Is it okay to start a blog post with a primal scream? How about a primal groan? Or maybe a primal cry of agony?

With all due respect to Charlie Brown, ARRRRGGGHHHHH!

Maybe it wasn’t that bad and maybe it’s really too early to complain because the accountant hasn’t finished our return yet, but on Monday (April 7) I finally decided to get our tax information together. Decided is probably too strong a word. More like I had the dreaded surprise realization that I had to get it together.

Despite a week of Spring break and another day and a half tacked on for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, I hadn’t even started to complete the nice little packet the accountant sent us in January. And I had finally procrastinated long enough that I figured I could file for an extension and procrastinate even longer–even as I read this, I really still like this plan. So at 6AM Monday morning I went out to the IRS website to figure out how to file an extension and had one of those AHA! moments. I was screwed! With Amy’s in-home family childcare and web based business I would have had to do as much work to file the extension as I would to have the accountant put the return together. Time to drop everything and crunch some numbers!

And it really wasn’t all that bad. Sure I didn’t scour all the uncategorized payments in Quicken to get every last penny of business expenses or itemized deductions, but with very little effort, I did come up with more than I had the previous year. I stopped by last night on my way to grad class to give him the envelope and we’ll see just how good our tax preparer really is. Throw in our economic stimulus payment and I’ll be happy if we break even but I’m sure Uncle Sam will have something to say about that!

My class and I just finished a writing unit looking at other authors as mentors. Here is the personal narrative I wrote for myself and the kids:

The car was covered with white. Snow trapped! I cleared a little from the window with a shovel. I hacked at the ice on the door and pried it open. I turned the key. It started on the first try! Whew!

I let it warm up a little then backed up slowly. I couldn’t see very well and was afraid I might run into the house. I drove forward a little. I turned the steering wheel and backed up again.

I heard the snow against the other side… the car stopped. I tried going forward… I tried going backward. The car wouldn’t move. Snow trapped!

I tried to get out but the door was broke. I tried the other side but it only opened a little. Snow trapped!

I honked the horn. BEEP… BEEEEP… I hope someone hears…

I was about to honk the horn again. Wait! Did I see something move outside my door? I peeked through the small part of my window not covered with ice. Just then, Amy opened the door and asked, “Need any help?”

“Yes, I’m stuck!” Snow trapped! “Can you get in and I’ll try to push you out?”

She got in. I tried pushing the car forward. I tried pushing it backward. It still didn’t move.

“Nevermind,” I said. “I’ll just have to try and get it out after school.”

It stayed there all day. I could only think about how to get that snow trapped car unstuck.