KirstenL4W

I’m a very organized person, at least as far as my finances go. That being said, I usually have my taxes done within a week of receiving all my W-2’s. And for those who might ask, I do my taxes by myself, and the long way. No software, only a calculator. As an individual with a relatively small refund, it’s not worth it to me to pay a professional to do my 1040EZ or spend money on a software program to do the 1040EZ for me. (And for those who cannot fill out a 1040EZ by themselves, I think you should seriously reconsider returning to elementary school.)

Why do I do my taxes by myself and risk all the hair-pulling stress? A couple of reasons. One, I just like the sense of accomplishment that comes from being able to do my own taxes. A few times I’ve had some special forms to fill out, but nothing I can’t find out on my own, especially with the IRS website being so user-friendly. Two, I want to know exactly where I stand financially. It goes hand in hand with being self-sufficient, I think. I mean, what kind of single woman trying to make it in the world doesn’t know where they stand financially? If I can stay in control of my life financially, then I can handle anything.

I was reading some news online today and I saw some articles regarding the Telephone Excise Tax Refund. Since I ended up owing this year, I’m holding out till the last minute to file my taxes. These articles, though, made clear something I was not aware of though (since I can usually get through my taxes without the instruction booklet except for the actual tax owed part). Just about everyone is eligible for this refund, and the IRS is making it easy for those who don’t have nearly 4 years worth of phone bills handy. They made a standard refund amount between $30-60 depending on your filing status, and no documentation is required if you take the standard refund. I quickly went back to my taxes, found form 1040 on the IRS website, and recalculated. Now the amount I owe is $30 lower than what I had originally thought. That brings it down from $105 to $75. Still not excited about having to pay, but two digits is better than three.

So for all those doing taxes (which should be everyone, unless you aren’t required to file US Federal taxes), don’t forget to take this deduction. It’s line 71 on the 1040, or you can find out more information here.

I started my new job today. It feels good to be in an office environment again, with regular office hours and normal co-workers. I think I’ll be happy there for quite some time. Of course, getting up early this morning was no picnic, considering that I’ve been keeping very late hours the past few weeks. Let’s just say this - the time I got up this morning is the same time I’ve usually been falling asleep, so yeah, I was a bit tired today. I don’t think it showed though. I’m feeling ready to crash very soon, so I’ll be cooking dinner and heading to bed. I should probably stay home for the next few nights and not make any plans, just so I have a chance to re-adjust to the schedule and not wear myself out.

I’ve been getting a lot of comments on my toe. It’s quite funny, actually. Ok, so you may not think it’s a lot of comments, but it’s up there for my blog. I just think it’s weird that I go and post about all sorts of stuff that interests me, like music and such, and then something as mundane as a blue toe gets people’s attention. Perhaps I should damage my digits more often.

Oh well. It’s getting tired in here, and I’m hungry.

So last night I was doing a small bit of organizing before I went to bed, and I dropped something on my foot. It wasn’t heavy, but the corner hit my big toe right on the cuticle. Can we say OUCH! It’s not swollen, but it hurts like heck right now, and it is a bit difficult to walk without pain. I can’t wait to find out how much it hurts with shoes on. Joy.

Perhaps my Mom can tell me what it is?

Ok, those of you not from New England probably don’t know what a Fluffernutter is. It’s one of the best sandwiches ever. Marshmallow Fluff and Peanut Butter, preferably on white bread. Simple. Yummy. Find out more here.

I’ve mentioned before that finding all the yummy foods I grew up with is not easy now that I am 2700 miles away from home. Marshmallow Fluff is one of those indispensable ingredients that I was craving. And no, that Jet-Puff crap is no substitute. Anyway, I was shopping at my local supermarket when lo and behold, I saw it - the beautiful white jar with its red cap and vintage label. Oh, yeah. Into my basket it went. Now I am enjoying one of my favorite sandwiches, to be followed with some cookies. It’s good to have some easy yummy comfort food.

Photo courtesy internet search 

I can’t sleep (dammit) so here’s the music and cover art from my latest mix CD, which I found through a regular haunt of mine, AltDotLife (you’ll need to sign up if you want to read most of the forums there).

And now for the commentary. This will be included word for word with every disc I send out. And, to make things easy for all you music freaks like me out there, I’ve also linked to the albums on Amazon.com. You can also click on the iTunes link to the right to purchase the songs individually.

1. Bridge Over Troubled Water by Aretha Franklin

I first heard this version while watching the first season of Felicity. It’s a great song, and nothing against Simon and Garfunkel, but Aretha’s version just has so much more feeling than the original. Felicity: Music From The Hit Television Series

2. Lonely Lola Cherry Cola Girl by Bic Runga

The first time I heard of Bic Runga was the first time I went to Lilith Fair. I didn’t get to see her perform because I was watching another singer on a different stage, but I did manage to get my free sampler CD (which, btw, is still one of my fave CDs). Listening to that CD, I heard her song and about halfway through it was like I had an epiphany. I went back to the beginning of the song, Sway, and listened to this singer whose voice was soft and strong and clear – in a word, perfect. Now if I could only get myself to New Zealand to get more of her music. Desert Blue: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack

3. In My Own Eyes by Brandi Carlile

You’ll notice that this is not the first artist I have discovered through, of all places, Muzak. I heard one of her songs while working at a shoe store and was instantly smitten. I quickly went out and bought her album, and let me tell you, that song I heard on the Muzak is not the best offering on that disc. I like the mood of this song. It seems like the best time to listen to it is late at night. Brandi Carlile

4. Troubled Mind by Catie Curtis

As an emotional person, I tend to pick songs because of the mood or feeling they have. I like the line “I’m tired of being strong.” I feel like that a lot, but despite the lyrics this song sounds hopeful rather than despondent. Truth from Lies

5. Pour Some Sugar on Me by Emm Gryner

Yes, this is a cover of the Def Leppard song. Emm Gryner is another singer I discovered through Lilith Fair. I had once disc of hers, but the last time I was in Canada visiting a friend in Toronto, I saw her perform this song on the Canadian version of Letterman. The rest of my vacation was a hunt for this album, which I finally found on my 3rd trip to Sam the Record Man on Yonge Street on my last day there. Girl Versions

6. Mr. T by Gramophone

Once, on a whim, I bought a CD that Amazon recommended to me called Undiscovered Gems. It was all chick music and all by artists I had never heard of. I play it a lot, because all the songs were instantly familiar to me, and that’s the musical equivalent of comfort food. This is one of those songs. Undiscovered Gems

7. Good Day by Jewel

A chick music essential artist. My step dad will put up with me listening to just about anything but for some reason he has a deep hatred of Jewel. I love her, and have since Who Will Save Your Soul. I had to take a step back from her with 0304, but thank goodness she’s back to the Jewel that I love. I love the positive vibe of this song. Goodbye Alice in Wonderland

8. Digging by Jonatha Brooke

Another one of my favorite artists. Ok, so I had to jump on this Vag*** Catalogues mix because vag*** music is totally the genre I listen to at least 90% of the time. And I’m drawn to songs that seem to be about searching for oneself, which this one is. Steady Pull

9. Fighting for It All by Mindy Smith

She can be more country than pop, but I think it’s closer to a folk vibe. I love her voice, and I love the whole album. If you get it, check out the cover of Jolene that she does with Dolly Parton singing backup. One Moment More

10. Something More by Outloud Dreamer

Another song chosen for its mood, and from the Undiscovered Gems CD. Even though this song isn’t that old, it reminds me a lot of my college years and all the time I spent with my roommate at her home on Cape Cod. To this day the Cape is one of my favorite places, and Kris is still one of my best friends. Undiscovered Gems

11. Rain by Patty Griffin

I love Patty Griffin, from her simple folk sound of Living with Ghosts to her more produced, pop-influenced incarnations. But it always comes back to mood for me. This is a song that I feel the need to listen to when I’m down and need a good cry, but at the same time it makes me feel better. Come to think of it, I just might make a whole play list based on Rain songs. 1000 Kisses

12. You Said Something by PJ Harvey

PJ Harvey has been called a critic’s darling and indie darling. Her music can be a bit hard to swallow sometimes, so for the uninitiated, I recommend her disc Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. It’s a great intro to her stuff. This song has such a feeling of longing in it. Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

13. I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair) by Sandi Thom

I was listening to the MusicChoice adult alternative channel on my digital cable one day while doing housework and heard this song. I love it and thought it would be a perfect addition to this mix. Thank goodness I was home alone, because I don’t think anyone else would have understood when I said, “Oh, this would be a great song for my vag*** mix!” I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker

14. Possession by Sarah McLachlan

I think this was the start of listening to Muzak for new music. I was not yet of legal drinking age, working in a supermarket, when this song came on. I had to find out more, but this was in the days before everyone turned to the internet for information, so I mentioned it to a co-worker. She told me who sang it and said that the rest of the album was really decent. I have since collected just about everything else by The Mother of Lilith Fair, but this album is still my favorite. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy

15. Matter of Minutes by Shawn Colvin
This is a song that appeals to the constant desire in me to want to run away and hide. For some reason it’s always in my mix when I’m traveling – even if I’m just going back east to visit my family, I can pretend a bit that I’m running away and satisfying that wanderlust in me. Whole New You

16. Going Home by Sophie Zelmani

Have I mentioned that Radio Paradise is another excellent source for new music? I do love this song. It sounds so hopeful and cheerful even though it’s a slower, reflective song. Sing and Dance

17. A Sorta Fairytale by Tori Amos

Tori is another one of those singers that can be hard to swallow, if the comments on Radio Paradise are anything to go by. I do have most of her discs, but when Scarlet’s Walk came out, the mood of it just seemed to make sense to me. Scarlet’s Walk

Cover Art

Yes, this is a picture of a real vag***. It was taken by Richard Young, owner of this adult website and this adult website. Rich is a good friend of mine, and when I told him about this project and that I wanted a picture of a vag***, he let me browse through his server for that perfect picture. I liked this one, so Rich used his mad PhotoShop skills to make it look not so pornographic, and the result has some of my favorite colors in it.

So there ya have it. I did have to edit a certain word, mostly to keep morons who are looking for certain things on search engines from flooding my site. I know you understand. And, as a disclaimer, if you are going to be offended by nekkid ladies, don’t click on the links to Rich’s websites.

Yes, despite popular belief, I do have a personality. Gem has been encouraging FOGs (Friends of Gem) to see what their personality type is. I am an ISFJ, which means this:

I — Introverted: turned toward the inner world of symbols, ideals and forms. An introvert, or introverted type, is one whose dominant function is inwardly focused. Introverts are inclined to express themselves, using their primary function, indirectly, through inference and nuance.

S — Sensing: physiological perception; perceiving with the five natural senses. Extraverted sensors are attuned to the world of sights, sounds, smells, touches and tastes. Introverted sensors are most aware of how those perceptions compare with their ideal internal standards. In Jung’s typology, sensing is an irrational function. Sensing’s opposite is iNtuition.

F — Feeling: Making decisions from a personal perspective. In Jung’s typology, feeling is a rational function. Feeling’s opposite is Thinking.

J — Well, you just need to read this page to understand it a bit more.

I also got the same result from this test, so since internet based quizzes have never been known for their accuracy, I’d encourage you to do a few to see what the results are.

In other news, despite my relaxing week so far (actually, its been a lazy week), I’ve got some built up frustration and anger somewhere, so I need to get rid of that. I was chatting with a friend a little while ago online, and some of my anger is directed towards him, which it really shouldn’t be because he didn’t do anything really to deserve it. So rather than hitting him, I’m going to try and go out tomorrow to hit baseballs. Whenever I have this kind of pent-up energy I always feel the need to hit or throw something. Once, in college, I was angry and threw my keys towards the wall. They didn’t bounce off the wall, instead, they stuck in the wall. I was so upset that it didn’t even amuse me at the time, and it really scared my RA when she came in to see what was wrong. So I try to stay away from that kind of damage now, and heading to the batting cages might be just the thing. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Also, I finally got my above-mentioned friend to help me drag in the cabinet I bought. My desk area just doesn’t have enough storage space in it to really be effective, and because of this I constantly have a pile of stuff on the floor beside my desk. You can’t see the pile, but here’s the desk and mess on top of it:

So, what I’m going to do is move this bookshelf next to my desk:

Now, I know that I have the file cabinet next to the desk, but it’s on wheels so I think I’ll be fine just rolling it around to be out of my way. Also, I don’t go in the far side of my closet too often, so it’s not a huge inconvenience for that side to be blocked. So now there’s just the question of what I am going to put where the bookshelf was. I do need to put something there, since I do still need some sort of storage space, which studio apartments are notoriously lacking. I bought this at War-Mart:

I have the bottom cabinet and the 4-square cubby thing to put on top of it. I think that it will give me plenty of storage space. I won’t have to have my laundry stuff on display (yay!) and it will be a much better system for storage than I had before. I can’t wait to get started, and I even thought about starting it now, but I need to try and get back to daytime hours before my first day of work on Monday.

Oh, and I’m done v-cat (what I’m calling the xxxxxx Catalogues), my mix cd. I’ll post more on that later. I just need to fine tune one little thing, then I can burn them all. I hope to have them mailed out on Friday.

I knew that quitting without having something lined up would be a good move. First of all, I feel more relaxed than I have in a long time, so that is carrying over into everything. I had a 2nd interview yesterday and about an hour after I left that I got the call offering me the job. Yay! I can get back to a normal life, finally. It’s been too long and I’ve felt too out of the loop. It’s good to finally feel like I’m moving forward again instead of treading water.

I told my mom today that I quit my job. I really do feel more relaxed than anything, so even after sleeping on it I still feel like it was the right thing to do. Just a couple of minutes ago I got a phone call inviting me back to a second interview. It would be an office manager position at a small company, which is what I was trying to grow my position into at MRI, but as that company grew they needed more of an admin and less out of me, so I hit a wall there. So fingers crossed I get the job.

When I was talking to my mom today she was telling me how she’s having trouble meeting people and branching out in her new town that she moved to last fall. She’s mainly looking for a sitter for Boo so she and my stepdad can go out once in a blue moon (which is how often they went out together before they had Boo). I offered to sit for free if she’d just buy me a plane ticket. Boo is too cute and I wish I could spend more time with him. He’s also a bit mischievous. He has this thing for toilet paper - he’ll unroll it all, so Mom has to be careful about keeping the bathroom door closed. Well, Mom was at Grandma’s last weekend and my stepdad wasn’t watching Boo as carefully as he should have been, because Boo got into the bathroom, grabbed the end of the toilet paper, and started walking through the house. He managed to unroll a brand new roll without breaking a single sheet. Then he piled it all up into one mountain of toilet paper. Mom said that a whole roll of toilet paper unrolled and piled up makes quite a mess. She refuses to roll it back onto the roll, so until that’s gone she will be ripping her toilet paper off the mountain. I just wish I was there to see that, or at least that someone had the presence of mind to take a picture.

I also talked to my sister today. Mia is 9lb7oz and is doing extremely well for a preemie. She’s fitting into newborn sized clothes and size 1 diapers. She’s also starting to laugh. Sis said that Mia was looking back and forth between her and Daddy and laughing her head off. Again something I wish I could have seen. Sis said she’ll send me more pics as soon as she gets a chance, so when those come I’ll upload them to my pictures on Flickr.

That’s about all for now. I’m going to take a nice leisurely nap now since I haven’t had a chance to take a proper Sunday nap in quite some time. It will be so good to get some stuff done and get my life back to normal.

I did it. I quit my job at security company. Without notice, no less. It’s just been way too stressful for me, and if I’m supposed to be looking for another job, how can I do that when I’m at work all night and asleep all day? That job was making sure that I couldn’t get anything else done, so it had to go. It was only supposed to be short term anyway, to pay the rent while I looked for something else. Now I’ll have time to look for another job and also to get some stuff done around the house that I’ve really been neglecting. I know it’s never wise to quit a job without having something else lined up, but right now I really feel that this is the best thing for me. Besides, I can always go back to temping. I’d rather do that than work the crazy hours and stressful job of security company again.