TAX TIME

 

          I  opened the drawer in which I toss papers to be filed and was instantly reminded tax time is upon me once again. Prior to retirement, I used Turbo Tax (TT) and continued to do so while John was alive. I used TT because I had more than enough deductions to go long form and TT made sure I got what was coming to me.

          For the last couple of years, I have continued to use TT and pay what to me seems like an exorbitant sum to file my taxes electronically, especially since I cannot go long form now because I do not have enough deductions. So, it makes no sense to me to pay TT to do my taxes when I can do them myself…and pay myself.

          So, I’m going to research what it means for me to do my own taxes. I think there’s a form 1040 Easy that only requires you list your income and the income taxes you’ve already paid. It gives you the correct deduction. I’m assuming I’ll get back most of the taxes I paid, but I don’t really know.

          How do you do your taxes? Do you do them yourself?  Do you pay someone to do them? If so, who do you pay?

I FAILED!!!

         

An entire month of 2023 hasn’t passed and already I’ve fallen behind with my decision to post to my blog every single day even if it’s only a sentence or two. I was in bed last night, and it was approximately 11:30 pm when I realized I hadn’t written my blog post. I thought seriously about getting up and getting it done before midnight, but my bed was warm, Kuma was warm and I simply couldn’t drag up the energy to move. And, it’s entirely possible the wine from the neighbors’ had something to do with it as well.

          Last fall my neighbors asked if I would take care of their houseplants in my house while they traveled. Their original idea was to leave then, come back for a short time for the holidays and then leave again. Unfortunately, the mother of one of the neighbors is in very poor health and so she needs to remain close by. Her husband also believes the economy is going to take a serious downturn, so travel and spending might not be the best idea.

          In any case, they asked if they could come retrieve the plants. I assured them I’d be here whenever they wished to come. When they arrived, we began talking, so the decision was made for them to take the plants home and then return so we could talk more about neighborhood stuff. Then they texted asking if they could bring wine. Of course!!!

          So, the three of us spent a couple of enjoyable hours sipping wine and talking about a wide variety of topics. My neighbor retired from the police force, so he had some very interesting stuff to talk about. We also talked about the economy, our elected officials and how society seems to be on a downward slope, but it was all interesting and we didn’t have any major disagreements. I added some zoo stories of my own to the mix,

          Their visit was followed by a rather late dinner and a bit more wine. So, I simply couldn’t manage to blog. So glad I didn’t make an actual New Year’s resolution because if I had, I would have failed and I hate failing at anything. 

KUMA'S BALLS

         

It’s time to begin thinking seriously about having Kuma’s balls removed. He’s going on seven months now, so whatever hormones they’ve provided up to this point will have done their job in offering him a healthy life. Besides Kaizer and our very first dog, Fang the Wonder Dog, the others have been females. We never had Fang neutered, but then he only had one testicle but just having one didn’t prevent him from visiting the ugliest dog down the street when she was in heat and procreating what became our second dog, Tusk who we did have spayed.

          With all the other dogs, we weren’t allowed to bring them home until they had been spayed or neutered. Karma was, of course, over a year old and had had nine puppies so her being spayed didn’t raise any red flags. With Midnite, Mia, and Kaizer, we could not bring them home until they’d had the procedure, so they were fixed very early in life. Now I understand that’s not a good idea because it affects the animal’s future health.

          I already have an appointment at the vet for Kuma later on this year, but the fee is $500-700 for the procedure. That’s a lot of money. A friend told me about the Seattle Humane Society and how you can get your dog fixed for a whole lot less…$150 for a dog Kuma’s size.

          I’ve been looking into this possibility. It’s for low-income folks, i.e., I cannot make more than $68,000 and change in a year. Hell, I don’t make anywhere close to that figure, so I guess I would be considered low, low, low-income. The thing is you have to be able to get on their schedule. They open the appointments for one day only each month. I don’t know if the appointments are available at 12:01 am or at 8:00 am of that day. I’m going to hedge my bets and try the early time and keep at it until I get an appointment for Kuma.

          Not having Kuma’s regular vet do the surgery makes me feel a bit bad because I do like the doctor and all her employees. Still, to be able to save up to $500 or a bit less rather than paying such a huge sum seems to be good sense. I was telling a friend about this today and she was horrified and offered, “I’ve got a pair of scissors I can bring over.” That did make me cringe.

           Kuma is already such a wonderful companion, I’m wondering if having his nards removed will change his personality in any way. We had a very nice cat decades ago that had a complete personality switch when he was neutered. It was like we sent in a wonderful cat and got back a cat from some horror show. A little something else for me to consider. There's also the fact that never having a male dog (Fang the Wonder Dog doesn't count) with testicles before, I have to admit they look kind of cute nestled in his feathery fur when he's spread-eagled on the couch. 

          Anyway, if you rub Buddha’s belly, light candles, pray, think positively, please do so with regard to Kuma’s upcoming appointment…I’d really like to pay the lesser figure rather than the higher one.

WHO KNEW...CERTAINLY NOT MOI

         

         As we age, we, or at least I, find some portions of my anatomy do not work as well as previously. When my MD put me on the low-dose anti-depressant at bedtime to help me go to sleep, I found the sphincter controlling my bladder’s exit ceased to work quite as well as it had prior to the medication.

          I emailed with my MD and she suggested I see a physical therapist to learn about pelvic floor exercises. I agreed although I actually didn’t see how that would be of any assistance since I do exercises almost every single day of the week, including kegel exercises. Well, let me tell you I was seriously mistaken.

          This afternoon I met with the physical therapist and after answering a multitude of questions was informed that my problem was most likely due not to my pelvic muscles being relaxed but to their being too tight. Boy, did this woman give me an education about my pelvic floor and abdominals. I learned so many things I didn’t know as well as the fact that some things I knew were wrong. She gave me five exercises to do every day with the goal being the relaxation of my pelvic floor muscles and the strengthening of my abdominals.

          Prior to this I had been doing kegal exercises religiously thinking they would remedy my leaky bladder problem. Turns out I need to do reverse kegel exercises to relax, strengthen and elongate the muscles in the pelvic floor. Who knew, right? I certainly didn’t.

          The exercises don’t stop there, however, but include an additional four exercises that are aimed at lengthening and strengthening my abdominal muscles. It looks as though I’ll be able to eliminate two exercises I already do in lieu of the five new ones.

          Sheesh, it’s not as though I’ve been sitting on my butt and doing absolutely nothing about my physical abilities. I mean, really, Enhanced Fitness three times and week and I just added River Walk exercise twice a week. Those are in addition to the daily home exercises I’ve been doing since I had hip and shoulder surgery years ago. I actually thought I was in pretty good shape, and maybe I am for the most part, but my pelvic floor apparently is in need of a daily workout that wasn't provided by my other exercise programs.

          Ah well, if I work hard, who knows, maybe not only will my leaky bladder stop being leaky, but I’ll develop six-pack abdominals…hey, a girl can dream, especially when she’s putting in all this effort.

READING, DUSTING...LAZY, LAZY, LAZY

         

All I really wanted to do today was curl up on the couch with Kuma beneath my wondrous quilt and read my book. I started out that way after I attended my fitness class, prepared both my lunch and dinner and ate my lunch. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for my I-pad to indicate it needed to be charged. I kept reading until finally, the screen went black. It’s plugged in and charging as I type.

          So, I had to do something with myself. I decided I would dust my bedroom, not that it needed it…hah!!! I gathered up my equipment and worked for a while to make the reddish-black furniture look reddish-black as opposed to gray. I also removed, dusted and replaced all the various things I had sitting around the room. I attempted to remember when I last did this and hate to admit it may have been in mid-September of last year. Shame on me, but really, I hate to dust and it’s not like I have daily or even monthly visitors in my bedroom.

          After that I sat down to look at a magazine I was given by my nail person…I asked to borrow and she gave. I found myself wondering who reads these magazines anymore. It was Good Housekeeping and I found little of value on any of the pages. I’m sure a young woman just starting out would have found the decorating, cooking, and skin-care tips all helpful and fascinating. Still, it’s pretty much the same stuff I read when I was that young woman. Funny how everything changes but it all stays the same.

          Tonight is Kuma’s third training class. I’d like to skip this too, but how will he learn stuff if I don’t learn what it is I need to teach him. We practiced down this week and walking on a leash. He did well with both exercises although unless I’m leading with a treat, he doesn’t want to do down. I wonder if he’ll eventually do “down” without being led by a treat between my fingers.

          According to the booklet, we’re going to work on “Take it, Leave it, and Drop it.” I think we have an advantage when it comes to these lessons since we’ve been doing something similar only I use “Bring it.” I know we definitely will need to work on drop it and leave it. Still, Kuma is a smart puppy and I’m sure we’ll master those in no time.

          The weatherman indicates tomorrow and Friday are supposed to be sunny. Even though it was sunny just yesterday, I’m ready for more sun. If that’s the case, Kuma and I will be out and about enjoying the day.

KUMA AND THE DOG PARK...AND MY GLASSES

          Yesterday (Monday) was a beautiful day with sunshine although the temperature could have been a little bit warmer. I decided I would take Kuma to a dog park for the first time. I thought about the one in Mountlake Terrace, but it’s pretty shady and who wants to be in the shade when the sun shines…not us.

          We drove down to Marina Beach Park in Edmonds and were lucky to find a parking place that wasn’t too far from the off-leash area. Kuma wanted to stop and smell absolutely everything as we walked toward the gate. I was patient for a bit, but also wanted to practice our walking training we'd learned last week. There were dogs coming out and going in and Kuma made a half-hearted attempt to bark at them.

          Once inside, I removed his leash and he followed me toward the water and all the dogs that were ranging from one side of the beach to the other. Kuma wasn’t too sure about all this or about all those dogs. Except for a few times, he stayed fairly close to me and even then, he would come right back as though I were his touchstone and would keep him safe…and, of course, I definitely would do that.

          I met a few very nice people there with their dogs, or in the case of young man, a group of dogs he under his care. He said he was a dog walker and trainer. Some of the dogs went into the water as though it were absolutely the thing to do. I can't imagine what it would be like to have a soaking wet, and most likely stinky, dog when it was time to go home. I'll probably find out at some point. Kuma was fairly circumspect when it came to the water and the waves. He was investigating the water and even took a tongue full when a bigger wave washed in…scared him right back to the hard sand.   

          It was my hope that Kuma would make a couple of buddies and dash all about the dog park. That didn’t really happen. He did dash about some, but not to the extent I had thought he would or that I wanted him to. Still, it was his first trip to a dog park and it won’t be his last. I did take some video that I hoped I could include with this post, but apparently it was too big to email to my computer so I could include. I'll just have to post it to Facebook.

          When we left the dog park, we went to Dick’s Drive-in and shared two cheeseburgers and fries. I had a small diet coke and asked for a small water. Even before the bag with the food was opened, Kuma lapped up almost the entire cup of water, and yes, quite a bit of it splashed about, but he was a thirsty dog. Note to self about bringing a bowl and water on the next trip.

          Back home, I felt he still needed more exercise and I needed more sun, so we played ball for a while. A couple of neighbors walked by and took turns chucking the ball up the street for Kuma while the other neighbor and I chatted.

          It would have been a great day; and perhaps Kuma didn’t deserve to have so much fun because he was a naughty boy first thing. While I was getting ready for our adventure, Kuma took my glasses off my nightstand and proceeded to play with them as though they were a toy. Initially, I thought I could just go to Costco and have the arms bent back to their correct shape. Unfortunately, Kuma managed to chew the ear pieces as well, so I think they are completely ruined.

          Fortunately, I have a spare pair that are the same prescription (I think) but I don’t particularly like the frames. They will have to do until mid-March when I have an appointment for an eye exam. I know my eyes have changed quite a bit (or it seems that way to me), so the result of the exam will most likely be a new prescription…and now, new frames that definitely won't be left in a location accessible to Kuma.  

FISHBOWL

           

living is not for me. I’m so glad I ordered the new sheer curtain panels. My front living room window seems hugely HUGE. The new curtains should arrive later this week and I can go back to living incognito this weekend.