Here and There Blog

This weekend I went to Warner-Robins, Georgia to attend a high school graduation. (son of best friend) and after the graduation we went touristing in the area to visit the local peach farm. After trying peach cobbler (the best), peach ice cream and a peach fritter, we bought a bag of peaches. Total peach overload but one thing still remained - photo by the peach!

Something in my Turbo Tax guaranteed done right State Tax Refund has gone awry. After 10 weeks of waiting I finally called the help number to find out where my taxes are and the agent found out it was stuck in queue but couldn't fix it. The tax filing is now sent to the Processing Center for review and sorting and due to a backlog, it will be two weeks (probably more) before anyone even looks at it. Ack! Then the wonderful mortgage envelope shows up today stating that I have a $1700 shortage in escrow due to higher state property tax. Those three years of tax breaks didn't go back to the original level when the grace period ended, they rose to a higher rate than I bought the house for or could even sell now. Venting on my blog since there's nothing to do but wait on the first and pay the second.

Truly there is no quicker blog stopper than taking a class on writing a blog. Who knew? I've learned that writing and photography isn't enough, a blog needs to have a point of view. This one doesn't count since it's more of a personal diary of my life. To have a focused, weekly blog that is well written is really difficult. To attract readers even more difficult. Blogs have to be dynamic and the best of them only seem to have an 18 month readership. What I've learned - everyone wants to write a travel blog on their great year long journey not working and traveling the world. More people do that than one would think. Who are all these people not working? There's so many of them they must run into each other in their far flung destinations where no one would go. What makes their blogs unique from the next one? That is the point of the writing course, how to differentiate yourself. If I was inclined to do so, my unique spot is that of an international female bu...

Home for 2 nights then back on the OC/LA hop with work meetings! Spent Sunday afternoon with a visitor and decided to mix up the tourist rotation with an afternoon at Huntington Beach. Surf was slightly up and the beach had life as people enjoyed the May Day weekend. I think this might have been the first time I have ever walked out on the HB pier. It takes visitors to get me out to see our wonderful area. Not Hawaii but better in some ways, no heat, no sunburn, and plenty of fun!

For a combined fun and work trip, this one was far more relaxing than most! I don't know how I adjusted so quickly to Hawaii time, sleeping in until 7 am is 10 am at home and it's going to be painful doing that three hour jump forward. Rain is moving in as I write this, the trade winds are kicking up a cool breeze and my a/c is off. Went out on a sunset catamaran sail and the water was rough! At times we had to hold on tight when on the deck because the wind was so strong. No one wants to go overboard in that water! This also happened to be my birthday. Happy Birthday me at 54!   We sailed close to Diamond Head and enjoyed the view and calmer waters.  And then sunset happened and everyone was happy.