Monday, May 23, 2011

Taxes

I was reading yesterday that the IRS has some sort of glitch going on in their system in getting tax return payments back to people that have filed their returns. Some people they are saying up to 4 months. GAG. I turned mine in a week before the deadline, so I'm only 5 weeks into this. Of course, when I filed the federal return, I also filed the state return.

Today, I go to the mailbox and see a letter from the Arizona State Department of Revenue. I start trembling, what are THEY doing sending me a letter before the Feds even have gotten to me?!! Then I started thinking: they don't do anything until the Feds figure out what's going on, at least from previous experience, which is, admittedly, a long time ago.

So, the shock of seeing an almost $1,500 check inside was a precious commodity. I mean, you don't get "shocked" that way every day. I need to get some things repaired around here, while still trying to keep a few pennies left over for emergency. The biggest need is to get the AC on my newer car fixed. I am not a glutten for punishment: driving around Phoenix, Arizona, in the summer without AC? You might as well be swimming in fire and brimstone. A car can get as hot as 150 degrees inside of it.

Oh, yes, I have my old car and it's AC works. Correct. It does, but now that I have this return, I am going to spend the $300 or $400 it's going to cost to get the AC fixed and then park the older car. Caleb will be gone for almost 2 months, when he returns home, he will get the old car and I will be back in my newer car, AC fixed and yes, I am also going to get the windows fixed as well.

I will be doing the rest of my tax returns after the Feds send me the 5 grand return and I will be sitting in a pretty pool of money, at least by my standards. Yes, I know, don't count your chickens before they hatch. Well, the State has hatched and unless they have changed it - ie: basing a return on whether the feds give it or not, I do expect the feds to be sending it out. I will have enough money then to cover using a regular accountant, I want someone to find every last penny that I can get. With carry overs I should be able to rake in over 15 grand. MY money, btw, not some grant or hand-out, money I have already paid into the system.

Well enough. Just happy to have some cash!

ben

Monday 5/23/2011

Monday
Heard on the radio on the way to work today:
"Were you one of the people who believe that Judgment Day was going to be on Saturday? Don't be discouraged, it isn't the end of the world". A dumb joke, yes, but oddly humorous, guess it must be the time of day, lol.

2 day work week this week and then off - from Tuesday afternoon until Tuesday morning next week. Not a lazy 6 days off, either, at least not Wednesday through Friday. I figure the weekend and the holiday on Monday are good time to recuperate from what may turn out to be an ordeal with the family, who knows.

I still haven't figured out what to get my son for both a birthday present (tomorrow) and a graduation present (Thursday). I think he's off of school for the summer. Of course, he is going to the Salvation Army thing for almost 2 months and then his employer has not only told him he will have a job when he comes back, but that they are going to promote him to cashier's position, which makes more money and probably a bit "funner" to do than pushing around shopping carts all over the place.

Which reminds me, Fry's Food Stores, the location at 48th Street and Baseline in Tempe, Arizona. Threw all that in there cause' I know those people have some sort of search going on to find comments about their stores. Lol. I went there yesterday and saw what out front of the store? Trash. Lots and lots of trash. Papers, bags and the trash receptacle overflowing with trash. Junk in the carts and on the ground? Hundreds of cigarette butts. I took pics of it with my camera phone and was going to send them to corporate - but - I couldn't insert pics into the communication thing they use to send them comments.
May 23, 2011 6:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Just what you want to see when you are about to walk into a store - a semi-landfill on the sidewalk in front of the store. I guess I think they would take a bit more pride and show a bit more respect towards their customers in making sure they have a clean environment. Certainly, I don't see that kind of junk laying around at other Fry's Food Stores locations.

Just throwing that out there. I have given that grocery chain a bad rap in this particular blog, deservedly so. Between the meat dude that wanted to get into a fist fight; the store advertising loss leaders that they didn't have in stock when you went to buy it (especially meats); and the unbelievably BAD "service" you get at the self-checkouts, yes, I have written a few negative things about that store. Now? They have yet ANOTHER general manager in that store. Is that the fourth one now?

Oh, when you do a search: Fry's Food Stores Piss Poor - you will find my blog entry right at the top : ) Yes, that makes me smile, since I have gone through years of crappy service at that particular store. It has gotten a bit better. For example, the other day I was in there and the stupid self-serve checkout made me wait for an attendant, again, even though I didn't ask for an attendant and didn't NEED an attendant.

A kid was up there at the screen, not doing anything. I mean kid as in something like a 17 year old with the customer service garb on, obviously an employee of the store. I just stood there, waiting for him to do something. He did NOTHING. Finally, another employee - one that knows me at this point - came up to the screen, brushed the kid out of the way saying "excuuuuse me, we need to get this moving here", and got right to dealing with the stalled process on my checking myself out.

I could say it was a good experience, but - why was that kid just standing there, doing nothing? He was - totally clueless.

Whatever. As I have said a few times now, I do MUCH less shopping at Fry's than what I used to and go to Walmart or other grocery chains that are having sales. That's my way of "protesting", even though I know Fry's couldn't care less where I shop. It's okay, I save more money that way by going to stores with sales on things I need. Still, it would be far easier just to do all of it at one place.......

Time to get on the clock - going up into yet another mine today, one I haven't been in yet. Might click a few photos if there are any worth clicking, this mine is in Superior, AZ.

G'day.

ben

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