It has rained off and on today, so I stayed indoors. DH did some adjustments on the ski machine, and I used it for 45 minutes today; it seems to be better now, and doesn't hurt my knees. I like to have an alternative when it's too nasty outside for riding my bike.

Tomorrow we're going to get our taxes done at my sister's house; her husband is a CPA (nice advantage to having one in the family!). My other sister and her husband are going with us, since it's about a 45 minute drive to a larger city north of where we live. I'm looking forward to talking with my sisters while the menfolk do taxes! :-) That is, if we don't get washed away in a flood; there's weather alerts out about terrible flooding for the city where my sister lives, although we never have flooding here (our town is located on a plateau region).

DH bought me a delicious small cake from the bakery, but I confess I'd hinted what I wanted. This is one of those cakes with soft white cake and loads of thick, sugary white icing. I'd had a serious craving for that, but didn't want to buy a big, full-sized cake, since it would NOT be eaten here. I'd never eat more than a couple slices, and DH doesn't care for them all that much. Anyway, I'll have a tasty treat tonight -- which I think I deserve, considering I stay on a strict calorie restricted diet most of the time. He also got me a lovely card...and I'll give him his card after while.

Today as I used the ski machine I listened to some music videos on the TV/VCR which I've had for years. One is "A Thousand Miles From Nowhere" by Dwight Yokam. It has an evocative video of him riding on a train through what looks like Texas, flat and barren landscapes...forlorn, sad, etc. I like the song lyrics too (Yokam is a very talented song writer as well as actor). Anyway, I was reminded of a young guy I wrote to on death row at San Quentin back in the early 90s. I was in my 40s, and he was almost 30. I truly felt deep compassion for his life; he'd lived an awful childhood of abuse, then wandered around the streets before he killed someone. At any rate, he eventually killed himself there on death row. I don't know why Yokam's song reminds me so much of him...but it does. I wrote some poetry during that time, The Gift which captures some of what I felt writing to him.

Have a happy Valentine's Day!