Wrote this last week....

Work today, since I am taking part of the coming week off.

Left mid-day to go to a memorial service for an elderly friend of mine.  I met her when I was newly married and we first moved to Whittier.  She had just retired from a career as a school teacher/librarian.  That was 25 years ago.

The speakers (her sons and grandkids) emphasized her patience, good humor, and enjoyment of life.  She was in hospice care, and had chosen a couple of pieces to be read at her funeral.  One was a lovely poem about a garden, which I am not locating on the interwebs.  It is not either of these:

My Mother kept a Garden...
God looked around his garden.....

Or anything similarly mawkish.  It was about roots, and branches, and bore passing resemblance to the poem I want read at my own funeral, which is Edwin Muir's One Foot in Eden.

Ah well, what matter that there is one fewer decent, kind, hard-working tolerant person in the world.  We have too many of those anyway. 

Stuck in the Middle With You

This article from Niall Ferguson hits home.  I'm just not sure whether in my stage of life I am the screw-er or the screw-ee.

You can't get there from here

My new workplace is charming, but hard to locate.  I created a map for our clients using this graphic.  My colleagues are not convinced I am really trying to be helpful.

Ripped from the Headlines

I've been memed (by a relative, but what the heck)

Headline I most fear seeing in 2008 (dateline somewhere around April 3rd): "Congress to IRS: We lied about that AMT legislation; go fix your forms."

Headline I most want to see in 2008: "Taxmom sets USATF women's masters 10K record, inspiration to deskbound staff accountants everywhere!"

Headline I most expect to see in 2008: "Responding to public pressure, Congress makes all interest deductible, all the time: 'We have no clue what qualifies as acquisition debt any more, anyway', comments one legislator."

Headline I least expect to see in 2008: "CA budget crisis averted due to inexplicable surge in Use Tax compliance" (Article would quote Joe Taxpayer as saying, "So that's what Line 49 is for!")

So who can I tag? Feral Mom? Daily Kvetch? Or, on a different note, Aimophila adventures? What do you all hope for / fear / anticipate / dread for 2008?

Out of the cage

Today (Sunday) they let me out of my pen, or rather I took myself out, to do one of these. I did the easiest run, which at points, due to the crowd, was more of a stroll. But the elevation gain made it rough, and the downhill,which I had so been looking forward to, was a bone-jarring descent over a series of waterbars. Still it was a lovely trail and awesome scenery. And I'll be able to rest my sore bones in the swivel chair all day tomorrow, surely not the best remedy.

Spent yesterday (Saturday) trying to figure out when and how you deduct a SEP IRA contribution for a S-Corp >2% shareholder, and whether you are allowed to do it even if it brings the S-Corp income down below zero. (Answer: yes, probably, if there is basis in the corporation.) If the same issue has been bothering any readers, people who care are talking about it here and here .

Also discovered an interesting twist on the gambling winnings issue. As previously mentioned, even when you can deduct your gambling losses dollar for dollar against your gambling winnings, the increase in adjusted gross income from the gross gambling winnings can sometimes render other previously tax-free income taxable (case in point, Social Security income - sometimes). However, income from gambling winnings also increases your sales tax deduction! Pretty cool, huh? The IRS has established an allowable sales tax deduction based on your adjusted gross income. Even though when you deduct gambling losses to the extent of your gambling winnings you are in effect declaring that you did not make purchases subject to sales tax with this income, the IRS still lets you have the calculated sales tax deduction. William Bennett take note.

As always, none of this is meant to be construed as tax advice, just generalized ranting.

Happy Holidays

The back entrance to our office building, appropriately seasoned for the holiday.

What the??????? It's only November 15 and it's 70 degrees outside. It's not like we work in retail. In our office suite we have two avowed atheists, one bleeding heart liberal who respects all religious traditions, and one Jehovah's Witness. I wonder if we can claim exemption from Common Area Maintenance fees on religious grounds.