01/31/21 clueless

 

some days life is totally out of control and I'm totally clueless -- so I drink more coffee, because clueless and wired make me unbearable.

Kind of caught up at work, well sort of .. just waiting for the "ok" to actually finish something -- our programming friends at the IRS won't let anything "electronic" happen until Feb 12 -- so by Feb 12, we'll have boxes of half finished work laying around -- hopefully -- someone in the building will know the contents and status of each box -- and then when the starting bell rings -- lookout ... the Konica Minolta -- will be spitting out the pages ... the race will be on ..

yep, hurry up and wait -- wait for guidance, wait for clarification, wait for acceptance, wait for ....

I thought we were having a ice storm yesterday -- so I packed up a tote bag of work and headed home at 1:30 -- no ice.  But I did get a few projects knocked out and into the semi-done boxes.  

the struggle is real ... 

thankfully I can wear pajama pants to work

01/24/21 AAB

 

I took an attitude adjustment break today -- left the office at 2ish ... picked up Mom and took a drive to the cabin.  Jean/Lee were installing the new toilet and we delivered some supplies -- 

It is a lake of white -- someone plowed a road parallel to the shore -- at least in front of us .. there were fisherpeople, snowmobilers, I spied a hockey rink on the homebound trek.

It was a good AAB.  

Now it is on to the homework tote bag, meal prep for the week and the clothing decisions, what to wear, when to wear it ... the struggle is real. 

There are no pix of me plowing snow at the office, shoveling snow at the office and/or bitching out the neighbors for piling snow in front of the office.  Every snow season we have this discussion and every year he forgets.  They moved it.  

01/23/21 Bernie!

   Still bouncing with the highs and lows.  I've decided its the crazy life and times in which we live.  Someday this will all be over -- imagine -- shopping, traveling, goofing off.  Well, shopping and traveling are okay with precautions.  I don't have the time to be ill in the next 80 days -- 

Bernie is sitting out front waiting for the St Patrick's Day Parade -- it will be a while dude.  Note the forest / foliage / weeds are somewhat contained in this shot -- not sure when it was taken -- but the lack of weeds impresses me.  

The Bernie memes are killing me.  Who knew it would take some goofy dude in mittens to make the world smile - for a moment or two.  Seriously, cracks me up!  

I started packing homework this morning -- left the office about 3:30 -- hit up the grocery store -- kinda busy there -- way to busy for me -- got some treats and am home in the cave.  Not a whole lot of snow yet ... hopeful the weather geeks are wrong again.  

01/21/21 The day has arrived

This pandemic is a corker -- one day we're up and flying high and the next day we crash and crash hard, really hard.  I think I crashed today -- 

   the client phone calls were particularly weird, wonky and demanding, this  pandemic has turned us all into demanding twits,  an Investment Club member lost his battle with cancer -- it's hard to see families struggle knowing grands will grow up with out the wisdom, guidance and love of a grandparent,  

    the people walking in thru locked doors today -- again endless questions about things that really aren't in our realm -- I'm struggling to get 1099's done and moving on to the next deadline in my crazy world.  

   the trek home tonight was a bit tearful -- sometimes I think we need to hit bottom -- I know I do -- I need to find a way to manage the crazies or perhaps enjoy and thrive amid the crazies.  

   I did take my afternoon walk -- just  a few blocks -- 15 minutes -- tried to clear the head/mind - the cold front was moving in -- it was chilly -- windy --   some of the sidewalks are a bit slippery -- 

   the air ambulance is currently flying over the house -- we're in the flight path from the north -- I'm whining about hitting bottom and someone's loved one is getting airlifted out of here.   it's all about perspective.  

  I am grateful.

  I am blessed.

  I am humbled.

01/19/21 Is it only Tuesday

I came home at 5:00 -- it was still light out ... before I left the old house -- I needed my keys .. no idea where they went -- haven't seen them since I unlocked the door this morning and they are not in the door I looked.  extra sets are a good thing

It was light out on the outbound commute -- met the mailman at the mailbox -- he looked even more tired than I and cold.  

the elders were exposed to COVID last Wednesday -- so indirectly so was I --  and the people I share space with -- although we do a pretty good job of distancing, handwashing and spraying down things -- I fear my fridge handle will rust off from sanitizer .. 

sanitizer works well on frozen locks too ... used it on a drop box on Saturday ... 

farm girl hacks.

shoveled snow today -- rode the ATV and moved more snow -- all while wearing a dress ..

The internet was down at the farm -- rebooted the router etc and got it rolling -- only the 2nd time in 8 years -- cannot complain

plugging away on 1099's in the cave and I smell cat pee ---

yep, cat pee ( if I can smell that I do not have COVID)

took me a while -- I found it -- that creature has been banned from the house

no more indoors.

ever.

I'm guessing #2 will sneak the oversized ill behaved heathen in .... 

 

01/17/21 This week in pix

replacing the battery in the camera -- they're good for about a month ...

weather/temperatures might affect the battery life

tiny screw on the bottom -- 

my goat now has a lit Christmas tree ...

I've slowly upgraded office furniture over the last two years -- new bookcases, standup desks, chairs and now ..... a bench/loveseat for the bay window in my office -- it matches the stuffed chair in the front room .. love the pattern ... and it is ever so lovely covered in rugs .. ... rugs are back up on the windows ... keeps the drafts at bay ... sort of ... 

anyway, I like it -- had coffee / newspaper reading on it this morning .

Jean called mid-afternoon -- they were at the cabin - installing door/window trim -- evidently a couple closet doors etc didn't have trim -- new door closer on the main door and she was putting my new bed together -- we had a facetime moment and got a tour of the projects ... and the porch .. dang I need a little lake time -- it's not looking like it's going to happen for a while

This weeks project list:

Office: (and other)
1.  finish W2's

2.  make a serious dent in the remaining 1099's

3.  keep filing small corporate/partnership returns 

4.  get SRC's year end financial statements done

5.  payroll NP, CW, TDS, BEH to do this week

6.  billing ( the most important)

7.  get the portal software up and functioning 

8.  get TR called to fix software glitch

9.  walk everyday

10. get the truck serviced and washed

11. vac basement

 

01/16/21 Adventures

   I'm not sure what I did today ... but I think things got done.  My desk / floor / counters look a little better than when I left yesterday.  I was wiped out yesterday.  

   Came home to homemade soup -- and a tote bag of homework stuff.  The endless 1099 prep continues -- I think we are about one half finished.  

   More PPP prep today -- free money is hard to ignore.  Some need it more than others.  Some really need it .. the rules are evolving.  Let us hope the money holds out.  

   No stimulus calls today -- always a good thing.
   

   The backdoor camera is on the fritz or the battery is dead -- tomorrows project -- the file room/back room is actually looking pretty darn spiffy -- moved more crap out of there -- 

   My couch/settee arrived -- now I have a bed in my office -- ordered pillows/throw from Amazon --

   Such is life.

 

01/15/21 TGIF

so if this were a video ... the sound track would have included my "oh shit" ... I had checked the back drop box and while grabbing for the door dropped the keys ..... like oh shit I dropped the keys between the deck and the house.   

I then proceeded to head butt the bracket for the windowboxes and have a giant bruise on my forehead -- that sound track is equally colorful.  

I got the keys back ... 

love those cameras -- they ring every time someone / client jams something in the box .... 

blizzard warning #1 of 2021 -- what a crappy mess -- streets are sloppy and icy -- I haven't done the sidewalk yet -- it's still snowing -- I'm going to wait and do it when the snow is just about done -- then will have to salt the heck out of it ... 

Thursday I rolled in at 5:02am -- this morning 6:02 -- although I was reading my soon to expire library book from 4:30 on -- and I had to deliver the elders light bill payment to the City --- the bill arrived yesterday and it is due today .... 

who runs out of checks -- seriously I'm losing it .. I know I have more somewhere -- but for the life of me I can't find them -- office checks no less ... the biggies from intuit -- called to reorder more -- that was a shitshow of a conversation  ...

that's all the goodness I have for this crazy week ...

I see by the countdown calendar I have 90 days left .... 90 days and 890  nights ... 

 

01/10/21 Lake Life

 

First night at the cabin.

Yikes, we are lucky.

Come on Spring!

Sunday night edit: .. so I stole the pix from Jean's wastebook page.  It's kinda cool, I might need to steal it again and turn it into the blog header.  It was taken our first night at the cabin.  We had closed -- I dashed home to get Mom/Dad and to the cabin we went.  That screen porch is fabulous!!!  

I struggled with projects most of the day -- my mouse and keyboard were acting up and as I was closing up to go home realized the assholes at Microsoft were automatically downloading updates -- I was royally irked.  After an hour of frustration -- I'd replaced batteries and the entire mouse/keyboard combo ...  finally left for home.  

Jean/Lee stopped early ( or early for them ) and took my bed/frame out to the cabin and "unrolled" it so it could expand.  Evidently, Menards has trim on sale and Lee needed to measure and shop :)  the man has priorities.  Our new gas stove is coming Tuesday ( and the old one disappears ) not sure if the plumber has routed a gas line over to it yet ... I haven't been out there for 3 weeks.  I miss it.  

Progress report: 325 w2's are printed, reconciled and uploaded to Minnesota, ready to stuff and distribute and I just finished 3 hours of 1099's .. not as many -- just more tedious, I switched to an online platform and I don't like it -- yet.

Tomorrow the chaos begins anew.  

01/09/21 Goals

  I uploaded my favorite pix of 2020 to a page -- see above on the toolbar.

 I had a self imposed deadline of getting all my quarterly payroll reports completed, W2's printed, W2's uploaded to Minnesota and the whole works scanned and done -- by today.

 Well, all but q's are done, 325 W2's have been printed, I'm currently uploading to Minnesota's web site -- the scanning / final proof will be Kate's ( or Robyn's) job next week.  I really wanted to play with my new 1099 software today - but the site was down for maintenance.  

 The first 3 tax returns are done.  There is a long way to go .......................  we have some small ( really small ) partnership returns that get done early -- mainly to test software etc ... 

  I spent 8 hours listening to a webinar -- it was advertised that it would contain updates to tax code for the newly signed tax bill ( thankfully he signed it before he went off the deep end) ... 8 hours of work time.  I cleaned my desk and crochet -- 

 The goals for next week:

1.  get the final payroll reports done
2.  finish at least 1/2 or more of the 1099's
3.  get my bed out to the cabin and get it set up
4.  get the dead appliances to the recycling joint in Mankato 
5.  walk everyday   --   I was a bad walker this week.  

they are attainable goals

01/08/21 TGIF

It has been a tough couple of days 

my mind cannot stop spinning

seriously - wth -- is nothing safe any longer

 I find these jewels to remind myself of the little ( or not so little ) things in life 

I read somewhere in the last week ... my pandemic mind is always spinning -- I don't deal with the unknowns very well -- anyway ... I read -- that we all need to focus more on the positive rather than the negative -- I've always been "the glass is half full" person -- but lately seem to get dragged down by the smallest of things ... this week I went back to my gratitude journal

otherwise life on third is progressing nicely -- most of our W2's are ready to print ( seriously ) I have an eight hour CE gig today focusing on the latest changes to the ever evolving tax code and PPP -- I bought my crochet bag with me :) .. computer geek spent some time here last night fluffing and buffing -- once we start to roll in our new world -- we should roll well 

even spent time on the office "web site" ... not sure if I like it or not 

it is a work in progress

my new "bed in a box" arrived -- it's damn cool when an Amazon truck rolls up and two dudes carry the box in .... yesterday, Smiley, the UPS dude, delivered the frame ... sheets/mattress pad came from Kohls .. hoping to spend Sunday afternoon putting it all together and checking out some froze lake 

01/06/21 Lists/Projects

I'm a plotter, planner, list maker ... I make lists I try to follow my lists

My giant post-it pads rock.

I'm a little behind on this list

Every week gets a list

on the wall is a giant pad with a zillion post-its of "things to do" arranged by categories and prioritized -- if I see it -- it might get done faster 

 this file cabinet was custom built by my neighbor -- he's a cabinet maker and does very nice work .... it's needed knobs for 13 years --- 13 years .. finally yesterday I trekked over to the hardware store and bought longer screws -- last week I drilled holes -- broke off a drill bit in one -- so I got a larger bit --  .... it got done.

this weeks projects included:

recycling to the bins

old construction left overs to the dumpster

sidewalk scraped of snow -- a work in progress

hair cut

drop boxes installed and labeled ( waiting on stands)

trash bins moved to garage

the rest of the week is dedicated to equally exciting/weird and necessary shit.

dead electronics to the recycler in Mankato

wash the truck gas in the truck

basement vac'ing/laundry

light bulbs in the office garage fixtures 

(need tall person -- have ladder)

and the office projects

get the freaking w2's done 

(should have most if not all printed by Sunday)

seminar on the recently signed tax bill

cabin projects

my "bed in the box" arrived 

need to haul it out and inflate? let it inflate?

weird

01/03/21 Life in the new year

dash cam from the inbound commute this morning ... the fog in the hills south of town was kind of cool ... the iPhone dash cam didn't exactly capture the moment -- 60 mph might have affect the picture quality ... I was the only vehicle on the road and no I did not pull over -- the pix uploaded out of order ... middle is #1, bottom is #2 and top is #3 -- beyond my skill level to fix

 I actually sat at my sewing machine for an hour last night .. started zipping out some paper pieced "courthouse step" blocks ... they will finish at 6" square need 36 of them for a table topper / wall hanging for my office.

Today's productivity -- getting the 79 W2's for a client to reconcile -- it was an effort, but it all balances and they are ready to print ... I worked on quarterly payroll reports and W2 prep most of the last 2 days ... I also managed to reconcile my own checkbook ... good things to do -- somewhat regularly ... and then there is the lovely "elected official" financial disclosure reports to file -- data gathering happening. 

 And the roomba was roaming the building ... 

then there was the garage purge -- building materials from 15 years ago are ready for the dumpster ... hoping to take a load of dead electronics to Mankato this week ...  need to find some tubs to toss the shit in .... the accumulation of dead electronics and unused stuff is overtaking the garage ... normal people clean their garages in the fall ... I wait until January ... argh.  The truck will fit better when I am done.  The glass top for my desk -- has been in the garage 19 years ... it too will move to the desk this week.

Next up is planning my week -- projects and wardrobe -- I get sworn in on Tuesday via zoom -- might need to wear flannel pants for that gig .... Judge K will never know the difference eh!  

01/01/21 a new day -- a new year

a client dropped this off on Wednesday -- he referred to it as "vaccine" ..

my new t shirt arrived -- it's pretty accruate 

since the plague arrived -- I keep notebooks near me all the time .. every day gets a fresh page ... here is Thursdays header

1 calendar to track hours, grass mowing, lake time and mileage

1 calendar to track other stuff / project notebook

and 5 notebooks from phone calls ... a lot of phone calls ... started the "phone books" on 3/12/2020 ... 5 full notebooks .... I fear it will only get worse ...

I went to work this morning -- 9:00 ish .. late start -- moved some more furniture and cleaned a few more corners -- by the time I'll get it figured out -- I'll move it all again.  Since access will be limited I'm trying to make the worker bee spaces comfortable and user friendly -- so far so good -- and I threw stuff out ... 3 things a day.  NYE Day I finished downloaded and restoring client data from the VPN to a stand alone in the office -- redundancy is important in my world ... it all works -- now that is off the VPN we can delete it from the VPN and free up some space .. space in the cloud can be expensive

I had a productive NYE - I ordered my cabin bed -- mattress in a box from Amazon -- it had good reviews, then went to Kohls and ordered mattress pad and new sheets -- bed frame and a mailbox stand were ordered from Home Depot earlier in the week ... 

I was getting things done .... more to do

homework awaits me

as does more laundry ... always laundry