I’m done, I’m done! Sweet Lord I’m done! – Ok, maybe that’s a little over the top but my taxes are completed, sent and accepted. After all the whining, it wasn’t too bad. I get some back from the feds. Just enough to cover Hazel’s dental procedure. (There’s something wrong with this.)
Mud wrestling – phone style – The beloved husband had a Kindle issue. He called Amazon three times and it didn’t get resolved. He is not overly computer savvy. He is also not overly patient when it comes to electronic stuff. He is a 73-year-old guy, very smart except for electronics. They paired him with a poor English-speaking person with a bad connection. (A match made in heaven – NOT!) He finally asked to be transferred to someone who actually spoke English. It took another hour and a half until he convinced them that something was wrong and he needed a new Kindle. The second tech’s famous works, “I don’t know why this isn’t working.” Duh!
What I love about the holidays – My brother makes Easter dinner (yay!). My duty is to bring dessert. Every year I make something strawberry oriented (spring-like). This year I’m not in the baking mood. I’m buying a lemon meringue pie. The best part is that I have been sampling them to make sure they are good. Yum! Why didn’t I think of this before?
A new gig? – Looks like I may have a temporary gig that pays real money. That’s a good thing because the week before in a big fit of spring fever I bought two pair of shoes and three new tops (none of which I needed – well maybe one pair of shoes). The stars are in alignment!
Hello spring? It’s Kate! Where the hell are you? – After taunting us with 80+ degree weather for a week, spring is on break in the Bahamas (think bikinis, hot bodies and umbrella drinks) leaving us to deal with her nasty half-sister winter who is threatening snow flurries. Boogers!
So how was your week?
I hate it when Spring does that.
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Spring should not tease! That’s just cruel not to stick around! And kudos to you for finding something new that actually brings in income. Sounds interesting, Kate!
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Spring is always naughty around here. Showing us some skin than making us cover up with our winter clothes.
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I totally get the taxes thing. When I finished mine, the blog post was titled “Break Out the Scotch and Bring On the Cheetos!!”. I also get the Kindle thing, the shoe thing and the spring thing. You lost me by the lemon meringue.
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Ok, I confess. I did have a margarita to celebrate the tax thing. Love having it behind me.
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There should be a trigger warning on this post. My goodness that pie looks good! So good. I’m thinking I need to make one for Easter– calories be darned.
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We’re having one for Easter for the first time ever! My Mom always made on but usually a little earlier. Easter was traditionally a strawberry thing but not this year!
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Hi, I loved this post! I can relate to the Kindle, the meringue pie and more. Looking forward to reading more of your posts. Lori
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Thanks and welcome!
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Always moving you are! And I join you shaking my fists at Spring. Longer days and warmer breezes for all of us. Thanks for your good words. They are valued.
Dan
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Thanks! Looking like spring will make an appearance this week! Woohoo! You get the weather before we do so don’t use all the good stuff up!
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Sounds like a threat (Ha!) Will do my best to send Spring along as unadulterated as I can…we’re all due.
Your Fan,
Dan
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Congrats on the temporary job gig. That’ll make up for Hazel stealing your refund. 😉
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That’s what I thought. I hope the water heater doesn’t break!
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Ugh. Chrissy has to get her teeth cleaned. We haven’t told her yet and I didn’t let her read this blog lest she mock Hazel with no idea she’s next.
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I’m afraid to make the appointment. Of all the cats, Hazel is hardest to catch if she even thinks you want to take her to the vet and of course they always know.
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OK, now my mouth is watering for that lemon meringue. That was always my favorite pie that Mom baked. I hope you husband’s new Kindle works okay. I’ve had mine for several years with no problems ~ yet. Congrats on the completed taxes and the new gig!
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I think he’s got the new one working. It came with the old software that he had to download. I have 2 Kindles and never had an issue with either.
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Congrats on the new gig. More new shoes and tops – here you come!
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That’s right! You have to look professional!
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Happy spring! Taste-testing lemon meringue pies sounds like such a burden… nice of you to volunteer. Your new gig is intriguing – surely you’ll need some new work outfits.
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New outfits, yes! I am such a martyr to test the pies. So hard……
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I’m really pissed Kate…I’m throwing on pants to go get pie, something I try not to do, but I can’t stop thinking about it. Dammit!!!!!
Favorite line… (think bikinis, hot bodies and and umbrella drinks. 🙂
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I know! We never have pie so it’s special here.
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I LOVE PIE…sigh
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Tax appointment with CPA is Tuesday, but gathering part is complete. You know it’s gonna be bad when you hear, “Hello, my name is Andrew” – and it’s CLEARLY NOT and Andrew! Your pie looks yummy and it’s a beautiful, sunny, first day of spring type day here. Daffodils are in my windowsill. It’s going to be a great week. Hope yours is, too!
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After today and tomorrow morning, the week is expected to warm up considerably. That will make it great!
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Yeah for you and your competed taxes!!!
Don’t those dreaded words,” I don’t know why it’s not working” give you the urge to want to reach through the phone and chime someone?..:) Well maybe that’s a bit extreme. Well, maybe not.
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No it’s not extreme. I think it’s why they don’t have storefronts where you can go with broken stuff to get fixed. It’s too easy to cuff someone on the head.
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Lol
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New gig means new stories. I guess it’s kind of sadistic to hope that there are some problems?
I did two very long computer chats with Amazon over a $11.00 book for my nephew’s birthday. Pretty sure the creature I was chatting with was an AI. I saved the chats, though, in the hopes of a future post. Anyway, I feel for Beloved Husband.
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Amazon — the final cs person he talked to said they would send him a new one as soon as they received his old one. He hated to go a week without one but there was no alternative (or so he was told). He mailed his old one on Friday and got the new one on Saturday. They mailed it out before they got his back. Word meaning changes when crossing languages.
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What’s the temporary gig?
Don’t tell me you’re getting into seasonal tax prep work . . .
That would not be a good fit.
I know! You got a temporary gig at Starbucks!
No, wait. At the bakery as a taste tester!
Do tell!
I sat down to “start” the taxes on Wednesday afternoon . . . and knocked that 1040 Form out of the park ~> I just copied last year’s return. Do you think the IRS will notice?
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Training. I’m giving a speech class. I’d love to be a taster at Starbucks. I’d save so much money. Woohoo for your taxes too!
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Awesome! Enjoy it.
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Thanks!
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Lemon Meringue might be one of my best favorite pies. Ok I love most pies. Except mincemeat and raisin. Fun post – headed into spring, yesterday there was a courting pair of Mallards swimming in the water atop the pool cover. Today, ice. Unless they have Ice skates they won’t be around today … MJ
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Two consecutive years we had a pair of mallards in our small pond. I loved it but my husband was afraid we’d end up with babies and lots of duck poop so he scooted them out.
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Congratulations on getting your taxes completed and the new gig! Our tropical weather has been replaced with colder temperatures too, Kate. But the long range forecast looks promising. 🙂
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Yes, Easter weekend is looking pretty good (and warm here too)!
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Hooray, you! I detest tax time. I have mine done by a CPA, so I whine at the end of January trying to get all the receipts and crap together. This year I had everything but one receipt and finally got it so I dropped off the stuff at her office the day I got the clock fixed. Hooray, hooray, hooray!
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However you do them, it’s a relief to have it behind you! (at least until New Year’s Eve when you remember you have to do them again).
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Yeah, hope I don’t have to pay. I usually get a little back and just apply it to the next year.
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We had to pay in last year so I “upped” our quarterlies. Somehow they got “over-upped.” I try to get it close to target but it never seems to work.
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I think you take the amount you had to pay and divide it by four, then add it to the payments. Donna does that stuff for me. Of course, if your income or deductions vary, it still doesn’t work out.
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Yep, that’s how you do it but something changes every year. Turbo Tax calculates it for you too.
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I got a new a set of computer speakers from Dell after spending 45 minutes on the phone with the customer service guy who must have just barely passed the English part of his application. Or so it felt to me when we both struggled through that call.
In any case, it was my very first computer and I was just starting to learn this home computer stuff. I could not make the speakers work. We went through all the set up 2x. He finally comped me a new set of speakers.
When I got them I discovered what was wrong with the old set. I hadn’t plugged them into the wall.
I think that part of the problem with our communication was that he was limited to his scripts, which he quite literally read to me. I don’t think he was allowed to use his brain to just ask the stupid lady if she had plugged them in because that wasn’t one of his script options.
I was running a call center at the time and I use this example constantly as a reason why scripts are NOT a good plan for problem solving call centers and why outsourcing call centers has to be something that is EXCEPTIONALLY well monitored by the native language speakers.
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My current computer is a Dell. Had it 18 months and I’ve had 3 sessions with them. All with English as the 24th language. Painful. The shortest session was 2 hours. I used the chat feature because I couldn’t stand the accent wrangling. Worked ok except that he was working a few at the same time. If I responded to one of this questions, it could take up to 10 minutes for him to return back to me. This new computer gets a lot more issues than any other one I’ve had. Probably won’t get a Dell again. Mine was plugged in. Can’t believe he didn’t ask you that. 🙂
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We woke to a thin layer of the white stuff on the ground and ice on the deck. Not wanting to get out there to go to church. Have fun with the limited job! Always good to bring in a few bucks.
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Snow was predicted here for tonight through tomorrow morning but it looks like the storm is going out to sea and we won’t get anything. Yes the new gig will fund my Starbucks addiction!
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Just looking at lemon meringue pie makes me think of my mother. It was her favourite spring-time dessert! My husband also had tech difficulties this week. (He IS computer savvy.) it took one email, one visit to their office, two very long phone calls where he spoke to at least five people, who consulted their bosses, but it was finally fixed. But it took hours of his time. Congrats on the refund and the new temp position!
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Your husband is a saint. I find that much patience hard to come by.
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Most of my friends say that I am the Saint in our marriage!!!! Lol.
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🙂
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Can’t wait to hear more about your new “I work to shop gig” … sounds interesting. I think your choice in pie in stellar. I’m a big fan and jealous of your taste testing…very jealous.
Happy Spring! (sort of)
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Storm has been canceled. Yay! I have to shut down the tasting machine. By Easter I’ll be so sick of pie…….
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Congratulations on getting rid of the taxes and your new work gig!
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Thanks. I’m hoping the gig gives me blog ideas.
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