Taxes and dog shows

Some things are good, some are not so good. On the not-so-good side, it's tax time. I have spent more time than I wish for about a week trying to gather information for the accountant. Every year, I think I'm being so organized--but what I really do is dump things into a folder that says "Taxes." Then of course by the time I hold this piece of paper or that in my hand, I wonder what it's about. For instance, I found an the stub for an honorarium payment that I can't identify--why don't institutions put their name on their check stubs? And every year my accountant's questionnaire changes. In truth, I think it's my interpretation of it that changes. I found a whole new section tonight. I forget what is deductible and what isn't, though I've finally learned political contributions are not. So what's that presidential fund on the questionnaire? And when you gather all the figures together, it's appalling how much you spend on some things--like utilities! I finally get to a point that I just give up and send it to him--but at least I've made a start. My accountant is a patient and gentle man.
The good tonight is the Westminster Kennel Club Show--love watching it. Of course, my Scooby is better looking than the Aussie in the show. And when are they going to start a show for all the "doodle" dogs like Sophie. I do like hearing the history of the breeds--and loved just seeing a bearded collie. We had them once, but believe me ours were never groomed to the fare-thee-well that this dog was.
Did some baking tonight--lemon/basil cookies and chocolate mini-muffins.I'm preparing for a Sunday afternoon fund-raiser for good friend Lon Burnam, for his re-election to the Texas legislature, and I'm a little awed by the prospect. People will pay to come to this party--will my food make it worthwhile? I give a lot of parties, but people don't usually pay--hmm, maybe I should rethink that. I'll save the menu discussion until after th event. I was sort of proud of the lemon-basil cookies but after I got started on the recipe I was startled to realize it only makes sixteen cookies. I made them smaller and got twenty-six but I'll have to do it again. Nervous about making a totally unfamiliar recipe, I rebuffed Jacob's offer to help--which sent him into tears. He eventually settled for getting to "squish" the round balls of dough--recipe said to use bottom of a cup, but he liked his palm better. Yes, I made sure he washed thoroughly first.

Sometimes life gets ahead of you

By 11:30 this morning, I had tired myself out. Been to the office to wrap a package for mailing, to the grocery, the post office, and the printing store to pick up a manuscript, to the audiologist to get new ear molds (honest, when they called I thought they said ear mites and I wanted to say, "No, thanks!"), and to Old Home Supply to drop off five more copie sof Skeleton in a Dead Space. I think that marvelous hardware store, which specializes in fixtures for old houses, is my best retail outlet! They keep sending me messages: "We need more books!" It is of course in the heart of the Fairmount neighborhood, setting of my novels. By 11:30, I was at the Old Neighborhood Grill (frequently mentioned in the book) for lunch with an old friend and her daughter. It's still a bit of a shock to realize that this child is forty-five-I knew her parents before she was born, for Pete's sake. Georgia, the one I've know almost fifty years, bought two more books--so of the ten I received yesterday, only three are left on my bookshelf. Woohoo!
I snuck a nap between lunch and picking up Jacob and slept so soundly that I haven't been much good the rest of the day. I woke suddenly, misread the clock and thought I was late to pick up Jacob--turns out I was early. But I spent much of the rest of the day feeling sleepy and ready to go back to bed. Jacob went to the neighbor's to play and then went out back to play with the dogs--only came in when it dawned on him it was darn cold (he's slow to realize such things). We had supper and Sue, my former neighbor who calls me her Fort Worth mom, came for a drink and catch-up session. We both have a lot going on in our lives, and I was super glad for the exchange--plus we agree about politics and social issues. Good discussion.
Made real headway on tax stuff tonight but am far from done. How I hate doing that!
Cold tonight--in the twenties. No wonder I feel like hibernating.

Reply to an author

This post is mostly for Denise Weeks, who writes YA fantasy as Shalanna Collins but has at least one mystery, Murder by the Marfa Lights, under her real name. I mentioned last night I was reading the book, she found the blog and was ecstatic that someone was reading her book. She asked several questions and I know of no way to answer except on the blog. So yes, Denise, it's still holding my attention. I found it on the Kindle store when I was browsing the cozy mystery category, and I guess the idea of the Marfa lights, which have always intrigued me, plus my neighbors who talk about Marfa all the time drew me to order it. And, if I remember, the price was low. (I've read a lot on the Sisters in Crime listserv lately about how books priced really cheaply, like 99 cents, do so much better than even those $2.99 ones--volume vs. individual price, and volume wins!). Denise, I'm sorry you didn't spend more time in Marfa, but I'll ask my neighbors about authenticity anyway. Is it available any way except online?
If you were ecstatic to find someone reading your book, I was most pleased to find a new reader for my blog. Did you find the mention on Google Alerts? I find the Alerts service most interesting--some days it picks up my blog; other days, it "alerts" me to sales of my older titles. I'm investigating getting some of my '90s historical fiction up on Kindle. I think it's a great sales tool.
Other than reading Denise's book, I'm a drudge today. Spent the morning at the office but the server was having problems and for most of the morning I couldn't do what I came in to do. But we had a terrific meeeting with an author who is doing a book for 7th graders about the Texas Revolution. Susan, Melinda, and I were really enthusiastic about it. Then the server came back up, and I was able to send out the proposals I wanted to.
And tonight I've been working on taxes--categorizing the expenses from 2009. I can only take so much of that in a spell, so I have lots left to do, but I'm making a dent in it.
I did conquer techbnology today--with help. I now know how to find my VPN connection to TCU and have the link to my desktop installed. The link to my TCU email (instead of the web email I use at home) isn't quite working yet, but I can probably fix that tomorrow. And, wonder of wonders, all by myself, I finally got my cell phone to bring up my e-mail. For a non-techie like me, such small triumphs are really wonderful.
Still a busy week in which I have to get up early every morning--yawn!