Well, another week of not getting anything done easily. My client’s payroll taxes are filed - and I only needed to open one of the kinds of forms I bought - it had the second one I needed included. Now we need to make a trip to the store to return the other ones.
I went to the client this past Monday. She is located in Manhattan. I drive to Queens and park in a municipal parking garage near a subway stop that is one stop from Manhattan - I only have to travel 3 stops total to the client. (For those who might not know both Manhattan and Queens are boroughs of New York City. Manhattan is what most people think of as New York City - it located on Manhattan Island. Queens is a more suburban part of New York City and is one of the two boroughs of New York City on Long Island (which also has Nassau and Suffolk Counties which are not part of New York City). Parking in Manhattan is prohibitive. Not only is the per hour rate charged by the garages and the few lots left high, but there is something like a 16% tax on parking in garages/lots. The lot in Queens costs me less than $10 for the several hours I am parked - less than an hour would cost in Manhattan. The other alternative I have is to take the Long Island Railroad into Manhattan from my home community and then switch (at additional cost) to the LIRR in Manhattan to complete my trip. This is not cheap even with the fact that I generally would be traveling off peak (cheaper than on peak) and am entitled to a senior discount (from both trains). In addition neither of these trains companies have been having a lot of luck lately - breakdowns, etc. and I can walk from the client to my car if I had to - it might take awhile, I might have to stop, I might have to leave my laptop at the client - but I would get home if for some reason (to put it politely and in a way not to scare anyone if you think about things which have happened in Manhattan in the past 20 years) something happened and the trains - both types) were not running. So I drive to Queens, park, and take the subway. It is normal for me to arrive at the garage and have to wait in a line to get in - maybe 3 or 4 cars might be waiting ahead of me. The garage is located next to a court house and normally people will leave after their business at same is finished and it is not a long wait (shorter than writing this post will be). This time when I arrived there I got on the end of a longer line than I have seen there - at least 7 cars ahead of me - and there is a second entrance which had 2 more cars waiting to squeeze into the line. It took an HOUR before I drove in. (I did let one of the two cars in the other entrance ahead of me - the other had left and, well, he was there before me.) I had arrived there on the early side - but due to this arrived at the client late.
To save time at the client - the weather was to turn bad on Tuesday and I wanted to make some stops on the way home - I not only had the forms client needed to sign, finished and printed, but had also printed out envelopes to mail them in (as opposed to printing them at the client). This was not to be. She had a form I had forgotten about for disability insurance for employees (her) and our state has added a family leave policy to this. The form was 2 weeks late (it arrived while the business was closed as she was away), there were no instructions for the new family leave premium - instructions said to go online for same - no Internet connection there. I tried calling the number on the form for help, was on hold for about 20 minutes - finally when the call was answered the person had no idea what I was talking about - he had not even heard about the type of policy I was talking about. He went away, came back and said he was transferring me to the right department. Another 15 minutes on hold - the woman was very nice, but she also was the wrong department. She also transferred me - after another 10 minutes on hold, I gave up! I filled in the form as well as I could. I told the client about this and that if there was a problem, I would straighten it out. Not only did I want to get out of there and home to my husband who was having a breakdown over the coming weather this week, but the client has a car service which picks her up at 3:30 and it was close to same. I had her sign the forms and the checks I had prepared and made my goodbyes as she packed to leave also.
I made a stop at a bank (they would all be closed by the time I was in my car). I remembered hearing a ring in my cell phone from my husband who was suppose to be running a couple of errands and buying some food items in case we were stuck in the house the rest of the week and had figured he had a question on what to buy - plus at that time I could not get to my phone as the I could was on the wrong side of the desk I use and was blocked from it by the client packing. So I checked my phone. He had not gone anywhere - when he went to leave - there were no brakes in his car! So I texted him back - almost crying over what had gone on - it was that messed up a day and asked if I should come home before running errands - he agreed.
The drive home was not too bad - about 2 hours. We got in the car I had been driving and went out to run errands. I suddenly remembered that the items I had to mail out - bill payments for us and the forms for client - were still in my brief case ... in the house. So we had to drive home to get it and then drive to the post office to mail them out (and I checked our box - still no forms from IRS). I then made the best suggestion of the day - “Wendys for dinner?” Neither of us had defrosted anything for dinner, plus we figured to be in the house most of the week, so we went.
Yesterday I filed the clients New York State forms online. I gave a deep breathe - all of the clients payroll taxes filed on time - with 2 days to spare. Then I remembered - it had never asked me for her bank account information to debit the payment. I went back in to the site - it does not seem to have anything else to do? I have an email out to the state asking about this - nothing seems to get finished on the first try any longer?
We had been able to go out yesterday - rain started late in the day and it was horribly heavy rain with much flooding around. We had the other car towed to our mechanic - about 4 - 5 blocks away. We told the tow company when we called it had to go on a flat bed - it has all wheel drive - and was glad to see that they had listened and sent same. Fellow who was towing insisted it was not needed “I HAVE been doing this for 10 years and know when a flat bed tow is needed - see the wheels are in the air in the front, no problem.” Glad he has done this for 10 years - we have had the car for 20+ years and it was not our first all or 4 wheel drive. He had to turn around (he was facing opposite to where the mechanic is) and told us to drive there and he would meet us. This mechanic (and another before him) has been at this location well over the 40 years I have lived in this area and is generally known in the area - I was surprised that the fellow did not know which mechanic and where we were talking about. We drove over and waited and waited and waited. (I could have walked there in less than half the time it took him to drive there). Our mechanic and another customer there were shocked that the driver did not know where he was. The fellow finally showed up - the wheels had locked and he - HAD TO PUT IT ON THE FLAT BED!!!
The rain was the leading edge of the weather to the west of us across the U.S. - this is that freezing temperatures and huge storm that you had first. Today we managed to get out for lunch just ahead of a “snow squall” which is apparently like a thunderstorm with snow instead of rain. Our area was lucky as it was quickly and we only got about 2 inches of snow - we went out and pushed it off the driveway and then husband salted around as it was in the teens and heading colder until late next weekend.
It is now 6F outside and still dropping. Not as bad as the -40sF I have heard about to the west of us across the country, but cold enough for husband to be in a major panic. We now have the cabinets under the kitchen and bathroom sinks open and the faucets are set to drip, as is the basement to keep the water from freezing - just in case.
I did the laundry Monday night so we would not have to worry about doing same tonight and tomorrow. I sent out my embroidery chapter’s newsletter by email tonight - and in searching for textile related exhibitions to list for them, found one of interest to some of our reenacting group members and sent it out to them also. I thought I was doing better - then my dinner (not husband’s - we had different dinners) was refrigerator cold from sitting after it was cooked and I reheated it - of course part of it then was so HOT that I burned the inside of my mouth.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
Well, in 2 days there is a new month - maybe it will be better. There is an old adage - “Man makes plans, God laughs”. I sort of feel like that right now.
One has to look at the good in one’s life as even as all heck seems to be breaking loose. We are both okay. We have a place to be in the cold and food to eat. The cold will end over the weekend (even if it will be raining then).
Everything works out - some way, even if not as one planned. Hopefully I will get some work done in the house while we are keeping warm inside. Oh, and hopefully the weather will be nice enough next week for a bunch of us “old ladies” to go out to our embroidery meeting.
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Thursday, January 24, 2019
WEATHER AND ORGANIZING
Another week already?
We had a cold and messy start to this week and spent the end of last week and the weekend getting ready. I mentioned last week that we were expecting two storms. I had cleared the walking areas of the house so we could walk in dim light if we had a loss of electricity.
The first storm dropped an extremely small amount of snow overnight from Thursday to Friday. At 6 am when I looked out the window the street was clear, but the driveway and sidewalks were white - but a minor amount. By the time we went out around 2 pm, the snow had melted and was gone and it was above freezing.
The second storm was much more problematic. It was to be Saturday night into Sunday morning - and worst of all, extremely cold weather was expected to follow it. Starting on Friday the information jumped back and forth - one weather report from the reporter my husband trusts was that the storm would come in to the north of us and we would not have more than a trace of snow. His next report was that the storm was headed further south and we would be getting 6-8 inches of snow. The next - he the storm was north of us again and we would get a trace to 3 inches. All versions included freezing rain, sleet and then finally after hours of same - rain. When the temperatures then dropped after the storm (we made it down to 7 degrees Fahrenheit) the mess would freeze so it would dangerous to go out on Monday and there would be (the dreaded, especially by husband) downed electrical lines and loss of electricity.
I have mentioned in past posts that over the years husband has become more “weather phobic” due to changes in the weather in our area and is terrified of big snow storms, ice storms, and hurricanes. This is the result of having multiple huge snow storms for this area (sometimes 24 inch or more and then 2 days later another one) and repeated humongous hurricanes. So I go along with his fears and his ideas of what to do to make him feel better.
In the case of winter storms we make sure that we have extra food in the house, some of which is things we would not normally spend money on. In this case, for example, we had a bought a large (expensive) chicken pot pie the end of the week before. Husband during the week asked me to make it for dinner. I looked at him and said “I am saving it for the weekend”. He thought a second and said “Good idea!”. We bought deli turkey on Friday - we could have for lunch or dinner while in the house.
Then we started on the fear of electricity loss. One of his fears is that the water pipes, especially in the basement will freeze. This was not something that was mentioned much - if at all - in this area until we started having weather much colder than normal a few years ago. We put foam insulation on the basement pipes - but the pipes to our clothes washer and the basement sink are attached to the wall and we cannot fit anything behind them. Husband sets up a space heater in the basement near these pipes when it gets bitter cold. Last week I cleared away the assorted laundry and cleaning chemicals that are kept the platform which holds our basement sink so that they would not be near the heat. We also took an indoor/outdoor thermometer I use in the basement for a Packtite (trademark) heater which kills bedbugs and set it up so the “outdoor” part was on the pipes so we could see how cold the pipes were. At night we opened the cabinet doors under the bathroom/kitchen sinks and left the water dripping in same and the basement sink. Biggest problem with his fears this year was that the news reporters were constantly talking about wires will be coming down.
We were lucky and the storm did pass to the north so we had no snow, just the freezing mess. We stayed in through the worst of the cold through Monday - finally going out for lunch and a bit of shopping on Tuesday. Today it made it into the 40s Fahrenheit.
Luckily for once in recent years during these storms he was (relatively) happily on the Internet instead of pacing, biting his nails and staring out the window. I managed to catch up on a variety of small things to get done on the computer and in our office - you know that all that relatively unimportant stuff that really needs to get done. I even put together the mailing to our reenactment unit with their renewal paperwork.
I still have not received the W2,etc. forms I requested from IRS - not that under the closure of the government I thought I would actually receive them. I had planned to file them online if I did not receive them - but since I have not been able to file the annual return for our reenactment unit online (the only way that form can be filed) - I am concerned that I will not be able to file them online. So today while we were out we stopped in at an office supply store and I bought packages of the forms - I have 50 W2s so that I can prepare ONE of them! The other forms involved buying 10-25 forms. Hopefully I will be returning them if I can file online or receive the other forms by the end of this week. I plan to go to the client next week (I had planned on going this week until we had this weather - it will raining most of the rest of the week - hit and if the forms are being filed by mail, I need to have them with me when I go to her so she can sign the cover forms.
I now have to start taking down the Christmas tree decorations and the tree. We need them down so that husband can warp his loom for his next weaving project. Also, if we take the tree down and move the storage for the weaving (yarn and finished pieces) back to the living room I will have my area of our studio in the back room back. I will leave the decorations up until the tree is finished - and maybe a bit longer- they look so nice. (I think I mentioned that before all this weather we did take down the outside lights - the battery candles in the windows and the battery lit wreath at the door are still in place and still lit.)
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
When one faces one’s fears - whether husband’s fear of what the weather will do or starting to work on clearing a specific space in our house - one generally finds that what happens is not as bad as one fears. While I always say that every day starts a new year - a new year has started, pick something that needs work and start on it. Whatever you get done - it is that much less left to get done. Whether it is a drawer or a box or a room it is one thing that is done.
I also wanted to stay I would love to hear from some of you to hear what you are doing or what your problem in organizing and decluttering is.
We had a cold and messy start to this week and spent the end of last week and the weekend getting ready. I mentioned last week that we were expecting two storms. I had cleared the walking areas of the house so we could walk in dim light if we had a loss of electricity.
The first storm dropped an extremely small amount of snow overnight from Thursday to Friday. At 6 am when I looked out the window the street was clear, but the driveway and sidewalks were white - but a minor amount. By the time we went out around 2 pm, the snow had melted and was gone and it was above freezing.
The second storm was much more problematic. It was to be Saturday night into Sunday morning - and worst of all, extremely cold weather was expected to follow it. Starting on Friday the information jumped back and forth - one weather report from the reporter my husband trusts was that the storm would come in to the north of us and we would not have more than a trace of snow. His next report was that the storm was headed further south and we would be getting 6-8 inches of snow. The next - he the storm was north of us again and we would get a trace to 3 inches. All versions included freezing rain, sleet and then finally after hours of same - rain. When the temperatures then dropped after the storm (we made it down to 7 degrees Fahrenheit) the mess would freeze so it would dangerous to go out on Monday and there would be (the dreaded, especially by husband) downed electrical lines and loss of electricity.
I have mentioned in past posts that over the years husband has become more “weather phobic” due to changes in the weather in our area and is terrified of big snow storms, ice storms, and hurricanes. This is the result of having multiple huge snow storms for this area (sometimes 24 inch or more and then 2 days later another one) and repeated humongous hurricanes. So I go along with his fears and his ideas of what to do to make him feel better.
In the case of winter storms we make sure that we have extra food in the house, some of which is things we would not normally spend money on. In this case, for example, we had a bought a large (expensive) chicken pot pie the end of the week before. Husband during the week asked me to make it for dinner. I looked at him and said “I am saving it for the weekend”. He thought a second and said “Good idea!”. We bought deli turkey on Friday - we could have for lunch or dinner while in the house.
Then we started on the fear of electricity loss. One of his fears is that the water pipes, especially in the basement will freeze. This was not something that was mentioned much - if at all - in this area until we started having weather much colder than normal a few years ago. We put foam insulation on the basement pipes - but the pipes to our clothes washer and the basement sink are attached to the wall and we cannot fit anything behind them. Husband sets up a space heater in the basement near these pipes when it gets bitter cold. Last week I cleared away the assorted laundry and cleaning chemicals that are kept the platform which holds our basement sink so that they would not be near the heat. We also took an indoor/outdoor thermometer I use in the basement for a Packtite (trademark) heater which kills bedbugs and set it up so the “outdoor” part was on the pipes so we could see how cold the pipes were. At night we opened the cabinet doors under the bathroom/kitchen sinks and left the water dripping in same and the basement sink. Biggest problem with his fears this year was that the news reporters were constantly talking about wires will be coming down.
We were lucky and the storm did pass to the north so we had no snow, just the freezing mess. We stayed in through the worst of the cold through Monday - finally going out for lunch and a bit of shopping on Tuesday. Today it made it into the 40s Fahrenheit.
Luckily for once in recent years during these storms he was (relatively) happily on the Internet instead of pacing, biting his nails and staring out the window. I managed to catch up on a variety of small things to get done on the computer and in our office - you know that all that relatively unimportant stuff that really needs to get done. I even put together the mailing to our reenactment unit with their renewal paperwork.
I still have not received the W2,etc. forms I requested from IRS - not that under the closure of the government I thought I would actually receive them. I had planned to file them online if I did not receive them - but since I have not been able to file the annual return for our reenactment unit online (the only way that form can be filed) - I am concerned that I will not be able to file them online. So today while we were out we stopped in at an office supply store and I bought packages of the forms - I have 50 W2s so that I can prepare ONE of them! The other forms involved buying 10-25 forms. Hopefully I will be returning them if I can file online or receive the other forms by the end of this week. I plan to go to the client next week (I had planned on going this week until we had this weather - it will raining most of the rest of the week - hit and if the forms are being filed by mail, I need to have them with me when I go to her so she can sign the cover forms.
I now have to start taking down the Christmas tree decorations and the tree. We need them down so that husband can warp his loom for his next weaving project. Also, if we take the tree down and move the storage for the weaving (yarn and finished pieces) back to the living room I will have my area of our studio in the back room back. I will leave the decorations up until the tree is finished - and maybe a bit longer- they look so nice. (I think I mentioned that before all this weather we did take down the outside lights - the battery candles in the windows and the battery lit wreath at the door are still in place and still lit.)
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
When one faces one’s fears - whether husband’s fear of what the weather will do or starting to work on clearing a specific space in our house - one generally finds that what happens is not as bad as one fears. While I always say that every day starts a new year - a new year has started, pick something that needs work and start on it. Whatever you get done - it is that much less left to get done. Whether it is a drawer or a box or a room it is one thing that is done.
I also wanted to stay I would love to hear from some of you to hear what you are doing or what your problem in organizing and decluttering is.
Thursday, January 17, 2019
STILL HAVING TO REDO THINGS, BUT ACTUALLY GETTING SOME THINGS DONE
This is no longer funny. I still am doing things and needing to do them over again.
I have to file a form with IRS for our reenacting unit (since I am treasurer and also an accountant, it is my job). This is an annual form for small tax-exempt, not for profits organizations and can only be filed online - no paper copy. It takes less than 15 minutes and consists of how to contact the group, who is charge of it, what is its website (if it has one) and is its income and assets each under $25,000 for the year. I actually have to do 2 of these forms as the unit was not a corporation when we joined and over the years some other members and us decided it should be, so we incorporated, but we have never shut down the original organization, so both have to file the form. If we don’t file it we lose our tax exempt/not for profit status. I have now tried to file the form three times. It is not due until May, but I like to get it done with so I don’t forget. Each time I get a message after I sign in that there is maintenance going on - sorry - and it refers me to another page that will explain - which it does not and has nothing to do with same. At this point I have decided that this site is not working due to the government shut down and put this aside until late next month - or I hear the government has reopened. I hope this does not mean that I will not get the forms I ordered for client - should be here tomorrow as that is 10 days - I am guessing that at the least it will take longer.
We get for Christmas every year a general gift card from a family member of in-law, We tell her not to give it to us. She is extremely short on money and cannot afford to give it to us. We don’t reciprocate as we hope this makes her stop. We always have problems using gift cards - something goes wrong. We appreciate the thought, but just a card would be more appropriate. To make it easier to use the card ($25) and not need to keep track of how much is left on it and not buy something that we later need to return and have tossed out the empty card, we use it for prescriptions. So, we had to renew an expensive prescription (due to it being pay the deductible time of year) and when we picked up the prescription I handed the pharmacy employee the gift card to use first - it got rejected! Now I do this every year, I hand the gift card, it gets processed and subtracted from what we owe for the prescriptions and I pay the difference on our credit cards and it works every year. When we got home I telephoned the gift card company and sat on hold. While on same I heard about how now they were set up for split purchases and just use the card first and then pay the difference afterwards as most companies will accept it. When I finally reached an employee she told me that I had done this wrong (remember the message I had heard 4 times told me I had done it right). I have to pay the rest of the purchase amount and THEN have them process the card or it will not go through!! So next month when husband needs another expensive medication, since he still has more of his deductible, I will have to do it that it way! Oh, and she wastes another $5 buying the card as that is what she is charged to do so.
And - You may remember in December 2017 we bought husband’s niece (then 7 years old, now 8) a gift card for Best Buy for her to use for a computer game. I misplaced the card and it took until I set up the Christmas trees this year to find it. We gave her cash instead. We found out then how bad her computer game habit is. She plays constantly and if she loses she hits herself in the head with the game (a handheld). We decided that we would not give her anything towards the games again as she is an addict and it is the same as buying a bottle of liquor for an alcoholic. So we were stuck with the Best Buy card as we don’t really shop there. I need a software program to use for taxes and normally buy it at Walmart. I looked and Best Buy had it for the same price, so I figured I would buy it there instead and use up the blankety- blank card. We went in a week ago - after just about every employee on the floor in the Best Buy store had spoken to each other on their earphones - they still did not know if they carried it or if it was in stock. We left. The following weekend I checked and their website said they had it, so I printed same and went in to get it. (So this is my second trip in for the program.) I found it. We walked around a bit just because we were there and then I went to pay for it. I handed the cashier the card and the $25 was applied to the cost and I paid the balance. The cashier handed me the bag and the receipt and I turned to walk away. The cashier said “Wait! This says I am suppose to give you a $5 gift card.” So, now I have another card in my wallet and it will probably be there until next year’s software!
Yes, I know it is very nice of the in-law to give us something - but she REALLY needs the money herself. It is nice that we got the $5 card from Best Buy - but when one does not shop there, it is a problem.
On to what actually got done. (Laundry always done of course.) I packed up our every day Christmas season dishes and glasses and put them away in the basement until next year. I have started putting needed software in my new - new laptop (as I did with the original new laptop). At some time I will get around to transferring my word processing software to it and will no longer be using my old s - l - o - w laptop to write and post my posts to you.
I have to fill in a form with the income and expenses and bank accounts (also other assets if we had any) for my embroidery chapter to send to our national office so they can do their tax return which includes us. (Remember back in the second paragraph I said I do a form for our reenactment unit - well instead of filing that form for our chapter, we are included in the return of the national organization due to a different setup. BUT - every year we (I) receive a notice that we have not filed that - same as our reenactment unit files - form, although we are not suppose to, and end up filling in a longer paper form explaining why we don’t need to fill the form - another repeat of work.) So I filed in the form for national - all the numbers worked as I set up the file in my accounting software to match what national wants/needs and I just have to copy each item to national’s form. I added up the numbers on the form - best way to make sure I copied them correctly - and then filled in the other form - how many primary members other than officers volunteer for the chapter? That is the hard form to fill in. We have 2 committee chairs - that’s 2. We had some members teach stitching so they are volunteers - but 3 of them were officers, so they don’t get counted again, one is a committee chair - ditto, and one is a plural member - that means she belongs to national through a different chapter and also belongs to our chapter so I guess she is counted as volunteering for the other chapter. I had to go through all of last year’s newsletters to figure this out. I emailed out the form and they will let me know if there any problems - I am guessing there will not be.
I have cleared all the walkways through the house as we are expecting 2 snow storms over the next few days. I have explained before that 18th century homes were “put to rest” with the furniture against the wall when a room was not being used (and the furniture needed was put out in the middle to use when it was needed). This allowed people to walk around in dim light without needing a candle to avoid tripping over or walking into things. I started long ago making sure that we could walk around the house the same way when there was a possibility of a black out so we can safely walk around. I am currently doing the laundry. As long as it is all washed and dried I don’t have to worry, again, if there is a black out. I can always fold it without electricity.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK-
Frustrations will eventually end - I know I will reach point when I only have to things once - again. Being prepared in advance makes life easier if there is black out - and it doesn’t hurt if one is lucky and there isn’t one. I hope that any of you in the path of any storms from the past week or upcoming week make it through as easily as possible.
Non-political statement - If you work for the U.S. Federal government, I hope that you are working and getting paid. If not I hope that you are able to get by until this mess is over and that ends quickly. If you are in the U.S. and are not in this position - if you can, please give to one of the drives which are helping those who working and not being paid or not working at all due to the mess.
I have to file a form with IRS for our reenacting unit (since I am treasurer and also an accountant, it is my job). This is an annual form for small tax-exempt, not for profits organizations and can only be filed online - no paper copy. It takes less than 15 minutes and consists of how to contact the group, who is charge of it, what is its website (if it has one) and is its income and assets each under $25,000 for the year. I actually have to do 2 of these forms as the unit was not a corporation when we joined and over the years some other members and us decided it should be, so we incorporated, but we have never shut down the original organization, so both have to file the form. If we don’t file it we lose our tax exempt/not for profit status. I have now tried to file the form three times. It is not due until May, but I like to get it done with so I don’t forget. Each time I get a message after I sign in that there is maintenance going on - sorry - and it refers me to another page that will explain - which it does not and has nothing to do with same. At this point I have decided that this site is not working due to the government shut down and put this aside until late next month - or I hear the government has reopened. I hope this does not mean that I will not get the forms I ordered for client - should be here tomorrow as that is 10 days - I am guessing that at the least it will take longer.
We get for Christmas every year a general gift card from a family member of in-law, We tell her not to give it to us. She is extremely short on money and cannot afford to give it to us. We don’t reciprocate as we hope this makes her stop. We always have problems using gift cards - something goes wrong. We appreciate the thought, but just a card would be more appropriate. To make it easier to use the card ($25) and not need to keep track of how much is left on it and not buy something that we later need to return and have tossed out the empty card, we use it for prescriptions. So, we had to renew an expensive prescription (due to it being pay the deductible time of year) and when we picked up the prescription I handed the pharmacy employee the gift card to use first - it got rejected! Now I do this every year, I hand the gift card, it gets processed and subtracted from what we owe for the prescriptions and I pay the difference on our credit cards and it works every year. When we got home I telephoned the gift card company and sat on hold. While on same I heard about how now they were set up for split purchases and just use the card first and then pay the difference afterwards as most companies will accept it. When I finally reached an employee she told me that I had done this wrong (remember the message I had heard 4 times told me I had done it right). I have to pay the rest of the purchase amount and THEN have them process the card or it will not go through!! So next month when husband needs another expensive medication, since he still has more of his deductible, I will have to do it that it way! Oh, and she wastes another $5 buying the card as that is what she is charged to do so.
And - You may remember in December 2017 we bought husband’s niece (then 7 years old, now 8) a gift card for Best Buy for her to use for a computer game. I misplaced the card and it took until I set up the Christmas trees this year to find it. We gave her cash instead. We found out then how bad her computer game habit is. She plays constantly and if she loses she hits herself in the head with the game (a handheld). We decided that we would not give her anything towards the games again as she is an addict and it is the same as buying a bottle of liquor for an alcoholic. So we were stuck with the Best Buy card as we don’t really shop there. I need a software program to use for taxes and normally buy it at Walmart. I looked and Best Buy had it for the same price, so I figured I would buy it there instead and use up the blankety- blank card. We went in a week ago - after just about every employee on the floor in the Best Buy store had spoken to each other on their earphones - they still did not know if they carried it or if it was in stock. We left. The following weekend I checked and their website said they had it, so I printed same and went in to get it. (So this is my second trip in for the program.) I found it. We walked around a bit just because we were there and then I went to pay for it. I handed the cashier the card and the $25 was applied to the cost and I paid the balance. The cashier handed me the bag and the receipt and I turned to walk away. The cashier said “Wait! This says I am suppose to give you a $5 gift card.” So, now I have another card in my wallet and it will probably be there until next year’s software!
Yes, I know it is very nice of the in-law to give us something - but she REALLY needs the money herself. It is nice that we got the $5 card from Best Buy - but when one does not shop there, it is a problem.
On to what actually got done. (Laundry always done of course.) I packed up our every day Christmas season dishes and glasses and put them away in the basement until next year. I have started putting needed software in my new - new laptop (as I did with the original new laptop). At some time I will get around to transferring my word processing software to it and will no longer be using my old s - l - o - w laptop to write and post my posts to you.
I have to fill in a form with the income and expenses and bank accounts (also other assets if we had any) for my embroidery chapter to send to our national office so they can do their tax return which includes us. (Remember back in the second paragraph I said I do a form for our reenactment unit - well instead of filing that form for our chapter, we are included in the return of the national organization due to a different setup. BUT - every year we (I) receive a notice that we have not filed that - same as our reenactment unit files - form, although we are not suppose to, and end up filling in a longer paper form explaining why we don’t need to fill the form - another repeat of work.) So I filed in the form for national - all the numbers worked as I set up the file in my accounting software to match what national wants/needs and I just have to copy each item to national’s form. I added up the numbers on the form - best way to make sure I copied them correctly - and then filled in the other form - how many primary members other than officers volunteer for the chapter? That is the hard form to fill in. We have 2 committee chairs - that’s 2. We had some members teach stitching so they are volunteers - but 3 of them were officers, so they don’t get counted again, one is a committee chair - ditto, and one is a plural member - that means she belongs to national through a different chapter and also belongs to our chapter so I guess she is counted as volunteering for the other chapter. I had to go through all of last year’s newsletters to figure this out. I emailed out the form and they will let me know if there any problems - I am guessing there will not be.
I have cleared all the walkways through the house as we are expecting 2 snow storms over the next few days. I have explained before that 18th century homes were “put to rest” with the furniture against the wall when a room was not being used (and the furniture needed was put out in the middle to use when it was needed). This allowed people to walk around in dim light without needing a candle to avoid tripping over or walking into things. I started long ago making sure that we could walk around the house the same way when there was a possibility of a black out so we can safely walk around. I am currently doing the laundry. As long as it is all washed and dried I don’t have to worry, again, if there is a black out. I can always fold it without electricity.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK-
Frustrations will eventually end - I know I will reach point when I only have to things once - again. Being prepared in advance makes life easier if there is black out - and it doesn’t hurt if one is lucky and there isn’t one. I hope that any of you in the path of any storms from the past week or upcoming week make it through as easily as possible.
Non-political statement - If you work for the U.S. Federal government, I hope that you are working and getting paid. If not I hope that you are able to get by until this mess is over and that ends quickly. If you are in the U.S. and are not in this position - if you can, please give to one of the drives which are helping those who working and not being paid or not working at all due to the mess.
Thursday, January 10, 2019
2018 SEEMS TO BE CONTINUING INTO 2019
Well, this year seems to be a continuation of last year. Not only did husband hurt himself again (as I mentioned last week) - although a lot less than he did last year, I am doing things over again.
I still have one client who has an employee - herself. I have to prepare an IRS W2 form for her each January, along with a covering form named (appropriately) W3. Then since I don’t use a business name, I also have to prepare a similar form for people one pays that are not employees called 1099-MISC which also needs a covering form named 1096. Unlike most IRS forms which one can download from their website and fill in, these forms have red markings on the copies which go to IRS and can only be filled in as a preprinted form - available from IRS for free and can also be purchased at stationary stores and online. One can also buy software to fill in the forms, The alternative to filling in the forms is to do it online free at the IRS website (or various companies that charge to do so). Most companies have payroll companies which take care of their payroll for them and deal with this for them.
Knowing I will need to do this and knowing that my typing is terrible, even with the word processing typewriter (lets one type a line, check it, and then print it) I have, I always order more forms than I need to have spares. I do this in December so I will have them in January to fill them in. I did so last month - in December 2018, ordering forms for the 2018 year. The forms arrived within the 10 days they are suppose to arrive. I opened the envelope - remember all the craziness last month - and I checked the form numbers and how many of them had been sent - all okay. I put them under my desk where I keep the forms to wait for this month. I am so organized about this since I do it every year.
Last Thursday I decided to fill in the forms while I had some time. I know what the client’s payroll is and can do so without having gone to her yet this month. These forms used to be that the form to the employee/other person had to be given to them by the end of January and mailed to IRS by the end of February. Due to the increasing number of fraudulent tax forms being filed, as of 2 years ago the IRS copies also have to be filed by the end of January. So I fill in the forms before I go to my client so I can have her sign them and mail them out. (I used to bring them to her in February and they were signed and mailed then.)
It took me all 6 copies of the W2 forms I have, and at least 2-3 of the other forms to get a correctly typed form and over Thursday and Friday. I breathed a sigh of relief and scanning them into my computer to keep a copy of them on same. I scanned in the W3 and W2 forms. I then scanned in the 1096 form and was about to scan in the 1099 form when I noticed something and got extremely upset. I had not received 2018 forms - I was sent 2017 forms and none of the forms I had typed were usable. Not only that, but since one can no longer pick up forms at local IRS offices, I had to order them again - during the Federal government shut down!
We went looking online. I can buy the forms - they will run me around $60 for all 4 forms as they sold in much larger quantities than even I with my terrible typing would need to make one form of each. I also would have to make sure that the forms were attached multiple parts that allow one to type all copies at once (W2 forms are 6 part, the 1099 forms are 4 part and the others are 2 part) as if they are not I would have to type each copy of the form separately. (The forms have extra copies as there are copies for IRS, state, employer, and the W2 has 3 copies for the employee - the 1099 has one copy, and the other two have a copy to file with IRS and copy for the employer to keep.)
I can file them directly online with IRS, but I don’t like the idea of putting the client’s and my Social Security number through the Internet, but if nothing else works, that will be what I have to do.
So, I am waiting to see if I receive the forms from IRS before I go to the client - and then start typing them all over again. If I don’t received them in time, I will have to file them online. If I do receive them in time - I have to type them all over again!!
I am not sure why we are in a “place” where it seems that everything we do - from something as simple to as buying a Barbie doll to tax forms that I prepare every year to ordering checks has to be redone.
On the other hand, I did get the second order of the checks I ordered and this order seems to be correct. I am currently shredding the incorrect ones. (I held on to them in case they wanted them back.) To make sure I did not “muck it up” I stored the second, correct set before starting to shred the first set. I am shredding them a bit at a time to not overwhelm the shredder.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
Sometimes when we are in a “bad” time it just goes on and on. I know that at some point - hopefully soon - this will end and I will be able to go back to doing things once. One just has to do what needs to be done until there is change in karma.
I still have one client who has an employee - herself. I have to prepare an IRS W2 form for her each January, along with a covering form named (appropriately) W3. Then since I don’t use a business name, I also have to prepare a similar form for people one pays that are not employees called 1099-MISC which also needs a covering form named 1096. Unlike most IRS forms which one can download from their website and fill in, these forms have red markings on the copies which go to IRS and can only be filled in as a preprinted form - available from IRS for free and can also be purchased at stationary stores and online. One can also buy software to fill in the forms, The alternative to filling in the forms is to do it online free at the IRS website (or various companies that charge to do so). Most companies have payroll companies which take care of their payroll for them and deal with this for them.
Knowing I will need to do this and knowing that my typing is terrible, even with the word processing typewriter (lets one type a line, check it, and then print it) I have, I always order more forms than I need to have spares. I do this in December so I will have them in January to fill them in. I did so last month - in December 2018, ordering forms for the 2018 year. The forms arrived within the 10 days they are suppose to arrive. I opened the envelope - remember all the craziness last month - and I checked the form numbers and how many of them had been sent - all okay. I put them under my desk where I keep the forms to wait for this month. I am so organized about this since I do it every year.
Last Thursday I decided to fill in the forms while I had some time. I know what the client’s payroll is and can do so without having gone to her yet this month. These forms used to be that the form to the employee/other person had to be given to them by the end of January and mailed to IRS by the end of February. Due to the increasing number of fraudulent tax forms being filed, as of 2 years ago the IRS copies also have to be filed by the end of January. So I fill in the forms before I go to my client so I can have her sign them and mail them out. (I used to bring them to her in February and they were signed and mailed then.)
It took me all 6 copies of the W2 forms I have, and at least 2-3 of the other forms to get a correctly typed form and over Thursday and Friday. I breathed a sigh of relief and scanning them into my computer to keep a copy of them on same. I scanned in the W3 and W2 forms. I then scanned in the 1096 form and was about to scan in the 1099 form when I noticed something and got extremely upset. I had not received 2018 forms - I was sent 2017 forms and none of the forms I had typed were usable. Not only that, but since one can no longer pick up forms at local IRS offices, I had to order them again - during the Federal government shut down!
We went looking online. I can buy the forms - they will run me around $60 for all 4 forms as they sold in much larger quantities than even I with my terrible typing would need to make one form of each. I also would have to make sure that the forms were attached multiple parts that allow one to type all copies at once (W2 forms are 6 part, the 1099 forms are 4 part and the others are 2 part) as if they are not I would have to type each copy of the form separately. (The forms have extra copies as there are copies for IRS, state, employer, and the W2 has 3 copies for the employee - the 1099 has one copy, and the other two have a copy to file with IRS and copy for the employer to keep.)
I can file them directly online with IRS, but I don’t like the idea of putting the client’s and my Social Security number through the Internet, but if nothing else works, that will be what I have to do.
So, I am waiting to see if I receive the forms from IRS before I go to the client - and then start typing them all over again. If I don’t received them in time, I will have to file them online. If I do receive them in time - I have to type them all over again!!
I am not sure why we are in a “place” where it seems that everything we do - from something as simple to as buying a Barbie doll to tax forms that I prepare every year to ordering checks has to be redone.
On the other hand, I did get the second order of the checks I ordered and this order seems to be correct. I am currently shredding the incorrect ones. (I held on to them in case they wanted them back.) To make sure I did not “muck it up” I stored the second, correct set before starting to shred the first set. I am shredding them a bit at a time to not overwhelm the shredder.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -
Sometimes when we are in a “bad” time it just goes on and on. I know that at some point - hopefully soon - this will end and I will be able to go back to doing things once. One just has to do what needs to be done until there is change in karma.
Thursday, January 3, 2019
1775 CHRISTMAS FOLLOWED BY 2019 NEW YEAR'S
Last week I was talking about getting the Christmas decorations finished, our holiday celebrations, and going “back” to 1775 for a candlelight Christmas event at a restoration village. When we went back this past Thursday we found out that there were 1500 people through the village last Saturday night and 2200 people last Sunday night - and Sunday night they turned people away for lack of parking. Makes one feel popular - even if the people are coming for the overall event - not us specifically. As a result for the second weekend they made arrangements for off site parking and school buses to go back and forth.
Thursday and Saturday this week there were so many people waiting to come into the restoration that they let them come in early - event is suppose to start at 5 pm and they have an opening parade at 5:15, so we don’t get many people before then. Both nights people were coming in at 4:30 pm (and they can not just wander in, they have to be let in). Unfortunately since no one had informed us of this -or even the possibility of this - we were not ready for the public yet when they started to walk in. Talk about looking disorganized! We made our apologies and asked people to come back later. I ended up starting to give the tour at the door as people wandered in as the fellows normally there were not in place yet, and when they were ready, I followed the crowd in to where I needed to be. On Saturday night I needed a last minute trip to what was called in 1775 “the necessary”, even though I had stopped in the ladies room in the visitor’s center before we walked out to the house. I went to the one out in the restoration and noticed other buildings having the same problem - one small house was letting people in, other larger ones (take longer to get setup for the evening) had a person out on the porch - door to the building closed - talking to the people who were waiting. I made note of same and told husband about it in case we have the same problem in the future. We had a huge crowd already in our house and I again had to follow the crowd into the kitchen - while removing my modern winter jacket and trying to scrunch it down small enough that it would not be noticed.. Husband had asked our unit commander to man (“woman”?) the kitchen until I was there and he was doing a good job when I arrived - but was glad to go back to music and singing and talking about “guy” things. We don’t have counts yet for those nights, but I am guessing they were crowded than the week before. They, again, canceled the event for Friday night as, again, there was a huge rain storm.
With the event behind us we realized that we had no plans for New Year’s. Husband decided that we (I) would attempt to make chicken pie from partial things - premade pie shells, chicken purchased cooked and cut in small piece, canned cream of chicken soup for the sauce for New Year’s Eve dinner. Worked relatively well and did not get either of us sick.
New Year’s Day I finally had a chance to work on setting up my teddy village for winter. It is mostly done at this point - I need to fix some mini-Christmas lights whose strand is out and I need to get some button batteries for some of the lights in the village. We went out in the evening for dinner at the Asian buffet we go to on weekends.
Not a big exciting holiday, but as I have posted many times - every day is the start of a new year.
Today was my embroidery chapter meeting. Last night husband - whose arm and shoulder were finally doing well - fell coming down the stairs to wash his hair in the kitchen sink. (Due to a bad cold he did not want to take a shower as the house is drafty.) He scrapped some skin off one leg - a problem as he is Diabetic and also he cannot use normal band aid type bandages on his legs - but I bandaged it up for him. His knee and arm hurts and he keeps worrying that he broke something - they look okay to me - not bruised, not swollen, no bone looks or feels out of place.) So after the meeting I came home and did not have a day out alone - in exchange, as he asked me to do this - he had to join me in my normal errands for this day each month as I don’t want to let the empty soda bottles pile up.
While I was waiting for him to get ready to go out I made some phone calls - I had a bill from medical lab as they must not have had my new medical insurance - I called and the hold wait ran too long. I filled in the info on the form and will mail it to them tomorrow. I then called the company from who I had ordered new checks for our reenactment unit - they spelled the name of the organization wrong and they will send out us new checks - glad I ordered them long before we need the new checks. (Once again, I had to do something twice - what is going on with everyone right now?) I also called our heating oil company. This company gets odder and odder. Last year or the year before our company joined another company and the other company is in charge (I may have mentioned chasing them down to try to get them to do the pre-season cleaning of the furnace, which they did not do last year either - and they cannot come until the end of February when the season is well along and heading for the end in a month or so.) Our original company would leave a receipt when they delivered oil and then send us an invoice. This second company would leave an invoice for us to pay as the receipt. Well, just before Christmas a large oil company in this area delivered oil to us - not either of the ones that we have dealt with. They left an “invoice” that did not say how much we owed them and said that a final invoice would be coming. So I called them today to find out when the invoice would be here. Total confusion - “Didn’t they leave an invoice?” I explained and pointed out that I don’t know who the company who delivered is (I was talking to the second company that we have had). “Well, I guess than they should have mailed an invoice to you.” I held my tongue and did not get sarcastic and reply “You think so?” They are sending me an invoice. If I had any question about changing companies next year - this resolved it.
Hopefully we will have a couple of quiet days to catch up. Husband is again thinking of a trip on Friday to Lancaster, PA - but I know how well his plans for same in the recent past have worked out (not at all). Though if we go with the RV he can buy some food items not available here and maybe he will enjoy dinner a bit more than he does.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
The start of a new year is good time to take stock of where one is and what one wants to do. I make no resolutions as they are never kept (except my last one to never make a resolution again). If you want to change things think about what you want to change and how to do so. It is better to think in this manner, I find, than to make grand resolutions and then find that they cannot or are not kept one feels bad. If it was just one or two specific things - one might actually get them done and if not, it is just a hope to get something done and one does not feel as much as a failure than not keeping a “resolution”. Resolutions are large things - work on small things and the large things will fall into place on their own.
Thursday and Saturday this week there were so many people waiting to come into the restoration that they let them come in early - event is suppose to start at 5 pm and they have an opening parade at 5:15, so we don’t get many people before then. Both nights people were coming in at 4:30 pm (and they can not just wander in, they have to be let in). Unfortunately since no one had informed us of this -or even the possibility of this - we were not ready for the public yet when they started to walk in. Talk about looking disorganized! We made our apologies and asked people to come back later. I ended up starting to give the tour at the door as people wandered in as the fellows normally there were not in place yet, and when they were ready, I followed the crowd in to where I needed to be. On Saturday night I needed a last minute trip to what was called in 1775 “the necessary”, even though I had stopped in the ladies room in the visitor’s center before we walked out to the house. I went to the one out in the restoration and noticed other buildings having the same problem - one small house was letting people in, other larger ones (take longer to get setup for the evening) had a person out on the porch - door to the building closed - talking to the people who were waiting. I made note of same and told husband about it in case we have the same problem in the future. We had a huge crowd already in our house and I again had to follow the crowd into the kitchen - while removing my modern winter jacket and trying to scrunch it down small enough that it would not be noticed.. Husband had asked our unit commander to man (“woman”?) the kitchen until I was there and he was doing a good job when I arrived - but was glad to go back to music and singing and talking about “guy” things. We don’t have counts yet for those nights, but I am guessing they were crowded than the week before. They, again, canceled the event for Friday night as, again, there was a huge rain storm.
With the event behind us we realized that we had no plans for New Year’s. Husband decided that we (I) would attempt to make chicken pie from partial things - premade pie shells, chicken purchased cooked and cut in small piece, canned cream of chicken soup for the sauce for New Year’s Eve dinner. Worked relatively well and did not get either of us sick.
New Year’s Day I finally had a chance to work on setting up my teddy village for winter. It is mostly done at this point - I need to fix some mini-Christmas lights whose strand is out and I need to get some button batteries for some of the lights in the village. We went out in the evening for dinner at the Asian buffet we go to on weekends.
Not a big exciting holiday, but as I have posted many times - every day is the start of a new year.
Today was my embroidery chapter meeting. Last night husband - whose arm and shoulder were finally doing well - fell coming down the stairs to wash his hair in the kitchen sink. (Due to a bad cold he did not want to take a shower as the house is drafty.) He scrapped some skin off one leg - a problem as he is Diabetic and also he cannot use normal band aid type bandages on his legs - but I bandaged it up for him. His knee and arm hurts and he keeps worrying that he broke something - they look okay to me - not bruised, not swollen, no bone looks or feels out of place.) So after the meeting I came home and did not have a day out alone - in exchange, as he asked me to do this - he had to join me in my normal errands for this day each month as I don’t want to let the empty soda bottles pile up.
While I was waiting for him to get ready to go out I made some phone calls - I had a bill from medical lab as they must not have had my new medical insurance - I called and the hold wait ran too long. I filled in the info on the form and will mail it to them tomorrow. I then called the company from who I had ordered new checks for our reenactment unit - they spelled the name of the organization wrong and they will send out us new checks - glad I ordered them long before we need the new checks. (Once again, I had to do something twice - what is going on with everyone right now?) I also called our heating oil company. This company gets odder and odder. Last year or the year before our company joined another company and the other company is in charge (I may have mentioned chasing them down to try to get them to do the pre-season cleaning of the furnace, which they did not do last year either - and they cannot come until the end of February when the season is well along and heading for the end in a month or so.) Our original company would leave a receipt when they delivered oil and then send us an invoice. This second company would leave an invoice for us to pay as the receipt. Well, just before Christmas a large oil company in this area delivered oil to us - not either of the ones that we have dealt with. They left an “invoice” that did not say how much we owed them and said that a final invoice would be coming. So I called them today to find out when the invoice would be here. Total confusion - “Didn’t they leave an invoice?” I explained and pointed out that I don’t know who the company who delivered is (I was talking to the second company that we have had). “Well, I guess than they should have mailed an invoice to you.” I held my tongue and did not get sarcastic and reply “You think so?” They are sending me an invoice. If I had any question about changing companies next year - this resolved it.
Hopefully we will have a couple of quiet days to catch up. Husband is again thinking of a trip on Friday to Lancaster, PA - but I know how well his plans for same in the recent past have worked out (not at all). Though if we go with the RV he can buy some food items not available here and maybe he will enjoy dinner a bit more than he does.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -
The start of a new year is good time to take stock of where one is and what one wants to do. I make no resolutions as they are never kept (except my last one to never make a resolution again). If you want to change things think about what you want to change and how to do so. It is better to think in this manner, I find, than to make grand resolutions and then find that they cannot or are not kept one feels bad. If it was just one or two specific things - one might actually get them done and if not, it is just a hope to get something done and one does not feel as much as a failure than not keeping a “resolution”. Resolutions are large things - work on small things and the large things will fall into place on their own.
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