Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The Boomer Chronicles

The Boomer Chronicles

BloggingBoomers Carnival #171

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 06:07 AM PDT

It’s Monday morning and that means time for another BloggingBoomers Carnival. Translation: a bunch of links for middle-aged people. It’s hosted this week by the MidLife Crisis Queen.
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Monday, August 2, 2010

WineontheKeyboard

WineontheKeyboard

Evolution

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 03:20 AM PDT

So, I’m just thrilled to have my hair short again. I thought I’d bring you along on a review of my two and a half year journey back to short hair. I started like this.

patobriens new orleans

I think I started to let my hair grow out in March of 08.

This was February of 09:
kacey photographer

This was June of 09, I called it my artistic and creative ponytail stage…
pony-tail-2

Yes, I know. It really was just falling out and looking messy, but go with me here.

Finally made it to this length in January of this year….but I wore it back in a ponytail Every. Single. Day.
365-sp-0101-3621

Got it cut a bit. This was February of this year. I liked it, but it was a lot of work and often fell flat.
365-0203-4880-edit2

I’m finally back to this, and I love it.
self-portrait-7874

My 2 1/2 year hair journey.

The End.

Similar Posts:
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Consumer Boomer

Consumer Boomer

Basic Rules of the Traditional IRA

Posted: 02 Aug 2010 05:10 AM PDT

Individual retirement accounts offer a great opportunity for individuals and married couples to start their retirement savings today. There are many different types of IRAs, each with their own benefits and drawbacks. It is important to understand how each type of IRA works to pick the type of account that will best meet your current and future needs. Here we look at the traditional IRA which is a popular personal savings plan and the basic rules of this type of account.

Rules of the Traditional IRA
Creative Commons License photo credit: GillyinKent

What is a traditional IRA?

A traditional IRA is a saving plan that offers the owner of the account the opportunity to set money aside for retirement while enjoying certain tax advantages. The traditional IRA is one of the two most popular savings accounts utilized by individuals and their spouses. The other is the Roth IRA which is similar but still has distinct differences.

Tax advantages of the traditional IRA.

For many people, the best aspect of contributing to a traditional IRA is the fact that contributions can grow tax-free until the time of withdrawal. This means that when you meet certain income requirements, all or part of your contributions to your IRA can be considered as a tax deduction when filing your income tax return. This will reduce your tax liability at the time of contributions. This advantage does not come without a cost however as eventually (at the time of distribution) the owner of the account will have to pay taxes on money set aside for retirement.

Contribution rules for a traditional IRA.

To establish and contribute to a traditional IRA, the owner of the account must make contributions from taxable income. This can include wages, salaries, bonuses, commissions and self employment. Some things that would not qualify include royalties, rental income or earnings from investments. There are limits to the amount of money you can contribute annually which are determined by income and filing status. For most people, all or part of the contributions will be considered a tax deduction.

Distribution rules for the traditional IRA.

Before you establish and contribute to an IRA it is important to understand the distribution rules. This is important regardless of what type of retirement account you open as it can determine how much money your earn or lose at the time of contribution. IRAs are designed for long term savings and as a result, they are set up to discourage early distribution. To avoid extra fees, you should avoid taking money from a traditional IRA before the age of 59 1/2. This is the earliest age when earnings or contributions can be distributed. Distributions must be made by once you reach the age of 70 1/2 or you risk losing a hefty sum to the IRS for not making minimum distributions.

Anyone who is considering a personal savings account should research all of the options available to them before making a final decision. The traditional IRA is an excellent tool to save money toward retirement and understanding all of the rules in advance will allow you to reap the most rewards from this type of savings strategy.

Where to Open a Traditional IRA

Need to open an IRA? Here are review posts on your options as well as links to open an account:
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Going Like Sixty

Going Like Sixty

Geeky Animated Gif Monday

Posted: 01 Aug 2010 11:02 PM PDT
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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Going Like Sixty

Going Like Sixty

Fixing Oiled Up Alabama Shrimp for a One Handed Person to Peel and Eat

Posted: 31 Jul 2010 11:21 PM PDT

One of the really cool things about going to the Nashvega’s Farmer’s Market is the huge variety of home-grown stuff that isn’t available in the Smallburg Farmer’s Market. Nancy was feeling good enough after her surgery (nerve block had not worn off yet) that she wanted to walk around and pick up a few things.

Like Alabama Gulf of Mexico Shrimp. Hardly home-grown, but buying shrimp from the back of a Ryder Truck is just more fun. It’s like buying Noritake dinnerware at a discount. Good stuff, no middleman.

When I asked the guy how it was all I hear and read is about how bad the fish business is in the region, he blamed “the media.” He said there was plenty of sea food of the Alabama shoreline,

you just have to go out farther to get it.

The shrimp season just started in Alabama and the media said the shrimpers were working for BP.

I grabbed a two-pound bag of shrimp ($28), brought it home and marinated it in zesty Italian dressing, sautéed some asparagus and mushrooms in extra virgin olive oil.

As we sat down to eat, I had my Moment of Dur.

There was nothing in our wedding vows about having to peel shrimp ’til death do us part.  It was fun to watch a one armed shrimp peeler at work.

Living in and Loving Tropical Kentucky

Posted: 31 Jul 2010 09:09 AM PDT

We’re now getting about a leaf every three days on our banana tree. It’s fun, and pretty amazing. One day a greet shoot will appear, a few hours later start to unroll and then the next day a new leaf will show up. The leaves will be all droopy in the blazing sun, but a short thunderstorm or a heavy dew perks them right back up.

Jaysus, what a life: I’m thrilled over banana tree leaves. Gadzooks!

We’re going to Tropical Barbados in October! Sorry to brag about that, but I am excited about snorkeling, ziplining, scubaing, and swimming with sea turtles!

Rum! Forest! Rum!

Banana Tree June 20, 2010

Banana Tree July 31,2010
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