Taxes: It's income tax time in the good ol' USA. Once a year (or four times a year if you're lucky enough to have to file quarterly estimates and payments) we pay our homage and our money to Uncle Sam. It's all a part of citizenship in this great land.
At those times we try not to think of all the waste that goes on, paid for with our money. Or the expenditures we don't personally approve of, paid for with our money. Or the fees we have to pay for either: 1) a professional tax preparer to fill out our forms and render unto Caesar, or 2) tax preparation software that does the job cheaper but with some investment of our time to enter all the data needed.
I've always filled out my own tax forms, and once my daughters began earning money and paying taxes I offered to do theirs as well. As I reported here earlier, this year I opted to buy a copy of Turbo Tax and use it for the three family returns.
When my desktop computer went to sleep and wouldn't wake up I was concerned. Why? Because I had used it and the Turbo Tax software to prepare almost all of my tax return. I was just waiting for one more piece of information to complete the (lengthy) process.
I feared that the computer was fried, and I would have to load the software onto Carol's laptop machine and start over from scratch.
When it roused itself all by itself, I was delighted. But I didn't want to turn it off or reboot it in fear that it might never show further signs of life. Kind of like those movies, in which the star is dying but his/her companions keep saying, "Don't fall asleep! Stay awake! Stay with me!"
Well, I have now finished the tax return and filed it. Tonight I will turn off the compbuter, and tomorrow I'll learn if it will ever awaken again.
(Meanwhile I've speced out a great new desktop powerhouse from Dell, and I'm almost hoping this computer does NOT wake up so I'll have the perfect excuse to buy a new one!)
In the midst of all this activity at home, I've been in the middle of our annual benefits renewal at work. Plus we're interviewing for two engineers and a couple of technician openings. Plus...well, you don't want to hear about all my boring work stories.
Thus I have not been posting here at "Romantic Ramblings." I've not been reading your blogs and commenting. I've just been otherwise occupied.
I WILL let you know the status of this computer. At some point.
Have a great weekend, all!
7 comments:
Glad to know you're still alive...
Glad to know your computer is still alive, hope it stays that way.
Gee, Karyn, were you adressing that to ME, or to my computer?
My computer was turned off overnight, so I don't know if it's alive or not. This evening I'll hit the "on" button and see what happens.
If you meant ME, why thank you!
(At least Peter -- above -- is not ambiguous. He's just concerned about the computer.)
John
You have to do the annual benefits at the same time as taxes? Who's idea was that?
You are wonderful to do the taxes for everyone, btw.
-Scruffybutt's Mom.
Scruffybutt's mom: When our plant last changed hands two years ago, the new owner bought it at the end of April. On May 1 we lost all of our former owner's benefits and started our new company benefits with one-year contracts. Thus every year in April we go through our renewal and re-enrollment time. Yes, it's the same time as tax time.
Usually it's not a problem because I get all of my family's taxes done (typically) in February and March. This year, due to a long complicated story, I didn't have all the information I needed until THIS WEEK!! So that put a load of tension on us that isn't usually present.
John
You've been missed, John. Before you turn off that computer, have you backed up your taxes? Have you printed a copy?
I don't have to tell you what reading your post has done to my blood pressure, do I?
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