If there’s a perfect day to do income taxes, today is such a day.
It’s miserable outside. The wind is cold and relentless. Which, now that I think about it, is what I’ve heard about the IRS. I do a search for TurboTax and click on the download button. I’ve got to do this. I can’t put it off any longer.
Bridget and Spike are restless.
I know what’s going to happen. I’ll get right in the middle of the tax return and they’ll start pestering me to go outside. There’s going to be a storm soon, so we might as well get this over with.
“Okay, you monkeys. I’ll take you out.”
Once the crew is suited up, I open the door. The wind whips it out of my hand. What a dark and dreary day! I tighten up my hat and adjust my walking stick.
“Now we’re not going far. Just up the road and then that’s it.”
Out on the road a car approaches.
This is unusual. Since we made camp here at Ash Fork last Friday, I’ve only seen one other vehicle on this road. The car approaches and stops. A man steps out and walks toward me. “Hello, rvsue!”
“Oh my gosh, I don’t believe it!” The man gives me a big smile and introduces himself as Don, one of the readers of my blog. He’s from North Carolina. We manage to have an enjoyable conversation in spite of standing in the middle of a raging windstorm.
After Don drives away, the crew and I continue up the road.
I look up the hill expecting to see my neighbor’s camp. Camo man is gone! I never heard him drive by our camp on his way off this section of the Kaibab National Forest. I’m strangely disappointed, and wonder who he was, what brought him to this place, and where he’s going.
The wind is really hammering us now.
“Okay, guys, I can’t take any more of this.”
We turn back toward home which delights Bridget in particular. She strains at her leash. I unhook them both, and away they run at top speed into the wind to wait for me at the door of the BLT. Now they’ll take a nap and I can do . . . . yuck . . . those damn taxes.
"Spike is hogging the bed!"
Ooh, it feels so good inside.
Over on the table my laptop sits waiting with gaping jaws. A box of unorganized scraps of paper and documents squats sullenly at its side. Oh, how I hate this job . . .
Suddenly rain pelts the windows and wind buffets the side of the BLT. I peek through the blinds.
“Wow, this is quite a storm.”
I reach up into the cabinet over the stove and pull out a skillet. What I need is a scrambled-egg-and-salsa burrito . . . and, let’s see, hmmm . . . and another cup of coffee. Then I’ll do the taxes!
rvsue
rvsue and her canine crew 
What’s your hurry – you have almost a week left!!
Too funny!
I haven’t done my taxes yet Sue, don’t feel bad. I usually have it done right after I get my forms but not this year! My son has to help me now that I have a small jewelry business.
I hope you get yours done so you can put it behind you. Stay warm and dry. I love hearing the rain on the roof. Puts me to sleep. I feel better that camo man has gone.
It was nice of Don to stop by. look forward to hearing from you again. Sharon
Sorry to brag .. . my taxes are done! Good luck with yours.
I like rain on the roof, too. Today the wind blew the rain sideways into the windows.
Hi Sue, Got rain showers and wind this afternoon and breezy tonite. Sky and sunset gorgeous with all the clouds! And they force me to drive guests back and forth to the Zion Visitors Center 3 days a week. Life is GOOD!!!!
So you’re officially on the job!
we are officially on the job! Chuck has the easy job! LOL
Oh the joys of full time’n. If it ain’t the wind, it’s the rain. Then on top that…..the IRS hound’n ya for your last dollar. And then the dogs wanna go for a walk. But don’t ya just love it?
Hey, Billy Bob . . . Doesn’t it frost your cake? Wind and rain are bad enough . . . and then taxes. I finally got the suckers done…. Feds burned me bad, but good ol’ Georgia came to the rescue!
It is amazing how much a person has to pay out, in order to work!! We figured that we might not be that much worse off with early retirement…so here goes in a couple months!! (Well, hubby’s health just cannot take the undue stress anymore either, but we also looked at the tax situation. Pretty soon, you figure out that you are killing yourself off and for what?)
Good for you, Elizabeth! And your husband, too! There’s a better way to live than working every day . . .
Hope your little cocoon isn’t rocking too much in that wind!
It’s finally over . . . We were like a cocoon hanging on a branch in the wind.
Right there with ya on those taxes. I just can’t seem to keep at it especially when it looks like I’m gonna owe them. How can that be when my income is way down. I thought income down=taxes down. So I do it in short spurts. Let’s see I have 4 more days right??
How can you stand to spread it out over days! Once I start, there’s no stopping until they’re done. That’s why I eat first!
Was just on the weather channel and found this link to help us with finding scenic drives, listed by state…maybe you know of this already: http://www.weather.com/outlook/driving/scenicdrives/?sd=az_index.jsp&list=y …maybe it should go elsewhere on your blog…but I found it interesting and helpful.
I followed the link and read about the scenic drive of Hwy 67 going to the North Rim. A lot of info about the road, the history, wildlife, weather, road conditions, camping, etc. There’s a map, too. You’re right … very helpful.
I’d like to have a place for links like this on my blog. I don’t want to put them on the sidebar because there needs to be an explanation and that would become messy. If I make a separate page, it would soon become another discussion page . . . It’s hard not to talk about a great link, especially one that shows where you’ve been or where you’re going.
I love your blog Sue. Hope to meet someday.
Thanks, Ed. Nice of you to tell me.
Looks like Spike is hogging the heat and the bed.
Feels good to get the taxes done.
Did I miss the photo of your Mick stick?
The Mick Stick was going to be in this post. I couldn’t bear to go outside for the photo shoot, You notice only one photo with this entry and it’s an interior one!
I am saving the tax return prep until Saturday. I also need to go to motor vehicles division on Saturday too! So my weekend is just going to be chock full of fun stuff… I am sure I will be waiting at motor vehicles a long time.. maybe I will take my laptop and do my taxes there..hmmm… maybe not. I am happy for you that yours are done. That is such a great chore to be able to cross off the list!
You really know how to punish yourself . . .IRS and DMV in the same day. What? No time for a root canal?
Glad you got the taxes done and were snug in your Casita rug. One of the things I have really enjoyed about the Casita is the ability to cocoon and just relax when it’s yucky outside.
We have a couple of “stack jacks” we use under each side of the front frame in addition to the rear stabilizers cause I don’t want the Casita to wiggle at all and Paul likes to take the weight off the tongue jack. Do a search on Stack Jacks if you want some easy extra stability. They’re lightweight and easy to use.
If I find them . . . or if a reader finds them . .. they’d be a good item for the Resources page.
A Casita is cozy during rotten weather. I tell the crew that when they insist on going out. I open the door and Spike jumps out without looking. Bridget takes one look and backs inside … “Oh I see what you mean. I’m not going out in THAT!”
I’m afraid I would find the grueling task of doing taxes just too taxing for my short attention span. Kelly fills out the preliminary stuff & then we take it to a tax place. A stormy day can be a cozy day once in a long while & I generally find a short storm, exciting. Always a bit scary when an unidentified vehicle, person or persons approach the campsite unannounced. Been on the receiving end of that situation before & it can be uncomfortable.. Very rare for Kelly or I to approach other campers..
When every day is pretty and calling me to come out and enjoy, I don’t have the self-discipline to face taxes. A yucky day is what it takes for me to be a grown-up and get the job done.
Yes, there are those awful first moments when surprised by someone obviously heading right for you. Part of the boondocker’s life . ..
Hey Sue, Here’s hoping your tax reporting is virtually nil next year . . . . or nothing at all. I’ve had 2 years of not sending in a report – no money! Am finally at the bottom end of that 99%!
I think I’ll be joining you for next year’s tax season! Yay!
This year I had half a year of teaching wages, social security, pension, sale of primary residence, change of residency, blah, blah, blah….. What made it worse is I couldn’t get my soc. sec. account to open and trying to get a new password from soc. sec. … I’d go through all the steps with the robot customer service machine and at the very end it told me it couldn’t help me. No indication if it was because the robot wasn’t working right or if I did something wrong, pushed the wrong key, whatever .. .. So I just added up the amounts on my direct deposit and hope it matches what Soc. Sec. sent to IRS.
Did you remember to include the Part B premium deduction from your SS deposit; or do you pay that yourself?
Yay! Your taxes are done and the storm has passed. Ours are done but just need to mail them. I figure when your paying some in, let them wait til the 15th. Love the picture of Spikey begrudgingly “sharing” his bed with Bridget. Enjoy your day. Looking forward to seeing more pics and stories.
Hi, Karen!
The Bed could have its own blog. During the day, it’s a power thing. One gets in, the other has to get in, too. I hate to say it, but there’s been some snarling and snipping about it. Of course, Bridget takes the opportunity to give me her “This is so unfair” face, and Spike gets smug (while he gets snug).
Then nighttime comes and neither will get in The Bed. I have to wait for Spike to fall asleep on my bed, and then I lift him down into The Bed. He wakes up around 4 a.m. and climbs back up with me. Drama all the time around here . . .
Took several days, but I started at the beginning and caught up to where you are now. You got guts lady! I envy you. (Bet you haven’t heard that one before.) I’ll be following along cheering you on.
Hey, Llanos!
You’re the one with guts … reading this blog from the very beginning!
Thank you for deciding to follow us along, and welcome!