Doug just went to the post office to drop off our envelopes filled with our taxes. Seeing as we live in Massachusetts(*), I don't think the post office is open today, so he'll swear like a sailor and perhaps hurl a brickie-mart through the window, and come home angry.
Or, perhaps just because today is tax day, they'll have someone on duty to postmark everything for the taxes. Perhaps, but I think I'd be dreaming.
(*) Living in Massachusetts means today is "Patriot's Day," and every state office is closed. The Boston Marathon also runs today, which means the news for the past week and for the next couple days is all about The BM. Seeing as I'm not interested in it, the TV is off. The news... web based and non-Boston sources. It is a "hack" holiday, as they call it. And one of the things I miss most about not working for the state.
Doug finished our taxes yesterday morning, we ended up owing a lot less than we thought we would have in his initial estimations. Which is good. We had saved aside about $3000, and it turns out we owe less than $2000.
Hurrah.
Some cushion in the bank account.
And if unemployment will finally get around to sending me the two checks that I've been waiting for (**) (well, in all fairness, one of them is for the card I mailed in on Friday, so I'll cut them some slack)... we'll have enough to make it through May. I will by then, hopefully, have been paid for two websites, and life will be good, because then we'll have enough to make it all the way through July.
(**) I called unemployment last week just to inquire why I haven't gotten a check yet, and was sent through one of those infuriating voicemail systems that tells you nothing but thinks it has let you know what you need to know. And then it hangs up on you without giving you an option to register further queries. The system told me my "claim is being researched," which is total bullshit because there is NOTHING to research on me. I've now gone without a paycheck for 4 weeks, DET assholes. Send me some unemployment money! I want to be on the dole for a change!!! I tried calling back to get a person, but the only people who answer are the really nice people who initially take your call and get your claim set up. Then, you're screwed. The really nice initial talking people don't take follow up claims questions. They transfer you to the ... soul-devoid auto-liar. So I'm pissed at them right now. Ooooooooo. Barnacles!
After the taxes were done, Doug needed some outdoor activity so he attacked the yard with a vengeance. He's much better at yardwork than I am, and the outdoor area of our home looks much nicer. We have to get plants to start the garden. Today Geoff "planted" squash seeds all over the yard, I'm not even sure where he put them. Some are near the bulkhead to the basement. Some are near where he dug a pirate hole this past winter.
Regardless, I anticipate a ton of summer squash plants to be springing up all over. Geoff loves gardening, so this year we'll have a good garden. It is a task he likes doing, involves dirt and digging, and he likes to see the results when the flowers or veggies grow up. Then, he likes to pick them. Sometimes when I don't want them picked. But we'll see if this summer he understands better about when to pick and not to pick.
Everyone is home for school vacation week, which meant I didn't get to watch any of the crap TV I enjoy watching to make myself feel better about my own life (ie, Jerry Springer...) but I did watch a ton of Nickelodeon and Disney TV. Jessica is wandering around the house, bored out of her mind. I might take her bowling.
Doug got home and reported that the post office was indeed open, which is good, and he went to the butcher shop by the post office and got some grillables... steak tips, boneless pork tenderloins, chicken... and marinades for them. The butcher shop also has "the cheapest beer in town," and they aren't lying. Prices average about two bucks less a 12-pack than where I normally buy beer, so he bought some more for the larder. We're well stocked now. If only our vegetable garden was actually in full production. We'd never have to leave the house again!
There is a HUGE frigging cardinal in our yard this year. Holy cow. He scared the crap out of me this morning. I was looking out the window and he landed on the roof of the bulkhead. Everything was green green green all around and suddenly WHAM! big frigging red as sin bird right in my face.
I guess I'm easily startled.
I just saw him again in the apple tree, with his female... they are picking bugs out of the tree or something. Last year, we had red wing black birds and orioles in the tree. I hope they come back. They were delightful to sit and watch. Geoff has binoculars now, which Grandma Bonnie sent him for Christmas, so he's been walking around out there with them, checking out the wild world of springtime at the Way Out Inn.
Not much else to report really, there's not a lot going on. No good stories to tell. So I'll stop boring you and get back to laundry folding. Ciao.
No comments:
Post a Comment