Sunday, March 2, 2008

Fed's money

Yea! I just finished doing our taxes all by myself. Jill provided the moral support. They were made more difficult because our townhouse in Los Alamos went from 'home' to real estate investment last year. Fun fact: our townhouse will be worth nothing in 29.5 years, but the land won't depreciate at all.

Speaking of money and the Feds, Jill and I have been trying to figure out what to do with our 'rebate' coming soon from them. My feelings about the rebate are pretty much inline with Tarik's (see latest Moscaline post, but only if you don't mind reading potty words). That is, the government shouldn't give away money that it does not have. We've come to the conclusion that we don't want the rebate and are looking for a good cause. Jill nixed my idea of burning the check Yippie-style outside the capital building in Santa Fe. Anyone have any good ideas?

This was a strange weekend. Yesterday's high was 66 degrees, and I wore shorts for the first time this year. Today, the ride to church was balmy, and then we almost froze solid on the ride home. An inch of snow is forecast for tonight.

We watched our buddy C's soccer team win 1-0 on the very lovely Sat afternoon. No one is wearing shorts today.

Bike news: I rode to Oak Flats and back yesterday at a moderately fast pace. I'm feeling pretty good about my fitness. After many more long rides and Reaper Rides, I'll be ready to finish mid-pack at some upcoming races. I also changed my saddle on the commuter/ sport tourer / fun bike back to my old Brooks Professional. It was originally a present to myself for passing the preliminary exam in grad school. Since then, I've had a love/hate relationship with it. The main problem is pushing it far enough back to be comfortable. My Bianchi seatpost allows a whopping 1/4" more setback than my other post, so it might stay awhile. That means, for now, I'll be riding in style.

Finally, I felt like quitting my job on Thursday. For now, I'm glad that I didn't.

3 comments:

Tarik Saleh said...

Poopy poopy poopy!
How is that for potty words. Fighting the man takes more than check burning. You have to be naked AND dancing while you burn the check. Jill is just reigning you until you get more extreme.

Don't quit. You can more effectively subvert tax money to bicycles if you are paid by tax money. Just a thought...

Jessielynn said...

Of course I have an idea what you could do with your refund check! Send it out of the country, investing in the beginnings of a sustainable development effort in a slum in Nairobi, one that my small group happens to be super involved with... We work with women in Mathare who commit to a 1 year training program in tailoring and business skills so they can provide for their families. The name of the organization is Tabasamu, which means smile in Swahili, taken from "Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future." (Prov 31:25, NASB)

We're in need of startup funds to provide lunch for the women each day and a salary for Winnie, the Kenyan lady from my church who teaches them. The plan is that the organization will become self-sustaining as the goods they make are sold here in Nairobi and abroad.

Of course I have more information if you want it...

Jill said...

Tabasamu sounds like a very worthy cause. And sending economic stimulus money out of the country has such a nice purpose-thwarting flavor. Got an address where checks could be sent?