Misc Friday

Back in March of this year, I opened a letter from the IRS. Such a benign sentence. A more accurate statement would be "with my freaking heart in my throat, I ripped the envelope from the %%$$#IRS, hands shaking uncontrollably." This letter told me that I owed $1,830 for my 2012 federal income taxes. I immediately pulled out my tax file, followed each line on the letter with my own copy of my return, and yep, I owed money. Just not $1,830. After a bit of research with my investment broker, I called the IRS (your call is important to us, please do not hang up, or you may lose your place in the calling queue). I timed it. I was on hold waiting for a live human for 34 minutes.

The woman was extraordinarily nice, polite, and very professional. I explained I owed money, it was entirely my fault, but not that amount. She agreed. I gave her new information, she did the calculations, and told me it was reduced to $524. A great sigh escaped my body, and I said I would send a check immediately. "OH, NO!" she said. You must wait for a new letter with that amount indicated as being due. A small fine will be added. It will take 4 to 6 weeks. Oookkkkkaaaaayyyyyy.

To tell the truth, I forgot about it. I looked for the letter after a month, but when nothing arrived I completely put it out of my mind. There is a lot of stuff in my mind, and it's crowded in there. If something like a notification from the IRS is shoved in, space is limited, and the other, more important stuff will push the IRS brat out the ear. A second letter arrived in July. This time I was confident. This time I wasn't shaking. This time I was a complete and total idiot for believing my government had rectified the compounded error.

THIS letter said I owed $1,836 (note, $6 more), and that I was on my way to the tax court. There were many forms, and it boiled down to if I agreed that I was a horrible tax payer that had abused the system, I would sign the letter and return it to await my punishment. Uh, no. I didn't sign it. I did write a letter, once again making corrections on the IRS letter, enclosing all of it, and mailed it.

Time marched on. A third letter arrived in September. I now owed $529, which included my fine for not paying the correct taxes back in 2012. I about broke my arm writing a check for that amount, and getting it in the mail. Ahhhhh. Relief. It's over. Done. I can breath again.

Uh, no. A fourth letter arrived in October. This letter was very chatty. Hi there, taxpayer. We noted that you didn't pay the full amount of all of our previous correspondence, and that is just not right. Because you didn't reply to us within 90 days (WHAT????), we have no recourse but to bill you for the full balance. (WHAT?????) No amount was indicated. I called. On hold for 41 minutes. And again, the woman who answered the call was polite, professional, and as far as I'm concerned, a saint. She explained that that letter had been sent to tell me I had returned a previous form unsigned, and it involves the tax court, and so they had to let me know if anything was amiss, I was responsible. Ooookkkkkaaayyyyy. What do I owe? Nothing, Mrs. Crowe. Not a penny. I see your payment in full, you are so done with the 2012 taxes, and all is good. I am making a notation on your file that you called today, and that we spoke. You are free.

My birthday was this past Tuesday, November 18th. I received my fifth letter from the IRS. On my birthday. Happy Birthday to meeeee. This letter stated that I overpaid. A refund of $1.17 would arrive within 2 to 3 weeks. Yesterday the refund came in the mail. The check is for $1.18. One penny more. I am now waiting for the letter that tells me I owe them a penny.

Life is good. Screwed up, convoluted, but good just the same.
Linda

Misc Friday

Dubuque, IA river walk

Dubuque IA river walk

Dubuque IA river walk, Pat

View from the top of the 4th street elevator

Mississippi Palisades Park view towards the river

We are having "below average" temperatures that would be average for January. This is the second year in a row that we are having temperature readings in November that should be in January. Do you think that the local FOX affiliate will actually use the words, "climate change?" Hell, no. It's FOX!

As the weather turns colder and you see big flakes of snow swirling, as I did yesterday, one's thoughts turn to the holidays. Yep. The holidays. You know. That time of year when we should be happy and full of joy, falalalalaaaaaaa. Therefore, let us share a few ideas on how to survive this time of year.

I have been a widow for 14 years, and lived a minimum of 170 miles away from my three adult step children and their families the entire time. Their dad, my husband, did not want to stay in the Chicago metropolitan area, and I agreed to move to central Indiana. We always had Thanksgiving dinner with the kids, usually at our home. Christmas we played by ear, very aware of the tug of in-laws on kids. After the two dogs we had when Ken retired passed, we started going to Florida the day after Thanksgiving, solving the Christmas dilemma completely.

I am a firm believer in the concept that blood doesn't mean you have to like one another, and that you can create your own family. Step kids are not blood, we do love one another, and they are my family. But the distance and busy lives have gradually put a wedge into the holidays. I am okay with this. I have created another family with friends. Some are close, some are in the Chicago area, none the less they are family. So the kids (I use that word loosely. They are all in their 50's) are free to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with the other side of their families. All I want is an afternoon in December. Because I am the one traveling, I get to pick the date. I let them know 2 months in advance. This is working, by jove! We go out to eat somewhere, exchange presents with the grandkids, and boom. We are done.

This time of year used to be full of angst, sorrow, memories, and tons of stress on everyone. About 3 years ago I said, to myself, that waiting for invitations was bullshit, and if I choose a date and make everyone stick to it, the stress is gone. Or as much of the stress I can help alleviate. Thanksgiving? I spend with friends. This year I am going to a man's house that I have never met. He is the nephew of my friend, Cathy. I know almost everyone else that will be there, so that is cool.

The point I am trying to make is to stop letting others control the holidays. Stop waiting. Stop having your heart break just a bit every single year. Just do what feels right to you. Don't want to go anywhere with people that you know? Go to the movies on Thanksgiving or Christmas day. I love seeing a movie on Christmas, and trust me, you will not be the only one in the theater. Go bowling. Go to a Chinese restaurant.

It is your life. Live it for you.
Linda

Misc Friday

Spring thunderstorms are going to roll across Indiana today. I can't wait. I just love a good boomer.

I was on one of the quotation websites, which I do almost every day, looking for good quotes. Found this little gem: "I can move my forehead again." from actress Nicole Kidman, after she admitted she had used Botox on her face for wrinkles.

Sooooo. I fully realize that Hollywood, and most of the American society, is obsessed with looking youthful. But does appearing to be younger than your real years also mean you lose the brains that a) God gave you, and b)you should be enlarging with experience and knowledge in the time you have been on this earth? Why would any thinking, reasonable person inject a toxin into their face to plump up a few lines, when said toxin is going to stop all feeling in the affected area? Come on, is it worth it? Aside from the fact, every wrinkle and line on my face has a story. It's called life. I have lived it, and not always as fully as I should have. Not always with happiness and joy, but tinged with sorrow, grief, and fear.  A very wise friend that passed through my life when I was in my mid 20's told me that you can't appreciate the highs without the lows. She said this at a time when I was desperately low, and had survived a devastating experience. It was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment.

So if that experience left a line or wrinkle on my face, I wear it as a badge. A badge that states I made it to the other side. I survived, and yes, you can too. Facial lines tell our story. I wear mine with pride.

Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading the ranting today. I must go tell Sarge the shaking Sheltie that the storm won't get him, he is safe in the house with mom. Sigh.
Linda

Misc Friday

From September 2010, in the backyard

Tonight I am going to see RAIN, the group that relates the story of the Beatles through music. They are appearing in Indianapolis at Butler University. I have heard from friends that this is a great show that will bring back a lot of good memories. I'm looking forward to it.

I came across another quote that I really like:
"Friendship is not diminished by distance or time, by imprisonment or war, by suffering or silence. It is in these things that it roots most deeply." Pam Brown

When we are young, our good friends have to be gathered around us, close, so we can't disconnect. But as you grow older, you realize that distance can enable a friendship to become stronger, more flexible, and far more binding than you ever thought possible. I have friends that I keep in contact with consistently that I have known for over 50 years. Friends, or at least good friends, can last longer than a lot of marriages. Sad, but true.

But there should always be room in your heart for a new friend. That is a wonderful experience as well.

Have a great day. Smile. Let someone into your heart.
Linda

Misc Friday

A little help here, please!

This is me getting up from the first encounter with the sheep last Sunday. Please notice that everyone is running away. Not one of them (sheep or dog) offered to help me up. Ingrates. One and all.

Lots going on of late, so this is a short post. I need some new photos for the blog and hope to do something about that today. Going to a great Christmas Open House at the Gingerbread Shed in Eugene, IN. It is owned by a woman I have known for 21 years now, Linda Wilson. She started off in a converted school bus in her back yard, and has progressed to 3 or 4 different "sheds", small buildings they have constructed on their land. Inbetween the sheds are walking paths and wild flower and herbal gardens. A unique place, a great woman. I discovered her when we lived in Kingman, IN. years ago.

I taught a Christmas Card class at Allyscraps the other night, and we had a ball. Cathy had designed 5 very cute cards, using vintage images from Creative Secrets, and the ladies in class loved them. We hope to do some more classes this month. And I'm making 2 complete Christmas scrapbooks for a friend to give to her son's families. If you would like to see what else is going on at Allyscraps, just click on the scrapbook supply link at the bottom, or the link for the blog at the right.

Did everyone thank a vet yesterday? I said a silent thank you to the ones no longer with us: Pat's mate, Jose, who served in Vietnam in the Army, her brother Pete, who served in the Navy, my uncle Joe who was in the South Pacific during WWII, Jean's brother Jim, who I think was in the Army. My own brother did 4 years in the Air Force. And Jean's husband, Paul, served in Vietnam. Our thanks to one and all.

Go and enjoy the very last of Indian Summer, I'm sure. It has been wonderful here. Thanks for stopping by.


Linda