The Story of Festivus

TGIF!

It's been five whole days since I had a day off. Scoff you may, but due much travel this is the first five-day workweek I've had in seven weeks! I coped by mostly avoiding work at the office and occasionally clocking out early. Still, time dragged eternal as I stared out the window and organized month's worth of future travel. 

Just in time, I spied an excellent opportunity for a road trip this weekend lest I grow moss. It's that or clean the house.

The choice is clear.

Why did the elk cross the road?

To get to the other side.

And this, children, is why we don't jump on beds.

Warrenton, OR

Thankful and, well, just full.

This doesn't even include the pie.

Mud Wrestling

Reentry will be rough.

I figure a tan must weigh something because what else could account for weight gain on vacation? (Sand in your pockets??)

Yesterday was our first real soaker of the year. It rained all day. Consequently, it was the first day we ran the heat. Summer is over, my friends.

The window in my office space faces east so I get wonderful light in the mornings, even if filtered through drizzle. The overhead light is dismal so I use it only when necessary which will be the case, more and more, in coming days.

Good thing I'm going to the beach in a couple of weeks and have a good book to bring with me. I think I should stay there until, maybe, March. That should do it.

Double Nickels

I had the greatest birthday ever. Even better than the one I had fifty years ago in the back yard of the family home with all the neighborhood kids in attendance, clowns, jugglers, a pony. (Okay, that never happened. I'm just saying my birthday was even better than that.)

Birthday greetings started the day before and lasted until well into the day after. I had no idea I had so many friends! Even if FB had to remind you to think of me, I appreciate it. It was nice to hear from so many people and I felt loved. Thank you.

I also got a free movie from Redbox and a free coffee from Starbucks. The former is available to redeem anytime in the next month which is as it should be. 'Bucks, however, required that I drink my birthday coffee on my actually birthday.

I was not going to pass by a free cup of coffee, even though I have been under the weather ever since a recent visit to the vibrant vacation destination of Des Moines. On my birthday, I had been, unshowered, in my pajamas for four days, greasy and smelly, but I went. Too bad for you, Starbucks! I got my coffee!

Thus energized, I later showered and dressed (you're welcome) and accepted an invitation to a home-cooked meal at the home of a retired Coast Guard chef. I donned a surgical mask and brought extras for the kids. Just in case.

It was the best meal I'd had in days after surviving on canned chili, canned chicken soup, Triscuits, and potato chips. Perhaps not the healthiest food, it was food for comfort and all I could muster.

Another friend, thinking to surprise me, asked Hubby what kind of cake I like. He responded ANY. And, so, she brought four quarter cakes arranged as one: chocolate, caramel, red velvet, and carrot. I ate them all.

My stomach was stretched and bloated to the point I thought it would explode. I carried it home in both hands, groaning in uncomfortable, sated pleasure. The following morning, my scale treated me with a lie so sweet: it said I was light as a feather, despite a body shape that suggested otherwise.

I'm still under the weather. My nose is producing more snot than I thought humanly possible but at least I am sleeping through the night and I am maintaining a hygiene routine. My hands are chapped for all their washing. And I'm busy at work as we head into the extended federal tax deadline.

But, I'm happy and that's all anyone can hope for. Thank you for helping to make my day special. I hope you're having a great day, too.

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.