Frantic Friday: Lessons on Adulting, The Tax Edition

TAX TIME! (c) 2017 P.Lynne Designs

There May be Affiliate Links

Today, I am presenting to you, my reading audience, a double dose of pure adventure in my journey of learning new things in 2017: Lesson #3: adulting the tax way.

I am not claiming to be an expert on this topic because there is no right way of doing things.  This is Patricia’s way, the only way I know how to adult with this.

For those of you who read this blog from other countries, April is tax month in the States.  Now there are two ways you can go about this mandatory task in adulthood:  Deal with it, or cry, then deal with it.  Either way, you deal with it, like death (the whole non-avoidance thing of “Death and Taxes”).  My suggestion is to pull up your big girl/big boy pants and deal with it.  I tried the crying method.  It does not work.  You can avoid going to the dentist, avoid getting married, or even having a child, but you cannot avoid death and taxes.  I am not sure how your country deals with taxes, but something tells me that taxes, like death, is unavoidable. 

I have two types of taxes to file, as a person and as a business person.  Now I can avoid filing as a business person.  It is simply, to not have a business.  I can simply go to work like a normal employee, and file the personal portion for taxes.  I have done that since the age of 18.  It is only the last 16 years I have filed both personal and business taxes.   Thanks to the calendar this year, everyone has an extension to April 18^th to file their taxes, which is due to April 15^th being on a weekend and it is also Easter.

I thank God that I have an accountant, who takes care of the filing for me.  I had my tax “adulting” appointment today.  I know, procrastination at its finest.  This should have taken care of it the first of February.  Yes, February.  You have 3 months, 2 weeks to file your taxes.  Between me being sick, my mom being sick, and me pulling the covers over my head, screaming, “I do not want to adult today”. This lead to this procrastination.  I also thank God for my accountant taking me at the last minute.  I called her yesterday, LOL.  Oh, did I tell you that I and my dad have the same accountant?  Yes, that is how I got her in the first place, three years ago.  No, it is not my mom.

Lunch, the hard way.

So, I made my appointment on time, and after my accountant went over my information, discussed hair and her up and coming trip, as well as my up and coming trip (that how close we have gotten in the 3 years), I left and wanted to try something new for lunch.  I had heard about these Poke bowls that have swam ashore to the Mainland from Hawaii, and there was a place Downtown Columbus that sold them there. Since I like sushi, I thought I would give it a go.  OK, here is how I got a Poke bowl in Downtown Columbus:

Drove down Oak Street, ran into construction, made a left on Third, ran into a problem, and sat for a minute (downtown traffic is no joke around here), made my way to High Street.  Drove High Street to Gay Street, turned right.  Looked for the place (which was at 100 Gay Street). I saw that I had no place to park, so decided against it, decided to feed the car instead.  Drove back home (at least to a gas station near my home), filled up the car.  While waiting for the gas to go into the tank, I noticed that the people who fixed my car did not wash it, so after the car finished eating, I drove down to get the car washed.  After getting the car washed, I did not want to drive all the way back downtown, so I got Captain D’s instead.  While I was sitting in Captain D’s, I called the parents, found out my sister was there, so I forgo getting the Ipad checked out as well.  So that is how I got a poke bowl.

4 Easter Baskets of Goodness
(c) 2017 P.Lynne Designs

A tisket, a Tasket, a cute little Easter Basket

So, my brother came into town with his mini-me (Nephew, 6), and while he and my dad went to get dinner, I and mom decided to fix the children’s Easter baskets.  For 4 children (a niece (8), two nephews (6 and 9), and a great-nephew (2)), they will each receive:

·         3 eggs filled with chocolate

·         A Chocolate Cross (as opposed to a chocolate bunny)

·         2 two toys according to the age of the child

o   A firetruck for each boy; a mermaid doll for the girl

o   Rubik cube-like puzzle for the 9-year-old

o   Cars for the 6-year-old

o   Bunny sunglasses for the 2-year-old

o   I still need to find one thing for the 8-year-old

·         A twisty lollipop

All in a basket for each child

The 6-year-old said he saw what was in his basket so we will see.  The adults (their parents) will get in their Easter basket one hyped up child, LOL.

New Apartments
(c) 2017 P.Lynne Designs

So, as you see, my day has been very interesting in the way of food, driving in downtown Columbus is nothing to sneeze at (I took some photos of new apartments I have never seen before), but it was fun to play Easter Bunny for the evening.  (As opposed to playing Santa, LOL).  So, spring has finally sprung in Columbus, and I could not have been any happier.

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!  HE HAS RISEN!!!! 

Easter Blessings

I am very sorry I am late with this post.  Easter is almost gone and I do not have a thing to write.   That is not true.  I was busy.  My day went just like most Christians on this day.   It was a day of reflection.  Not self-reflection of sorts, but a reflection on one person named Jesus, and what he did for you and for me.

In case you do not know the Easter story, let me explain to you in a few sentences, if you do not mind.  First of all, the story is told in the following text of the Bible:  Matthew 28: 1-20, Mark 16:1-19, Luke 24:1-53, and John 20: 1-22;25.   I will go over highlights.   Jesus was considered a prophet by all accounts.  He healed the sick, raised the dead, and perform miracles such as feeding the 5000 with only 2 fish and 3 loaves of bread.   Well, it did not set well with the high priests of the area, so they plotted to have Jesus killed.   So they contacted Pilate to have Jesus arrested and bring him to trial.  Jesus knew of this, because this was foretold according to the scriptures.  In fact, He spoke of this during the last supper.  After He had the last meal with his disciples, He told them that Peter will deny Jesus three times before the rooster crows, and Judas will betray Him.  Jesus prayed in the garden for God to take this burden off of Him, but at the end of the prayer, Jesus said to God, “not my will, but thy will be done.”  At that time, Roman soldiers along with Judas came to take Jesus to Pilate.

At the trial, Pilate asked crowd to release Jesus and have a man named Barabbas crucified, because he found no fault in the things Jesus did, but the crowd wanted Jesus dead.  So Pilate pleased the crowd, and a crown of thorns was placed on His head, and he was given a purple robe.  Jesus was given a cross to carry, but the weight had gotten too much for Him, so a man volunteered to carried it for Him.  Once they got to the place to put the cross, Jesus was placed between two thieves.   During that time, soldiers tormented Jesus, and even asked at one point,” If you are the Son of God, why don’t you save yourself?” Jesus did not say anything to them.   At the end, Jesus hung His head, and died.   This is only the beginning.  The rest of the story is what happened after He died.  The curtain in temple was torn into two; there was thunder, lighting, and an earthquake.  Only then did people believed that Jesus was the Son of God. Three days later, Jesus rose again.    

The stone of the tomb he was in was rolled away.  Now Jesus did not have to do this, but He fulfilled a promise according to the Old Testaments.  For that alone, I am glad that Jesus died for all of our sins.  It is a wonderful feeling to know that he cared so much.

Well, after church service, I ate at my parent’s house and we sat around.  I was sleepy, but perked up when my brother came by with his youngest child.  My brother and fiancee was expecting their second, and now it is not going to happen.   My prayers go out to them.  They had only found out two weeks ago that she was pregnant.  After he and the baby left to go home, we ate some dessert, watched the Amazing Race and The Good Wife.

Well th at was my Easter and my lesson.   I will talk to you later.