Adults-only Trip

I filed our taxes yesterday.  Wham, bam, thank you Uncle Sam. 

Really, this year was pretty simple.  It may be because I've been doing my own (and eventually Josh's) taxes since 1996.  Deductions are easy to figure out.  We had one W-2 and we spent all of 2010 in Arizona, so only one state to file in.  Easy.  Plus, Josh didn't take all of the deductions allowed to him at work, so we knew we had overpaid our taxes and we'd be getting a refund.

So..... what to do, what to do?

First, good-bye credit cards.  All of them.  Luckily, we have a relatively low balance of them (much less than the national average of $15,788). 

So now.... what to do, what to do?

I'll tell you what the heck to do.  You take your husband and go away for a few days.  Why?  Because the last time you did it was less than 24 hours about 45 miles away from home.  The time before that was about four days with your theatre group and you had to attend seminars and performances and not even sleep in the same room as each other.  And the time before that you didn't have kids. 

We tried to get Josh's schedule clear for the entire week of Spring Break, but it seems that everyone else had the same idea.  We were originally going to visit family in Colorado, but since Josh has to work part of Spring Break, we had to downsize our plans.

Luckily my parents have accepted the invitation for the kids to stay with them for a few days.  And then Josh and I will be off.

And so now..... where to go, where to go?

I have a feeling Southern California will be accepting us and our reservations in one way or another.  I know you're dying to know more information.  I'll happily share it as soon as I know it myself.

Tax Evasion!

We've begun watching "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader" in the evenings. It's a somewhat educational show that is family friendly and it comes on the same time Monday through Friday. I've figured out that there are some subjects that I can get right most of the time: spelling, literature, music, grammar. The subjects that often get me: sciences (any and all), math (the definitions, mostly), and history. I get some of the history questions right, but some baffle me and I have no idea what the answer is. Today I got one right.

There is a running joke in our family. When I was about a sophomore in high school, I was in the family room with my dad and probably some of my siblings. There was some history show on (as there often was when Dad was home) and it mentioned Al Capone. Dad looked up from his newspaper long enough to inform me that when Al Capone was finally arrested, it was not for his gangster activities. Al Capone was arrested for tax evasion. I slightly nodded, but didn't say anything. Dad mumbled to himself, "Ah, gee, Dad, that's interesting. Thanks for telling me that." Dad often mumbled stuff like this to himself, a habit I seemed to have picked up.

Anyway, a few weeks went by and the TV mentioned Al Capone again. Dad, thinking he was going to educate us, said, "Do you know how they finally caught Al Capone." I looked at him, at first thinking he was joking, but then realizing he didn't remember the situation from a few weeks earlier. I happily answered him with a confident, "Tax evasion!" Dad was so impressed that I knew the answer. He began praising me and asked me how in the world I knew that. I told him that I'd learned it from him a few weeks ago. He controlled his beaming as he said, "I'm glad you were listening." So now, anytime Al Capone is mentioned, someone will generally call out, "Tax evasion!"

So on today's episode of "Fifth Grader" when the question of "What was Al Capone arrested for?" I gleefully shouted, "Tax evasion!" Of course, I was alone in the room, so it was more of a pathetic moment, but I knew the answer!

Happy Tax Season, everyone. Hope you've filed yours.