed, nice and slow and easy plus perhaps fold some of the towels from the overflowing basket. That is all I fold, the rest is either bundled into the drawers or hung on a hanger. After I have died and folks have to come and sort through my belongings, they will be simply horrified at the condition of my drawers---in more ways than one!