Daily Archives: October 16, 2010
Dams and Taxes, or Dam Taxes . . .
After getting home so late after the Alvin Opry, Jan and I both slept late, really late. We were lucky to be up before noon.
It’s not really the Opry that goes so late – it’s over by about 10:15 or so – but after it’s over, a bunch of us drive about 20 minutes away to an IHOP and grab a late bite to eat. Then from there it’s about 40 miles back to the rig.
Friday for me was Tax Day, since I always file for an extension. I never like to give the government my money any earlier than I have to. And because of the way I have things laid out, I only had to send them an extra $82 this year. The reason I always file for an extension is that I have read from several former IRS agents that by filing later you are less likely to be audited. So far, it’s worked for me.
Here’s the latest Landon pic. Brandi said he was sleeping soundly until Kitty, the 105 pound Black Lab, came over and woke him up. Probably with a big, sloppy kiss.
Saw in the news a couple of days ago that they’ve finally finished the new Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. After next week when it formally opens, you will no longer be able to drive over the dam itself. Glad we got to do it several times in the last few years.
This photo shows it under construction. Note that, at this point they haven’t even started on the actual bridge roadway.
Based on what I saw I always thought it was a type of suspension bridge, like the Fred Hartman Bridge here in Houston.
But it turns out it’s not. The towers and cables were just to hold up the arch and roadway until everything was finished.
This is what the bridge looks like now.
It looks like it’ll be fun to drive over when we’re out there next year. Of course, my friend, Nick Russell won’t think so. Actually, I don’t think my wife Jan will be too happy either.
I mean, what can I say. She doesn’t even like roller coasters.
And at Busch Gardens, this is considered the ‘kitty coaster’.
About 4:30 we headed up to Kemah to have dinner at Chili’s, and then after a quick stop at a client’s in Clear Lake, we did the weekly WalMart thing, and stocked up on stuff. Somehow, we keep buying stuff, using stuff, running out of stuff, and buying more stuff. It’s a viscous cycle, and personally I think ‘Big Stuff’ is behind it all. You know, like ‘Big Oil’, or ‘Big Tobacco’.
‘Big Stuff’, it makes sense, right? I mean, somebody got to be to blame.
Well, the guy didn’t move out off our old site today, so I guess he re-upped for another month. I told Jan she might as well resign herself that Site 73 is going to be our home for the next 3-4 months, and not site 80.
Here’s our old site 80.
And here’s site 73 where we are now.
Jan likes the the island out there in front of 80 because she see more birds.
We’ll have to see what happens.
More tomorrow…
Thought for the Day:
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free" — Ronald Reagan
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