I am not often shocked.
But today, opening the mailbox after getting home MUCH later than I normally do from work, I saw it.
It was a road made out of gold. It had shiny..............well I'm exaggerating a bit there. Lol. It was obviously a check from the IRS and it had my name on it.
I just looked at it. I wondered how much was there? It couldn't possibly be the amount that I came up with through the online software I used. Could it?
I wondered how they had sent me anything without disputing it. We're not talking $200 here, we're talking 5 grand. I had sent in all the necessary paperwork, yes, including proof of the fire from the fire department and the only thing I could find that would show any value for the house coming from the tax assessor's office. I hated that, they always undervalue - great for taxes - not so great in this case. Oh well, something is better than nothing.
I just walked into the backyard, greeted my waiting doggies and then decided to tear the envelope open.
Stunned. The entire amount, there. 5 thousand dollars. Pocket change to some, a small fortune to me.
I have already decided, as I was discussing yesterday in another entry, that a vacation is long overdue. I'll wait til' summer. Oh, summer is here. Yes, but I just took 3 days off plus the weekend plus the holiday day, so it will have to wait. I have always wanted to go on a fishing boat out to sea and fish - for whatever it is they say is out there. Talking sometime in July, before my son gets out of his mountain high adventure with the Salvation Army and in the middle of what will undoubtedly be miserable, unbearable heat.
At least 1k of that money will go into savings account for emergency use. A small portion for decorative purposes in my house. Probably around $200 to find out what's wrong with my black Great Dane - Prince - who is going on his third week of diarhea. Get rid of 2 pieces of furniture in my living room and replace it - though there is such incredibly high dollar stuff available on Craigslist right now for cheap, no need to buy it new. One of the mattresses in a tenant bedroom - is whacked, get another one of those. I have an almost-endless list of stuff I need, I am going to proceed very cautiously, but...........I really need at least sun screen window treatments on the west side of my house. The money spent will be the money saved.
That is the list of things I will get done. After that? Well, it's nice to have money in the bank. I will spend whatever else it takes to modify previous IRS returns, there is a lot of money there in "carryover" from the house fire, which gave me this 5k to begin with. I mean, a LOT of money, at least to me. Another 10k anyway if my calculations are correct - let a certified accountant figure that one out.
The old saying that money doesn't make you happy? No, if you have inner voids that need to be filled, millions of dollars won't do anything about that. But in MY situation? With all the stuff I need to get done? I think I will be happy to have some things rectified around here, yes I do.
So, that's it. My head is buzzing with the ideas of prudence vectored by ideas of doing what needs to be done triangulated by things that I want to do. Sit on it for a while - yes indeed. That's prudence. Let it sit in the bank and collect dust for a bit until I get over all of the initial excitement of having some money and then figure it out.
G'nite.
ben
6 comments:
Wednesday
Well the work week certainly cruises right by when you start it on a Tuesday. Not to mention working until 4:30 pm yesterday.
I'm kinda excited about this weekend coming up, taking my son up to the mountains for his 2 month deal going on up there. But, get the work week done.
Had a "kid" contact me yesterday - I have had ads in the past with free food - he wrote me and told me he hasn't eaten in 3 days. There is one thing I will never turn down to anyone if I have any to give away, and that's food.
So I will be dealing with situation directly after work today. However, work looks like it's going to be busy. I was supposed to go back up to the mine today, but they mining operation sent their truck here. Seems that somebody goofed and we were supposed to send the material up to them yesterday, not today.
Fortunately, not my goof and had nothing to do with it.
I feel like I have won a mini lottery with this 5k check sitting in my wallet. The only thing I can tell myself is: don't spend it right away. Yes, fix and repair the things that need fixed and repaired, but beyond that, give it a few days or even a week - or even longer.
I am definitely going to go on vacation. I would love to go to the Atlantic side of the country as I haven't been in - a long time - and I love Atlantic beaches FAR more than Pacific beaches. But, of course, a trip to the Pacific would be far cheaper. Plus they have what I have heard are some great fishing boat trips.
Meanwhile, I am going to get the mortgage interest paid information for the year 2008, 2009 and 2010 - well I have the one for 2010 and I may have the one still for 2009 - and then I am going to do the taxes over. The carry-over from the house fire will be no small chunk of change, the effort will definitely be worth it.
I was chuckling on the way to work, though, thinking of the list of things that I lost in the fire that I was claiming. A mop, bucket and broom. Lol. I claimed everything down to the frozen food that was in my refrigerator at the time. A guitar and expensive cowboys boots. I seriously thought for sure that the IRS would contest some of those things since I had no proof, whatsoever, that I ever owned any of it, but, I really didn't come up with a huge figure in total losses. Why? Cause' I wanted to be honest about it, including honesty in figuring what it would have cost to replace that stuff. If there was anything that I thought the IRS might get a bit ancy about, though, definitely it would have been that list. Nothing untrue - all of the things I listed I actually owned - and lost - during that fire.
Oh, just before the Obama administration gets it's way and starts attempting to force gun control on American citizens, I am definitely getting at least a 9mm handgun. What brand I don't know, really don't care that much. And yes, for the sake of not getting myself into trouble, I am going to take the concealed/carry course which I don't really have to take but they teach you the law: what you can and can't do in most situations.
Here's a question, for example, that I have no idea whose side the law would be on. Several years ago, when I was living in the old house that burned down, I was sleeping in the living room. A bullet came through the front window. A firefight erupted between two rival gangs that just happened to be driving on my street at the same time, coming from opposite directions. Since I was basically being fired at, would I have had the right to start firing a gun back at all of them? I wasn't the target, but that bullet came within about 4 feet of my head. The police came in, found the bullet and eventually found ALL of the people involved. I think one of them died and several were wounded with gunshot wounds.
What a bunch of morons, shooting at each other because of rivalry or turf issues?
Ummm, anyway, putting that aside. What I REALLY - NEED - on my house is an awning the covers at least most of the west side of the house to keep the summer sun off of it. I'm guessing I could find an out-of-work carpenter to do the work and pay him hourly wage.
Well, whatever.
Oops. Got busy - time to end this one.
G'day.
ben
Cheers Ben. You deserve the money. You worked hard for it and they are only paying you back....
Bobby
Good for you on the refund.
As for shooting back - No, you would not be justified in shooting back. And you'd only be adding to the fray anyway. Handguns, even in the hands of experts, are rarely accurate beyond 10 yds. Alot less in a firefight like you described. You might just end up putting bullets through another neighbor's window and/or killing an innocent bystander. I give you credit for wanting to take a course though. Most Americans couldn't give a flying F when it comes to doing the right thing with guns. On the other hand, If some dirtbag were to break into my house, I'd blow them away in a heartbeat.
Puma
Thanks, Bobby, definitely it's money I earned and it's their rules, I'm just playing the game!
Puma - well thanks for the insight. I wouldn't have even gone out there with a gun, anyway, but the question was nagging at my mind. I'm curious about the pharmacist who was just found guilty of murder and is facing life in prison for shooting the kid who was robbing his store at gunpoint. Will be interesting to see if the petitions get anywhere with it.
My own feeling is that while money cannot buy happiness (or even rent it for awhile) the LACK of money can sure create massive UNhappiness.
Having a cushion in case of emergency is a good, solid feeling.
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