TAX SEASON IS HERE - THE FUN OF FILING OF INCOME TAXES THIS YEAR

 Got some tax returns out to clients.  It has not been easy this year.  In addition to the usual problems – missing papers that clients have to get to me after the sending the rest of the papers, etc.  I have been having unusual problems this year.

A business client was ill and needed surgery – so had to get an extension for her business as the returns for same were due March 15.  Then sales tax was due March 20 – luckily she was back at work part time by then and was able to mail me (she does not use a computer at all) a list of her sales so that was out on time.  

I keep a copy of last year's returns for clients on paper and scan all returns (and many other papers) into the computer to be able to store them in much less space and it is much easier to find and access what is needed.  I have been using 2 different software programs which make pdf files to do this.  We had to get a new “all in one” (printer, scanner, fax) during the past year – this is the second one we have bought – returned the first one due to scanner peculiarities and bought this one, a different unit from a different manufacture, which seemed to work fine.  But it has developed peculiarities also – I cannot add pages to a saved pdf file.  So I was making different files and copying the pages into the older one from the newer one.  Did that on a return recently and suddenly – all the pages are there, but I can only print the pages from the original file.  Husband found software to combine files – it took over my computer making itself the default not only for scanning, but also for printing (and we did not even know it printed.  Husband took it out today, but it still seems to be default for scanning and printing – I will have to have him reset the default programs for me.  (Yes, I could do it myself – in college he would copy my computer programs, but it gives him something to do and if anything goes awry, at least I will not get blamed while he repairs the problem.)
    

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -

Tax time is here (in the USA) – don't forget to file on time or get an extension.  Don't give Uncle Sam (or his friends the states) a reason to charge you penalties and interest – you KNOW you pay them too much to begin with.  Only 19 days left to file (due April 18 this year Federally and in most states).

SETTING THE RV FOR A TRIP, A PRINTER PROBLEM, AND GOING THROUGH ACCUMULATED WARRANTY AND INSTRUCTION PAPERS

 Still have not gone away – currently planning to do on Friday and we have done more to get the RV setup and ready to go – replaced the paper goods, soaps, and the like which we took out back in the spring of 2020 when we were first in “stay at home” and husband was sure we would run out of same.  It took almost a year before we used any packages of these items and had already bought replacements by then.  

He is just planning a day trip, so I don't have to make up the beds or such, just get everything where it belongs and secured so it won't move around during the trip.  As we started doing this we came up short something – we have 3 spring loaded curtain rods which we put across the aisle of the RV – under the bed when it set up, just across the aisle when it is not, to hold items in the small aisle area in place so they do not come forward if we have to stop short.  The curtain rods are missing?!  I know where I keep them when we are not using them, but we had cleared everything loose out of the RV when we took it in for work on its generator a month or two ago.  Husband put everything back in.  We have checked everywhere in the RV which is a long enough space for the curtain rods to fit into.  We have gone though our house where items from the RV were in the house.  No – not anywhere.  Since they are not expensive items and I had thought the springs in them were going back in mid 2019 when last we traveled, we went to Walmart to buy new rods – none in the right size in Walmart.  So, we went to the other Walmart near us (technically both of these of these stores are in extended walking area of our house in opposite directions – we may not have a Walmart as big as they are elsewhere, but we have a lot more of them) and found them there in silver/grey, doesn't matter to us that they are not white as long as we can find them in the future.  

This past week I have also been going through one of my file drawers.  This drawer holds instructions and warranty information for things in the house and also travel items – maps, brochures (from places we visited, want to visit, or both) and, on the sentimental side, tickets and such from past visits.  The latter items involve discussion with my husband as he feels a need to keep them more than I do.  I did get rid of a good stack of old maps – we can get new ones free from AAA, the roads have probably changed since they were printed and he uses his multiple GPS devices (simultaneously- sometimes they seem to be arguing - “turn here”  “no – turn there”).  

I try to scan the instructions into the computer if they are not large and not likely to need to be pulled out and used quickly.  After they are scanned (and same is backed up) I get rid of them.  I did decided to keep the instructions for his stationary bicycle even though I scanned it – if we were to get rid of at some point by donation or sale it would be good to have the manual.  In going through these papers I came up with an assortment of instruction manuals for items I was not sure if we still had and handed them to him to go through.  This started him looking again for the battery jumper for our RV if there is a problem starting it – we finally ended up finding it as a result of this – he had put in our van when we had to drive our RV to the dealer – 2 states away – and leave it with them for repairs. Our car was “not feeling well at the time and we had to take the van to come home in – this was in 2018 and he had not put the battery jumper back in the RV since, hence it being missing.  So, going through all these papers solved a mystery and we don't have to buy a new battery jumper  for the RV.  

I have folders by year for warranty papers – for example if we buy something this year and it has a 1 year warranty, the warranty papers will go in the 2022 file folder – at the end of 2022 the papers in the file will be gone through and most will be thrown out and the file folder will be used for another purpose.  Right now these folders go to 2026.

We had been having a problem with our all in one (printer, scanner, fax) in the office.  The pages were grey marked all over.  We cleaned the drum per the instructions – dry – no change – then cleaned the drum per general instructions found online -with alcohol – no change.  Husband looked up ordering a new drum – US$170!!  Quite a chunk of money.  While debating what to do we happened to see a printer/scanner in Walmart for US$99.  Hmmm. The all in one can still be used for scanning and faxing (and printing junk items for me that I don't care if they are pristine) and buy the unit for nice printing and husband can scan without having to walk all the way to my desk for $99 or we can buy a new drum for US$170 – and then might need to buy a new toner cartridge also…  Husband started looking at what else is available – fax machines are hard to find these days.  (I would figure that same would mean that people no longer fax – our is used very rarely since we got it and only once in the past year – but that was to receive a fax from someone who had to send me tax info and was at his suggestion, so people must still use fax machines?  (Post to me and tell if you/they do still fax machines please.)   So we decided to buy the new scanner/printer.  

Not as easy as these sounds – well, the buying is, but we needed someplace to put it.  Before this problem we had planned to buy the color printing version of the same all in one machine for husband as he needs to do color printing and is not happy with the printer he has (and we were soooo happy with this unit before this happened).  We had planned to get rid of the photocopier I “inherited” with my dad's accounting practice when he died and put his printer there – having a second copier was important to this as I need to have one for work and cannot trust not having a spare one.  So we had to carry to the copier outside and leave it for sanitation pickup  - or someone coming past our house, finding our house and taking it for their self (which would did happen and makes me happy that it will still be used).  It is from the 1970s or 80s and is rather heavy – and we are rather weak.  We took out the tray and removed anything we could to make it lighter and then carried it down the stairs – one step at a time – and out to the curb.  We then taped the rest of the items – tray, toner in carrier, cord, etc to it.  

So far this setup is working.  Biggest thing we had to do was that the new unit was plugged directly into a wall outlet and we really wanted it in a breaker box.  So we bought a long, heavy duty extension cord.  Husband ran it around the perimeter of the room (not an easy thing – behind furniture, under his work table, under his desk and then up between our two desks).  

So all in all, it was a busy week – RV, instructions and warranty papers, and old copier out, new scanner/printer in.  

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -

Most weeks when I look back not much seems to be have been done.  A week like this one when a lot was accomplished and problems solved feel very good. 

I HAVE LOST MOST ORGANIZATION IN THE HOUSE NOW!

Okay I admit it.  Between tax season, warping the loom with husband, dealing with our RV, etc. I have lost my organization.  I have bank statements from a month ago which have not been reconciled (I did our main ones, but not the smaller ones).  I have managed to keep current - barely on paying bills and just realized “How much?” we need to pay the end of the month bills - WOW!  I am behind on things I need to get done as treasurer of both clubs.  Just when I think we are done with all the other stuff we have to do - something else will pop up.

We managed to get the propane detector installed in the RV - but it does not give the signal that it is checking that it is working that the old one did and this one (same company, same model) says it should - manufacturer says that it does not do it as much as people complained of the noise.  We did test it - twice - with the gas from a cigarette lighter and it does go off. 

The carbon monoxide detector was sent back yesterday to the company we bought it from.  It is not only, not the one we were told it was, it also was not the one pictured online and does not work in an RV.  We had to find it elsewhere and order it again and are waiting for the new one to come - again, we can’t go anywhere until it is in the RV and is working.

Now that the weather is nice husband announced it was time to dewinterize the RV.  This is two processes.  First we dewinterize it - we fill both water tanks and run water through the water taps - hot and cold - sink, shower and outdoor taps, as well as into the RV until the water runs clear so that the non-toxic antifreeze is no longer in the lines.  We did this last Friday.  This is a fairly quick straight forward thing to do.  Since we had planned a trip in December which we did not take, I did not bring the bedding in (sheets and pillowcases were washed as I do them all season)  to wash.  I pulled one set of bedding (in a laundry bag in a plastic bag) and brought it in when we were done.

We knew we needed bleach for the next step - but since I don’t use bleach for laundry, we decided to check how fresh the bleach we had was - it was not fresh enough to use as it did not smell like bleach.  Husband was at full crazy panic mode in general over all this, so I could not bring myself to tell him that when I took the bleach out from under the sink - a place I go several times a week - there was water on the floor of the cabinet.  I wiped it up while he was out of the room.  I then traced it and it seemed to be coming from the outgoing pipe - I put down paper towels and tied one around where the leak seemed to be - where two pipes joined.  I had in my mind that he had washed his hair in the sink the night before - perhaps something happened?

Saturday afternoon we packed our van with the items we would need for a reenactment event with our unit on Sunday.  We have a rain date for this event, but the scheduled day for the event is the same day as two other events in the same community - one across the street from where we will be - which brings people to the area and we have more guests than otherwise.  Reports were for rain - maybe in the morning, maybe afternoon, maybe all day - maybe light, maybe heavy... So we packed so that if the event was moved inside our headquarters we could bring much less with us than for a regular event, but had the rest of the stuff with us just in case it is nice.  (In case you are wondering - we have two wooden boxes with rope handles which are storage for our stuff and also seating for us.  We packed what we would need no matter what all in one of the boxes.  Husband portrays a person who is printing and selling period publications so we have his inventory and a table setup - that would not be needed if raining.  Members of the unit eat the cooking demonstration so we each bring period looking tableware.  I bring my embroidery setup - I had just what I needed in the box we would take and the backup stuff in the other)  Sunday it was dreary but dry and the idea of setting up a bit outside and planning to run inside if it rained was decided on.  We brought just the one box.  Luckily the day stayed passable with just some passing showers.  At one point during the day - I was sitting outside stitching and talking to people - husband and our unit commander came to me and asked me to move inside.  Why?  There is a staircase - really a ladder on an angle - which goes to the attic.  We keep it tied off unless we have members (generally two young men who are brothers) upstairs for safety in many ways. Well, apparently people were not keeping track of their children and the children were walking up the stairs.  So I was relocated to sit in the front of the stairs and block them with my box.  I ended up doing tours of the room and house also while there - with the box left to block the stairs.  Oh, I could not find the reproduction cap I bring to events to wear.  I keep an older one that is a bit youthful for me in one of our boxes - in case I forget.  So I brought a new, unworn one that I did not want to use, just in case, but found the old spare one to wear.  Later at home I was talking about the cap I normally wear with husband and he mentioned that the last time I wore it was December when we did the Candlelight Nights event.  I went and checked my older winter jacket that I had worn to those events - safe and snug in the pocket was my missing cap!

Monday we started the second step of the dewinterizing process - we need to sanitize the tanks and system - in case anything grew in anything during the winter.  Again, this is a fairly easy thing to do - fill the tanks with water, add a small amount of bleach to each and then drive the RV up and down the driveway with short stops to mix together.  Normally we would have done this after the what we did on Friday on the same day.  We then run the water through the same taps as we Friday (but not the toilet bowl - bleach cannot go in it) until we smell the bleach in the water coming out of them.  Husband decided to replace the water that had been used from the rear tank (front tank full as the rear tank runs into the front tank).  We normally have a problem with the rear tank after this process as some sort of bubble forms and we cannot put water in it when the tanks are emptied after this bleach process and he thought this might resolve the problem as there would be a full tank in the rear.  Well, the problem was already there and we needed the setup he had made to deal with it - it is a bunch of plumbing parts put together so we can put a long, thin tube (think fish tank tubing) on the end of the hose and feed the tube all the way into the tank and fill it from the bottom/inside of the tank.  He took it out to use.  It was so cold this past winter that parts of the assembly burst.  So off to the home stores for replacement parts.  We went to the “orange” company’s store - no one to help us and no parts that we needed.  We went to the “blue and white” company’s store and the man in the department tried hard to help us - he found where the part should be, but was out.  We walked around and husband came up with an alternate assembly and we bought what we needed.  In the confusion of all this, we forgot to take the insulin (which needs to be kept cold) we picked up at the pharmacy from the car - in just under 80F weather - at least it was in a cold bag, so hope it is okay - this is something I never would have let happen if not for all this craziness taking over my mind.

Tuesday we let the water out of the RV (This involves unscrewing a small cap from underneath the RV - guess who gets to do this.)  We then refilled the tanks - and again ran the water through the lines.  We repeated filling, emptying and letting the water through the lines.  We needed the special setup for the back tank all but the last refill. I brought in the other bag of bedding to wash.

Today we let the water out for the last time and now the water system is ready to be used.

We also received on Tuesday a notice that our reenactment company’s insurance will not be renewed as they are no longer writing the policies in our state - so now I am looking for a new policy for them.  Husband searched online for coverage - all listed the company we had the insurance with.  Today I called our personal insurance broker and asked if they can help - they had me fax the info to them - but of course the fax machine (an all in one with printer, scanner and copier) decided that there phone number was “restricted” and we could not fax to them.  We have never heard of this.  After about 40 minutes online husband fixed the problem - we hope.  In the meanwhile I emailed the information to the broker.  In scanning in the paperwork, I managed to get ink on the scanning unit - all pages had a line down them - and we then spent about an hour finding and cleaning the ink off the scanner - of course the instructions were not in the manual and he had to find them online.  I also sent an email to our national reenactment unit - located in the same state as us - asking them about the insurance they have.

For good measure I burned my hand in steam while cooking dinner last night - and in recoiling from the steam, put a bad cramp in my side.  While my hand is not badly burned, it does still hurt (last night I could only type on the computer with my left hand - not as easy I would figure to do).  Today while we were taking apart the RV electric plug in system that we plugged in to make things easier, I dropped a large and heavyish circuit breaker box on my foot - the opposite side - so now my hand and my foot hurt.

I did tell husband about the leak under the stove last night.  The other night I fit a plastic container under the pipe and since then it has been dry.  We will keep monitoring the box for water. 

Hopefully tomorrow I will be have time to do the bank recs.  Time to email reminders to embroidery chapter members who have not renewed to do so - I have to have them in the mail by May 31.  Send out a check owed to a reenactment unit member who overpaid the family’s dues.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -

Sometimes it all just gets away from one.   One can go crazy - as my husband does - or try to keep calm and know that somehow and sometime (hopefully soon) the craziness will end and one will be able to start over and catch up.  Laundry is being done - but some of last week’s was still in the dryer.  Bills are paid.  Garbage and recycling has gone out.  (While we were in the garage during all this I found a good sized cardboard box for next week’s recycling - I need to have a big enough box to include the empty and rinses out old bleach bottle.)  My hand is better, but not perfect today and will recover.  My foot has a small bruise but will recover.  The biggest concern left is finding replacement insurance in the just over a month we have to do so - but hopefully it will be resolved in time and not for much more than we used to pay. 

Does this ever happen to you?