04/25/21 the adventures of Ruby

 

the kids ( and Ruby ) clean up nice  --  last night was St Peter's Prom ... or the COVID version of prom .. Ryan was going to borrow her last year and well -- that didn't happen ... next weekend she goes with Isaac to Cleveland's Prom ... 

Mom and I were driving home from the happy place yesterday and she says - "isn't that your car over there" ... the kids were taking pictures at Lake Washington .. 

For the record I really don't like my new license plate   FSU 699 .. 

it was chilly at the happy place -- so I sat in the recliner and tested out the internet   5G at the cabin ... what the hell, that's better than anywhere else in my life.

not loving the "late 70's"  furniture we inherited -- Jean/Lee are loveseat / hide-a-bed shopping today in Mankato -- there may/may not be a large tv involved too ... 5G .. =  smart TV ... the boys will be happy 

it was good to get out of town -- briefly ...

04/23/21 obsessions and addictions

 

ya, houseplants, my attitude adjustment breaks have been at Traverse des Sioux Garden Center ... there may or may not be 20 new house plants/succulents and other assorted fancies at the office.  and there is leaf shine, fertilizer and I may have ordered a grow light or two from amazon this afternoon.  need some pots next.  my plant stand needs to be assembled and I'm in the market for a second one.

I haven't lost my mind -- just found a new corner of my soul.

04/22/21 what day

 

ya, I know there is a spelling error .. shit happens.

I'm losing track of days again.  I did get a haircut so I feel kind of normal, or less shaggy ... everyone in the building has had a haircut this week ... or most of us.  

I'm slogging thru the projects -- last weekend was the bomb.  I got a lot done -- not sure about this week a heavy county schedule and way to much zooming.

Ruby's getting busy -- she's headed to St Peter's Prom this weekend (oil change on Friday) .. and the following weekend -- Cleveland's Prom ... 

I'm hoping to get some cabin time in this weekend -- it's not looking good .. but maybe.  If I can get a solid couple of work days in ... I have a self imposed deadline of 4/30 to get everything done.  It can be done if -- the weird interruptions slow down and I quit daydreaming out the window.

'tis life ...

04/18/21 Anniversary ...

   the elders are celebrating their 62nd wedding anniversary in style....

   #1 had a covid test scheduled in Mankato -- tests before his Wednesday dr gig ... #2 had a 20% off coupon for Kohls .... and I thought it necessary to drive thru the Ford dealership.

    Kohls is pretty bare.  Between the two of us .. 5 bras and underpants.  yep, underpants.  enough said.

    Back to work and my project list .. knocking things off one by one.  I've spent 5 months (well longer) saying "I don't know" and doing things over as change occurs -- spent the morning re-printing tax returns due to the UI change at the federal level and attempting to figure out who we have or have not missed.  it is frustrating.

edit:

  I didn't get a lot done on my list -- but I got a lot of other stuff knocked off ... Kate has 4 piles of copying, all of the UI returns have been reprinted, year end client letters are back from the printer, ACC's payroll is done,  only 8 quarterly payroll reports remain.  

  Tomorrow is a new day and there will always be things to do -- it was really overwhelming on Friday and Saturday -- the phone kept ringing, the emails kept pinging and the weirdness was really weird .. 

  Yesterday, I crappie flopped while brushing my teeth -- I was walking the towels over to the laundry sorter and slipped on the rug - It's been one heck of a week ... 

04/16/21 and so it begins

#Plant2021 

the big green machines arrived.  they blew an oil/hydraulic line on the planter so it came in the yard for a mini bath before heading over the hill to the next farm.  soybeans on our acreage .. switching back to corn  -- isn't the grass green and the sky blue ??

 it's a beast -- an expensive beast
I went to work today -- I thought it was just for a couple of hours .. 48 phone calls and way to many people wandering thru .. maskless ( ) I spent the entire day working - I actually got a lot done.  I set a goal for the weekend .. we'll see if I actually complete it (see below).  I stopped at the Food Coop for a breakfast sandwich -- only to learn they don't make them on weekdays, wth.  

I miss McDonalds -- dang -- it was my go-to-breakfast joint.  I'll have to experiment with some baking over the weekend - breakfast muffins -- cheese, bacon, broccoli?  I'm hoping to get to the happy place -- it's not very warm .. the sun came out late afternoon

Weekend Project List:

Office:

1.  Tax Returns (lots)

      a.  W's

      b.  C's

      c.  H's

      d.  Inbox
2.  30 sets of quarterly payroll reports
3.  finish the sales tax reports
4.  input/proof/type f/s SRC

5.  get front computers updated (software)

6.  vaccuum

7.  get recycling to recycling.
8.  sweep garage?

9.  find the lawnmower

it's attainable  ....

04/15/21 .... zee day

   another anti-climatic April 15th ... the big day has moved to May 17th and I fully expect it to become June 15th before we're truly done.  Internal Revenue is a mess .... 

   life is a mess -- yesterday we lost internet for 10 + hours.  Consolidated had a "network" issue in downtown St Peter -- then it messed our modem and router -- geek got here at 6:00 .. never did see the "consolidated" people cruising around.  shit show. 

  everything in life seems to be a shit show.  of epic proportions.  

  Robyn sent me out at 3:00 yesterday .. evidently the pacing and cursing was getting to her -- I went to the grocery store -- milk, raspberries, blackberries, cheesecake and cheese balls.  good thing it's a self checkout .. a real clerk might have wondered if I was nuts

  Kate has daycare issues with sick kid.  daycare has sick kids ??  haven't seen her today to get the full picture or heard from her.  

My agenda for the day:   (back to list making)

1.    work on the two piles on my floor.  get them done.
2.     mail out tax return packets if Kate is a no show.
3.    complete 3 quarterly payroll reports
4.     finish 4 sales taxes ....
5.     get the trash out of the building
6.    

04/14/21 more diddling

 

 

I give up 

I'm roasted and toasted and tired

my nose is dripping ( there is no tissue soft enough) 

it's cold and blustery, again, still

we (Kate, Robyn, Jan and I ) were chatting about all the things we're going to do when we don't work as much -- who the heck am I kidding -- I'm still going to be working 80+ hours a week for a month or two ... just with less support and it's damn hard to work when it's fabulous outdoors.

Mr UPS delivered my cabin computer yesterday -- I purchased and "all in one" unit, printer and cordless keyboard and mouse - I might as well work out there too.  Now to remember how to set up access to the VPN.  

okay -- back to work -- no time for diddling around.

04/13/21 I have ....

    more important things to do ... but here I am -- diddling away time 

sometimes the meme's strike a chord 

I made a list yesterday of the must do by Thursday and there are 3 extensions to paper file, one payroll and two corporate clients to chase down for signatures -- then we've got a month to get the rest of the shit done.

this is my COVID brain

I'm a little twisted but I've been snarled for a year

this too shall pass

I'm going to take some time off this weekend and play 

play = is park my ass in a lawn chair and stare at the lake 

perhaps a crochet hook and some yarn, maybe a good book and fabulous beverage

04/11/21 random thoughts for the week

my new jade plant 

isn't it a beauty

12 new plants this winter ... 

a good new hobby

the garden center is good for 30 minutes of attitude adjustment

an expensive 30 minutes but fun

someone brought me dilly bars today -- Jan and Regis had already left for the day ... I'll share with them tomorrow ... it was tasty

more projects at the cabin -- new screen door on the porch -- 

the gerbera daisy in the green room is blooming!!  there's one more since this picture was taken and the blooms seem to last -- once I started pouring on the water -- they started to bloom a lot

lake shot from Easter Saturday ... 

more projects -- ceiling fans in the bedrooms -- I get text messages with pictures -- I'm missing all the hard labor out there ... 

April 11th -- I was confirmed on April 11, 1976 - a mere 45 years ago.  somewhere there is pictures .. the bicentennial year .. a lifetime ago  

the projects and weirdness continues on 3rd street -- Thursday I came down with the headache from hell -- started with blurry vision and then the sinus head pain -- I went home and slept for 3 hours -- came back to work -- and the blurry vision / headache came back at bed time -- I don't know -- stress or allergies ... no repeat so ... I've been crashing at 8:30 - 9:00 pm and getting up at 4 am .. that will continue this week -- 

Monday we go into disaster mode -- extend what we need to extend -- file what can be file and make lots of lists and phone calls of all the other stuff that needs to get finished .. I fully expect due dates to change again tomorrow -- why not -- everything else is a moving target

I spent Friday and Saturday printing/re-printing returns with Unemployment Income on them -- the 3/11 tax bill excluded UI from most incomes but we didn't get software for FIVE weeks after the bill was signed and enacted .. 

filing started 3 weeks late and this crap ... 

gray hair peeps -- it's why I have gray hair.

enough no more ranting

I can't change it

 

04/06/21 Life in the mines

 my office has turned into a minefield waiting to blow up.  I've been working on the piles of "stuff" the boxes of "waiting for more information" were the focus today -- I think we finished up one box and one pile -- tomorrow is a new day and there are more "piles" to complete.

we still don't have software to finish minnesota returns that are affected by the American Rescue Act and the unemployment subtraction provision -- there are 3 boxes waiting for that to be ready -- the copier will be humming at full speed then.  

I ate at a restaurant today -- first time in 13 months ... breakfast with the investment club boys.  it was good -- good food, good service and I felt safe.

  so it rolls in the mines ....

04/04/21 Labor Camp

 5:30 -- shower, dress -- office

            lots of projects .... and stuff
            watched church on the iPad
            drank coffee and had words with myself

11:30 -- leave office for cabin

     --- cleaning, cooking, sitting
     --- help replace a section of the dock ...
     --- help roll the dock down the bank

     --- move the lift over
     --- load up some stuff

5:30  -- leave for home

   -- brief supper
   -- shower
   -- laundry and work ( spreadsheet homework)

8:42  -- my body is giving out .. #3 load of laundry almost ready for the line

It was a good Easter 

04/03/21 I got out of town

 

I left the office at 1:30 and went to the happy place ... the last time I was there was January 24th (yes, I looked it up) .. it was the last time I was out of town ... sheesh.  There were several docks out and we could hear people working on projects.  The pontoons were touring  ....

Jake tested out the water .. looks cold to me.  
the best news -- no mouse turds.  that my friends is a really good thing.

I came back to town, picked up toxic juans for supper and went back to work -- and I have homework.  'tis my life for another month or so.