The Time War and the Other Tax Block

This was my plan. As soon as I got all my tax documentation, I was going to sit down and do my taxes. Really. Mid-February at the latest. Now usually it's my fault that I put it off to the last minute, but while I did miss a couple of opportunities to sit down and compute, for the most part, I was blameless. A daughter visited; I had an operation (Good excuse, right? Say it's a good excuse.); my grandson spent the weekend; I went out of town; I had to make things for my PRE class; I had to clean the house for Easter; there was Easter; and, finally, my grandson came again. And there you go. All my time disappeared into the vortex. 

Yesterday (I wrote this on the 15th), just in the nick of time as usual, I finished figuring out how big a check I was going to have to send the government. I wish I could say that it was all over, but since, for the second time in two years, I did not get a form from the Social Security Administration, I had to file for an extension. So, I ordered the form and I still have to finish filling out my 1040 when it arrives, but at least I have written and mailed the stomach-turning check, so the worst is over.

Lately, I have found it almost impossible to write anything, and I realized yesterday it's been because of the taxes. The dread of doing what is really a pretty simple job, has so filled my consciousness that nothing else could manage to squeeze past it. Now, all that has gone away, and this is the third blog post I've written today. I have to admit that neither of the other two (one of them is scheduled to appear later) required much writing, still, they both had more words than none, which has been my average lately.

Part of my problem, too, is daylight savings time. Yes, I know that everyone else has done all their grumbling, and had a miserable sleepy week over a month ago, but I never have adjusted to it. Since I usually get up almost three hours before I have to leave for work, it was easy just to sleep late for a few days. I was going to get up 10 minutes earlier every day and make a slow transition. But, then I was off work for my operation and then I took two weeks off for vacation, and now I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and start getting up.

Okay, I'm finished grumbling now.

I have many pictures that I want to post from my retreat and from the pilgrimage and the tractor show. Probably many more than you want to see. But, as it is getting close to my bedtime, I will only show you two. Last Sunday when we were walking, I came to a field and I thought that it would be interesting to take a picture of it from the same place every Saturday for a year because now it is practically barren, and before long something will be growing in it and it will change frequently. So, I took this picture on April 6.

Then just four days later, the rains came down and floods came up and when we passed the field on the way to work, it looked like this.

It's not the same position because we were in a hurry and we had to stop in the middle of the road and roll down the window to get this one, but you get the picture--instant lake. I knew the field would change quite a bit over the year, but I didn't expect this much change this fast.

AMDG

By the way, if you don't live in the US, this is the other other tax Block.