Taxes.
It’s taxes.
I’m forty @$%! years old and - due to a string of crap I don’t want to re-hash, especially not in this thread - I have only a vague idea of what’s involved.
What I need is a coherent Step One. The lack of a concrete start point is what’s flipping me out.
But my W-2 was mailed to me during a cross country move and I don’t know where the hell it might be at this point.
Can I get another one somehow?
Contact the company that sent you the W-2 and ask for a duplicate. They might even be able to email it - that’s how I got my last few pre-retirement.
And the pump is working. I took it out, flushed it, plugged it back in - eureka!! Now I know why Taz kept coming into the bathroom for running water! I can’t believe I didn’t notice it had stopped. Then again, a lot of crap has been going on around here.
Remember, two "R"s. M-O-R-R-O-W, like tomorrow without the to.
In addition to the pork I was attempting to cook, I also tried a slow cooker bag. Won’t do that again. It inflated with the heat and kept the liquid from circulating. Most of the pork didn’t cook. I’m trying again today without the bag, and without all the soy sauce.
How come someone isn’t painting it then? (The contrasting paint does sound fancy-all decoraty and coordinated)
I gave up after about 5. Just gave them a big bowl and told them to pat the water with their paws to jiggle it. Several of them actually do.
Back after I eat my grilled cheese sandwich. Burned on one side of course, it’s like a law with me, can’t make one without at least one black side.
Boo
In a fit of “put off taxes” I decided the rat room simply must be cleaned today. (To be fair, the floor was a mess.)
I put each enclosure outside so I could sweep, which attracted the attention of some neighborhood boys riding their bikes. Maybe 9ish or 10 years old.
I asked if they wanted to know why I had “mouse cousins.”
Yes.
I informed them that I had a snake, who also needed to eat, just like they did.
Pregnant pause. . .
Would they like to see the snake?
Well, you betcher ass they did.
So it was that yer ol’ pal Purple had an impromptu zoology lesson in her front yard. Ratties promptly forgotten.
The one who immediately declared himself scared of snakes was the first to gently touch her.
Being boys, they wanted to know how she poops. (“Same way you do.”)
After a couple minutes, I let them hold her so they could feel how heavy she is. One snapped pics.
Happy Thorsday!
Was a cloudy 57 degrees at the park this morning. Nobody there but Lucy and us, and a few on the small dog side.
Echo is being a brat, I almost left her home this morning because she wanted to play games, and then she wouldn’t leave the park. I decided to stay longer, but when I was ready to leave. I grabbed her and put the leash on her so she couldn’t run off again.
Supposed to be cloudy all day, with a high of 73. I should go to the park this afternoon as there probably won’t be many there.
I should be washing clothes, but I see the next few morning will be in the 60s, so I can wear shorts and don’t have to worry about clean pants.
I don’t know why some people won’t get their dogs fixed. I’m pretty sure Thanos will be bred at sometime, he comes from a champion line of pit bulls. I don’t see much point in it though, as there are already so many pits at the shelter. Up here that is about all you see, pits and hounds, with an occasional chihuahua or some type of cattle dog. I’m never talked to the ridgeback owner, but I suspect he will probably want to breed his dog at sometime. Others are old school farm types who aren’t going to spend that kind of money on a dog, or are the type who think it’s cruel to do to a male dog. There are a few who are waiting until their dogs get a little older, now that vets are saying that spaying/neutering too soon affects the growth plates.
It’s against the park rules to bring in an intact male. However, the rules get broken all the time. I think though that if there are two intact males at the park, one of them should leave. The same if there is a female in heat and an intact male there.
LOL@ “Brokeback Mutt” The two did seem to be quite enamored with each other.
‘There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep.’ -
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Taxes is a dirty word, it should be banned from the English language.
My father taught me how to do taxes, it involves much cursing, and in his case, a six pack. In my case, a shit ton of chocolate.
Step 1 is to gather the necessary tools, pens, paper, calculator… and fortifications, alcohol, chocolate, popcorn…
Step 2 is to gather all the documents, many of which you won’t know you need until you are knee deep in the shit.
Step 3 is to notice how dirty the top of the fridge is and to clean it. It’s also a good time to catch up on your mail, clean out your inbox, sweep and mop the floors, vacuum the carpet, change the linens, scrub the bathtub, clean out the freezer, clean the oven. There’s no way you can concentrate on taxes with all of that dirt weighing on your mind.
Step 4 is to get comfy at your desk.
Step 5 is to notice that your nails need to be filed, and some polish might be nice, may as well do the toes while we’re at it. And damned if the dog/cat/bird nail couldn’t use a trimming too. While you’re at it you may as well schedule that mammogram and teeth cleaning. Aww, hell, go clean out the closet, you know you want to.
Step 6 sit down at the desk
Step 7 Google Turbo Tax, google Tax Act, google H&R Block
Step 8 oh wow! Look at these cute cat videos, I’ve never seen these before
Step 9 stop watching cat videos and pick a software
Step 10 realize you are tired, and go to bed
Step 11 wake up next morning, admire your clean house and pretty nails
Step 12 file for an extension
Done
for now
You’re right, my nails DO need a cleanup.
What’s this about the top of the fridge, you say?
I see you are off to a good start.
My shower was never as clean as when I had a paper due in graduate school.
Here’s a headline I never thought I’d see:
Woke up from my nap, walked Gordie again. Got the chicken for Asian BBQ chicken marinating.
if I said that, I woldn’t be allowed within 200 yards of a school again. 
Gordie is happy with a plastic bowl of tap water. Alex Catt requires Brita water served in a tea cup. With ice cubes.
The soup hit the spot. It tasted exactly as I remembered it. I got drenched on the way home, and the grocery bag did, too, which is why it broke. Though the store doesn’t allow us to bring in our own bags, I always keep a waterproof one in my purse, so I was able to transfer everything. Anyway, there’s enough soup left to make it dinner tonight.
Shoe, if your employer doesn’t come through with a W-2 duplicate, you can call the IRS to get a copy. You’ll need your social security number, the company’s name and address, the dates you worked for them, and last year’s tax return. (I’m assuming you filed one last year.)
Doing taxes is frustrating and gives me headaches, but it’s worth doing to get them off your back. Are you using a program like TurboTax? (I think there are cheaper and even free ones out there.) Doing it totally solo might drive you nuts.
It stopped raining. Maybe I should go for a walk.
I’ve begun to sign up for virtual 5ks, which is ridiculous - I don’t need to sign up for something to go waddle, BUT, I do want a Dia de los Muertos t-shirt, dammit. So I’m doing the old man shuffle (you know, where the upper half looks like it’s running and the lower half is…not) to finish the 2020 is a Dumpster Fire 5K and Day of the Dead 5k whenever I damn well feel like it, all for the privilege of some more interesting workout shirts than I currently own.
So there. Yes, that was completely random, but I’ve been admiring these two race shirts for over two weeks. Selfish as I am, I tend to run races for the swag rather than the cause. Bad, bad overly.
Howdy Y’all! I managed to complete this morni’s yahd task with minimal damage to my person. Got it all done and limbs hauled off in just over two hours. Go Me! A shower and nappage were my rewards. Sup has been et. 'Tis rainy and chill mode continues here at da cave. My team is up for mowage over to the church house tomorrow and Sattidy. Tomorrow looks to be rainy, so we shall see.
I had to snicker. As I was reading this, my Sal came over and stuck his head in my glass of ice water. I had to not think about where that tongue had last been…
Not that it will stop me. I’m not about to walk all the way out into the kitchen to get a different glass.
@nellieby I have two years of tax mess to clean up. It’s the adulting that has been keeping me up nights and darkening my days for months. To the point of paralysis. Thanks for the W2 tip, I didn’t know that. I may need you to hold my hand some or at least remind to breathe.
Boo
OMG, the bean soup was YUMMERRIFIC!!! We each had 2 bowls, and there’s enough for 2 more small bowls tomorrow, or I can be nice and let my sweetie have it all. We shall see.
Just back from a quick run to Food Lion for a few things. And I forgot the craisins, dammit. I need to write things down or put them in my phone or something. Oh well. I’ll load the dishwasher, then treat myself to an evening of chillage. And I think I may sleep with Mel tonight. Because I’s tahred!!!
shoe, boo, good luck with the taxes. I’ve used Turbo Tax the past several years and it really is simple enough (unless you have multiple sources of income, IRA/Annuity/Mutual Funds) in which case the more expensive options are required. But the “Deluxe” option I used walks you through it and does all the calculating, so I seldom spend more than an hour on it anymore.
Sari, Thanos is a great name for a pittie (have several friends with them, need to mention that). Hope Echo will exit Brat stage soon.
shoe, don’t be surprised if you have more ‘guests’ wanting to meet your snake…young boys love to talk about things like that…and BTW, I think what you did was great.
I am a celery chewer from way back, that and raw carrots gets me though a lot of buffets…
Vow, sounds like you had a day of Alarms (in AZ) and Excursions (to-from bathroom). Take care.
talky, at least you can do a 5K shuffle…me, I’d make it about 2K and that’ll be it.
Dishes got washed and cheeburger assimilated. Rain still has a couple hours to go according to the weather radar, so no soccer today (except for watching it on TV). 65F and wish it would stay between 65-75F all the time. No such luck.
Take care all. Need to put together a Big Bowl O’Sallit (including celery bits) for dinner and watch ST: The Next Generation on the Teevee.
{ pokes at laundry } I don’t think it’s quite dry, but I’ll just haul the entire rack back in and set it in the “later” corner. Hopefully Monkey won’t hunt everything with straps (masks, bras) overnight.
Didn’t pull the sheets, oughta do that tomorrow. I did fill out the voter application, and dropped it in a mail slot.
gotti, I hpe that you get some pain relief soon and that the upgrade isn’t way out of line.
{{{ace}}}
Mooooooom, not a bad grandmother, just a tah-red one.
wordy, your neighboring counties sound a lot like Tennessee and the demands for HS football, plague be damned.
shoe, find the forums to ask the questions that you need to ask. IME, TurboTax is pretty easy if you don’t have a bunch of oddball income and/or deductions.
dicey, wilted celery can be used in soups and casseroles. If you find it getting ahead of you, it can be chopped and frozen or dried for work free additions to later dishes. If you live somewhere with decent pimento cheese (or make your own), that’s good on it too. 
Nelson’s owie seems to be getting better. I’ll still take him to the vet tomorrow to get checked, but it’s now smaller than it was before he scratched it open.
Irked, dropped the mailable bills in the blue box, came home, met a new neighbor while walking Nelson and finished off the last of the mojo poke with some California blend. After KP, it’s chill time.
Stay safe and healthy y’all!