Who Deserves Credit for THIS?

It's that time of year to send in tax assessment forms. Tucked inside ours was a notice of a new tax credit for senior citizens. It was passed in 2024, to take effect in 2025. Good to know. Or not...

Here's the deal. It sounds good, to help elderlies on fixed incomes so they are not hit with increasing taxes every year. But the way it is set to be implemented is a disgrace. I'm sure some Iron Man Ninja Warrior Olympic Decathlete came up with the plan. 

See what you think. Our two-page insert outlined the following details:

Eligible seniors may apply for real estate tax credits beginning March 3, 2025

Must be 62 or older, own home, have current taxes paid in full

Bring photo ID, proof of residency, documents if home is in a trust or LLC

The homestead must be occupied as the primary residence

No commercial properties are eligible

Well. That all sounds perfectly reasonable. It's the implementation that raises a red flag.

How To Sign Up

Enrollment begins March 3 and ends May 30

You will need to apply IN PERSON at the county collector's office between 9:00-3:00

What Happens During Enrollment

We request that both spouses on the deed apply in-person. NOTE: Enrollment does not require an appointment. There will be crowds. To save time, we suggest you wait until the lines are shorter, after the first week or two of each enrollment month.

When you arrive at the collector's office you will be greeted and given a number along with a short application to complete. When the next enrollment station is ready, you will present your ID (and your trust agreement if property is in a trust) and then sign an affidavit declaring your homestead's address. After your eligibility has been confirmed, you will receive copies of the documents in a folder to keep for your permanent records.

Will I Need To Re-Apply Every Year?

Yes, taxpayers must re-apply for the Senior Citizen Tax Credit every year. The county will send current tax credit recipients a reminder notice each year by mail or by electronic means. You will not need to re-apply in person to renew. However, new applicants for 2025 and in future years mut apply in-person.

Who Do I Contact For More Information?

This is a new program which is subject to change. We may not be able to answer your questions before March 1, 2025, so instead of calling we suggest that you visit your website [redacted] which will be updated with the most recent information. After the ordinance has been adopted and enrollment opens you may contact the county collector at [redacted].

THOSE are the parts that concern me. This is a tax credit for OLD PEOPLE! There will be crowds of old people. I know many are perfectly spry and able to walk a distance from the parking lot to the second floor of the courthouse and stand in line with throngs of other old people, filling out forms while standing in line waiting for county government officials to process their paperwork. 

VAL IS NOT ONE OF THOSE SPRY OLD PEOPLE!

That's our county courthouse. Sorry for the words showing through from the back side of our notice. Around on the back corner of the courthouse is a long ramp that goes from the corner of the building to the doors. There is an elevator (if it's working now) to the second floor. Parking is on the street, with perhaps two or three handicaps spaces, OR in a parking lot at the annex across the street.

Can you imagine all the elderlies hobbling along, trying to make it through the crosswalks without being mowed down by today's distracted drivers? Then standing inside for what might be hours, waiting to fill out forms for a tax credit? I'm sure it would be worthwhile if one is physically able to do so. Our property taxes just for our hillbilly mansion are over $1000 per year. I don't know how much credit would be given, if it's a percent, or based on income as well.

Just saying. This process was not thoroughly thought through! At least in my opinion.

Three Cookies Forward and Four Marshmallows Back

In my attempts to tame the wild Hick, to bend and mold him into what I WISH he would be... I've discovered that even success is a matter of one step forward and two steps back. I may eventually get my desired result, but not without consequences.

Last year for Christmas, Genius brought us a tin of cookies. Snickerdoodles. I tried one and loved it. But then I got a cold. I wasn't going to waste those cookies by eating them when I was without my sense of taste. There they sat, in their tin, on the table between Hick's recliner and the short couch. Once my minor sickness had progressed to where I had taste again, I picked up that container to enjoy a cookie.

EMPTY! 

Let the record show that I had mentioned to Hick several times that I couldn't wait until my cold was over so I could eat a cookie. Also, we had a multitude of other Christmas desserts, including Oreo Cake, Oreos, blueberry pie, Rice Krispy Treats, homemade chocolate-covered cherries, and candies sent by my sister the ex-mayor's wife from her shindig on Christmas Eve, like the ones shown on this plate from that night:

So you would think a diabetic such as Hick could have eaten his fill of sugary treats from a variety of sources, without taking every last one of those Snickerdoodles that I was saving.

This year, Genius had Snickerdoodles and some other cookie with a chocolate center. Also in the container were four marshmallows. "These marshmallows aren't for eating. They are in the tin to keep the cookies fresh. So don't think I'm giving you marshmallows as a dessert."

Since I have been cutting back, I only allow myself ONE item as a dessert after supper. The first items to be used up by me were the slices of banana nut and blueberry cake that I had bought for after Christmas Dinner. Then some of Sis's candies. She had buckeyes this year. And the turtle is always a favorite. But the very best was the peanut cluster thingies, my new favorite.

Hick minded his manners, and left the peanut clusters for me. Also one turtle, and two buckeyes, which I had specifically called for, in those numbers. Hick had the rest of the Oreo Cake again, some of the banana nut and blueberry cake slices, and the tin of cookies that Friend brought, which were Christmas shapes with icing decoration. I also told Hick that I wanted some Snickerdoodles left!

The tin containing Genius cookies was left on the kitchen counter this year, along with all other desserts. Hick even told me a couple times, "I'm leaving your Snookerdoodles that you like so much."

A few days ago, I opened the tin to get one of the Snickerdoodles, long after Hick had gone to bed. Oh, there were Snickerdoodles left for me:

Also one of the other cookies remained. Do you see what's missing? THE MARSHMALLOWS! I don't know how long ago they disappeared. I DO know that my Snickerdoodle was not as fresh as I might have liked, though to be fair, it HAS been almost three weeks from when Genius made them. Even though I was pretty sure what happened to the marshmallows, I had to ask Hick at 5:45 a.m. the next morning.

"Where did those marshmallows go that were in Genius's cookies?"

"I ate 'em."

"Did you not hear him say they were only in the tin to keep the cookies fresh?"

"Yeah. I heard that. But I wanted marshmallows."

Oh, well. A stale Snickerdoodle is better than NO Snickerdoodle. Baby steps for the taming of Hick. Some forward, some back.

The Delivery of Thousands of Pieces of Mail Starts With a Carrier in the Dark

The timing of our recent sleet/snow storms was advantageous for The Pony. On the days he was scheduled to work, the mail trucks had not been able to deliver. Then there was his regular day off, the National Day of Mourning, and a day he had scheduled for leave before knowing such a storm was brewing.

Saturday, The Pony had to return to work. He found out Friday that the person covering his route that day had not been able to make it in. So all that mail would be there waiting. And while getting ready Saturday, The Pony received a text from work.

At least The Pony had Hick swinging by to drive him to work, so no need to scrape off the new snow from his Rogue. And with temps supposed to hit the mid-30s, some melting would start. The deep snow meant that The Pony would have to wear boots, which get pretty heavy and uncomfortable by the end of the 11-mile route. He was taking his regular shoes, in case the boots became unbearable. 

As I sit here typing at 1:25, I've had no updates from The Pony. Hick must not have much business at his SUS2.5 (Storage Unit Store 2.5), because he sent a text saying that he might go by to give The Pony a ride home when he gets off work. It's the little things.

You probably never consider how many events must synchronize to enable you to pick up that junk mail out of your mailbox.

Just What We Needed

Guess who won't be driving to town for a few more days! That's right, your homebound gal Val. Our 2-4 inches of predicted snowfall overnight turned out to be about 6 inches.

That's the view out the laundry room door around 9:45. Don't worry about the dry dog water bowl. It's the OLD bowl that doesn't work. Hasn't for many years. But of course the place for it is not in the trash, but right there next to the working water bowl that you can't see, plugged into the outlet so the water won't freeze.

By noon, there was a bit more accumulation. There's Scarlett, wolfing down a treat of whole-wheat bread, and the top of Jack's head as he thinks better of trying to take it. Those dang dogs are not satisfied hanging out on the porch in the three houses and dry boards. Nope. They have to get out and roam. On my trip to town Thursday, I caught them coming up Hick and Buddy's Badly Blacktopped ice-coated Hill. Scarlett took it upon herself to follow me for a bit. She needs a job, but we're not buying any cattle or sheep!

Looks like we won't be seeing the gentle glow from the solar lights for a while.

Poor Pony! Even though he was off work Thursday for the National Day of Mourning for Jimmy Carter, he had an appointment. While trying to clean off his Rogue, he broke the scraper!

The Pony said he had to pour water on the windshield to get it cleared off. I imagine that was a tedious chore. He didn't send me the picture or tell me about it until Friday, because he didn't want me to worry. Lucky The Pony had asked for Friday off, so wasn't out in the latest blizzard. Hick will swing by and drive The Pony to work on Saturday morning, though who knows if the mail trucks made it in, and how much work there will be. Maybe just a backlog of anything that got through Tuesday and Wednesday.

Meanwhile, I'm back to sitting around, using my internet while the using's good.

Val Makes Her Escape

Val took advantage of her narrow window of opportunity on Thursday, to escape the confines of her hillbilly mansion and venture to civilization. In retrospect, it was a folly fraught with possible catastrophes.

Hick had been telling me since Sunday that I should stay home, that the parking lots were treacherous. He also said that the roads weren't too bad. With a new storm bearing a possible 3-5 inches of snow rolling in on Thursday night, I flew the coop.

Hick had mentioned that our road was the worst part. He was not a-woofin'! Here are some pictures from my drive home.

The county blacktop road wasn't too bad. Mostly clear. Just not clear enough for two vehicles to pass. Each had to get two tires off the pavement and onto the icy part. No indication of where the drop-off was from the road edge. No shoulders in Backroads. Just a ditch. At least I only met ONE truck during my time on this road.

Our gravel road was indeed the worst part. You wouldn't even know there was gravel.

That's down by the creek and Mailbox Row. Doesn't it look peaceful and serene? 

It's NOT! That road is a mile of packed ice from the county blacktop road to our house!

I would not have gone if I knew our gravel road was this bad. In town, the parking lot of the Gas Station Chicken Store was similar. I didn't park in my rightful handicap space, but instead pulled under the roof, thinking my footing would be more stable. WRONG! As I walked behind T-Hoe, hand on his hatch to steady myself, I had to trudge through slippery slush that had frozen. I suppose it fell off of cars parked at the gas pumps. AND my hand slipped in the dirty spray that had coated T-Hoe's rear. I hate to block the gas pumps for my brief trip inside for scratchers, but it was the safest option.

At 10Box, all five handicap spaces were taken. Three of them by cars with handicap plates or placards. The other two by ne'er-do-wells who felt entitled. I had to park across the drive, in a regular space. At least the lot was cleared, and a couple had come out and left their cart in front of the store for me to latch onto once I got that far.

After picking up a few foodstuffs to tide us over during the next storm, I headed over to Sis-Town to mail Genius's letter. The roads to there were pretty clear. But I got behind somebody overly-cautious who drove 20 mph in a 45 mph zone. 

I'm definitely not getting out on Friday. At least the snow will cover our ice, and give some traction on the gravel road. I think I can make it trapped at home another two or three days, to see how much clearing and melting occur. 

Be careful what you wish for. A trip to town is not always the escape you imagine.

Day 4 of Val's Home Confinement

This is Wednesday, the fourth day of my homeboundness due to the ice/sleet/snow. Little else has happened here since we last convened. 

The Pony has his regular day off today, and also Thursday due to the National Day of Mourning for Jimmy Carter, and Friday as he requested leave when he first learned that Thursday would be a day off. That's three days in a row! Nearly unheard-of for a postal worker.

With a regular appointment scheduled for afternoon, The Pony was planning to scrape off his Rogue and try to get over the curb where his driveway meets the road. It wasn't so much the appointment, which he could switch to virtual, but the thought of eating lunch at a Chinese buffet that had him chomping at the bit to get his car out for the first time since the storm.

Hick returned home Tuesday evening, and sheepishly admitted to a mishap. He'd gone to his SUS(s) to try and get in. When he stepped out of SilverRedO, his feet could not get traction on the ice, and he fell. That could have been dangerous! Not only for his elderly hips, but because nobody else was hanging around the storage units on such a frigid day.

Hick had paid Old Buddy for his work on the remodel house for a Senior Center crony. Old Buddy called him that afternoon, asking Hick to check SilverRedO for the cash. "I lost the money you paid me! I got home and it wasn't in my pocket. I'm afraid it might have fallen out in your truck." Hick looked, but didn't find the money. "I went back over to the house to do some more work that I can do myself, and there it was on the kitchen counter. Old Buddy forgot to put it in his pocket. I let him know where it was, and that I was working there for a bit. He could have come got it, but he didn't. He'll get it next time."

Hick brought me scratchers. Let the record show that he did NOT volunteer, and acted like such a 1-minute chore while picking up his clandestine Casey's donut was a hardship for him. At least I had a $20 winner on a $3 ticket.

That's about it. Home confinement ain't nothin' to write blogs about.

Day 3 of Val's Home Confinement

Tuesday morning, Day 3 of Val's home confinement due to would-be hip-shattering ice and sleet covering the grounds of Backroads and adjoining communities, was off to a good start. I had soaked two pounds of Great Northern Beans overnight, and thawed out the Thanksgiving ham bone and remnants. The Pony thinks that the bone means it was from last Christmas. I think maybe from Easter.

Anyhoo... I got a large cauldron (don't have a small cauldron) and a saucepan of beans and ham simmering. I added some minced garlic, sweet banana pepper rings with their juice, and ground black pepper. It smelled great while simmering.

I sat down at HIPPIE at the kitchen table an hour earlier than normal. I was perusing the news when HIPPIE refused to load more comments on an article. Huh. I moved on to another site. But I didn't. Because I HAD NO INTERNET!!!

Of all the shenanigans for The Universe to pull to make Val's third day of home confinement even more Not-Heavenish, lack of internet was the worst. Well. Except for maybe breaking a hip, or being attempted-murdered by Hick. I tried disconnecting and reconnecting. A shut down and new start. An actual restart. Nothin'. I resolved to play some solitaire after stirring the beans.

Mmm! I could drink that juice with a straw! Good thing, because Hick will drag the ladle through the pan, scooping up all the ham, with an occasional stray bean, and tilt it against the side of the pan until he just has solids. How's he gonna soak corn muffins in THAT??? Anyhoo... this is the small pan. Plenty more for the rest of the week. That white stuff is sinew that cooked off the bone. I fished it out. Not trying to attempt murdering Hick. Really.

I went back to worldwide-web-dead HIPPIE, the time-consuming actual restart finished, and resigned myself to wait until Hick got home to attempt any further fixes. The last time (not even a week ago!) I lost internet, I had to actually call the DISH people. I knew there would be a wait, and then they'd tell me to disconnect and reconnect the electrical connections. If I wanted to hobble down 13 rail-less basement steps for that, I might as well take my chances on the ice outside and a trip to town!

Shockingly enough, after I puttered around writing a check for the annual homeowner's insurance for our hillbilly mansion, though it won't be mailed until after the roads are cleared... I gave my internet another try, and it was working again!

Speaking (or typing) of the mail, The Pony hitched a ride to work with Hick again Tuesday morning. The mail trucks still hadn't made it through, but Amazon sure could drop off packages to be re-delivered. 

"No mail made it in today either. Just packages Amazon dropped, and hopping out magazines to like, every fifth house today."

By 11:50, a time by which The Pony had already clocked out on Monday, he had another report.

"Good deed accomplished! Older woman on my route was de-icing her car. I let her use my de-icer spray."

Shh... no need to tell anybody about that misappropriation of government equipment by such a sweet and caring Pony.

Hick could have used such a product, in a can that shoots 18 feet like wasp and hornet spray, when he tried to get into his SUS2 and SUS2.5 on Monday.

The SUS(s) are side by side. I guess Hick is preventing a terrorist from driving into them, with those big blocks he paid for. More likely, he doesn't want to risk a smash 'n' grab burglary. Anyhoo... you might wonder why Hick couldn't get in. It wasn't from fear of breaking a hip.

It was the coating of ice from the freezing rain, preventing the doors from opening. Bill-Paying Town was hit with more ice, and also with power outages. Hick said his SUS(s) didn't lose power. He gets an email from the electric company when that happens.

As I sit here typing away, wallowing in A CONNECTION TO THE INNERNETS, my third day of confinement is only half over. I can't imagine anything more eventful will occur. Perhaps it's best that it doesn't.