Tax .... fear & loathing at the accountants

Tax.

Why does this word always strike fear into the hearts and minds?  For someone who likes to always be very organised - this one is a big FAIL for me.  I am trying to examine why this is so?

Every year, just after the last tax return is done, I get all enthusiastic and organised and start putting aside all the things I will need for the following year.  After about the second month of this, it all kind of runs away with me, and before I know it, its that time of year again and all my best laid plans are stopped at August.  I now need to wade through forests of paperwork, find statements, lease documents, payroll summaries, capital and asset purchases, balance sheets, P&L reports, general ledgers ... and on and on it goes.

Of course it doesn't help at all that as a business, and business owners, we have an extension to March the following year.  No matter what the deadline, I always feel ill prepared, totally out of my depth and approach the whole process with dread.  Why?

We are very behind in the returns - still haven't done the 2010/11 which we have an extension for, but was originally due March 2012. Now the 2011/12 is looming as well, due in March 2013 - but the accountant said we may as well do it now and get it out the way.  I think we are owed some tax back, which is lovely, but also why we got the extension.  The Tax department are very nice with extensions when they owe you money, but not so nice when its the other way around.

Today is operation get organised - so my goal is by 6pm tonight to have it all collated, and ready for our meeting tomorrow.

Wish me luck!

PS: Anyone spot the obvious procrastination ploy here?

Damsels in Distress and Dragons

In the good old days, a man could show his worth and character, and therefore impress and get the girl, by slaying dragons or protecting her honour.  All he had to do was wave a sword about, smell and act like a real man, inherit a castle with a yearly allowance, slap a cad in the face with kid gloves and have no obvious breeding problems, and he was pretty sure he would get to marry and breed.  Life was good for a man, getting a wife was easy - he just had to stay one step ahead of the plague, famine, marauding armies, poverty and of course dragons.

So what happens in today's world for men?  There are no dragons to slay, women's honour has long gone, we have turkey basters, a drivers licence, our own money.  Who needs a man?  They did themselves out of a job when they killed off all the dragons, gave women the vote and sent us out to work.

But, there is one last bastion, one last frontier where a man can prove his worth to a woman. Every woman knows - even the bra burning Germaine Greer loving feminists know - that a man is at his most sexiest when he saves us. It makes us go all girly and weak and we love it. 

So where is this fantasy world when men are men and sheep are scared?  The world of IT.

The dragon has been replaced by technology. 

I can hear all the feminists shouting at me from their laptops.  But I want them to ask themselves honestly - how many female IT support people do they know?  I work in, and own a IT support company - in 11 years I have not yet met a women technician.  Sure there are women programmers, designers, sales people.  But not support. 

I know a little bit about computers.  Enough to use them, abuse them.  But when it breaks, I call a man.  And they come and save me - and all the other women in thousands of offices all over the world.  They deftly cut down the beast and restore peace to our offices.  We swoon and thank them and make them cups of coffee as we look adoringly at the way they confidently cut down that jammed printer, how they wave a sword at the blue screen, how they brave terminal servers and Microsoft to defend us.

I tell my techs, they are the last of the real men.  That by fixing a girls computer you are being a hero worthy of a knighthood.  That when you arrive to an office where technology has gone wild and you alone tame it - there will be a line of thankful women lining up to have your babies.  They don't believe me - but just ask around and seek out a women who has a story to tell about how the IT Dude rode in on his black steed, pulled his sword from the scabbard and saved the day.  The Technology Knights are alive and well.

Dedicated to all our hard working knights staff at Enable!

What we did on the weekend - Outdoor Overhaul

Well, I lie.  This isn't just the result of one weekends work.  We have been working on this for the last 3 weekends, between social events, helping out Son#1 at his house, shopping; we have managed to get three quarters done on the outside area.  Which is pretty impressive for us - we have a deadline of 15 December when we will again have the staff Christmas party here (as we do every year) and we are ahead in the schedule!

In pictures, this is what we have so far.  It took me ages to get with the decorating groove on this one as I had no clear idea of a theme or colours.  This colour scheme kind of evolved.  I like it so far.

After we high pressure cleaned the decking, walls and rafters, we coated the decking in two coats of decking oil.  The new cane chairs look a little bland here.

 

Moved around the layout so that the table is near the BBQ and Buffet (that my Dad made).  I like the layout but it seems a little closed in.

 

 

Old jarrah table and chairs have stood the test of time but after 15 years need to be sanded back and re-oiled.  Colour scheme is mismatched and drab

 

By adding a red cushion from inside, we suddenly got the effect we were after.  I went and bought red cushions from BigW and put them on the cane chairs - made all the difference.  Mr K found the dining chair pads at Hardly Normal when he went to buy his mum a new TV!  They are perfect!

 

Loving this colour scheme now.  I think we have enough red now, so will leave it at that.  Maybe some palms and some darker wood furniture to give that Colonial East India look - think Passage to India.

 

Still some work to do on the furniture and some little tweaks but I am pretty happy with it all so far.

 

A busy week - dang it!

I love it when I look at my wall calendar and see a week with nothing planned.  Five whole empty days ... bliss!  It means I can just get my paid work done, then have all this time to write.  After today's perusal of the calendar, I saw a clear week - did a little happy dance inside .... then realised with regret that its just that I have been a lazy cow and not put everything on the calendar.  So a 'free' week turns into...

Monday -

1. Drop off sewing machine for a service
2. Find keys to trailer camper that were meant to be in the console of the 4WD (that Mr K spent 4 hours looking and ranting for yet failed to find)
3. Clean up 3 empty bottles of red wine (good stuff too!), numerous beer and tonic water bottles, BBQ remnants - all after last nights visit from Uncle J. 
4. Try to take today slowly.

Tuesday - A good day -

1. IKEA and
2. Spotlight ... maybe, hopefully.
3. Plan meal and drinks for camping this weekend.
4. Furniture purchased on the weekend is delivered

Wednesday -

1. My father in law arrives to stay a few days. 
2. The online writing course starts today - joy
3. Fill water tanks on camper, make sure everything we need is packed in there - that is, if I have found the keys!

Thursday -

1. Long overdue meeting with Accountant (who is VERY cute so makes it bearable) which means hours and hours of prep work
2. Pay the wages
3. Billing day - pages and pages to print, fold, stuff in envelopes and post

Friday -

1. Pack trailer camper and 4WD
2. Buy last minute food and drinks and ice
3. Drive down to beach camping place and set up camp

Ah well.  Next week is worse so better make the most of this.

I have received the very great honour of being nominated for the Liebster Award from a blogger whom I have great respect and affection for - Jacana - Thank you .. as simple as that.

 

The word “Liebster” apparently has German origins and is reported to mean sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

The rules for the Liebster Award are as follows:

1. Each person must post 11 facts about themselves.

2. Answer 11 questions the tagger has given you and give 11 questions for the person you tag.

3. Choose 11 people and link them to your post (they must have 200 followers or less)

4. Tell them you have tagged them.

5. Remember, no tag backs.

 

 

11 facts about me ...

1. I love spiders and keep them in certain windows in my house
2. My first school was in the mountains of NSW, with only 1 teacher, 17 children - I was 1 of only 2 girls.
3. I want to be a hippy and live on a commune
4. I am a Taurus but I don't believe is astrology
5. I am allergic to being pregnant - I start vomiting the day I conceive and stop the day I give birth.  I have done this twice but never again.
6. I bought my first house when I was 19.  It was 100 years old.
7. My favorite sandwich is white bread, granny smith apple and salt and vinegar chips.  I first had it aged 8 - made by my best friends mother.
8. I am a drag racing fan - the louder and faster the better.
9. My middle name is Kirsa - I was a child of the 60's - I have no idea what it means but my parents tell me she was a movie star.
10. I have been researching my family tree since 1986 and the furtherest I have gone back is 1510.
11. I love to learn - this consumes me everyday.

 

Jacana's 11 Questions answered:-

Explain a family tradition you have?

We don't really have set traditions - the things we do as a family are pretty fluid.  I guess one is that when we are all finally together we drink gin and tonic and have cheese and biscuits - in the late afternoon - and talk and laugh and love.  I try and bake an apple pie for my sons to wake up to on the morning of their birthday - and they can eat warm apple pie for breakfast.

 

What is the best gift you have ever received?

When I was 11 years old my parents gave me a horse for my birthday, we called him Tullie.  He was to be my best friend for the next 15 years, until we sadly lost him.  I can still remember how excited I was to have my very own horse.  He was a beautiful, gentle soul and I still miss him.

 

Do you have a hobby?

Lots.  So many that I needed to retire 5 years ago to fit them all in - calligraphy, writing, cross stitch, gardening, reading, photography, horse-riding, walking, camping, genealogy.

 

Name 3 items in your handbag or glove box?

1. About 15 pens, pencils, writing implements
2. Journal
3. Spare pair of knickers!

 Can you keep secrets?

No and yes.  When its a good secret, like a present I know the person will love,  I cant keep it a secret.  We always give gifts early in our house as none of us can wait.  If its a secret that will hurt someone, then yes, its a secret I wont share. 

 

As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?

A school teacher.  I used to make my poor little brother sit in a classroom I had made up and make him do school work, even in the school holidays - I was very bossy!

 

How far did you go in the education system?

I completed only 1 year at Uni studying to be a history teacher - then I met Mr K and the WAIT tavern.  The highest completed award is an Advanced Diploma in Business - Real Estate.

 

Have you ever won anything?

The heart of a 18 year old boy, who has been my husband for the last 30 years. 

 

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

Ireland.  I love the green, the people, the humour and the beauty.  My father has Irish ancestry so I call myself part Irish.  I would live in a house overlooking the ocean and write my novel.

 

EBook or paper book?

Both.  I always buy my favorite authors , like Tim Winton, in hardback, and anything non-fiction is always in paper form.  Anything else I normally buy online to read on my Samsung Galaxy.

 

Which famous person (living or dead) would you like to sit next to at a dinner party? 

Only one?  Jimmy Page - even now with white hair.  I would love to talk to him about being a musician in the 60's/70's, about Alister Crawley, about all those rumours with groupies.  If he flirted with me, all the better :-)

 

 

The 11 bloggers I tag are (some have been tagged before):

 

Life at the Coop

Twenty5seven

Hillbarn

I opened mymouth and it ran away without me

le Love

Silver threads of happiness

Rural dreaming

Ridgeway farm

Take shape fitness

Yakatey yak

Jarrah jungle

 

 

11 questions for my tagged bloggers

1. What is your favorite season?
2. What animal would you most like to be?
3. What is your favorite sandwich
4. How far back is your first memory
5. Did you ever think you loved a rock star/movie star and who was it?
6. Describe your ideal holiday
7. Do you chop the heads off a boiled egg, or crack and peel off the shell?
8. What kind of car do you drive and if its not your dream car, what is?
9. Who is your favorite Author?
10. What made you start blogging?
11. Would you jump out of a plane?

I hope I played the game right :-)

 

 

 

Things I learnt this week

I am succumbing to routine in my blog!  I normally just like to free form with blog subjects, but in an effort to self-discipline here is my inaugural weekly blog subject, to happen every Friday morning.  Actually its just for me this post, to remind me about the lessons I learnt during the week and to not forget them and therefore not repeat if they are bad, or to repeat them if they are good.

Things I learnt this week

1. If you leave the dog poo on the bathroom floor where the little old girl had an accident and think you will clean that up later, then not only will you have to clean up that little mess, but you will also need to clean the rest of the floors where someone trod in said poo and walked it all over the house.  I think my grandma would call that 'A stitch in time saves nine'  I call it 'Pick up dog poo before you need to wash the entire freakin floor'
2. Thinking about going on a diet, and actually doing it, are poles apart.  Just thinking away calories doesn't work.  In fact, it makes you want to eat more - the more I thought about it the more cakes I ate.  I am giving up thinking about it and seeing if that makes me eat less.
3. Taking a full Xanax due to an anxiety attack makes me sleep a whole 12 hours non-stop.  Wish I could say I felt better for a full nights sleep, but I can't - speak that is.  I feel like my brain was replaced with a bit wad of cotton wool.  Maybe it was, done by aliens - I sure as hell had some freaky dreams.
4. Opening a block of cooking chocolate that you found hunted down in the pantry, and telling yourself that you will 'take just one piece' is a blatant lie.
5. The beautiful smell of my jasmine out in full flower still can not overpower the smell of the neighbours recent application of dynamic lifter.  Why do bad smells always overpower good ones?  Why doesn't the comic book universe apply to gardening?

What things did you learn this week?

For a funny look at lesson #1 ... check this out

Walhalla - Victoria - Australia

Remembrance Day - almost a year ago.  Mr K and I did a little trip to Walhalla - the most amazing and quaint place I have ever been to.  Of course, I am yet to go to Tassie, but until then, this town is number one on my top 10 list.  It's funny that we went here on Remembrance Day 2011, as this little place keeps popping into my head - at random times and places and has done for 12 months now.

It was on a trip to Melbourne, or more precisely, Victoria, I am a Sydney sider by birth, and true to form, Melbourne as a city, holds very little appeal for me.  Give me big open harbours and sand-stone historic buildings any day.  The Victorian countryside however, I do like.  We went over to VIC for a few days R&R and exploring and one of these exploring days found us winding up the hills to a little ghost town called Walhalla.  It held a certain pull for us as Mr K's grandmother was born and raised there.  We even have a fern on our patio that originally came from here, handed down the generations.

I was expecting a typical old gold rush town, with some weatherboard buildings and remnants of a past place and time.  What I wasn't expecting was how breathtakingly beautiful it was and how it evoked in me a very strong connection and compassion for the people who built this town, who lived, loved and died here and for the tiny little population of just 9 people who now call this home.  Settled in 1863 as a gold rush town, and in its heyday a peak population of 2000.  Which doesn't sound a lot until you see where these people built their houses and business's.  It's a river valley, very narrow with very steep sides.  The flat part is only just wide enough for the river, a road (narrow one at that) and one house block. 

 

Everything else is built into the side of the steep hills.  If you have ever been to Wales, this will remind you of it, especially the flavour of mining and stone walls.  We walked from one end of the street to the other, absorbing the ghosts of past dwellers.  We walked up the steep hill to the cemetery, where the graves are dug into the side of the hill.  It's a beautiful, peaceful place to rest - for the living and non-living.

I spoke excitedly that day, when I saw a little cottage for sale.  Could we move here and live this life?  I know I could - Mr K just smiled wanly at me - too scared to say anything else.  I think it reminded me of a place I lived as a child, on the McDonald river, a tributary of the Hawksberry.  There were just 5 adults, and myself and baby brother, living in this little area on a permanent basis.  Walhalla took me back to this place of innocence, of simplicity and peace.

I could just see myself living here ...

 

Dentists

Who the hell looks this happy at the dentists? 

Had the extreme pleasure of attending my six monthly dental check-up recently. Of course I was looking forward to it very much, having saved the date on my calendar for months now, after I got the very welcome invite in the mail. I get a lovely phone call, from the lovely Carmel to remind me of the coming date. It’s all such a pleasant and happy occasion; I wished it came around sooner than twice a year.

NOT.

 

The Reality

 

I Hate going to the dentist. I know I have to, but seriously, I would rather a pap smear than a dental check-up. Something just nasty and evil about all that white and metal and blinding smiles of the Dental Hygienist, that’s all of 23! The only good part is the very end when she hands you a brand new toothbrush, travel size toothpaste and floss - wonder if that’s what dentist’s kids get instead of a show bag? Poor little tykes.

 

Open ride ...

 

So, while I was laying there, captive and prone, with metal sticks and a hose, a suction thingy and buzzing, grinding things in my mouth - I thought that the whole dental industry needs a giant overhaul in their PR and marketing. It was also a way to calm my nerves - my dear Chinese dentist lady taught me how to use the mind to travel outside my body so that I left my mouth behind in the chair but my mind and body went on a little trip. Usually I imagine I am on a day bed in Bali, Pina Colada and book in hand. But this time, I thought a little harder and got creative.

 

 

If you were offered this service while getting the plague ripped off your teeth would it make it more palatable?

· A foot scrub and massage - your feet are just dangling there out of the way.

· A manicure - you have the time to let the nail polish dry while you lay there in the chair

· To save you using your mind to take you away, what’s wrong with a LCD TV on the ceiling showing Californication on endless loop?

· A scribe to take down notes of all the things you think of while you lay there - like remembering to book your next pap smear, to buy mouth wash, a good blog idea about dentists - who then writes it up and emails it to you

· A way of opening your mouth wide for the very handsome (and obviously rich!) dentist that doesn’t leave you looking like a total dork.

I think I might float this idea with my dentist - but not for another six months!

 

This isnt a joke!

 

 

 

Strawb & Jago - Naked!

Wow! It’s been a whole week and I haven't written a thing about the last Strawb and moi day! Has anyone else noticed that as the silly/festive season approaches, time seems to evaporate into yet another week gone?

So Last Friday. Strawb's pick this month, and the darling girl did indeed pick - she picked me up from home! I know what a challenge that is, even though we live in the same city, we are at opposing sides of the city and the river. So for her to travel over bridges and through the city, in just-past-peak hour traffic is a treat indeed. I was glad she came for a little house visit, so she could ooh and aahhh over our recent renovations.

She was being very tricky and not telling me where she was taking me. This has kind of become a trend in our days out - which is fun and challenging! So we drove by Subiaco, Claremont - all potential cafe places (albeit a little bit posh for us Roley Boguns), past the show grounds (few months too late). She had me worried as we approached Graylands - was this an intervention to have me committed? Following the railway line to the sea, she let it slip we were going to a cafe.

 


Aha! It's not the Bookcaffe? I asked. She was shocked and dejected that I had guessed her little plan. Incredulous, she asked how I knew of it, she thought she was being very tricky taking me to two of my favourite places rolled into one! I said , sweety, darling, sweety, I have been to this place many, many times and am even on their mailing list. Books. Coffee. Cake. Come on, that's me in a chubby nutshell. (I then had to admit that the real reason I first discovered this place was that Son #2 saw a specialist whose practice was right next door!)

After a chai latte, a good ole chat, and a browse (and buy) in the delicious book area, we donned hats and Strawb led the way on a very pleasant walk. The idea was to walk the scenic route to the beach, where naked men awaited us, with a cool G&T. We got a tad lost, and after walking up a medium sized hill on a very sunny day, we were sweating instead of glowing and I was in no mood for naked men - but they could hand over the Bombay. We settled for a Naked Fig gin and tonic which was even better.

Why all the references to naked? Apart from the fun factor, where we were was the nudist beach of Perth - Swanbourne. Being a nudist from way back (like 47 years back) and despite a body that legally should be covered at all times, I am more than happy to shed my gear and run about in the buff. Strawb, who has the world’s permission to get nekkid, is not so keen. Actually, I jest, although we were on Swanbourne Beach, the nuddy part was way off in the distance - another long, arduous walk through soft sand - I don't need to see willy's that badly!

A lovely restaurant has sprung up on this part of the beach, with glorious ocean views and even more glorious Hendricks with cucumber. The meal was ho-hum, but the company, gossip and gin more than made up for undercooked prawns and tough (how the hell do you make pizza dough tough?) pizza. The topping was nice, but nothing special. What was special however were the desserts. A pannacotta with passionfruit was divine and Strawb drowned herself in some hot, gooey chocolate lava bath.

Just as well we had lots of calories, as we sure got to burn them on the walk back. Do you think it’s our age that we seem to stare at topless boys unashamedly? And when did school boys start looking like prime athletes? We both agreed that when we were 17/18 boys sure didn't look like these Adonis gods did. The boys we hung about with were puny and tiny and had squeaky voices. That's why dating a much older guy was so kewl!

Of course, we got lost again on the way back to the car and train station. I think we need to stop talking while we walk and start paying attention. That way we can still get lost but at least we will learn about where we got lost. Or take a bread crumb out of Hansel and Gretel's book.

Great day out, something a bit different, good chat, good perving, good gin. Tell me how life gets better than that?

For other adventures ...

Strawb & Jago - The Beginning - Roleystone

Strawb & Jago - South Perth

Strawb & Jago - Art Review

Another Writing Course and a Camping Trip

After the last course I did with the UWA Extension, I was so enthralled with the whole writing experience that I enrolled in another one right away.  If November and December were not clogged already with social engagements (being an introvert, I can't say I like this time of the year very much) I would have enrolled in a lot more courses.

This one is called Crafting personal essays - how to shape your life experiences for the page and is being run by Dr Rachel Robertson, who wrote the book Reaching One Thousand: a story of love, motherhood and autism, which I am yet to read.  I picked this course as it would be a good one for learning how to write better blog posts.  (To be honest, I just love the thrill of being in a room all day with other writers - bliss)

There is one workshop, that I would dearly love to do, but we have a camping trip planned that weekend.  Now, I love camping, especially when I can get away from civilisation with just our 4WD and camper trailer.  We both, that is Mr K and I, HATE caravan parks and camping in public places, so we try and find out of the way places.  This place we are going to in mid November is halfway between Preston Beach and Myalup, just behind the dunes.  The trouble is, we are bringing civilisation with us! 

Tom Dog and his girl, Keela on the last beach camping trip

It's a staff camping trip, with all our staff and some of their partners (the tough girls who don't mind taking a shovel and going for a walk when they need the loo).  We did it last year, and a lot of the young'uns that work for us missed out on all the fun and this year they want to come too.  I know I will have fun when I get there, but giving up a workshop called Devious art of plotting your novel is a big ask.

Ah well, I will wait with the thrill of a child waiting on Christmas Eve for the new Summer courses to be announced.  In the meantime, there is always a camping trip to gather material for my writing.

Our old 4WD with camper trailer and bike.  I could get lost forever with this set up.