Jerzei Collie's journal

My dad and brother called me tonight to get more information about my accident and the car's condition. Since I got over $2,900 from my insurance company, my brother offered to look for a used car similar to mine. Since the car would cost more than $2,900, Dad offered to pay the difference. It's a shame I have to let go of my Subaru soon, but it would have happened eventually. It served me well for 20 years.

I completed and filed my taxes after dinner tonight. My federal refund will be just under $7,000 mainly due to my Affordable Care Act payments.

My flight to Orlando landed a half hour earlier than scheduled. My debit card was declined when I tried to pay for my taxi to the pre-cruise hotel. Thankfully, I had enough cash on hand. I was given a family bedroom at the hotel which had a regular double bed and some bunk beds.

The group I am cruising with took a shuttle to Port Canaveral. We had lunch onboard the ship, then held a '70s/'80s party later in one of the conference rooms. I wore a T-shirt that says "Save Ferris" for my '80s costume.

For a moment, I thought I had forgotten to pack enough underwear for the trip. I forgot I had stuffed the underwear in one of the pockets in my suitcase. Today, I discovered I left my medicated shampoo at the pre-cruise hotel.

The first stop of the cruise was today at the private Coco Cay island. The island is split into several areas including one with a water park and kids play area. I opted for the adults-only section called Hideaway Beach. The weather was windy at first, but the sun came out and the wind died down later. I had lunch at one of the restaurants then had a few drinks at one of the bars.

Since tomorrow is a "pay day" for me, I'll make the final payment for my upcoming cruise. It will be nice to have that paid off. My accounts won't be as empty as they have been for the past few months.

I also have a meetup tomorrow at a brewery I've never been to before. The organizer said there may be a food truck there. I'll have a light snack before then just in case there isn't a food truck.

UPDATE: There was a Mexican food truck outside tonight. I got a steak burrito to have with my beers from the brewery.

I finally took some of my empty aluminum cans to a recycling center that my dad uses. My brother wasn't kidding when he said the money given for the cans doesn't even cover the cost of gas. I brought in two large trash bags filled with cans and only got $1.50 for them.

Last Sunday's show was a little difficult for me since I was still processing everything that had happened over the weekend. I'm more prepared for this weekend since I began planning my show on Monday.

Dad told me my federal tax refund should be deposited Thursday or Friday. Thursday would be better for my account since I would get more interest in February. It will be nice to have a financial cushion in my accounts for a while.

Wednesday will be a bit chilly but sunny. I have a meetup that night at a brewery in Manitou Springs. The weekend will be warmer, reaching the low-60s.

An earlier rainstorm and sub-freezing temperatures caused many of the sidewalks to become icy. I walked very carefully to avoid slipping.

Dad told me my federal tax refund will be $5,757. If all goes well, the money should be in my account in three weeks, which is the week before Furry Fiesta.

My monthly disability pay went up by about $100 starting this month. Unfortunately, so did my health insurance payment.

I've got most of the tax forms I need to file. I'm just waiting on one or two more. I didn't do enough DoorDash deliveries in 2023 to receive a tax form for that (I needed to make $600 minimum.)

I made an appointment with another agency that can hopefully help me start a new radio station. I'll see the agent in a week and a half.

I got advanced notice about a radio job in Denver. The "jammin' oldies" station KJHM is hiring on-air talent. I submitted my online application a few minutes ago. The job listing had a good pay range. I could definitely make a good living with this job and my delivery work.

I might need to bring my change jar to the credit union tomorrow. I just checked my balance and saw I have 9 cents in my account. I also have two payments worth about $52 scheduled to be withdrawn tomorrow. My next disability payment won't be deposited until Wednesday.

Thinking about how communications have evolved over the decades, I remembered the "Dear Pen Pal" program from the 1970s and '80s. I actually had a pen pal from somewhere in New York (Long Island, I think) that I exchanged letters with for about a year.