(This is another one of those personal posts you can probably ignore.)
It isn’t all fun and games out here, kids. I’m looking for a new place to live, I need to take our littlest kitten to a vet because she’s way overdue to see one, Vera needs some additional servicing since I didn’t get her an oil change when she was last in the shop after my run in with [INCIDENT REDACTED], and there may be yet more hoops my lovely wife and I must hop through in order to get her legally working here in these United States.
All these things are going to take capital, cash, moolah. And none of these things are included in my monthly budget, which is devoured in things like rent, car payments & insurance, keeping the lights on and information flowing through the Intertubes. I eek out what entertainment I can, in the forms of leaving the apartment with my intrepid Canadian companion at least once a week and bringing in new movies and games when possible, and I always make room in what finances I have to go see my son in State College. Anyway, the point is, to keep Damsel, my car and my wife’s immigration efforts healthy, more cash is required.
I was hoping that cash would be coming from Uncle Sam. But after dealing with a few other financial loose ends this afternoon I turned my attention to my taxes. Initially I filed, truthfully, as someone “married filing jointly,” which yielded a rather sizable refund estimate. Unfortunately, since my wife doesn’t have a Social Security number, it might not be possible for us to file in that way at all. And, if I file as “single” with the intent to amend the return later, the refund will be significantly smaller. 811% smaller to be exact.
Want to know how that feels?
That’s how that feels.
Add in another rejection from the Escapist and all the other day-to-day doings of the dayjob and, well, you can probably predict where my head is at right now. Nothing to see here, really. Move along.
March 4, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Yikes, Josh, what the hell is it with this month or so? Everyone I know has some bad crap going down. Car accidents, money issues, unemployment, and of course my own problems. >.< You have my sympathy.
March 4, 2010 at 3:11 pm
erm, you want me to ask my hubby for tax advice? He might know how to help with your particular situation. There’s got to be a way to account for both of you on the taxes.
March 4, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Well, here’s hoping that ICFN donations will pick up. Though, perhaps I should consult my marketing books to see if we can drum up some more readers. . .
And to anyone reading these comments, we writers can’t entertain you if we’re too weak from hunger to write! See that bright, white square on the bottom-right of the screen? Click some of those ads, pretty please! It costs you nothing, and means the world to the rest of us.
March 4, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Purple, you have an email incoming.
Donations are certainly appreciated but certainly unnecessary. My intent in posting this today wasn’t to rattle my tin cup to emphasize the few measly pennies inside. I just needed to vent. It’s been a really rough time and it’ll likely get worse before it gets better, and I had to blow off some steam about it in some way, shape or form.
Those of you who’ve contributed, you didn’t have to, but from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.
March 4, 2010 at 3:23 pm
@Josh–I know you weren’t rattling your tin cup; that’s why I did it for you! *lol*
As the saying goes, I ain’t too proud to beg. I’m the Development Manager for one of the departments within the International Game Developers Association, for crying out loud. I beg without actually begging all the time. I consider this practice. 😉