Giving stuff away can be complicated

... at least, if you want a tax deduction for it. This is a good article on how to do it properly which is trickier than you might think. I see a lot of contribution receipts in my line of work (as a tax preparer) and many times they are invalid.

Fewer people will itemize their deductions on their 2018 tax returns. For those who will take a standard deduction, charitable giving will be easy because keeping track of donation receipts will no longer be required. However, if you plan to donate and itemize, be aware of the rules, particularly for amounts above $250. (Just $251 can get you in trouble. Over $500, even more.)

While this article gets into the weeds a little bit, it's not as boring as its title might imply:

Lesson From The Tax Court: The Substantial Substantiation Rules In §170

The takeaway: 1) Always get a proper receipt. 2) Know what a proper receipt is.

Update to Missing the Music

[This is a follow up post to Missing the Music.]

Jimmy is back. Alas, without Nancy who was recently placed in a memory care facility. He's trying to adjust and struggling to know the right things to do. He has been her primary caregiver until now and it's been difficult for him to let go of that responsibility.

He was on his bench this week, listening to music and trying to take a break from what he's been going through. He is worried about what Nancy is going through and is waiting for the opportunity
to bring her back to the waterfront, to their regular bench. For now, he plays music for her at the facility where, he tells us, they have some nice outdoor space.

We never really knew Nancy but Jimmy has been with her for twelve years. They were always by each other's sides. It won't get better for Nancy but in time, hopefully, things will get better for Jimmy. We are glad he's back and glad to hear his music.

Overachiever

It's not fall yet!

Ah, passwords.

There are as many websites on strong passwords as ways to devise and keep track of them all. I do my best to create strong passwords. I also have a scheme for keeping track of them which involves translating them into keywords so my list of passwords only has keywords and not passwords. Every time I log in somewhere, though, I have to look up the keyword because there are so many derivations, each according to how secure I want to be. (Banking passwords are stronger than sites that contain no financial information, for example). It might be difficult for a human to circumvent this system but probably not so much for a computer.

All this effort does nothing to protect my mailbox.  Luckily, the IRS is introducing a new format for receiving tax transcripts by mail. A tax transcript can be obtained online or by mail and contains all of the information used in filing your tax return so you can see what the IRS has recorded for your income, deductions, and payment of tax. It includes your social security number, address, employer information, and adjusted gross income - everything you need to steal one's identity. Unfortunately, this change doesn't occur until after I ordered mine. (Change takes effect September 23rd.)

I ordered a transcript after I received an IRS tax notice thanking me for my 2017 amended tax return. Since I hadn't filed one, I thought getting a transcript was not only a good idea but probably easier than trying to call the IRS. I could have ordered one online (and probably should have) but since they would have had to check with credit reporting agencies to verify my identity, I would have had to temporarily suspend the credit freeze on those accounts (which was put in place after last year's Equifax hack).

I figured delivery by mail was more secure than lifting the credit freeze (if not the lesser of two hassles) but I was wrong.

I don't know that anyone actually stole it. What I know is I received an Informed Delivery email from the US Postal Service announcing it was going to be delivered to my locked mailbox on August 23rd. The email contained a picture of the envelope. I could see it was from the IRS and I could also see my social security number through the envelope. (C'mon, guys. Maybe thicker paper stock?? If I can see it in an emailed PDF, don't you think Average Joe could see it in his hand?) I went to the mailbox to retrieve my mail and - not there.

I checked the next day, and the next. Still not there. I reported it as missing with USPS. To date, I have heard nothing back. It does not appear that the mailbox was broken into and that is the only piece of mail that's missing. The only one. WTF?

So, now, I've re-upped the fraud alert (which, it turns out, was what I had before - not a credit freeze - which means I probably could've ordered online in the first place). In addition, I've filed an Identity Theft Affidavit with the FTC and the IRS. Meanwhile, the IRS is holding on to part of my refund for last year which is what precipitated this whole mess.

So far, nothing bad has happened (other than the aforementioned) *knocking wood* but I've learned my lesson: have strong passwords because the alternative is a pain in the neck no matter how you get there.

At least I had something to write about.

I started the day by sleeping in and then sleeping in some more. I kept hoping that someone would bring me coffee in bed but since that didn't happen, I got up and made it myself. Having left all my toys in the vicinity of my bed, I retreated there to write whereupon I spilled my freshly made coffee.

I cried out. While the bed itself was mostly unstained, I had flooded the nightstand. (Yes, one night stand.) My night in shining armor (who might have avoided this tragedy had he brought coffee to bed in the first place) arrived with rags in hand for the mop up on Aisle 1.

The carpet was relatively coffee free so our efforts were focused mostly on the nightstand, lamp, and surrounding walls down which coffee dripped and pooled precariously on the baseboards. The blessing was that I didn't dump the entire cup and I still had most of it, now cooled considerably, to enjoy.

The cup a safe distance away, I arranged my pillows and toys just so before placing my cup on the nightstand and climbing in once again.

Let that be a lesson to you White Knight! (Or, could we just install the coffee maker upstairs?)

This is Not a Political Blog

In fact, the subject of politics rarely interests me. Even if it did, I'm not likely to bring it up. And, as a rule, I wouldn't post anything political on this blog.

However, I'm making an exception for the Vancouver City Council race. I'll admit, Sarah is a friend of mine. That notwithstanding, I think she's the best candidate for the job. You can check out her website here and on Facebook here. She's civic minded by nature, involved in the community, fair, and honest. She would do a great job for Vancouver.

Even though I'm rarely politically engaged, I am doing what I can to help her campaign. To that end, here's a video of the recent primary election night:



(The video should start just as she comes on camera. If it doesn't, she comes on at 48:16 and goes to 52:42.)

I'll try to keep the political posts to a minimum - that's not what this blog is about - but if I can help Sarah between now and November, one or two more posts may sneak in. I hope you'll bear with me and, while you're at it, consider giving her your vote.

Thank you.

I'm voting for Sarah too!

Who is this really?

From: Lynn_C_Dot
To: Hubby

Do you want to go to the Seahawks versus Dallas game on September 23?

Amtrak tix are still available. Up on the 22nd 12:18pm-3:30pm. Back 6:10pm-9:08pm. (Game is 1:25) Cheap tix are $140 total rt. Not as comfortable as business class but we get to sit together and we can hang out in the bar car.

Haven't looked at Seahawks tix or accomodations but the calendar is clear.

L

From: Lynn_C_Dot
To: Hubby

Hello?

We can do it same day but it costs $20 more. (Still less than a hotel room.) Leaves Vancouver 8:38 am and arrives Seattle 11:50. Game time is 1:25. Return trip leaves 6:10 pm and arrives Vancouver 9:08 pm.

What do you think?

L

To: Lynn_C_Dot
From: Hubby

Who is this really?

Missing the Music

Jimmy and Nancy

If you spend any time on the Waterfront Renaissance Trail in VanWA, you've seen these two. You'll find them sitting on a park bench, listening to music. They are Jimmy and his wife, Nancy.

Nancy has Alzheimer's and doesn't communicate much anymore but she does seem to connect to music, Jimmy told us. His phone is loaded with a variety of music, mostly pop, which he plays on a small, portable Bluetooth speaker. He loves it when people, usually small children, stop to dance and he'll change the music to whatever people seem to respond to.

Everybody knows "that guy" - the guy who plays music down by the waterfront. Very few people say hello but every once in a while a friend passes by.

We haven't seen them lately. They always sit on the same park bench by McMenamins but there's very little shade and it's been unusually hot here lately. We usually take the bench next to them but have taken up a spot further west under a shade tree. Even so, we walk back to see if they are there to find their bench empty.

We miss them. We miss their music. They've been a fixture here for years and we hope they're okay. If you see them, stop and dance for a while. It would make Jimmy's day.

Witness the birth of an iceberg

EarthSky article and video:

" This iceberg broke off Greenland’s Helheim Glacier on June 22. If laid atop New York City, it’d stretch from lower Manhattan to Midtown. "

Dog Days of Summer

... are here. Roughly, until August 11. Men, especially, take heed:

" The 1729 British Husbandman's Practice claimed that 'The Heat of the Sun is so violent that Men's bodies at Midnight sweat as at Midday: and if they be hurt, they be more sick than at any other time, yea very near Dead'. It therefore advised men to 'abstain all this time from women' and to 'take heed of feeding violently'. "

Wikipedia

This guy's in trouble.

Don't play with fireworks, children!

Because something like this could happen. And did last night.

We were invited to a friend's house last night to celebrate the Fourth of July. She lives at the end of a dead end street next to a couple of large empty lots. In one, a small group (looked to be a family) set up their own party with lawn chairs and coolers. And fireworks.

One of their explosives didn't work as advertised. As I understand it, the firework in question was designed to spin on the ground and then shoot upwards. Instead, it shot sideways and landed in a tree behind our friend's house.

I saw it streak across her back yard, just behind her fence. Immediately after, a man ran from the vacant lot, across her driveway to her back yard. I thought it odd but didn't know anything was wrong until we saw smoke which was only a short minute later.

Our party evacuated the premises and waited at the house across the street as for firemen to arrive. The men went around back to do what they could with garden hoses. The women comforted the children, most of whom were scared and crying.

The fire spread quickly to neighboring trees and, eventually, to a utility pole which also caught fire, causing the power line to fall. PUD was called. A man with a professional-looking video camera appeared on the scene but no news truck.

Meanwhile, neighborhood fireworks continued all around us.

Here's the kicker. After PUD and the fire department left, people from our own party started lighting off their own fireworks. To their credit, they spoke with the firemen beforehand and asked their advice on the safest place to shoot them off. The street in front of the house was indicated.

By this time, the children had stopped crying and the events of only moments before were entirely forgotten. (Cake will solve most problems.) Fireworks ensued and the kids were thrilled.

On with the show, I guess. Next year, I'll stick to my own back yard where fireworks are illegal.

Not A Second To Lose!

(... or gain, apparently.)

June 30th was like any other day. Maybe you noticed.



Paris, 09 January 2018


Bulletin C 55

To authorities responsible
for the measurement and
distribution of time



INFORMATION ON UTC - TAI


NO leap second will be introduced at the end of June 2018.
The difference between Coordinated Universal Time UTC and the
International Atomic Time TAI is :

from 2017 January 1, 0h UTC, until further notice : UTC-TAI = -37 s

Leap seconds can be introduced in UTC at the end of the months of December
or June, depending on the evolution of UT1-TAI. Bulletin C is mailed every
six months, either to announce a time step in UTC, or to confirm that there
will be no time step at the next possible date.


Christian BIZOUARD
Director
Earth Orientation Center of IERS
Observatoire de Paris, France

Reports From the River

My scale misses me when I travel. Whenever I return from a trip, she lies about my weight. While flattering, there’s no way I could have lost poundage eating deep dish pizza in Chicago.

But the love wears thin in about a week when she suggests, in no uncertain terms, that that I’ve gained three pounds overnight. Another one today.

She misses me no more. Must be time to go somewhere.

This is a picture from this morning's walk. You can see the beach is back now that the river has receded. Not long ago, the river was up to the white-ish mark you can see on this bulkhead wall.

A blue heron landed at the water's edge beside me as I was taking this picture but flew away again before I could snap his picture.

On my walk, I saw the Russian guy. I have no idea if he's Russian or not. I just have this idea that he is. We used to see him walking every morning along with a woman and a child (wife and daughter?) but haven't seen them in a while. Today, it was just him.

I also came across the Hat Lady. We call her that because she is always wearing a big hat. She is usually wearing a long, flowing dress as well but we don't call her the Dress Lady. Today, she was wearing shorts and I confirmed that she has legs. Two. She was walking her fluffy white dogs. The dogs were not wearing hats, nor dresses, and had four legs each. 

Last night, the airplanes were flying west to east which is the direction they usually fly in the winter. Today, they are flying east to west. I am relieved as summer hasn't even started yet.

I've avoided work for as long as I possibly can this morning. If I can avoid work for just a couple more minutes, it will be afternoon and I will have successfully eschewed work for half a day.

It's possible I'll get some work done this afternoon. It's equally possible I will take a nap.

Who talks like this?

"We will make investments to modernize our key technology platform to enable more innovation and reduce our IT run rate spend over time. Additionally, we will invest to improve cross-channel client experiences and enhance our marketing and advertising capabilities. We’ll improve the service quality and consistency in our offices. This work is in process and we’ve already started to make some changes, including our decision to consolidate 400 smaller company-run offices. This action will help optimize our footprint and enable us to more effectively manage our field operations, elevate our talent and deliver more consistent quality to our clients.”

 Whatever that means.

H&R Block plans to close 400 tax prep offices | Accounting Today

Recommended

Last night, we went to see Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill at Portland Center Stage. In a word: not to be missed. (I realize that's more than one word but, really, it's not to be missed.)

Deidrie Henry is amazing as Billie Holiday in her final concert. Henry's voice is beautiful and her acting believable as she takes us on a journey of Billie Holiday's life.

Portland Center Stage at the Armory is a small enough venue that any seat is a good seat. We happened to sit in the third row where I was enthralled by Henry and her supporting cast, Abdul Hamid Royal on piano, James H. Leary on bass, and Charles Neal on drums. Henry, who delivers 99.9% of the play's dialog is both funny and deeply poignant and her interpretation of Billie Holiday's music was evocative and full of emotion.

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill runs through July 1st so if you're in the Portland area, get yourself a ticket. If you're not, you might consider making the trip. It's that good. (And maybe I'll take you out for dinner.)

I've been on buying spree lately. Clothes. I justify it as necessary upkeep. For example, I needed plain, white shirts. I needed to update.

Now, I need to clean out my closet and get rid of some old stuff which was a goal I set for 2018 anyway.

Or, I could just get new hangers, right?

When in doubt, nap.

My house is a mess and all I really want to do is clean it. But yesterday was a gloriously sunny day and I really couldn't justify staying indoors. The weather app on my phone indicated Sunday wouldn't be as nice so I figured whatever I had to do could wait one more day.

It was sunny again this morning and I was conflicted. Do I take advantage of the nice weather or do I stay home to do household chores?

The answer is neither.

A nap seemed the proper solution.