Camp Grandma is Not for Wimps

March 26, 2013 ~ JodiLea ~ 2 Comments

If you think Camp Grandma is run by said grandma – you would be wrong.

The Drill Sergeant makes me get up at 0630 every morning, and do things. All. Day. Long.

Things like baking, starting craft projects, making Lego cruise ships and castles. Pretending she’s a dentist and I’m the patient. Watching G rated movies and the occasional spooky PG (Pre-screened by Grandma) movies. Munching on snacks.

Oh yeah, and shopping. For more snacks, of course. You just can’t have enough snacks.

Then, when it’s homework time, Drill Sergeant makes me do my homework with her. My homework is income tax returns. I don’t know how hubby can snooze through homework time with all the obnoxious whining going on. I am praying we are able to get a refund for once. I owe money. I got a bill from the ‘dentist’ today. For $3,000.00.

After homework time I have free-time while Drill Sergeant (now known as DS because I’m tired of typing it), goes with hubby to his shop and plays quarter slots and video poker. Yesterday she lost all her winnings and tonight she won the top jackpot. I hope she isn’t headed for a gambling problem. Good thing she’s not allowed in casinos for another 12-years.

In my “free” time I do laundry, dishes, grocery shop, etc.. DS will sometimes be in a mood to help, which is great because she really is a help. She wowed the entire grocery store today with her perfect manners. She wowed me too – for someone who doesn’t practice good manners, she is awesome.

Tomorrow we declared a play day. No errands, no homework. Left-overs on the menu. There is serious quilting and crocheting to get to. Maybe a card game or two and a couple shows on TV. And if we get tired of that, we might paint our nails dark purple with sparkles on top.

I totally love Camp Grandma! SkipRopeSmilies

Questions From A Curious Mind

March 3, 2013March 2, 2013 ~ JodiLea ~ 6 Comments

I’m not insane enough (yet?), to answer when I ask myself a question. These questions I have are not ones you can get answers for on Google. Maybe YOU could help me. If you’re not afraid to be seen here, and would work ~~for free~~ pro-bono.

Before anyone volunteers (rrrrighttt!), I should give you a few examples of the crap my mind wonders about, while I go about my day:

If you gave your blog URL to your therapist, would it help him diagnose you?

Why does the IRS expect you to pay taxes after you die? This has apparently been going on for a while, so we can’t blame Obama for this. But just who in the Hell thought this was a good idea?

Why aren’t Honey-Boo-Boo’s parents in jail?

Which shades of green yarn make cuter crocheted frogs? Should I use all shades to convey diversity, or does PC only apply to people?

Did Jewel write her song, Foolish Games, about Jean-Claude Van Damme?

Speaking of, I sure would love to be able to do spin-kicks like that. No matter how many times I watch his movies, I can’t get the move down. I sure like watching him do them. (no question here – my mind just veers off on its own)

What happened to dancing to The Macarena at wedding receptions? I could do that one.

Do all men blow their nose in the shower?

What was I thinking when I gave my blog address to my kids?

And so on, and so forth.

photo credit: theunquietlibrarian via photopin cc

Guess Again

June 16, 2012 ~ JodiLea ~ 1 Comment

Just when (you think) the chaos in your life is at the maximum level, the post-office puts a bomb in your mailbox.

Mailbox

Not the exploding kind, but the kind that raises your blood pressure and makes the headache that you thought was already bad turn into a migraine. You know you’re in trouble because the return address is: “Internal Revenue Service” and it is not even near the holidays.

Sure enough, we made a mistake. A typo that our software should have noticed when it did the math. We were too excited about getting a refund for once, to realize something was off. The official document insisted we send them $10,000.oo. Yes, you read that number correctly. And who says the IRS has no sense of humor?

Hey! Wait a minute. There is a typo on our 2010 form and we have to pay them what we still owed. Plus interest. We were not the ones that took 2 years to find the mistake – we sent our return in on time. Now they want the interest that the absent money could have earned. Oh, Really? I want to know where the Hell they invest their money. I would like to earn that kind of interest myself!

I can understand about the interest. Almost. But a fine?? Sorry, we messed up and here’s your money + interest. Now please go away. But NO, you’re punishing us. To teach us not to mess with the IRS? We don’t. Hell, they know how much money we earn – they have the damned forms.

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Tax Form

We shall pay their bill (what choice do we have?), but not until the other chaos in our lives has settled down and we can find where we hid the damned thing….

photo credit(mailbox): Steve 2.0 via photo pin cc

photo credit (form): Josh Thompson via photo pin cc