How do I know clams are happy? I don’t know, but they look like they are always smiling. Now let me start with the posting.
I was one happy being this morning when I set out for my walk. Miss Raylene had a commitment. So there I go taking my time, admiring nature and its gifts. On the way back to my house, I saw this little pretty creature on a tall pine tree. Guessing my shot, because I only had my sunglasses on, I was nicely surprised when I got home and reviewed my pictures. Nice, very nice. I think this beautiful Robin (I think it is) was just there posing for me and my ccc. One of the snowbirds coming back North. Hi Lindsay. Maybe the muses will ignore my having fired them and will contemplate returning to their job. Everything was nice and dandy, until I decided it was about time to start my…
dreaded taxes. This year, for the first time in over 30 years, I will have to pay “them” instead of “them” sending me a nice surprise. I kind of had an idea. The deduction for federal taxes from my income was slimy low, but I thought, well, probably it won’t be that much at the end of the year when I will have to send my contribution. Surprise of surprises! It is double the amount I was budgeting for.
I remember Ron used to change his personality when he used to work on our taxes. He wouldn’t shave for a few days, had the dining room table full of papers, on the floor, more papers, lots of sharpened pencils, and a tiny calculator. I bought him a larger one, but he felt pleasure using the tiny one. Maybe he thought the numbers in a smaller scale were not that threatening. Where’s my small calculator, again? I need that thing right now. Then after Ron used to finish the taxes, he said he needed to give them time to cool off. I never understood that one. Numbers don’t change by themselves. Well, I need to put my numbers in the freezer. I need those numbers to shrink immensely. It’s funny how now I get a lot of the things Ron used to do or say. Hi Ron. Divine intervention, please. These numbers are humongous.
Not only are the taxes giving me palpitations, so are the allergies. Drip, drip and sneeze, sneeze, itch, itch. It’s all part of being human.
I will pay Uncle Sam. I like the highways in good condition, and we need to pay those what you can call them, you know, those …. in Congress, and then I love my country. Need to give my fair share.
So it was today, a tax preparing day…March 22, 2011, compounded with the allergies.
Your Happy Contessa
“Three things you can be sure of: paying taxes, having problems and dying.” It is a good life.
Noury's Creative World... 
There are some very cheap tax preparation computer programs out there you can use. You just download an update every year. Your piece of mind is worth it.
Lindsay, I was just using paper 1040s for drama. I use the “free” Turbo tax. It is amazing, but still the numbers are there constantly to remind me how much I have to pay. I am revising and then revising some more, hoping for a miracle. Milagros where are you?