Sunday, April 06, 2008

Death and Taxes

Death and taxes consumed most of my Saturday. It was a rainy day - steady rain for a change - and perfect for the jobs at hand. It wasn't as bad as the post title cliche makes it seem. I spent the day scanning old photos and locating some digital shots for Big Daddy's funeral reception. I also did our taxes (finally!).

Going through the photos was fun. I did find some good Big Daddy photos, but also enjoyed seeing old friends, family, pets, and places I used to live or visit. There were a few issues getting my scanner to work on PDM's computer. The software didn't work with Leopard (his new operating system), but the problem was easily solved by booting up with the older operating system. I've still got to scan photos from some other family members and expect to get some digital photos from them as well. The obituary was published in today's paper, and his service is next Saturday. So the photo collecting is a bit "last minute" but I think it will all work out in the end.

The tax stuff went smoothly (other than the usual shock at seeing the total amount we have paid in over the year). We don't have anything super complicated going on with our income and/or deductions, so the returns look pretty much the same every year. I originally just bought a software package to do federal, but I caved and downloaded the state version because I just didn't feel like dealing with it and I knew it would take far less effort that way. The state program found something I didn't know about and more than paid for itself with that bit of info, so it worked out for the best. This kind of stuff is NOT how I like to spend my Saturdays, even rainy ones. I'm glad it's over for another year.

I haven't done anything worthwhile today. And isn't that the best way to spend a lazy Sunday? PDM has spent hours making more tessellated tile patterns for the new porch floor. Me, I've been damn near useless today. Reading, surfing, eating, and napping, with about 20 minutes of random house and yard work thrown in to make me feel less guilty about the rest of the day.

How was YOUR weekend?

15 comments:

dr sardonicus said...

Look on the bright side! It rained!

LL said...

Ahhhhh... memory lane. Went down that way myself here a few weeks ago. Found some wedding pictures from a couple of years ago. Much hilarity ensued...

Glad you had a productive weekend, my dear.

Jeni said...

Actually, today was a grand day -really, it was.
Mandy and Maya and I went to church -very nice service today. Then to the store to pick up the Sunday paper and a couple little things we needed. Came home, had coffee and a cream-filled donut and coffee while I got thoroughly ticked off at today's crossword puzzle. Gathered both the little ones up and went up to my son's so he could show us all the work he and his roommate have done inside the old house my son bout 4 years ago - the bar they've built into the old dining room of the place and the new stove with the grill feature they have built-into the top of a big old buffet that used to be here. Had two beers there from their tap, watched my son and his girlfriend clean up the brush and leaves in his yard and burn them and then came home and cooked a big supper for all of us. And the neatest thing I think about the whole day was that I had the back door open with a nice breeze running through the house then most of the day! Sun shining, breeze blowing, warmish but not exactly "warm" -just enough. Nice day, just a very nice day!

fermicat said...

dr s - loved listening to the rain Friday night into Saturday. Slow, steady rain is something that, unfortunately, does not occur often here. Not anymore.

ll - nice to get a smile from old photos, isn't it? I topped it off by calling my old neighbor from Massachusetts - I needed to tell him about Big Daddy anyway, but it was fun to get caught up.

fermicat said...

jeni - PDM would be jealous to hear about that tap! We have a friend here that has a home bar. I'm surprised we ever see him buying a beer elsewhere! The first spring days when you can have the house open are glorious. Glad you had a nice Sunday.

wa11z said...

A tap is just what is needed after death and taxes...

Debo Blue said...

I spent my Sunday working on year end performance reviews for my people. I should have done my taxes. I have a bet w/my mother that this time I won't wait 'til 4/15 at 11p to file. I've just got to buckle down and do them.

Dianne said...

I love the sound of the rain on my carport roof! Especially if I can sleep in and just gaze at the clouds.

I work the weekend so I kinda lose track of the days.

I'm glad you enjoyed going through all the old photos.

tiff said...

That restful Sunday made up for the whole taxes thing.

E-mail me if you need me to rationalize something else...

Natalie said...

The only certain things in life, right? Glad you went through some of those photos now that you've had a little time for the initial sting to subside.

My weekend was wonderful - spent time with my mom and step dad who were in town for the big day last week. Will be posting about our adventures soon.

PS- Love th picture of Silvio below. He still has the kitten look in his eyes!

Minnesotablue said...

Old photos are such fun. It rained here also but it is always nice to feel the rain on the roof rather than being outside darting between the rain drops.

fermicat said...

wa11z - so true.

debo - that's another thing I hate to do. I'm glad I no longer have to do performance reviews. They're worse than taxes.

dianne - love to sleep with rain sounds going on.

tiff - Thanks for the un-guilt trip.

magnetbabe - looking forward to hearing about your post-PhD adventures.

minnesotablue - we'll take the rain however we can get it these days. But yeah, nicer to hear it than to wear it!

fermicat said...

Today's newspaper had an article about Big Daddy: Clem Fortner, magical cop, inspired young performers. The ventriloquist interviewed in the story was the same one who posted the video of Big Daddy presenting him with Sam.

MJW said...

Hey! I sure hope you will post some of those old photos here and on Flickr! I would love to see them.

I did my taxes (by hand!!) yesterday during some free time at the tax place where I work. Believe it or not, no one offered to let me use their ultra-high-class tax software to do them. That's OK, though. They weren't complicated this year, and I've also become quite adept at that crap in the last few years. Still, getting started on handing my money over to criminals is like talking myself into jumping into a lake in northern Idaho in December (through a hole in the ice, of course ;-), so I kept putting it off for as long as I could.

fermicat said...

MW - I may post some photos with a friends and family filter, so you will be able to view them. Anyone else who is a regular here and wants to see the very few private photos I post on Flickr is welcome to send me a flickr mail and I will mark you as a friend. The vast majority of my photos have non-human subjects which I do not restrict in any way.

It seems like your tax employers ought to let you use their stupid program for free. What a crock. I know that is what the people do that charge well over a hundred dollars (they use the program). For most people, a simple $20 software package is all they need for filing taxes. I still mail mine in -- when they make e-filing free for everyone then I will do it. I refuse to pay one penny more than I have to for filing taxes. I know it probably costs them more to process a mailed in return, which is why I refuse to pay them for the e-filing privilege.

But when did anything associated with paying taxes make sense?