March 20 - Taxing day and an infection

March 19 - Wednesday -- was a pretty day. I did a little more pond work, pulling out the dead and dying algae. I decided to start on my taxes...That ended up lasting all day. I stopped for lunch at Burger King and then went back at it. I have to pay two states and it is confusing.  I spent almost an hour searching for Goodwill receipts and then discovered I didn't need them anyway.  I will end up paying a small amount because of estimated taxes that will be required. My state pension from Missouri won't withhold for New Mexico and neither will the Social Security. New Mexico taxes are higher than Missouri because they don't ignore part of the public service pension.

Supper tonight was pizza and I watched a new DVD about a British spy around 1904 (Reilly). The actor is a ringer for Dana at Kaktus.

Jill called after her interview. It sounds like she did a good job but she is a little reserved. I suspect she has mixed feelings about the job -- great opportunity but moving to NYC is going to cost her a lot.



March 20 - Thursday - more nice weather, cool but calm. I woke up a couple times with my sore finger. It has been hurting for a day or so and when I finally got up it was infected with a swollen sore and painful. I got this almost a week ago when I jammed a Pyracantha thorn into the 2nd knuckle of my left index finger. It hurt like hell at the time and since the thorn was in the pond and mixed up with the algae it was surely very dirty. I couldn't close my finger because the knuckle was swollen -- it looked like a staph infection to me. I called doctor and waited for the nurse to call me back to see if I needed a shot or something. Meanwhile, I decided to stick it with a needle and drain the pus and fluid out of it. That helped a great deal and relieved the pressure. I washed it and put on some Neosporin. When I got the call back the nurse said I did the right thing except not to put Neosporin on it and put a band aid on it.

I had a late lunch on the porch - at the "Villa". I managed to miss Jill's phone calls all day. She was sight seeing in NYC after her Interview on Wednesday.

I played bocce with Rod this afternoon. We played two games and he won both. BOOO! I cooked fresh green beans with leeks and ham and had some for supper. This being Thursday, I went to Kaktus for the evening to listen to the music. I ran into Stewart and Gloria and we had a good visit. I had three beers. The music is getting old -- same stuff always. Good but just the same over and over.

I went home and ate rest of beans and watched TV.