Saturday, March 7, 2015
There's a woman who lives about 4 blocks from me who is very active in Meetup. Back when I first arrived here she was hosting a waterfront walk and lunch a few times a month that I participated in, but the past long while it's been mostly bar happy hours and so on, which don't interest me.
Yesterday evening she had a party at her house. That's more my speed, but I didn't RSVP right away because, well, I've become increasingly reclusive lately, and I wanted to see how I felt about it closer to the date. She had restricted attendance to 40, and the 40 slots filled up quickly.
Yesterday late morning she sent out a broadcast email saying that 15 slots had opened up, so I went to the group website, and sure enough the excuses were pouring in. Family obligations. Have to work late. Sister is coming for the weekend. Worried about ice on the drive home.
This seems to be typical for this area.
The hostess, cheerful as always, said oh well, 25 is a more comfortable number in her small home anyway.
This morning I checked again. 17 people actually showed up, and having seen her counts for some of the walks I'd been on, I know she tends to pad the numbers a bit. I suspect it was more likely fewer.
Even using her numbers, that means 40 people snapped up the places (to make sure they had something to do on that Friday night in case nothing better turned up), 15 cancelled the DAY of the event, and 8 or more didn't even bother to cancel.
I really don't like the people around here.
.
Saturday, March 07, 2015
Thursday, March 05, 2015
4020 More snow
Thursday, March 5, 2015
It has been snowing all day, about 7 inches on the driveway now, and I guess it's supposed to continue into tomorrow.
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I've said several times that I tend to read literally.
This morning I found the following headline on Yahoo News (famous for hiring high school dropouts to write the articles):
"Family of California Girl Left Brain Dead After Tonsillectomy Sues Hospital"
The way my mind works, first interpretation:
- How does a tonsillectomy sue a hospital?
- The whole family is brain dead now? What?
It took me about three readings to "get" it.
.
It has been snowing all day, about 7 inches on the driveway now, and I guess it's supposed to continue into tomorrow.
----------------------------
I've said several times that I tend to read literally.
This morning I found the following headline on Yahoo News (famous for hiring high school dropouts to write the articles):
"Family of California Girl Left Brain Dead After Tonsillectomy Sues Hospital"
The way my mind works, first interpretation:
- How does a tonsillectomy sue a hospital?
- The whole family is brain dead now? What?
It took me about three readings to "get" it.
.
Wednesday, March 04, 2015
4019 IRS again.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
I am livid!
To recap:
The IRS had sent me a notice that I owed an additional $61,000.00 in taxes for 2012, which was patently ridiculous. It turned out Schwab had sent info on trades that did not include the cost basis. I sent it all off to The Angel, who sent in an amended 1040, which showed that I should actually be getting an additional few hundred in refund for 2012. I don't know who screwed up, or how, neither do I care, as long as it gets fixed. The IRS refigured my taxes using the new amended 1040, and sent me a letter saying that I will be getting a check for $121.00. Why the reduction from Angel's recalculation? I don't know and I don't care, as long as the IRS goes away.
Ok, that's where it stood as of mid-February.
Early last week, I received a check from the Us Treasury for $127.82, dated 2/23/15. Duh? Is the extra $6.82 interest? Seems a bit low for interest....
Last Monday I received a letter from the IRS, dated 3/2/15 (yeah, dated the same day I received it), informing me (again) that I would be receiving a check for $121.00 within the next two to three weeks.
Um, what?
Yesterday and today I spent literally hours on the phone to the national IRS number and the local IRS office trying to find out why the difference, and can I get into trouble for depositing what appears to be an incorrect check (which of course I have already done), and will I really be getting another check in the smaller amount, and if so, what do I do with it?
You will not believe the problems I've had getting through. There's the usual "high call volume try again later". There's the enter your birthdate, month now, two characters, so I enter"10", and hear "must be two characters" along with a kindergarten example of what two numbers look like, but I already know, because I can see the "10" I had entered on my phone's screen, so they say to enter the month again, so I do, and again I see the 10 on my screen, and the mechanical voice says "call again when you have the information", and HANGS UP!!!
I finally managed to get through on something like the fifth try and got on the queue, "calls are handled in the order they are received, so stay on the line, do not hang up", and listened to horrible jangley music for 40 minutes, when I heard the music stop, and a clicking sound, then silence --- silence long enough, about 5 seconds, that the cell phone figured the line was dead, and DROPPED THE CALL!!!!
I went to the IRS website, and there's no way to ask my question there.
I called the local IRS office. They don't see people in person. All inquiries are handled by the phone system, which, by the way, has no option to leave a question to be answered by a human, and,by the way, rejected my two-digit birth date and hung up on me THREE TIMES before I was able to get to the part where I could ask (sort of) about the 2012 refund, whereupon I was informed that I would be receiving a check for $121.00 in two to three weeks.
And people wonder why I hate telephones.
And the IRS.
.
I am livid!
To recap:
The IRS had sent me a notice that I owed an additional $61,000.00 in taxes for 2012, which was patently ridiculous. It turned out Schwab had sent info on trades that did not include the cost basis. I sent it all off to The Angel, who sent in an amended 1040, which showed that I should actually be getting an additional few hundred in refund for 2012. I don't know who screwed up, or how, neither do I care, as long as it gets fixed. The IRS refigured my taxes using the new amended 1040, and sent me a letter saying that I will be getting a check for $121.00. Why the reduction from Angel's recalculation? I don't know and I don't care, as long as the IRS goes away.
Ok, that's where it stood as of mid-February.
Early last week, I received a check from the Us Treasury for $127.82, dated 2/23/15. Duh? Is the extra $6.82 interest? Seems a bit low for interest....
Last Monday I received a letter from the IRS, dated 3/2/15 (yeah, dated the same day I received it), informing me (again) that I would be receiving a check for $121.00 within the next two to three weeks.
Um, what?
Yesterday and today I spent literally hours on the phone to the national IRS number and the local IRS office trying to find out why the difference, and can I get into trouble for depositing what appears to be an incorrect check (which of course I have already done), and will I really be getting another check in the smaller amount, and if so, what do I do with it?
You will not believe the problems I've had getting through. There's the usual "high call volume try again later". There's the enter your birthdate, month now, two characters, so I enter"10", and hear "must be two characters" along with a kindergarten example of what two numbers look like, but I already know, because I can see the "10" I had entered on my phone's screen, so they say to enter the month again, so I do, and again I see the 10 on my screen, and the mechanical voice says "call again when you have the information", and HANGS UP!!!
I finally managed to get through on something like the fifth try and got on the queue, "calls are handled in the order they are received, so stay on the line, do not hang up", and listened to horrible jangley music for 40 minutes, when I heard the music stop, and a clicking sound, then silence --- silence long enough, about 5 seconds, that the cell phone figured the line was dead, and DROPPED THE CALL!!!!
I went to the IRS website, and there's no way to ask my question there.
I called the local IRS office. They don't see people in person. All inquiries are handled by the phone system, which, by the way, has no option to leave a question to be answered by a human, and,by the way, rejected my two-digit birth date and hung up on me THREE TIMES before I was able to get to the part where I could ask (sort of) about the 2012 refund, whereupon I was informed that I would be receiving a check for $121.00 in two to three weeks.
And people wonder why I hate telephones.
And the IRS.
.
Sunday, March 01, 2015
4018 More snowy mess
Sunday, March 1, 2015
It snowed again this morning, fast and hard, but only 2 inches worth. Not so bad ... except that it immediately turned to drizzle, which has formed a thick icy crust on top.
It's below freezing out there. How can it be drizzling?
I don't understand.
.
It snowed again this morning, fast and hard, but only 2 inches worth. Not so bad ... except that it immediately turned to drizzle, which has formed a thick icy crust on top.
It's below freezing out there. How can it be drizzling?
I don't understand.
.
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