Vacation and Taxes

Even with advanced software assistance, filing my taxes each year is getting more and more complex. I'm grateful for the cancelled vacation time to be able to get all my tax papers in order.

So Many Taxing Authorities
Many of you know that I live in Pennsylvania, but I do most of my income-generating work at the client site, where ever they may be located. These days, I've been working up in Albany, New York.

As a result, I have to file a federal return, a New York State return, a Pennsylvania State return and a local township tax return. And, of course, each one has different rules as to what is and what isn't taxed, and each taxing authority is reliant on the other for credits for the the other.

I've completed my Federal, Pennsylvania, New York and local for 2005, and I can't tell you what a relief it is to have that checked off my to-do list.

It's almost as relaxing as a vacation.

Current Knitting
I'm continuing to progress on the Accidental Shawl, and I still really enjoy the pattern and the look.



I've completed about half of the border, and when the fabric isn't being stretched out for a photograph, the ratio of the number of border stitches to center-panel stitches seems pretty good, so that it will block out flat.

Spinning
Showing progress on spinning pictures is like showing them on the alpaca bedspread/coffin cover project I'm working on.

Even when I've done a shitload of spinning, the results just don't seem impressive in pictures.



I'd like to finish the second bobbin of singles for this wool before I finish vacation, and perhaps even get a little head start on the third and final bobbin, since my progress once I've returned to work won't be anywhere near as substantial.

Readers' Comments/Questions
Thank you all for the captions on the sheep picture. I am always surprised by the cleverness of readers.

Concerning Capote, Judy asks "Have you seen 'the glass house' (1972)?"

No, and the last time I was in the video rental place where Thaddeus works, I checked to see if they have it, and they don't. I'll have to check their other store, because NetFlicks is not an option in this household.

Also concerning Capote, Caro asks, "Have you read Capote's "A Christmas Story(Memory)" yet?"

I have. I read it a long time ago, not knowing it was by Capote, and then more recently when it came as part of the short stories with Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Finally, I was glad to read Greg's comments on Western Kansas' reaction to the book, and I'm not at all surprised. I'm too young to really remember Capote, but the recent movie portrays him as a complete asshole. But he sure as hell could write amazingly well.