Totes McVotes
It's the last day to vote in this week's LJ Idol poll! The numbers are really close, and it looks like we clearly need more readers to decide the outcome rather than friends/family from Facebook and the like. The poll is here. Please read and vote for your favorites!
So, there was the windy bike ride on Tuesday, then a rest-day yesterday (while the bike was in the shop). Our forecast is also listing winds with gusts up to 24 mph today, though only (!) 17 mph tomorrow. Augh! We're transitioning into Spring late here, after all those recurring rainstorms, but these windy days are typical. What a pain-- they typically continue randomly through the end of May, about when the heat starts spiking up. Really, the best riding season here is Fall. :(
Still planning to go out today, though. :O
In Spring blooming news, it looks like both of the houses on my morning commute got rid of their wisteria, which is too bad. There's still a big patch of it coming over a retaining wall along the freeway, and more at another house I only see on the way home. Western Redbud is everywhere, including along the parkway (and it's purple, despite the name). Smelled and saw some municipal Scotch Broom on Tuesday's ride, which reminds me that I'm SO glad I don't have allergies. I have chronic rhinusitis, which has a similar effect on my nose (year-round, to boot!), but no allergies. My mother is desperately allergic to Scotch Broom...
I'm starting to seriously worry about getting our taxes done. I filed several amended returns last year (fixes for TurboTax's bugs regarding Coverdell Education savings accounts). We owed more federal tax for those prior years, but got additional state refunds. Now I'm having to work through Publication 525 worksheets for 3 fiscal years, and attempting to figure out what "recoveries and reimbursements from Schedule A" means. ALL of Schedule A? The state/property/personal tax part of Schedule A? The H&R Block tax software is showing some huge amount of state tax refunds I owe money on now, and the numbers aren't right, so I'm clearly doing something wrong. But their software doesn't help me with that. And there seem to be new questions about life- and disability-insurance benefits, where you can purchase more as part of an employee group plan. Now you're supposed to pro-rate those additional benefits as 'income'? I guess? Thanks, Trump! :(
I suspect TurboTax would have sucked in my info from prior returns to compute those Publication 525 worksheets, or at least talked me through it. Gah. I may wind up buying it anyway, and starting over. :(
It's the last weekend to sort this stuff out... Even if I file for an extension, I would have to do a state tax return, which depends on the federal returns, so that's no good. :O
So, there was the windy bike ride on Tuesday, then a rest-day yesterday (while the bike was in the shop). Our forecast is also listing winds with gusts up to 24 mph today, though only (!) 17 mph tomorrow. Augh! We're transitioning into Spring late here, after all those recurring rainstorms, but these windy days are typical. What a pain-- they typically continue randomly through the end of May, about when the heat starts spiking up. Really, the best riding season here is Fall. :(
Still planning to go out today, though. :O
In Spring blooming news, it looks like both of the houses on my morning commute got rid of their wisteria, which is too bad. There's still a big patch of it coming over a retaining wall along the freeway, and more at another house I only see on the way home. Western Redbud is everywhere, including along the parkway (and it's purple, despite the name). Smelled and saw some municipal Scotch Broom on Tuesday's ride, which reminds me that I'm SO glad I don't have allergies. I have chronic rhinusitis, which has a similar effect on my nose (year-round, to boot!), but no allergies. My mother is desperately allergic to Scotch Broom...
I'm starting to seriously worry about getting our taxes done. I filed several amended returns last year (fixes for TurboTax's bugs regarding Coverdell Education savings accounts). We owed more federal tax for those prior years, but got additional state refunds. Now I'm having to work through Publication 525 worksheets for 3 fiscal years, and attempting to figure out what "recoveries and reimbursements from Schedule A" means. ALL of Schedule A? The state/property/personal tax part of Schedule A? The H&R Block tax software is showing some huge amount of state tax refunds I owe money on now, and the numbers aren't right, so I'm clearly doing something wrong. But their software doesn't help me with that. And there seem to be new questions about life- and disability-insurance benefits, where you can purchase more as part of an employee group plan. Now you're supposed to pro-rate those additional benefits as 'income'? I guess? Thanks, Trump! :(
I suspect TurboTax would have sucked in my info from prior returns to compute those Publication 525 worksheets, or at least talked me through it. Gah. I may wind up buying it anyway, and starting over. :(
It's the last weekend to sort this stuff out... Even if I file for an extension, I would have to do a state tax return, which depends on the federal returns, so that's no good. :O