Take A Deep Breath

I work for a studio, technically as a contract employee. This means that my taxes are not taken out for me, so, when tax season comes along I've gotta do it myself. Hasn't been an issue, as I barely made squat- until last year. Last year, much to my delight I had a veritable student boom and made more last year than I had in previous years working for the studio.

Now while all of this is just grand, the having to do my taxes because I'm in a new tax bracket ain't so grand. In fact it's mind numbing. I'm one of those people who WANT to understand what the hell I'm doing! And when I look at deductions, brackets, tax credit, rules and regulations and I feel my soul weeping as my brain starts to short circuit.

Add that with trying to figure out what federal student loan consolidation program I should sign up for and I feel a nervous breakdown slowly edging its way in. I am trying to tell myself, 'Just breathe, one day and one thing at a time... you can do it...'

After I say that the booze begins to really, REALLY look yummy. That's normal... right?

A Game

Can you figure out what's going on in these pictures?
Obviously these would be cat feet, easy. But where these feet are, is where the fun's at.

Figure it out yet?

One last chance....

Stumped or got it?

Okay here's the answer: Mina was up in the chimney today. How she was able to thrust herself through a narrow angled hole and land on that narrow strip where she could sit I have no clue. I'm just going to file this one away under crazy cat manuvers, take another sip of wine, and have a good giggle.

Not Very Original Today

Yup, it's snowing and then some today.

It maybe inconvient, but, good grief is it beautiful out there.

Sometimes I Wonder....

Snippet from tonight's phone conversation with my older brother:

Me: "I'm saving up money, budgeting, so I can make it over to my friends in Paris."

Bro: "Yeah I'm saving some money too... I'm thinking about buying another gun."

Whhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaa????????

There are moments when I wonder, in all seriousness, if my brother and I are from the same gene pool. And if we are, which is likely, which hellish redneck end did he pop out of?

Why I Want One

Keenai, Jon's sister's Rhodesian Ridgeback. She's being camera shy.... or she doesn't like the camera. Not quite sure which.

Ridgebacks are insanely smart, athletic, protective (but not in blindly agressive way), and most importantly very loving and lovable. You need a big couch or space reserved nearby wherever you will park your hiney because they will be there. Oh did I mention that loyalty is a marked trait?How about they are so friggin' cute and fantastic? There's that too. They are gentle giants with amazing temperments. I told Jon as soon as he has his own place he needs to get one. The other dogs will be rescues btw, I just haven't told Jon about those yet. ;-)

Something I've Been Working On

I am doing it. After staring at a mostly filled out form to get a copy of my birth certificate, I kicked myself into gear, applied, and about three weeks later got my birth certificate from theOklahoma Dept. of Vital Records. From there I have started to fill out my application for a new US Passport (my old one long expired as I got it when I was 15).

Why? It's true that in this moment I have no specific travel plans- yet. However, I am going to go to Paris, France in the foreseeable future. I have friends there who I haven't seen in far too long and a visit with them is, to put it mildly, rather overdue. Right now, I'm beginning to rearrange my budget to begin saving for this trip. How I'm going to pull this off with the student loan consolidation looming over me and the fact that I don't make a whole lotta money I'm not entirely sure.

At the same time, this is a trip I must take. When I get something whether it be a task, a goal, idea, etc under my skin and I can't shake or rationalize the feeling of 'must do it' away- I have to do it. This feeling is what got me to go to Japan as an exchange student, guided me to go to TU, gave me the insane idea doing two majors, and many other decisions that, yes have been difficult at time, I do not regret doing for one second. In fact, these decisions I believe have provided me with invaluable life lessons and I think I've become a better person for it. Well.... at least I hope!

No doubt, a trip abroad is a 'must do'. I hope to be in France within this year, but, if it takes longer it takes longer. Currently, I'm scouring cheap airfare sites, saving, and plotting. There are questions I have and while there's no way to know if this trip will provide answers, like I said, I just know I need to go and do it. At the very least, I will be in with friends, eating good food, exploring, taking pics and getting away from the norm. After all, who doesn't need that?

Regularly Scheduled Blogging to Recommence Soon

Quick entry before I must take care of some to-do's. I've been watching Jon's sister's since Friday of last week. Let me tell ya, I've been enjoying the break a lot even if I haven't been doing anything really 'exciting'. All I have been up to is the occasional cleaning and errand running, television watching (they have a big one!), playing with pets, taking advantage of the piano here, and writing some letters to my French amies. The family will return tonight, so I'm off to do a final sweep through, launder the sheets I've been sleeping on, and finally repack my things.


See ya on the flip side!