Talking to strangers

A friend texted this morning. I love this guy. Robin and I met him on a couple of trips to Wyoming. He taught Robin how to use her drone. Anyway, when he found out I had over 2million followers on Pinterest he was astounded and interested. I told him how I thought I got those followers, but he was still impressed. Anyway, a couple of years ago he invited me on a ZOOM call with his company to talk about Pinterest. And this morning he wanted me to talk to his sister who is beginning her real estate business and wants to start using Pinterest. I don't know what I can tell her, but it is always FUN to talk about Pinterest!

 I have been calling medical offices trying to get a 2022 out-of-pocket payments for David. They have all been very helpful. I know we had spent a fortune putting his body back in good order, hand operations, shoulder operations, dentist, cancer on his bald head scare, leg surgery to open up one of his arteries. All seems a little ironic now, looking back to last October.

Calling credit card companies getting Interest Charged and paid out for some of David's larger CC. Of course, they won't give me that info without me jumping through some hoops. The last customer service agent and I just had a 15 minute conversation a paying off debt. She was so cute. She said "what a minute, you can deduct interest charges from you credit card?" I said, I don't know, I never do the taxes but it is one of the questions on the accountants questionnaire that I am working my way through. She started telling me about her debt and how hard she is working to pay it off. She did admit she still carries on in her wallet ... I said, that is dangerous, you have to remove that ASAP. It is just a purchase waiting to happen! Anyway, we had a couple of laughs. I wished her well with her quest. 

Searching for receipts for equipment, desk, chairs, scanners that David bought to set up his office. (He never got reimbursements from his work, even with my constant nagging). I sure hope that was in 2022! I just can't remember, but I know Bri has run across those receipts in the filing cabinet that David packed full. 

Going through all the pensions, SSN payments, wage annuity, IRAs and whatever David had taken out of his mom's life insurance to him to give to the kids and fatten his account a little. It is making my have a anxiety attack! 

I have been hauling boxes from the storage unit to take directly to the senior citizens Thrift Shop! 

Oh, I bought home this treasure. Another thing I had looked at my entire life. "Pauline Borghese" sculpture (missing her large toe). She has 4 of them, David, three graces and Venus De Milo. They lived on the same shelves for as long I could remember. I am pretty sure she got them in 1957. They seem a little expensive on this site. I found them all over the internet, anywhere from $25 to $100. So what do you asked, do you do with these. If Bri and I opt to have a garage sale, then we will still have to hold on to all of the stuff. OR I could just pass them along to the Thrift store. I am sure someone would love to discover them there?

My mom had this set of classic books set, bound in leather. I have literally looked at them all my life. Out of the pages fell this letter my grandmother wrote my mom in 1975 when they lived in Finland. My grandmother had just moved into her own apartment in Dallas and was still taking the bus to work in Dallas! She must have been almost 70! I don't think she ever owned a car. 

Anyway, I shed a tear when I read how lonely she was. It all comes full circle! There was a mention of me, I had not called her lately. I was a freshman in Jr. College in 1975, raising hell and partying. It makes me feel like a little shit! 

I was really thinking about her while I sat in the quiet of my car waiting for Mason to get out of school. She was really alone. My mom had moved away. I was in West Texas. She had fallen out with he son-in-law, widowed husband to my aunt who committed suicide. My uncle was probably dealing with one of his many divorces. 

I made another artichoke last, and it was another horrid experience.  It was such a perfect artichoke too! I was just sure I had boiled long enough this time, but it was so tough it was inedible. I have promised that is the last try at them. I have a pot of red beans soaking right now. I am thinking cornbread.

Okay then, back to my mounds of stapled paper work.