02/29/24 Leap Day

ah, the end of February and the beginning of  "operation silence" .. although I haven't been very bloggy lately -- March will be the quiet month ... or less than before month 

see y'all in April

( i attempted to upload lake pictures - epic fail --- ice is on the way out )

 

366 days ...

366 days -- I knew this was going to be a tough week .. we're super busy at the office (farm deadline is rapidly approaching, people are crazy) and the memories, moments and reminders just keep popping up ... 

one freaking year -- I told Mom yesterday at times it felt like yesterday and at times it seems like a decade ago .. this grief thing is weird .. really weird .. there is no guidebook and as we struggle with our own challenges it just gets weirder ..

I miss the early morning chats, the constant weather updates - the advice -- the one liners -- the encouragement when life was difficult ... 

I don't think during his last year - I saw his pain, it was there, it was hidden until the end -- I wish he hadn't hid it so well or that my blinders hid it from me ... he was one tough cookie thru it all .. it's hard to say this -- but when his fight got to be difficult I'm glad it was a fast end .. we can only hope that is true for all of us ... I'm not sure I'll ever be that strong -- 

I am so grateful for the family, friends and office crew that have propped me up, kept me going and listened to all my ranting -- and reminded me -- " your Dad would be so proud of everything you've accomplished this last year" .. it really doesn't feel like I accomplished a lot - other than adapt to a new normal .. and am still adapting  -- 

I miss him so much -- I keep telling myself every sunrise and every sunset is a message that everything is going to be okay -- lots of life lessons every day .. 

(okay this has taken three tissues, maybe four ... to type -- and I can hear the voice telling me -- "it's going to be all right -- one foot at a time" )

 

 

02/18/24 the days are a blurrrrr

 

things were spiraling out of control all week .. we have 2 solid weeks of farm appointments -- those clients with 2/3rds of their gross income from farming -- can skip making estimated tax payments and have no underpayment penalties -- if they file their returns by 3/1  ---  well in a normal year --- (and what is normal anymore) .. it's not so bad .... but this year -- a heap of iffyness ... there is a tax bill in the senate -- that is retroactive ... yes, retroactive tax changes ... I'm about to string up someone by their (#%%*_%_#   seriously, freeking retroactive -- so we're getting things done and sitting on 'em ...

we were all at the office by 6:30 this morning -- today's team -- me, jan and regis ... at 9:00 I sent Jan to the food coop for cookies and a box of berries .. things that make us nice ... 

and the berries were damn tasty 

another 6 days of hell and the "hard" clients will be at least prepped 

it's been rough

63 days

63 days and the fun and games should be done

honestly, I'm not sure what to think at this point

we have really productive days and not so productive days

weekends are generally really productive

quieter phones

Monday's are hell

picture from the cabin last weekend -- miss spending quiet time out here

picture from the cabin this afternoon

took mom for a drive -- she forgot to bring the cabin keys .. but I walked down to the lake

open water peeps, open water

inbound this morning

I'm naturally waking up at 3:00 - 3:15 .. this morning I headed downstairs at 3:45 -- a couple loads of laundry, shower, pile of returns to finish (always have homework) .. started the dishwasher, started the roomba and headed out

I decided since it was nice(r) out -- Ruby came out of the shed again -- might as well travel in style on the weekend ... the radio was acting up on the homebound --- not sure if it was the station or the battery .. will give it a charge tomorrow and see what happens ... 

I'm watching the documentary -- "the fall of Minneapolis" while working ..

thought provoking 

 

02/08/24 someday .... somedays .. someday's

I spied this one on wastebook

Jesse in the classic Dad pose ... although it's coach pose here 

made me smile

I got the call on Monday lunch

the demolition crew arrived 

cat / chicken shack going down

the last original building on the farm 

she's gone

and this damn rodent .. 

 

02/04/24 enjoying Sunday

I did the rise and shine thing at 5:30 this morning -- sat in the chair with coffee/cookie and laptop -- read all the important things - newspapers, blogs and wastebook .. when I got up and looked out the window -- the orange glow was a mere sliver .. I came up from the shower to retrieve my wayward phone and was treated to the most glorious sunrise .. 

then I went back to the cave and the projects

the enjoyment of the day -- I walked back and got Ruby out and drove to work -- because I can and I should .. a couple days of fun is ok .. mom says the weather will return to normal at the end of the week .. so tomorrow it'll be Ruby again .. 

we did dash back out to the cabin -- the pesky modem needed to be reset .. it was quiet again .. pix on my phone, I think .. finally back to work .. I wasn't very motivated to work today .. 

and so the week has started 

 

02/03/24 Word of the Month

I chose "enjoy" as my February word of the month ... this was chosen shortly before some log-in snafu's .. post log-in snafu's .. the vocabulary was a bit more colorful.

So in February, I'm going to enjoy all the moments, mini, small, medium, large and extra large ...

ENJOY!

 

02/02/24 eye candy from WLJ

a spit left of dead center is some dude ice fishing in a portable -- literally 15' from the floating dock 

sitting at the top of the stairs -- chowing down my lunch -- 2 beer sticks, 2 string cheese and a handful of bagel chips -- washed it down with a bottle of water  'tis life

sky so blue, ice so black and gray snirt 

 

02/01/24

I saw this on wastebook yesterday

simply true 

it's 6:34 am .. I've been in the cave since 3:35 ish .. 2 loads of laundry and a couple weird tax returns to start out my day ... I'm dressed and ready to roll for town -- need to start the roomba in the living room and wander to the garage -- and well, get off the internet.

January 31 is the first deadline of tax season and at 3:00pm I was spitting out 1099's -- hopefully, the last of them -- there will be a few more, but .... 

305 W2's calculated, printed, uploaded to IRS and Minn

442 1099's, inputted, printed, efiled and mailed 

it was real -- 

and on to the fun and games of income tax returns - we are getting a ton of new client requests -- a boatload -- an overloaded boat load -- early this week, I pulled the plug and stopped taking them -- at least for now -- we need to support our existing clients first ..