On Jan 16, 11:53*am, "Swingman" wrote:
There you go, bro ... learn something everyday. That just shows to go you
how much of a sports fan I am!
My interest in football actually left with the retirement of Roger
Staubach, Bob Lilly, Charlie Waters, Leroy Jordan, Drew Pearson, et.
al.
(Judging from high schoolers doing it too, I still think there's a 'monkey
see, monkey do' component going on here, however). 
Absolutely no doubt about that. I am waiting to see the day when the
peewee leaguers do it.... some of those little tyros are so small the
helmet swallows them whole. I would imagine that lifting leg would
topple the whole kid.
It's now done! ... and soon I get to see how much I owe the IRS, right after
paying the property taxes on 1/31/08, that is.
Don't do it Swing!!! Dont' do it!!!
You will be looking at the tax bill in one hand wondering WTF
happened, wondering about that kind of dough, then looking out the
window at a cold drizzly day. Then to think about property/school/
county/state taxes?
Good sir, that is a recipe for long term depression.
The complexity of my taxes has made it impossible for me to do them
myself anymore. My small (tiny?) corporation has two smaller
entities, and then of course I have my personal returns. Each quarter
requires a report, and when I have employees, an end of quarter
report. If no employees, the reports still have to be filed, of
course. Then there is the year end corporate returns, my personal
return, and all the crap that goes into them as well. Together, they
make a Gordian knot that a super computer couldn't crack. So think
about my pea brain...
I used to do my taxes, and used to do my own bookkeeping. No more.
For $50 a month I have found a real company that will let me use them
as my professional address of record. They will receive and pay my
bills, monitor my accts., receive my packages (saw blades, etc., I buy
on the net), and input all transactions into Quickbooks for my CPA/
Enrolled Agent to do my taxes. They also file all my quarterlies (if
no employees) for that same $50 a month.
Taxes are additional of course, but for $50 a month for all
bookkeeping, check paying, paper record filing and quarterly reports I
don't have to do it is well worth it.
I used to get so depressed this time of year that I would not get back
in the saddle for a couple of weeks. I would spend a couple of weeks
thinking of all my missteps, mistakes, bad judgements, etc., and
really rake myself over the coals. My cigar smoking and whiskey
consumption would at least double. Late 60s to mid 80s Johnny Cash/
Merle Haggard/George Jones time on the victrola would skyrocket.
All in all, not a good place to be.
Now I don't see any of it until it is done, I just make sure I keep a
rolling business acct. balance in my head to make sure I am ahead (or
like last year with all the rain (3 months of no work) and the ice
storm (one month), almost even). When in doubt, I watch my accounts
on the net, so I can tell where I am. I manage my side of things by
keeping close tabs on the costs assiciated with every job, something I
actually enjoy doing.
But taxes? No way... I'm not as stout as I once was, and the more I
pay the more I wonder why no one asks me how my money should be
spent. I get too ****ed off and out of focus.
As for the %*&^$$@ rain, if I have had a long string of unbroken
(profitable) work that has lasted for several weeks/months, I don't
mind a rain day. But to me, rain can be really depressing. I don't
give a crap about nourishing the plants, the yard, filling the
resovoirs, or any other crap. I want work and hate being off the
income stream.
Life is good when it isn't too hot or freezing, I am on a profitable
job with good subs that is going well and I have a thermos of good
coffee to have during the day. Is that too much to ask? Some
sunshine, some fresh air... I am definitely NOT an office dweller.
I work for Uncle Sam, all the various taxing authorities in Harris County,
and Henderson State University ... and it looks like there is more of the
same to come in November.
I need some sunshine ... and a source of more energy.
I'm tellin' you... don't do it. I'd hate to hear that you took up
hard drinkin' again.... or more often.... or *gasp* turned to the
life of a FULL time musician. Got one of those in the family. Now
that's a real labor of love (read: no money - at least for him)! But
a different story.
Robert