Monday, January 30, 2006

So Martha needs something new to read...

Ok.

Then come over here and fix this stupid router. Cause I'm not really sure this is gonna go through due to extreme wonky-ness of said router.

Hmph.

Of course we don't NEED a new router. THIS one works just fine.

Except when it doesn't. Which is all to frequent IN MY OPINION. Which doesn't count for squat when it comes to such things.....

Monday, January 23, 2006

I Blame Sue

Cause I just kept taking/doing these things. Couldn't resist this one. Funny how this was one of the four movies I could watch over and over again.....

Your Life is Like

Say Anything...

Monday, January 16, 2006

Tax Season

............sigh.............

Once again, it is upon us. It's been upon us since October...you just weren't aware. Tax professionals...those who do other people's taxes.... have gone to Continuing Education and learned the changes to the tax code. The tax code that changes right up until Dec. 31. The big changes.... the ones that make headlines and are decried our touted by politicians... those are put into law with much fanfare. The picayune things... those keep coming at us.

But here's the bottom line this year.... just like every year.....

For most of us, we get a bargain when it comes to what we get for our tax dollar. I know what you pay to both the federal and state government. We have a variety of folks come through our offices. Those who qualify for Earned Income Credit (look it up) and those who DO have a big tax bill because they are self employed (and have employment taxes due at the same time). But those of us 'in the middle'? For all we get from both our federal and state government... we get a pretty good deal.

We get police and fire protection. We get a Trauma Center when we get hit by a truck. Our children are educated. Our neighbors' children are educated. We have paved roads just about anyplace we want to drive. (unless we WANT to go offroad) We have libraries. We have a war against terrorism. We have interest-free loans when a natural disaster hits. We have people who stay up all night walking our levee's to spot the first sign of weakness.... in pounding rain and wind. We have dams holding back reservoirs that will deliver water to us all through the summer. We have men and women patrolling our waters in aircraft carriers. We have men and women patrolling our borders. We maintain our national parks. If we can't afford it, our children will be vaccinated against deadly diseases. Regardless of our ability to pay, our disabled children will be educated and given every benefit possible. When we take a shower or flush the toilet, we have the luxury of never thinking about it again. When we turn on the tap, clean potable water comes out and we have the luxury of complaining when it tastes just a bit 'off'. Our street lights stay lit all night long eliminating the shadows that those who would do us harm seek. Those that do us harm are locked away in prisons, unable to prey upon us.

The forms are a pain to fill out.

No. I take that back. The forms are really quite easy to fill out. Getting a straight answer from some of my clients is a pain.

I don't know how much you gave to charity last year. I would guess it hovers around zero since you're asking. Those that don't ask "what's the usual amount" have their receipts. If you donated zero, you donated zero. No...you can't just 'take' $500. If you want to take $500 in charity donations, donate $500. If those that make half of what you do can donate twice that... it shouldn't be a problem.

I don't know how many miles you drove on your car last year either.

If you own a business, keep records. You can pull the answer out of your ass or look for it on our ceiling... but when you get audited, you better have it written down somewhere.

Pay what you owe. It's a bargain and in the long run, cheaper than when it's all disallowed after that audit.

So start gathering your records. Go through your check register for your charity donations. Write them all down. Bring that piece of paper to your tax appointment.

And you'll get right in if you do so during the first two weeks of March.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Cause Steph asked nice....

Four jobs you've had in your life: Cashier at The Hardware Store, Hostess at Cafe Orleans, Cashier at The Emporium (those are two DIFFERENT jobs... it counts even if they were both at Disneyland), Map Librarian for The State of California Lands Commission.

Four movies you could watch over and over: Say Anything, Top Gun, Raiders of the Lost Ark, any Harry Potter

Four places you've lived: Madera, Walnut Creek, Tustin, Sacramento

Four TV shows you love to watch: CSI (all of them), That 70's Show, Two and a Half Men, local news

Four places you've been on vacation: Cancun, Alaska, Disneyland and Central Texas in a Big White Van

Four websites you visit daily: SS, all those blogs listed over there ->, My Yahoo, Random links from blogs and My Yahoo

Four of your favorite foods: Sourdough Bread, Crab, Scallops, authentic Italian (gee... maybe my San Francisco roots are showing??)

Four places you'd rather be: At home, on a cruise, on a beach, anywhere warm.

Four albums you can't live without: Albums? ALBUMS? I don't have albums. I have tunes. No albums.

Four magazines you read: Magazines that come into my house: People, Sacramento Magazine, Creating Keepsakes, Lasting Moments. READ is another matter.....

Four cars you've owned: 72 Impala, 95 Camry, 2002 New Beetle, 2003 New Beetle

Four people to do this meme: Normy, Jean, Jennifer, Marfy

My Youngest Child

A few minutes ago I lemmulated a blog entry because I had nothing to say.... Then my youngest child came downstairs, dressed for school.....

This child has many friends. She really doesn't have anyone who doesn't like her. She is friends with nearly every person she meets. She's having a hard time being less friendly to a toxic child in her class.... Everyone Loves Emma. This has not made her an egomaniac or a prima donna or anything like that. Other moms have told me how Emma never gets caught up in the drama of being in 5th grade and who likes who and all that. One of the moms said "Oh yea...you probably didn't hear about that... Emma just doesn't let it bother her and just goes with the flow, never taking sides...." Oh. Ok. (EXCELLENT)

It is for this reason that I don't really police her clothing choices. The biggest issue we have is that she would like to wear her strappy heels to school. I say no. I win. But there are many many days that I look at her and think "Anyone else would get their ass kicked for wearing that. Anyone else would be laughed at. Anyone else would be mortified to be seen in that get up." But not Emma. Not my budding fashion designer....

Today's outfit......from the toes to the head....

Sketcher sneakers. Totally ok.
Jeans. Totally ok.
Top: Her pink fuzzy fleece like turtleneck tank top. Kinda cool for sleeveless...but ok.
Jacket: Denim jacket. Good choice.

Then we go.....wonky....

OVER the denim jacket is a green and pink crocheted poncho with a pink fun fur knitted scarf. Yes. OVER the jacket.......

On her head? The knit beanie I made for her. Which is fine, except she has her hair up and it looks like she has some sort of horrid monster tumor on her head cause the beanie stretches enough to go over the updo.

Why she didn't wear her pink suede/fleece knee high boots...... I don't know. It would have REALLY pulled the outfit together....

I love that kid. She makes me laugh most every day. Often at her choice of outfits for school.... but apparently I'm the only one.

So Stacy doesn't yell at me....

I'm cheating cause I really don't have anything to say, but I don't want Stacy to yell at me. And I'm skeert of Stacy...... So I'm copying. This is technically copied from Sue, but others have also done this.... feel free to copy off me. You don't want Stacy yelling at you either. You should be skeert of Stacy too....

A is for age: not quite yet 40.... but we are on official count down. I actually can't wait!
B is for booze of choice: whatcha serving? Yea, ok...as long as it isn't beer, I'm mostly ok with it
C is for career: oops. Forgot to have one of those.
D is for your dad's name: He'd get mad if I said it on the Internet.
E is for essential items to bring to a party: Me of course! Lately, it's been the crab cakes the recipe to which we got from The Great and Wonderful Valley Oak Maytag.
F is for favorite song at the moment: 1985.
G is for favorite game: at the moment: Cranium
H is for hometown: I hear they call it "The O.C." now. Of course, not if you LIVE there....
I is for instruments you play: flute, voice.... but I don't think I can get the bagpipes to sing anymore....
J is for jam or jelly you like: Jam. Strawberry.
K is for kids: 2
L is for living arrangements: California Production Home with accompanying California Mortgage
M is for mum's name: She'd get mad if I said it on the Internet
N is for name of your crush: Normy
O is for overnight hospital stays: ah gee.....higher math on this thing? uh... 9?
P is for phobias: wild water...ocean, rivers....
R is for relationship that last lasted the longest: Still goin'....20+ years
S is for sexual preference: Yes, thankyouverymuch.
T is for time you wake up: Noon. I get out of bed by 6:30am....
U is for underwear: Yes....unless I go commando.....
V is for vegetable you love: Corn on the Cob fresh from Davis Ranch (which means I've been to Marfy's too! Extra bonus!)
W is for weekend plans: National Holiday for Normy's Birthday... so I'm going to the outlets with Theresa and Theresa is making us attend the Youth and Parents Fundraising Meeting on Sunday...then shopping with Emma. Might throw a cake and a few presents at The Man at some point. Someone else's birthday this weekend too. But she'd get mad for disclosing personal information on the internet, so I won't mention it.
X is for x-rays you've had: are you kidding me?????? Suffice it to say: radiation burns are no fun.
Y is for yummy food you make: All of it is yummy. It's the MAKING that is an issue.
Z is for zodiac sign: Cancer. I was doomed from the get go.....

Friday, January 06, 2006

My Dear Stacy

GREETINGS from soggy California!

I am happy that you did not have to stay extra time at your appointment of yesterday. I hope it all continues to go well.

Things have been rather crazed around here. There was Christmas. I had a blog entry on Christmas. I wrote it a while back and saved it. I didn't know that it would insert it using THAT date as the publish date. You could scroll back. You'll know which it is. No music tho'. THAT would be a good blog for a musical interlude. But I'm sure everyone can 'hear' it anyway.

But while everyone else was on vacation, I still had work. Including at 6am on New Year's Day. Big sale at Knitique. We opened at 6am. We had people lined up waiting for us to open! But since I got Normy's crud two days earlier, I just came home and went to bed. And now it's inventory time.

Then there is the small matter of other things happening that have suddenly required much emailing. But you know all about that. And since that has been occupying the greater part of my brain, I really haven't had much to blog about.

But now I must get in the shower so I can run off to work. I hope you have a lovely day!

~Nancy