Wood Nymph

The weather widget on my computer shows a low of 12º F  for Corrales tonight. Given the fact that the lows the weather service predicts for Corrales are typically 15º F to 20º F higher than the lows we actually get at our house, the temperature may fall below zero tonight.  Of course, the motor and upper limit safety switch in our furnace had to burn out this afternoon — I suppose for no other reason than to celebrate one of the coldest nights of the year! 

While I had a spare motor, which I replaced, I didn't have a spare safety switch, so the furnace will not run unless I bypass the safety switch. We have five oil-filled electric radiators we are using to keep things warm until the safety switch I ordered comes in.

I finally got the new shelves built and installed between the two refrigerators. We changed the design a couple more times this morning, and finally came up with a plan that gives us more storage space and a place to hang our pots and pans.

When I went out to get some more materials for the shelf project, I dropped by MVD express to change the title of the Kia back to me. I gave the Kia to Tristan in 2007, and she gave it back after buying an old Honda Accord last week. The State of New Mexico is desperate for revenue, so instead of cutting useless departments and laying off staff like businesses have to do in tough times, the bureaucrats are trying to find ways to increase revenue. One revenue enhancement I discovered today is that to give a car as a gift now requires both parties to fill out forms and have them notarized, which is a major hassle. You can't simply say you sold a car for $10 either. The MVD looks up the  NADA bluebook value and bases the value of the car on the average trade-in value, so you pay taxes on the average trade-in value.

The Kia was totaled in 2006 and I bought it back from the insurance company as salvage, so it was valued at half the average trade-in value. I argued that since it's totaled, it should be valued at half the low trade-in value, but the rules require even totaled cars to be valued at the higher average trade-in.

On this penultimate day of 2010, I got ripped off by the state, and our furnace went out — at this rate, we'll have adventures up to the last minute of the year.