And another
Apr. 11th, 2010 09:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
altivoI usually try to make weekends restful, which this one was not. The chores that would usually have been divided over two days all had to squeeze into today, since yesterday was overloaded.
Having finally gotten around to doing income tax, Gary discovered that he made $65 too much from his musical pursuits and is forced to file all the extra forms for a "business". Even though this is supposedly streamlined for performers, authors and such, he's completely in a tizzy about it. I pointed out that this should mean he can deduct expenses such as repairs to his instruments and the mileage he drove to get to performances, and I know he has records of all that. But he's not used to pulling them all together, and especially not in the last four days when he still has school assignments. There's also something about his scholarship at school and the amounts not balancing somehow so he is required to write an "explanation." He never sees that money. It is paid directly to the school from the state, so if their statements don't balance between what was supposedly paid and the amount the school billed, it's really beyond his control. It looks like he's going to have to file for an extension. Fortunately, he still should have a refund due, so he won't be paying interest or anything.
Mine (which haven't been done either, since he insists on doing them) should be simple, thank goodness. Standard deduction because I don't have enough deductible expenses to itemize, one employer, one source of income, fill in the blanks. The only other thing they'll want is the amount I paid into my IRA for 2009, which is simple enough. Since we have no mortgage, our only shared deduction is the property taxes. Those are ridiculously high, but we trade off who gets to deduct them. Since he's going to have to file this whole mess, he might as well take the extra deduction this year.
Weather was fairly decent today. I think all the daffodils are open now, including the more exotic colors and ruffly ones. I took some more photos but haven't unloaded them from the camera yet. Apple trees are budding and just the tips of some leaves showing. Maples are dropping those red flower head things. Oaks all still look dead, but that's not unusual. They generally wait until May to start showing signs of life.
We were in Farm & Fleet on Friday evening and they had baby chickens and ducks. So cute. We're down to just three ducks, all of them geriatric, but the ducklings were straight run, not sorted out by sex. We really don't want any more male ducks, since eggs are the main reason we keep the noisy critters.
Tess got to go out for her hour of grass, and was well-behaved going and returning. She also was waiting at the gate when I went to get her. It's good to get her into the routine early, should make the rest of the summer much less stressful for everyone.
I made Brunswick stew in the crockpot for supper. It was simmering away all day and the aromas filled the whole house. Turned out quite well, too. Traditionally the Brunswick stew was made from squirrels according to my cookbook. Eeeww! I used chicken instead. The other ingredients that make it "Brunswick" and not something else are lima beans, kernel corn, onions, and tomatoes. I also put diced potatoes in. Crumbled bacon is added just before serving, probably to provide some fat for those squirrels, who would be pretty lean at this time of year. ;p
Having finally gotten around to doing income tax, Gary discovered that he made $65 too much from his musical pursuits and is forced to file all the extra forms for a "business". Even though this is supposedly streamlined for performers, authors and such, he's completely in a tizzy about it. I pointed out that this should mean he can deduct expenses such as repairs to his instruments and the mileage he drove to get to performances, and I know he has records of all that. But he's not used to pulling them all together, and especially not in the last four days when he still has school assignments. There's also something about his scholarship at school and the amounts not balancing somehow so he is required to write an "explanation." He never sees that money. It is paid directly to the school from the state, so if their statements don't balance between what was supposedly paid and the amount the school billed, it's really beyond his control. It looks like he's going to have to file for an extension. Fortunately, he still should have a refund due, so he won't be paying interest or anything.
Mine (which haven't been done either, since he insists on doing them) should be simple, thank goodness. Standard deduction because I don't have enough deductible expenses to itemize, one employer, one source of income, fill in the blanks. The only other thing they'll want is the amount I paid into my IRA for 2009, which is simple enough. Since we have no mortgage, our only shared deduction is the property taxes. Those are ridiculously high, but we trade off who gets to deduct them. Since he's going to have to file this whole mess, he might as well take the extra deduction this year.
Weather was fairly decent today. I think all the daffodils are open now, including the more exotic colors and ruffly ones. I took some more photos but haven't unloaded them from the camera yet. Apple trees are budding and just the tips of some leaves showing. Maples are dropping those red flower head things. Oaks all still look dead, but that's not unusual. They generally wait until May to start showing signs of life.
We were in Farm & Fleet on Friday evening and they had baby chickens and ducks. So cute. We're down to just three ducks, all of them geriatric, but the ducklings were straight run, not sorted out by sex. We really don't want any more male ducks, since eggs are the main reason we keep the noisy critters.
Tess got to go out for her hour of grass, and was well-behaved going and returning. She also was waiting at the gate when I went to get her. It's good to get her into the routine early, should make the rest of the summer much less stressful for everyone.
I made Brunswick stew in the crockpot for supper. It was simmering away all day and the aromas filled the whole house. Turned out quite well, too. Traditionally the Brunswick stew was made from squirrels according to my cookbook. Eeeww! I used chicken instead. The other ingredients that make it "Brunswick" and not something else are lima beans, kernel corn, onions, and tomatoes. I also put diced potatoes in. Crumbled bacon is added just before serving, probably to provide some fat for those squirrels, who would be pretty lean at this time of year. ;p
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no subject
Date: 2010-04-12 07:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-12 10:02 am (UTC)The land is greening, and blooming here, as well. Nature has Her cycles, and birth generally coincides with the availability of food. Fishermen were out in abundance with 'Opening Day' on the 10th, and the blackflies were waiting to greet them.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-12 04:18 pm (UTC)The second loudest creature on our property is my mare, Tess. The third loudest would be our dog Sarah, who has fortunately learned not to bark as much as she once did.
Neighbors across the road have miniature donkeys, and those are also loud and tend to go into cycles of "hee-haw-ing" at odd times (like 2 am.) The wild foxes (or at least the vixens) are also loud during the night at times.
Generally I don't mind the animal sounds, though. What I find intolerable is the sound of small engines, such as lawnmowers, dirt bikes, or hedge trimmers; also the sound of television or radio programs being played so loud that I can hear them from a half mile or more distance.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-12 04:23 pm (UTC)The crane expert I heard speak last week said that blackflies may in part be responsible for the decline of the whooping crane. As a result of climate change, the flies have been emerging earlier and earlier since the beginning of the 1900s. Where they weren't in abundance until after the eggs were hatched and the young were developing feathers back in 1900, now the flies are in full force while the adults are brooding the eggs and unable to move away to shake them off. The flies also attack the newly hatched chicks.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-12 04:49 pm (UTC)Seems I'll be getting some 500 euros back too, though it's coming around Christmas, they're not in any hurry to give it back...
no subject
Date: 2010-04-12 04:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-12 05:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-12 05:11 pm (UTC)Brunswick
Date: 2010-04-12 05:15 pm (UTC)Re: Brunswick
Date: 2010-04-12 05:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-12 05:50 pm (UTC)I guess having extra money is tricky these days. Should I be happy that I don't have any? :-)
no subject
Date: 2010-04-12 09:27 pm (UTC)Happy not to have it? Well, it can be a headache I guess, but I've never had enough to verify that personally.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-12 10:35 pm (UTC)Re: Brunswick
Date: 2010-04-13 12:57 am (UTC)That would be a 'lane' comment ;o)
Re: Brunswick
Date: 2010-04-13 01:12 am (UTC)Furthermore, I declare that you both rolled gutter balls and I will enforce strike-through on those comments. ;p
no subject
Date: 2010-04-13 05:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-14 08:41 am (UTC)Quack quack :)
Hmm Tess is well behaved she must be up to something :D
I like the sound of your Spring, it's mostly evergreen around here so we don't see much of a change in the seasons.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-14 11:19 am (UTC)