Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Quiet Tuesday, Too!

Yes, it's been yet another quiet day, today.  The morning was overcast and gloomy.  It looked like it could rain, but it didn't rain, and the afternoon was sunny.

I spent a quiet morning doing office work.  Being able to work from home during this time is such a blessing!  I was able to take an afternoon nap, as well.

I didn't feel nauseated today, but I didn't have much of an appetite, either.  I had a scrambled egg and a piece of toast for brunch.  Later in the evening, daughter bought me a bagel from the doughnut shop at the top of the road and I had that for my tea.  Still later, I cooked a smoked sausage for dinner and had a few slices, along with a tangerine and coconut water. 

I wasn't very productive when it came to house cleaning, today, but I put away the load of laundry from last night and did the dishes.  My neighbor brought in my trash cans for me, so I didn't have to do that.

Daughter called into jury duty and was told to report in person, tomorrow.  She has to be at the courthouse in downtown at 7:30 a.m.  So, tomorrow morning, I will drive her to the subway station and she'll go downtown and report for jury duty.  Hopefully, once she explains that she has to start a new job 400 miles away in Berkeley on June 1, they will excuse her.  If not, we don't know what she can do!  I guess she will have to email her supervisors at the new job and explain she has to serve jury duty and ask if she will be able to start her new job after she serves!  If they will keep it open for her and disregard the contract she signed which states she starts on June 1.  So many complications!  I do hope she will be excused.

I received my utility bill, today.  It covers electricity, water, solid waste, and sewer charges for the two months between 3/21/16 and 5/19/16.  Both electricity and water rates per unit went up on April 15, 2016 and the amount of water I am allowed at the lower Tier 1 rate went down from 24 HCF (hundred cubic feet = 748 gallons) to 16 HCF.  So, the current bill is as follows:

Electricity, 536 kWh used (I am allowed 1,000 kWh at Tier 1 rates) = $81.69
Water, 11 HCF used (I am allowed 16 HCF at Tier 1 rates) = $56.91
Solid waste (trash collection) = $69.26
Sewer = $57.80
Total bill = $265.66

In comparison, my previous bill was $245.10 (lower rates and I used less water due to the rains).  It is going to be a battle to water the garden this summer, with a lower water allocation and higher rates, and still keep my water bill to a reasonable amount.

To Do List for tomorrow include:
- dropping daughter off at the subway station,
- doing office work,
- clearing the dining table and kitchen counters,
- making a grocery list,
- doing another load of laundry,
- watering the front garden,
- picking up daughter from the subway station

Today, I am grateful for:

- Being able to work from home.
- An afternoon nap.
- No nausea today.
- Neighbor bringing in my trash cans for me.
- A quiet day.

14 comments:

  1. Isn't that just typical to be called for jury service when you're about to start a new job. I'm not sure that would be a good enough reason over here to be excused from serving but also from your daughter's point of view not a good enough reason why the job shouldn't be kept open for her either. I hope it gets resolved.

    Quiet days are good days to have. I seem to be chasing my tail at the moment, yet can't even say why. There just don't seem to be enough hours in the day. I really need one day with nothing at all to do. It seems to be the bits of this and that which keep taking me out of the house that are eating into my time. Ah well. It is what it is. xx

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    1. I hope things slow down for you in the near future and you get a day to yourself.

      Daughter was able to get herself excused from jury duty, after all. So that works out well for her. She flies up on the 31st as planned and starts on the 1st as scheduled.

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    2. Maybe she ought to register to vote in Berkeley since she'll be living there anyway, that way next time she gets called for jury duty, it'll be close to work. I used to support the HR department at my former employer's (an eternity ago) and I seem to remember that it is federal law that your employer has to give you the time off for jury duty without fear for your job. They don't have to pay you, though. Jury Duty pay was very low back then... maybe $20 a day, something like that?

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    3. The current plan is that she'll be up there only for 1 year, so we don't know if it's worth to change her permanent address/register up there, etc. If, at the end of the year, she gets a permanent job up there, she will change her address. But we are hoping she'll be able to find a permanent job down here.

      As for jury duty pay, it is currently $15/day starting from the 2nd day (don't get paid for the 1st day), here in California.

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  2. I can't get over how much your water/sewer/trash bill is. Mine is about $67 a month when I don't water the garden and that's for 4 of us living here. It includes water, sewer, trash pick up once a week and recycling pick up once a week. I'm within city limits.

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    1. My bill is for 2 months and it includes electricity; I allocate $150 towards it in my monthly budget. But we do pay a lot for water, I fear, with the drought and all that.

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  3. Wait, I read too fast and didn't realize it was for 2 months. Mine is monthly. Sorry!

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    1. Yes, I commented above that it is for 2 months and it includes electricity, as well. I set aside $150 per month towards the bill and, for the most part, that is sufficient. But rates keep going up, so I will have to make some adjustments, later on.

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  4. So glad to hear that your daughter was excused jury duty. The timing was just not right.

    The bush is so pretty with the fresh greenery and the wild cherry trees in bloom. If only it was as idyllic as it looks! The blackflies and mosquitoes are in great form, they have splendid appetites and although we do not encourage them, we are beginning to show the occasional bite! Just a quick trip outside to fetch in the laundry is an invitation to dine! Reminds me of my first year up in the Valley, when at first I had no idea why I would put my finger to my head and find a crust of blood in my hair! On the plus side, they are excellent food for many songbirds that have returned, and also for the dragonflies, who go out on mission raids on our behalf!
    Bushlady

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    1. Bushlady, it does sound lovely, with the fresh greenery and flowers! Too bad about the biting blackflies and mosquitoes! Do you use a repellent spray to keep them from attacking you? Hope the birds and the dragonflies keep the blackflies and mosquitoes under control! Nice to see nature working together like that.

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    2. Bless, I really don't like putting on bug spray but today I did find the mesh jacket that covers the head as well. I was all kitted up to go out and putter in the yard and opened the door to find that it was just starting to rain! So I took off my glamorous outfit (couldn't see out of it too well anyway) and I set off up the road to the mailbox with my favourite shocking pink umbrella with black patches. The rain kept the nasties away and I enjoyed the peaceful walk.
      Bushlady

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    3. Glad you got to enjoy a bug free walk in the rain. Your umbrella sounds delightful! :) Wish you could send some of that rain my way!

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  5. So proud to hear your feeling better today.. Also proud daughter got excused from jury duty.[I got my call today , that they wouldn't need me next week either.. I was happy..ha]
    THe oranges sound so good.. We have several peach trees that are loaded with peaches... and grape vines..
    Have a blessed day..

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    Replies
    1. Glad to hear you won't be needed for jury duty yet. Oh, sounds like you'll be harvesting lots of peaches once they are ripe. And grapes, too.

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