Bonus day, chicken woes, Victoria’s house

Today is a much anticipated day at my company. It is the day we find out how much our bonuses are going to be. February of each year a variable compensation is awarded to all employees. Some years it has been a large bonus; some years not so big, but there has always been some money given. I do not have high expectations for this year but we will know soon enough.

It is one upbeat (hopefully) day in an otherwise overcast economic situation. It always amazes me how aggravated people can get over this payout. Through the year most of the employees have done their jobs faithfully without much extra, but when it comes to this bonus some expect to be paid as if they were CEO. I have always thought of this as free money – a way to pay down my tax burden for the year; because there is a large amount taken out in taxes. There is never a bad feeling from anyone in my group. It is always a good day for us.

Yesterday Mama was upset that one of her chickens was being picked upon by the rest of the flock. I suggested letting the chickens out of the pen they have been in since we moved them to the farm in Chico. She thought that was a good idea. In Bowie, they had always returned to the coop at dark so there was little risk to them and it would be a good test for future days.

That turned out to be poor advice. They meandered all over the farm, the back yard, the front yard, the flower beds, the newly sown grass in the front yard, tearing up the ground as they went. Mama was quite frustrated by the time I got home. We both should have known what would happen because of how they moved around the entire farm in Bowie, but for some reason it was still a shock. Mama and Grandpa will assess the damage this morning. It will be a long time before they are allowed to roam freely again.

Mama and Victoria are heading to the bank this morning to get things lined out for closing on Victoria’s house Monday afternoon. She and Grandpa are very excited about the little venture. Both have made grandiose plans for the house and accompanying acreage – most of which, I definitely agree with. It will not take too long for those plans to be scaled back into manageable projects.

Victoria is quite humbled by the help she has been given by Grandma and Grandpa as well as by Seth and Norman. In the long run it will be a good thing to have the extra living quarters for Grandma and Grandpa and in the end for Victoria to have a house of her own.

We will see how it all works out but for now we are all looking forward to the project.