2004-02-23 - 3:08 p.m.
Let me sum up the last week in one word�
Frustration.
It got to the point that the diary needed to be locked on Thursday, because I didn�t *want* *ANYONE* reading the words I felt I needed to write, because it doesn�t matter how much of a friend you�ve been, or how much I value your advice, or how much I think you�re a goob, you would have come after me with a knife.
Don�t bother going through the archives and searching, it isn�t there. :P
And it isn�t just SCA stuff. As an example, on Tuesday, Rhiannon and I got a notice from the VA State Department of Taxation. Not only were they *not* sending us the $420 we were expecting as a state income tax refund, they were holding that $422, AND placing a lein against our bank account for an additional $530 for taxes we allegedly owed from 1999 and 2000.
Technical issue, we filed tax forms in 1999 and 2000 showing that we owed $2 for 2000 (yes, $2) and $300 for 1999. I fully believe we sent a money order in with that 1999 tax return, but I can�t prove it (can�t find the receipt for it, so maybe I�m imagining buying it). Regardless, though, even with interest and reasonable penalties, that adds up to like $400, not $950.
So although they could have held the 2003 refund, the lein on the bank account was not at all correct. And, since we needed to make a rather large mortgage payment to keep our house on Friday, which the lein would interfere with, stress reigned supreme.
So, Wednesday morning, I get to the office, intending to straighten things out with a couple of phone calls. It ultimately ends up that Rhi and I have to go down to the DoR office and sit to talk to a human.
So we do that, and lo and behold, we walk out of there having discovered that we had, in fact, screwed up on the 1999 income taxes. We didn�t owe $300, we owed $70.
Allegedly a check returning $300 of our 2003 return is on it�s way�we�ll see.
You�d think that was over at that point, and all would be well� except that I got bitched at by a co-worker of mine Thursday AM for �Spending all morning working on his income tax return�. Uhh�no, it was 30 minutes, and more importantly, I DIDN�T BILL FOR THE TIME. Yeah, I was at my desk here, because I was *hoping* that the problem would be fixed, and I could then be a productive contractor, and when it wasn�t, I left to go take care of the problem, effectively taking the entire day off without pay.
But now, I have to spend a few days/weeks keeping my head down and laying low again. Fine�whatever.
Then, on top of that, there was a tempest in a teapot over political bullshit being posted to an SCA list, and apparently my tone was perceived as being over the top. Yeah, okay, maybe it was�but wow�compared to flamewars I�ve seen, my mild �Take that Right-wing slander out of here� was a gentle breeze�
Of course, this was the day after being given some advice on choosing battles wisely�which I haven�t completely implemented yet�mostly because my definition of �wisely� and other folks definitions may not be the same.
Then, Saturday came, and we went up to Ponte Alto�s Investiture. My primary intent was to try out the new heavy armor. I�m told by a reliable source that I looked halfway decent in the new gear. That�s good, and a credit to Rhiannon�s sewing ability.
Unfortunately, the new gear didn�t work. For some as of yet undetermined reason, I couldn�t maintain enough of a grip on my sword to keep it in my hand when it hit anything. So it clattered to the ground (well, to the end of the lanyard at least) three times in the 30 seconds of the one fight I was able to do. I *believe* it�s a conflict between the basket hilt and the metal half gauntlet, possibly aggravated by an overly thick handle, and lousy grip strength on my part, but I don�t know that for certain. Regardless, I have an appointment to go over to Casa de Aradd this evening and see if I can fix it.
That and the fact that my hip pointer is completely unarmored. Which has *always* been the preferred �Let�s hit Gorm there� target. One fight, one bruise the size of a baseball. Not good.
So yeah, it�s been a lovely week for me. This week will be better, at least it had better be, or I�m going to start looking for clock towers and loading the crossbow.
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Random�
