Hey There! It's 8:30 AM EST, 33°F, overcast. Heavy weather on the way.
Another calm day yesterday. For the most part DW and I spent time on finances. She went through her usual end-of-month bill paying routine, and I set about preparing for 2026. We are in very good shape for the coming year. We've hit the age where required minimum distributions are necessary, and we decided to take them monthly, like a paycheck. But we will now be getting money from an account we've never tapped before, so our income is poised to go up to unnecessary levels. I don't have a plan for what to do with this excess money, but my initial thought is to begin to gift my kids money that they can invest for their future. Time to transfer some wealth before we pass on.
I cleaned out the car as well in preparation for packing it. It goes in for an oil change tomorrow, while I go to the doctor's for an annual checkup. The basement is beginning to look a bit rough, and I have to get down there and pack my camping gear for the trip. I'm packing very minimally, because I don't expect to do much camping.
I discovered that JAL has strict weight limits on carryon luggage, and that you can only take 22 lbs (10kg) with you for overhead storage. That's not much once you subtract the weight of the carryon. I don't know if I'll be able to avoid checking the bag, but I still plan to take only the carryon and as little stuff as possible. I spent the afternoon doing more research on traveling to Japan. I should take better notes.
We had leftover clam sauce for dinner, and then I spent the evening watching the Ashes. England looks up against it, but the partnership of Stokes and Archer in the third test was sensational. Bedtime was 11:05 PM.
Notable deaths: Brigitte Bardot, actress, 91.
'Til We Meet Again!