I have not done very well with my 365 Days of Gratitude but I haven't written it off yet.

It was a warm but rainy day all day at work today and since getting home, the wind and rain have really picked up. I see it's due to continue for another 96 minutes.

Tomorrow I'm looking forward to a follow-up to discuss the blood work results from my physical 2 weeks ago. I'm really curious to see whether the positive effects of a mostly vegan diet will be apparent, although I can tell you my blood pressure was great at 110/60, I believe.

Glad to be working at home tomorrow. I TREASURE my 2 work-at-home days, trust you me!

Tomorrow I also meet with a fencing guy about putting in a hand rail for my new outdoor stairs. I already got a decent estimate from a guy I found on Angie's List to repave my driveway. If he only repaves the lower slope but rips out the asphalt for the entire drive, so that the mason guys who did my stairs can do pavers at the top of the drive, creating a "courtyard," the fee from asphalt guy would be just $3700. If he repaved the whole thing, it would be just $6,600.

I vaguely recall many years ago trying to get estimates and remember them being in the neighborhood of $10,000. But I REALLY would like to get the paver courtyard to replace ugly asphalt, and I'm afraid the mason will be very expensive.

I scanned and emailed him a copy of the asphalt guy's estimate so he can see he needs to come in really low if I'm to be persuaded to hire him for the pavers. It otherwise would be hard to justify that kind of added expense.

The handrail and the driveway...these are my two 2016 projects.

I collected all the paperwork for my mother's 2015 tax return and emailed it to her accountant. Later down the road as part of the probate process I'll need to have the accountant do an "estate tax return." Because of the timing so close to end of year, I'm guessing it will be a repeat mostly of her 2015 return, making it easier for her accountant.

I called probate court earlier this week because it had been a month and I hadn't heard anything from them since filing the initial paperwork. Turns out I had not completely filled in one page; it didn't appear they were planning on calling me, and if you think about it, they probably figure they don't need to becus any executor is going to be pretty anxious to get thru probate and so will be calling them. I was annoyed, though. I completed answering the questions and put it in the mail yesterday.

I can wait....I'm still getting reams of paperwork and statements from Medicare, Part A and Part B, and it's rather confusing knowing what they will pay and won't pay because one mailing appears to contradict the mailing that came a week later.

I find it excruciating waiting on hold to get answers, so I can sit tight for now and see what bills may appear in my mailbox.

There should be only 3 remaining bills: 1) the accountant doing mom's taxes, 2) Masonicare and 3) the hospital.

I hadn't originally planned on taking a fee for my role as executor, but I am entitled and I'm thinking now maybe I will. In Connecticut they don't establish the fee but it needs to be "reasonable." I'll have to determine what % that is.

Last weekend I went to see 13 Hours with my Dad. It was very, very violent as you may imagine, given the subject matter. Not at all the type of movie I'd pick for myself, but I like to indulge dad.

Last night I went to a presentation on songbirds at the library. Much more my style, and I was amazed at how many people showed up. There were about 60 people there, as many men as women, and I was probably the youngest person there! Probably because the library was in another town that has a very large retirement community with several thousand residents.

This weekend I hope to start my own tax return. Yuck. Hate it. I would like to get my hands on a hard copy booklet of instructions at local IRS office but I'm not even sure they're making them available that way anymore. Maybe it's all online? I just find it easier to underlie and mark up a hard copy.