This week, for the first time in Tax Return Filing Me history, I filed my returns without:
a. calling my dad several times, often at odd east coast hours, in a complete panic about some random Turbo Tax question I can't answer;
b. yelling at him for not being able to answer the question to my satisfaction either;
c. yelling at him some more for being so blase ("it doesn't matter Laura, you can't be taxed on IRA contributions, so it really shouldn't be asking you that") when his only daughter is surely going to be hauled away for tax evasion ("well it is asking me that, so it must have a reason");
d. yelling at him some more for making no attempt to quell my rising panic by at least feigning some sort of tax intelligence ("well, I don't know what that reason could be...."); and finally,
e. yelling at him some more ("I'm not doing my taxes at the LAST MINUTE!!!") just because he happens to be on the phone while I hear mom yelling in the background to everyone but no one in particular, "why does she always wait until the LAST MINUTE?!"
I even held it together when my e-filing was rejected by the IRS, despite the fact that my mom did use the rejection (when I oh so calmly called for advice) as a last-ditch opportunity:
"Oh. You're going on a ride? I'll have dad call you back later. But what I want to know is: Why do you always wait until the last minute?"
Dammit. So close.
So...after everything was all filed and accepted (the Turbo Tax Customer Servicette helped me figure out that I'd put my name in wrong, with my last name in the "first name" field, and vice versa -- I didn't yell at her either), I called my dad:
"Hal, I just want to bring it to your attention that for the first year since you stopped doing my taxes for me, I filed them without yelling at you a single time."
"Oh. Well I don't mind if you yell at me, if that means you'll call me more often. I like talking to you."
Mel and I did the zoo loop today. Short (~35 miles) so we picked up the pace. It was really pretty out -- everything is still green. Then we went to Dolores Park for a BBQ with some San Franciscans, and it was beautiful there too. Tomorrow I'm going to try some painful hill repeats with Beth, who embarks on such sufferfests regularly, so as to increase the girth of her "quaddies." Oh dear.
10 years ago
4 comments:
Cool!!
Lucky you! I usually do all our taxes on Turbo Tax Online. This year I was in a panic because as I was entering the numerous "1099" forms, the nice green numbers at the top ("return amount") turned into some nasty looking red numbers ("shit, you owe a lot of money"). Finally, we went to H&R Block. The nice lady saved us something like $2,000! It was totally worth it. Hopefully next year will be easier.
You did your taxes almost a month before deadline. That's not last minute at all. FWIW, IIACTY (if it's any consolation to you), I have not done my 2007 taxes yet. But that's because I'm going to owe on mine.
That linked quaddies regimen is fascinating. But why do you need more girth in your quads? Does that translate to more strength, stamina, and flexibility? If so I'm all for it!
Girth makes you less flexible, I would think...
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