Today I spent the whole day at my desk. Finished all the prep work for my accountant to do my tax return, and faxed it off to them so they can do their thing. Then I set up the files for 2009 tax papers, so I can file every little piece of paper in the right place, making my job easy next January, when I do this all over again. If I keep everything organized throughout the year, it's not a big deal.

After that, I went through my finances, balanced my bank accounts, transferred funds and paid a couple bills. Looking at finances all day made me squirm, so the next thing I did was get on the phone to try saving myself some money. That's when the fun began!

A few months ago, I had a huge car repair bill that I needed to use a credit card to pay for. So I called all my credit card companies to double check on the rates they charge me. Told them I was deciding which card to use for this expense. To my surprise, every one of them offered me a rate reduction!!! So, a couple months later, I called them all again, and one of them gave me a further rate reduction. Two of them offered me really low rates on balance transfers, which was cool.

Bearing this in mind, I called my security alarm company. Said I was calling to cancel the monitoring service, because I just can't afford it anymore. The first person I talked to transferred me to their "cancellation department" and the next person offered to reduce my monthly charge by 30%. I sighed and said no, thank you, but I really needed to cancel. She then offered me a 50% reduction. Of course, I took the offer. That saved me $15 per month.

Next, I called my medical insurance company and griped. I have a stripped-down, major medical type of policy, and the rates are skyrocketing. Told them I would have to cancel my policy because the yearly cost of the policy would easily pay for the routine medical care I am now paying for out of pocket, so why would I give them all this money for nothing? I was told that there was nothing they could do to reduce my cost, then they transferred to another department. The next person hemmed and hawed, then suggested a reduced level of coverage for considerably less money. Since the policy is only for major medical emergencies anyway, what do I care if I carry a huge deductible? One way or another, such an emergency would bury me anyway .... I took the offer, and saved myself $46 per month.

Next, I called the company that gives me telephone, internet and cable tv. I learned that I had extras on my service that I wasn't using. I don't recall asking for those services, and truthfully, I never used them, so I cancelled them and saved myself over $20 monthly. (Shucks, if I had known that I was paying for HBO, I would have been watching lots of movies all this time!)

So .... after about 45 minutes on the phone, I have reduced my monthly expenses by about $80 per month. And all this time, I had no idea this was possible, until in frustration, I got on the phone and started asking. I don't know whether to be glad about the savings, or mad at those stinkers for charging me more than they were willing to accept all this time.

Hey, y'all, anyone who might read this, try it for yourself and see if you can't do the same thing for yourself. After all, $80 a month is a lot of money in a household budget!

When I finished my conquest, I worked on the book for a while. That was a good change of pace. Then, I did a little yoga and 15 minutes on the treadmill - just enough of a workout to shake the fuzz out of my brain - and had a light dinner of veggies.

After a day like that, I find I can't sleep. Been reading for two hours, not sleepy at all.

Well, it's official, I'm going back to Holland next summer. Three weeks, in the middle of the summer - the absolute BEST time of year to be there. I'm pretty much guaranteed nice weather. My relatives in Drachten said I'm welcome to stay with them.

I'll be pretty busy, knocking around all over the place collecting pictures, talking to older family members to glean their stories, and spending endless hours in libraries and historical centres hunched over microfiche machines, looking up old official documents. But, I'll be sure to take time for long walks to soak up the local atmosphere and, hopefully, meet lots of new people - maybe even make a couple new friends to keep in touch with later.

Still working on getting everything ready for my accountant to do my coprorate and personal tax returns. Almost finished with that. The only problem is getting a receipt from the clinic in Bulgaria that I visited last fall. I spent well over $1,000.00 there on dental work and medical stuff. My "concierge" from the clinic has mailed a receipt twice, but it has failed to reach me. We don't know whether to blame Bulgaria's postal system, or the American one. This is getting really frustrating.

"Catch you on the flip side!"

This morning I put two cloves of garlic into the juice. I keep reading and hearing how healthful that is, but am afraid that I will start to "sweat" a garlic odour. If that starts happening, that will be the end of garlic in my juice!

Garlic makes the stuff totally disgusting to drink. Between that and the ginger, I just hold my breath, guzzle it, and gulp something else before even taking a breath, so I don't get the full effect of the juice.

My mom agreed to take care of my little dog if I go to Holland next summer. I called an aunt and uncle in Drachten to confirm that their offer still stands to let me stay there on my next visit. They told me the dates when they will be on vacation, and said that I could come when they are home. It is looking more and more like I will be going!

This morning I got a call from a girlfriend who went to D.C. for the inauguration, along with her daughter and son-in-law. My friend is a black woman - darkly, gorgeously black. She grew up in the "projects" in New York City so she has had one of the worst possible experiences of growing up as a poor, minority person in this country. Barack Obama's inauguration was so important to her and her family that they made the trip to Washington for the event. Here are the highlights of what she told me:

They left their hotel at 6:00 in the morning, and drove to a friend's house in Maryland. That friend drove them to the outskirts of D.C. where they could board the Metro train. They got off the Metro at 7:00 in the morning. The weather was very, very, VERY cold. Her son-in-law recently moved to Florida from Nigeria, and he was having a hard time with the cold. He is used to the African climate, and he was suffering dreadfully in the cold.

They walked for a couple hours, moving with the streaming crowds, trying to find an entrance to "the Mall." They did not have tickets, so they were just going into the Mall as "General Admission" attendees. Each time they found an entrance, it had been closed and they had to walk further to find another entrance. Finally, they got into the Mall and then, they had to climb some stairs. There were times when the crowd got squashed into a narrow space, like a "bottleneck," and they felt like they could hardly breathe. They were fearful of being crushed to death in that pushing crowd. Those times were scary, but everything was alright, in the end.

They were far away from the Capitol, standing by the Monument, but that was OK, because there were "Jumbotrons" and a good sound system, so everyone could see the live video feed and hear the audio clearly. There were one and a half million people there - that's 1,500,000 people!!!

Everyone there was filled with a spirit of goodwill and joy. People were helping strangers who had physical problems - lending a hand and sharing whatever was necessary. Sometimes, people needed to climb over concrete barriers to get to where they needed to be. There was always someone to lean over the barrier and help another who was having trouble climbing, always someone with a spare "handwarmer" thing for those who were being overcome with the cold. The spirit of unity and "human oneness" was very much in evidence, and in practice.

Whenever there was a special moment in the ceremonies, or whenever a speaker said something inspiring, the entire crowd went crazy. My friend said that she just joined in with the crowd, screaming at the top of her lungs and jumping up and down like crazy. She said that a couple of times, the sound of the screaming crowd nearly made her faint, it was so loud.

Can you imagine the sound of 1,500,000 people screaming at the same time?

I laughed out loud when she told me how the crowd cheered for most speakers, but they booed G.W. Bush and Cheney. I couldn't agree more! Those two rascals deserved to be razzed! She said that Cheney was wheeled in on a wheelchair. That was interesting.

As far as I'm concerned, I have one sentiment for "Dubya" Bush: "Don't let the door hit your butt on your way out!" In other words, he can't run away fast enough to suit me. Good riddance to bad rubbish, that's what I think. It's such a shame that Bush has ruined the Republican party so completely. He couldn't have done more damage if he had planned it. What a disaster that man was! It will take a long time for the GOP to recover from his tenure, more is the pity.

My friend and her family left the Mall, on foot, around 3:00 in the afternoon and went to look for someplace to eat. They were finally seated at a restaurant table around 6:00 in the evening, after eleven hours of freezing outdoors. After dinner, they made their way back to their hotel, and all of them were in bed by 8:00 p.m. I'll bet they slept well in their warm beds after such a long, exhausting, exhilirating, freezing cold day.

My travel agency called me yesterday. They must be scrounging for business, and they are being very astute about it. They know the places I love to visit, and someone there noticed a sweet deal just "made for me."

If I book my flight now, seven months ahead, US Airways offers an amazing price for a round-trip flight to Amsterdam in August. Normally, Northwest is the most economical carrier for that trip, because Amsterdam is one of their hubs. But for some reason, US Air is offering a ticket for almost half the price. If I go in September, I can fly for one-third the price.

August is absolutely beautiful in Holland. I would be guaranteed perfect weather. I have a place to stay in Drachten, with relatives. That could be my home base while I roam around and do what I need to do.

The book I have been working on for the past two years is coming together. I have spent countless hours, days and weeks on personal research, gathering photos, doing historical research and weaving that into the story, verifying details and recording everything into chronological order. I'm almost ready to start using my writing skills now, turning the story into something that will be enjoyable to read. There is just one thing missing: I need to go back there one more time getting more photos and copies of historical documents. Most importantly, I need to spend some quality time with the people there who still have memories and stories that will polish off the story. Also, I need to just be there, in the place where the story took place, seeing it, feeling it, and absorbing it. Then, I will have the inspiration to write the words that will make it all come alive to readers.

I want this so bad, I can just taste it. But, even at half price, I have a hard time justifying spending the money.

If I don't do it now, when will I? How can I finish the book without going there?

Then, there is Amsterdam - that wonderful, global city. New York City has the Naked Cowboy, but Amsterdam has all that and more. All the wild, weird and wonderful people are there - most of them right in Dam Square, in the summer. The food in Holland is generally awful, loaded with chemicals and pretty bland, but everything else is fantastic. I could spend a few days in the museums again, losing myself in the incredible displays. Dangle my feet over the edge of a bridge on some canal and watch the boats glide underneath me. Wander through the red light district and let myself get properly shocked. Buy a day pass for the tourist trolley and hit the high spots again. Wander through the Royal Palace and gaze at the amazing gilt and marble, stretching fathoms high into the ceilings. Finally visit the Neukirk, which for some reason, I never got around to seeing.

I could take a bus to Harlingen and walk around with my camera. It's the prettiest fishing village I have ever seen!

I could catch a performance at the Harmonie in Leeuwarden, then have a bowl of fish soup at de Dicke van Dale in the central district, with a bottle of Dutch beer. Browse through Ursula, my favourite shop in the district, with all their wonderful, colourful "hippie-style" clothes.

I could ride across the Ijselmeer on the Aufsluitdijk again, stopping in the middle to read the memorial plaques about the heroic labour of the men who built that amazing highway across the sea. I could stand on the top of the dike and watch the brave (crazy?) men who drop into the icy water there in their little windsurfer things.

I could ride out into the countryside and find the rows upon rows of huge, shiny, white windmills, stand underneath them and listen to the sound of their paddles slicing the air.

I could buy those delicious Dutch cheeses and sausages at some deli, and feast on them while sitting on a park bench somewhere.

I could buy some Dutch tobacco to smoke. It's smooth and sweet - nothing like the bitter stuff you get here.

If I don't go now, will I be able to go later? Probably not. Things are getting worse all the time, business is slowing down at an alarming rate, and I only have a little bit of money left. Should I spend some of it and just go?

Watching the "Obama Express" train on TV as it rolls from Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C. I keep switching back and forth between a movie and this news coverage of Obama's train ride.

The people in the crowds along the train's route are exuberant and full of joy. It's wonderful to watch. Their optimism is contagious.

Obama is definitely a CHANGE. I'm thrilled to finally see someone of African descent in the president's office. It's about time!!! This brings much-needed balance to our country.

As much as I like the guy, his policies terrify me. If he doesn't drop his liberal "let's spend money we don't have" attitude, he will only drag us further down into economic destruction.

Nobody - not the liberals, not the conservatives, not the religious right and not even the so-called "impartial commentators" are willing to address the underlying issue here. The billions of dollars the American government wants to use to bail out troubled industry are coming straight from China - the Communist seat of the world.

Before the election, I asked an Obama supporter why he was voting for Obama. He responded "Because of what he's offering - better education, social health care and less dependence on oil." I looked at this man, a big, strong guy, and thought "big man, small brain." I asked him where he thought the money would come from to fulfill those promises. He told me that if Obama takes our troops out of Iraq, we will have 80-odd billion dollars available. I said that would only mean 80 billion dollars less we would owe to China. He didn't understand what I was saying. That man is a classic example of someone who listens to public media and progoganda, without bothering to search out the truth for themselves.

Obama is not OFFERING anything. He made the usual, hopeful campaign statements and stupid people fell for his schtick. There is no money to do those things.

Nevertheless, Obama is probably a better choice than any of the other dummies who were trying to get elected. McCain was just a "Bush baby" and the others didn't have enough political clout to get anything done.

The Democrats, under Clinton, had eight years of power. During their tenure, the underpinnings of our economy were whittled away while they were goofing off.

The Republicans, under G.W. Bush, had eight years of power. They - and their oil drilling buddies - took advantage of the weakened structure Clinton left us, and buried us while they grew richer and fatter.

We really need more choices in our political system. This two-party system is just not working.

My little sister Heidi had her gall bladder removed on Thursday. The surgery was necessary, and it was successful, but her recovery is proving to be traumatic.

Heidi was born with Cerebral Palsy, a rather serious case. She has never walked, or stood unassisted. She has spent her life in wheelchairs and walkers. The left side of her body is always spastic (stiff and rigid) and she has a number of issues with her internal organs. My assumption is that the spasticity and resultant, severe scoliosis in her spine puts a strain on her organs.

The spasticity is slowing her recovery, because her muscles can't relax and let healing move forward at a "normal" pace. It has also resulted in a couple accidents. She has fallen once - hard - and another time, her knees gave out and she had to spend two hours on the floor. The first time, my mom was assisting her, but walked away to answer the phone and Heidi decided to try to move herself. The second time, mom was assisting her, but wasn't strong enough to hold her.

My mother is doing her best, but she is 71 years old and is just not as strong as she used to be. She is struggling to help Heidi, and in my opinion, she is pushing herself too hard. This morning, I made her promise not to push herself again like this. (A lot of good THAT will do!)

The hospital staff really wanted Heidi to stay longer in the hospital, but she insisted on going home, and my mom took her. I think she should have stayed, but you can't tell any of the women in my family what to do! When we decide on something, you might as well stop talking, because nothing will change our minds.

I want to remember this experience, so that when I get old and infirm, I will be aware of those around me and will not place too much of a burden on them. I don't want to expect too much of my caregivers, and I want to work with them, not against them. Please God, I will die quietly in my sleep, 50 years from now, without ever being seriously incapacitated.

It breaks my heart every time Heidi suffers. I remember when she was still small, how she struggled with basic things like moving from her chair at the table into her wheelchair, or getting out of her wheelchair into the car. I watched her trying to hold and use utensils, just simple things like that. Every once in a while, I would feel a catch in my throat and I would run off to a quiet place to cry. Sometimes I would pray, crying out to God about the unfairness of it all. I told Him I wished I could just give her my strong legs, and take her weak body for myself. I was certain that my personal determination would overcome so much of the handicap, and that I would be able to make that weak body do all it could possibly do.

Still, whenever Heidi is in pain, or suffering in any way, I can't help crying. It just tears me up, I am such a mess. I don't get this way when other siblings are hurting - just when it's Heidi. I guess I have an overactive sense of protection for her, or something like that. The thought of her falling on the bathroom floor, banging her head on the door, and the dead weight of her body slamming her spine on the floor, makes me cringe and whimper. When she falls, it's not like when I fall. It hurts her so much more.

After she fell, she had a fear reaction and her entire body became totally spastic. She couldn't get her body to release, and Mom couldn't do anything with this full-grown woman's body, rigid dead weight on the floor of that tiny bathroom. It took three people to wiggle and lift her out of there. Poor Heidi!

She has a chronic spastic bladder, and that problem is exaggerated now. On top of everything else, she is dealing with that pain.

It's tax time again, so I'm going through the past year's paperwork, pulling everything together for my accountant.

I am fuming over something I just realized. A year ago, my monthly medical insurance premium was $108.00 monthly. Now, it's $136.00 monthly. I haven't had a claim, and I only aged one year. This policy is only for major emergencies, so I may never even use it. It makes me so mad that they keep jacking the rates up like this.

This morning, I ran out of fresh ginger. My juice was much more enjoyable!

The temperature outside was 51 degrees Farenheit - about 11 degrees Celsius. A high cloud cover didn't make things any better. Miserable weather for those of us who are used to heat, humidity and lots of sunshine. My aunt and uncle from New Jersey arrived recently for their annual Florida retreat. They are outside in shorts and t-shirts!!! New Jersey is having a terrible winter, so this weather actually seems pleasant to them.

While I was chug-a-lugging my daily dose of strong, nasty-tasting, fresh-made vegetable juice this morning, I was thinking "I wish I could complain to someone about how yucky this tastes!" So, after two years of silence, I'm back at my blog.

Juiced carrots and beets aren't bad at all. But when you add strong-flavoured greens and a big chunk of fresh ginger, it's positively wicked. The ginger burns as it goes down my throat, and the greens taste like ground-up metal. The only thing to do is just pour it down the old hatch, drinking the whole glass without taking a breath. If you don't stop for air, you don't notice the taste as much.

Cleaning up the juicer and reassembling it for the next day is a job and a half. All this, in the name of good health.

After doing that, I figured I had earned a double shot of espresso, drowned in frothed milk. Then I spent a few minutes doing yoga to work some kinks out of this aging body. Now, I feel better!

Today is Sunday morning and I should be heading off to church. But, I need to work today. So, I'll put on some scruffy clothes, grab a bottle of water from the fridge, and "hit the dusty trail."