I've spent the last several hours in front of my computer working on my taxes. I spent most of my time deliberating between electronic filing and paper filing. On Saturday, I bought Turbo Tax for State and Federal and when I checked my mail (real mail) on Saturday, I found my W-2 and my 1098 from my mortgage company. These two documents filled in the missing gaps for a safe and happy return. On Saturday afternoon, I plugged the numbers into Turbo Tax and I was floored. No, I wasn't floored, I was dancing on the ceiling! Whoo Hooo! I called various members of my family to share the joy. Paying a big fat mortgage is pretty good at this time of year. Since this is the first year that I have itemized my taxes, I was a bit conservative with my exemptions. I was so excited, I drove up to my brother's house and bought them dinner at Outback.

    I don't know what I'm going to do with the money that I'll be getting back. I suppose that I'm going to start by putting it in savings, and then I'm going to seriously think about investing half of it, since I don't really have any investments other than my 401K. This evening, I went to Best Buy to buy some ink for my printer and I decided to take a little stroll over to the TV sets. *Sigh* I was looking at a few of the Big Screen TV's and Flat Screen Monitors (small ones) and I thought "Would that fit in my car?, and if it didn't would my insanity last long enough for me to get help?" I would seriously like to see how my X-Box looks on a better TV Set. Mine current set is from the 80's or very early 90's. I got it free when I lived in the hood in Albany. The previous resident skipped town and left all of her stuff there. I got rid of most of her stuff, but kept the TV. It doesn't even have RCA jacks.

    I'm an interesting saver. I can't save nickels and dimes, but when I get big money, I hardly touch it. I figure big money is destined for big things. Typically, I spend up to my budget with a safety net to compensate for the surprises in life. The last several months have broken the budget a bit, although I didn't go into any debt. Each month had something different to pay for.  I paid for my glasses and contacts, new tires for my car, Christmas and Fritz's surgery. My car insurance is due at the beginning of next month, so that will be my big ticket item for February. After that, I might have some spending money that won't be taken from my tax windfall. I'm feeling so comfortable with my finances right now, I'm considering two new expenditures that vary in usefulness and cost.

    The first expenditure is a cell phone. Sadly, I don't have one, and I'm not sure I really need one. From time to time, it is very helpful, particularly when I travel and I need to quickly hook up with family members or co-workers as the case may be. Like I said earlier, I'm considering this. I also mentioned on this site that I want to get a palm pilot as well. If I get the palm pilot (or equivalent PDA) I would prefer to pay for it out of my normal budget and not take it out of my tax haul. Big money, requires big things. The other expenditure is a new house. There is nothing wrong with my current house, but all of my recreational time is spent north of here in Ashburn, Sterling and Herndon. Sadly, the best part about my house is that it's on Autumn Circle. That will be the only thing that I'm going to miss in this whole house. I barely know any of my neighbors. The neighbors to my left are great, and I guess I'll miss them, but if we didn't have the dogs in common, I'm not sure what we'd talk about. It's more expensive in Ashburn, so if I were to move there, I would need to make sure that I was, at worst, moving laterally. I've settled on some things that I would like in my new townhouse, if I were to move. I would like to have a garage, I want a fenced backyard. I want a back door that will allow me to install a doggy door, so that Fritz will be able to potty where he's supposed to. Other than that, I think I would like to have a master bath, and more lighting.

    There is a strange phenomena that occurs when you decide to dump someone, move out or quit your job. Anything that you ignored, dealt with or tolerated, is now annoying and intolerable. I'm actually walking around the house taking mental notes of all of the flaws I won't miss when I leave. But, like a rubber band, I'm snapped back to reality when I realize how ungrateful I've become. I'm in a good position where I am right now, so I won't be moving unless things just really fall together and I'm not put upon too strongly by my finances. One of the factors that may sway me is that I have celebrated my two year anniversary with my current company. Tomorrow, I meet with someone who will be giving me my review. I'm reticent to call her my supervisor because my old supervisor hasn't formally told me that I have a new one. As far as I know, she's only in charge of the paperwork, but I may discover that her role has changed. What's worse, is that she and I do not work together very often at all. So, she's going to have to rely on others to tell her how I'm doing. It's an odd arrangement, so I'm going to try to keep my expectations to an absolute minimum. I'm not exactly sure if I can be offended by a small raise. I think no raise would be a little tough to swallow, but you never know in today's job climate. Suffice to say, if things go well with this, it makes moving a bit easier. If it doesn't go well, then at the bare minimum, I have a safety net given to me by my tax bonanza.

    OK kiddies, it's getting late and I'm beginning to yawn and wish my myself to bed. I am positive that I have more to say, but  I feel as though I write slow, even though I can talk and type quite fast. If I had a backspace for my tongue, I wouldn't say half the things that I do presently. On that thought, I'll let you get back to what you were doing.

    The meeting with the Supervisor went well, and so my mind has been consumed with the thought of whether or not I should move. More specifically, I've been wondering if I could afford it. I've been talking to people about it and in some cases asking for an opinion. I was planning on sitting on this for a bit longer, but I was talking to my brother and he was looking at possibly refinancing his home and happened to have our lender's phone number handy. I gave him a call and it seems that I might just be able to pull this off without really changing my standard of living. I might even be able to do it without sacrificing any of my current cash. If I can sell my current home for $31,000 more than I paid it for it, I can make the move without really spending any money. If I sell the house myself, I can even afford to make the necessary home repairs here and sock away any of the extra funds for new furniture or a rainy day.

    I'm a bit anxious right now. Too anxious to write actually. I'll return later.

    I'm much calmer now. The anxiousness has dissipated. A few days have passed since I last wrote and I'm definitely on my way toward new home ownership. I went on line tonight and found a few properties in my neighborhood that have been selling around the range that I need. I'm also considering selling my home by myself so that I can recoup a portion of the closing costs. The extra money will come in handy after I move into my next place. When I moved in here, I didn't have any money left over for new furniture. Well, I had very little money, and I had some generosity thrown my way. I think that I may want to do some furniture shopping when I move into my new place. Time will tell though. I have a ton of work to do in this house. It's probably not really a ton of work, but in some ways, it feels like it. I have a list of 18 items (and growing) that I have to take care of around the house. Some are minor (replace light bulbs). Some are major (replace carpet). I have a 3 day weekend coming up and so it would probably be a good time to get some major cosmetic work done. I spent an hour or so last night working in the guest bedroom that I started to renovate in November or December. Probably October, given my pace. I can't remember when I started it, but I do have to finish it soon. I'm meeting with my realtor next week, which is a little soon for me, but I might as well get the ball rolling on that side of things. It's crazy that I'm thinking of moving, and yet it makes a lot of sense too. I'll keep you folks updated on this.

    I'm getting fat. I'm as heavy as I have ever been in my life. I've put on enough weight that my brother and his wife have noticed that my face has filled out. I think the last time that my face was this plump was when I was in Basic Training and Tech School and I'm probably 10 - 15 lbs heavier now than then. I'm 25 lbs heavier than when I was coaching wrestling. I hope I wear it well. I'm so accustomed to being skinnier, I'm not really liking the feeling of being fat anywhere. I wouldn't say that I've developed a gut per se, but there's more there than I'm used to. As a result of this, my dog is on a diet. It wouldn't do me any good to go on a diet, so I'm looking out for his welfare. He's getting a little plump too. In all seriousness, I'm going to have to learn how to exercise or something like that. I actually need to get involved with a local softball or volleyball team so that I can work it off naturally. I just get a picture before I shed all this winter weight. Perhaps the ladies would enjoy having more cheek to pinch. On my face.

    I talked to my friend last night, who provides me an abundance of comedy about dating in this area. She was describing this one guy and in the process I learned a new word. Schmoopy. It's probably not recognized by Webster but I think one day it will be. Holding hands, cuddling and stroking one's hair would be examples of schmoopy types of behavior. I just find this word to be funny. It rhymes with Snoopy, so I'm walking around making Schmoopy phrases and sayings. I'm Schmoopalistic! Schmooptastic! Or just plain SCHOOOOOPY!!! I know that's it an irrational response to a nonsense word, but it isn't often that I get to hear new made up words that actually sound fun! Add schoompy to your vocabulary today. You'll like me for it.

    I have to pack for a business trip tomorrow. I'm headed to Hartford Connecticut for about 30 hours. I'll be back at work on Friday. Night.

    I'm not sure what to call this section of my diary. Two weeks have passed since my last entry and a lot of interesting and memorable things have occurred, or are going to occur. Initially, I figured that I would title this section "The Blizzard of '03." The Blizzard of '96 sounds much better. Back then, I was still in the Air Force and I had scheduled a trip to Albany, NY to see my parents, and my ex-girlfriend in Boston. I had plane tickets for January 6, 2003 and I couldn't make it home. In Colorado Springs, it was around 40 or 50 degrees, so I was surprised to find that the East Coast was getting buried. I postponed my trip for a month, and as a result the trip to Boston was miserable, as my ex-girlfriend had picked up a new boyfriend during that stretch and thus she wasn't as kind as she might have been. In retrospect, it was merciful that she had moved on. It helped to snuff out any remaining hope that we would one day be reconciled.

    This Blizzard isn't romantically significant in any way, but it was memorable nonetheless. My brother called me on the Friday prior to the first Snowfall and invited me over for the entire Blizzard. He suggested that I bring my X-Box and my Dog and so I spent the next 4 days at their house. I'm sure that the nieces and nephews will file this away for later nostalgic retrieval. While I was there we played some X-Box, and I watched a few Chick Flicks. I saw "Anne of Green Gables" and "Anne of Avon Lea." I'm almost ashamed to say that I enjoyed them. We also rented "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" which was pretty good, but it couldn't live up to the immense hype that proceeded it. I have no complaints about the movie, but it simply could not exceed my expectations. On Sunday, church was canceled and the snow continued to fall. My brother and his family were invited over to the pastor's house (located less than a mile away) if we chose to brave it. We tried to dig out the van, but it was simply having too much trouble moving predictably with the amount of snow that was already there. In absence of reliable transportation, we opted to walk. It was kind of an adventure walking on the semi-plowed streets in pitch white. I was also pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable it was to spend time with his family. I know it sounds strange to go a church where you aren't sure if you'd like to spend time with the pastor and his family. Well, it's kind of like this... I have the wrong view of pastor's. I tend to think of them as being pious and judgmental and always trying to read into what you say. For me, it has been a situation where it's like talking to the principal when you're in Elementary School. You don't really want to tell them anything for fear that they are going to look right through you and call you out on it. Well, fortunately I don't go to a church like that. Spending some time with them outside of the context of a Church event has helped to dispel some of the preconceptions and myths that I have carried around for so long. It really is a good idea to get to know those people if you can, you might be pleasantly surprised.

    What comes down, must be moved aside so that people can go to work. We spent two days shoveling out. We shoveled to get our cars out and we shoveled to get other neighbor's cars out. I was amazed that I was able to shovel at all. My back had been hurting on Sunday night, and when I first started to shovel, I was in pain. I used one of those back friendly shovels for a while and that really did the trick. After I had warmed up I was able to use other shovels as my back wasn't nearly so stiff. After it was over, I wondered if it were a miracle. On Wednesday, I finally arrived home for a shower and a change of clothes and I could barely get up the steps to my house. That evening I bought a shovel to clear my parking space and my steps and my back was unforgiving. It seemed that as long as I was shoveling for someone else, my back was in fine shape. When I shoveled for me alone, the right side of my back began to become numb. Or perhaps the shovel I bought at Home Depot was crap. I almost forgot that I had some more miracle supporting data. This past weekend I helped someone move and when I woke up on Sunday, my back wasn't hurting. My fingers, my pectoral muscles and every other muscle aside from my back hurt. As much as my muscles hurt, I needed the exercise. 

    I also thought that I could name this section "I'm going to Colorado!!!" because I am. I'm headed to Colorado Springs for 6 days and 5 nights. I have successfully contacted the old friends that remain out there and look forward to spending time with them. Hopefully, the work will be swift and I'll be able to spend ample time with them. Unfortunately, I have to come back before the weekend, so I won't be able to have a great deal of time after the work has been completed. Now I just have to find someone to watch my dog...

    "I'm blind!" would have been another catchy title for this section. It appears that I have lost my glasses. I'm not exactly happy about that fact. They were expensive and I've only had them for about 3 months. Plus, I have to wear contacts all the time, instead of taking them out when I get home (where no one can see me). I haven't made an appointment for new glasses yet. I'm going to go ahead and wait until I return from Colorado Springs for that. Come to think of it. Colorado is really dry, so I think I'm going to have to carry around rewetting drops wherever I go. My eyes are good and dried out now, but I can't see comfortably without them. I've become somewhat dependent on visual enhancement devices.

    I meet with my realtor on Thursday to discuss my real estate options. I have a ton of things to do here at the house, and it's hard not to get overwhelmed at it. Fortunately, I can ask people to help and they will come, but I'm not ready yet for that. I still have some things that I need to take care of here first, that I ought to be able to do by myself. My meeting with my realtor will be crucial to how things go forward with me. Right now might be a perfect time to buy, or it might be really bad. Who knows.

    I was looking forward to seeing my old wrestling team wrestle in districts, but the snow canceled districts for them, and this past weekend they had their regional tournament. Three of them are going to states this coming weekend and one has a really good chance of placing, even though his goal is to win it. I would love to see him upset last year's state champ and win it all. As happy as I am for those kids, I'm extremely disappointed for the kid that was my chief tutee. He reminded me a lot of me and wrestled in my weight class. He's one who thinks too much in general, and needs only a little bit of confidence to be successful in whatever he does. He placed 5th in the regional tournament, and only the top 4 go to states. He's a senior and will have to live with the disappointment for the rest of his life. I know the feeling because I never made it to states either, and I believe  that I could have made it, if I had been able to wrestle in my preferred weight class. Instead, I wrestled up a weight class both years that I made varsity. I wrestled up because a state champion moved to our school and wrestled where I wanted to wrestle. I became a better wrestler because of him, but wasn't able to make it to states. Like all disappointments in life, it doesn't consume my thoughts, but it does pop up from time to time.

    There are a hundred other topics I could bring up, but I'm honestly getting tired. Especially my eyes. Night all. Looking forward to seeing a few of you in a few days.