Another day of rain here in Portland, with expectations of a few more days. This is typical at this time of year, but much preferable to the snow my friends in Indiana are beginning to experience. In a few short weeks, I hope to feel the warmth of Kauai and in a few months a steady diet of Florida sunshine. We’ll be stuck in front of the T.V. today with mindless episodes of Yellowstone, Big Sky, Fargo, Amazing Race, Shameless, and Gold Rush. 

It’s “Leaf Pick-Up” Monday, with on-street parking prohibited. I won’t have to worry about slipping on all those wet leaves tomorrow. I was rewarded with finding a dime before it was swept away. With gloves on, I had trouble picking it up, reminiscent of commercials for Playtex Gloves – “so flexible you can pick up a dime.” There was also a lot of interference from pedestrians, traffic, and street cars as I carefully tip-toed through the streets. I also had to avoid a homeless man with his pants down around his ankles, and piles of trash on the sidewalks. As is often the case, my morning runs aren’t very glamorous. 

I’m collecting documents to file with Social Security as they’ve once again raised my monthly Medicare Part B premiums based on past income tax statements. With both my wife and I retired now, my payments should be much lower. However, I have to go through the hassle of submitting all the appropriate forms and supporting paperwork to prove my case. With the local office closed due to Covid, I also have to submit everything on line with little control on when they’ll get through the backlog this time of year. As a result, I’ll probably be paying more the first few months of the year until they finally get to my appeal. On a positive note, it’s at least something to do on a rainy day.

College basketball starts this week, providing a fresh source of live entertainment. I’ll look forward to seeing how the season unfolds with my favorite sport. It’s been eight months since the last game I watched on T.V. and ten months since attending. Most likely, I won’t be allowed to see a game in person this season. However, we’ve come a long way since the BIG tournament was disrupted last March and the NCAA Tournament cancelled. It’s Tip-off Time!