**My arm has been poked, prodded, zipped and zapped, and apparently nothing is wrong with it. I feel relieved that it cost so little for all that. (I think, anyway. Will see what future bills say). $50 for a MRI and $10 for an ultrasounds. Since we surpassed our deductible for the year, we seem to be only left with very small/reasonable co-pays. Phew!

Since they found no mass/tumor/cyst with the MRI, they were concerned it could be a blood clot. Which is why I went in for an ultrasound (immediately). They found nothing, so I am back to the original diagnosis that it seems to be nothing.

I still can't get into the head/neck doctor for a couple of more weeks! So I still have to figure out the lump on my neck. But I suppose it's nice to put the arm thing behimd me and focus on the neck. (Verus facing 2 different medical issues at once).

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My Grandma seems to be going downhill pretty fast. I can't help but feel like it was REALLY the right thing to visit her. One of those things were it didn't make much financial sense at the time. Hopefully, one of the few times I will ever have to make a decision like that.

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My job is uber frustrating because Congress can't pass timely tax legislation. I giggle a little when anyone talks about tax planning. It's an art we have long gave up on even trying in the tax profession.

So, I Read this article today - which sums it up and shows how things will affect the average taxpayer.

I hadn't run the numbers as I have been in blissful denial, waiting for tax patches and extended tax breaks. But, according to this article, I can expect to lose $200/month to income taxes, next year. Figures. *sigh* I'll wait until 12/31 to run the numbers myself, and see what the heck to do about it.

I also heard the state raised taxes, but no details (not sure yet if it affects income taxes).

But yeah, the gist of the article is that Congress may not have decided anything, but payroll tax withholding tables need to be finalized soon, for the year 2011.

Delays to Tax Tables May Dent Paychecks

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870468980457553...

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I started reading the 4000-ish page series. Songs of Fire & Ice. A Game of Thrones is the first book.

Took dh a year to finish it. He finished the 4th book in Hawaii. 3 more books are due in the series. He says it is by far the best series he ever read, but is frustrated since it really is just a 7-book story with no real ending to any one book.

I've been putting off the undertaking, but had thought maybe I would have time to read the first book on vacation. (Instead, we didn't have much down time - lots of eating, napping, hiking - not a lot of reading).

So, dh keeps leaving the book around the house very conspicuously.

Finally, I wasn't feeling well over the weekend and the kids were bouncing off the walls. They were home from school all week, and usually I get them out of the house much more than dh. So, a week with no school, and a sick mom on the weekend, didn't bode well for them. So I finally told the dh, "If you take the kids to the park, I will start that book." Which he had placed somewhere near my sick bed over the weekend - with a nudge nudge. I Was really in no mood to read, but I was in the mood for some settled down kids.

So, I am committed. I am hoping to read 3 books by the end of the year. Will see. First book is 800 pages, but I know one of them is 1300 pages. But, it's going fast.

As such, I won't meet my "12 book" goal for the year, but an equivalent amount of pages? Maybe.

Anyone else read the series?