4035 Shoot Me Now

Monday, April 13, 2015

Daughter came over yesterday and we got the nylon netting up over the vent flaps. This morning I heard a heard a bird in the vent.  He (or she) had either torn a hole in the netting or moved it aside or something, had gotten inside the flap, and then caught a foot in the netting and was fluttering furiously trying to get loose.  Inside the vent.

The ladder was still out there, and I must have scared him dragging the ladder over, because he broke loose and disappeared into the tube.  I removed the netting, and then went in and turned the dryer on to blow him back out.  I don't know where he went or how he fared.

I guess I'm going to have to get some kind of metal screening or something.  Is this an isolated case of birds invading vents?  It can't be.  Are there vent flaps made to discourage birds?  If not, why not?  If there are, why would anyone install this kind, especially with the danger of nesting materials catching fire in the ceiling, or the danger of cooking eggs or baby birds in there.

I don't know what to do.  I guess I'll go to Home Depot and ask someone.

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The Angel sent me a draft of my 2014 tax return to review.  I took one look and freaked.  There had to be something terribly wrong.  According to this, I will pay $0 in federal and state taxes for 2014.  That's zero.  Nothing.  Zilch.  Nada.  I will be refunded every dollar I had paid in estimated tax and withholding over the year.

I don't understand.

I usually pay something between a few thousand and several thousand.  2013 was unusually high, $9K+ for federal, $4K for state, but that was... very unusual.

I dragged out the 2013 return and compared them.  It doesn't look like anything was missed.  The big difference was in capital gains.  In 2013 I had a lot.  In 2014 I ended up with a small net loss (which Piper will have to explain next time I see him).  I fired off some questions to the Angel, all of which he answered satisfactorily except for one $5K itemized deduction I still don't understand.  I have to get back to him on that.

After that mess last fall when the IRS decided I owed an additional $61K for 2012 (I didn't, but clearing that up was not easy), I really don't want to attract attention! Given the difference between 2013 and 2014, I'm afraid red flags will be popping up all over the place.

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Update:  internet search.  Bird guard.  Can buy in hardware stores.
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