Don't Think Twice... It's Alright

We spent the better part of our day gettin' "organized" (and I use the term loosely) so we could file our taxes in a couple o' few days hence.  Coz it IS that time o' year, Gentle Reader, or nearly so.  I know there are those among you that will think "What?  I've had my refund for a month already!"  And I understand that.  But I'm not among those who feel it's reasonable and prudent to give the gub'mint an interest-free loan of MY money for any length of time.  We nearly always end up owing our Favorite Uncle a small amount of money come the Ides of April... which would be larger still if it weren't for those damnable penalties for "under-withholding."  Which is to say the bastards kind folks at the IRS get you comin' or goin'.  But we digress.

The thought occurred to us as we were goin' through our checkbook register...well, make that Quicken... this morning that tax time isn't NEAR the burden it used to be before the advent of the 'net and applications like MS-Money, Quicken, and end-of-year accounting reports from those good folks at CitiBank and our brokerage firm.  If one has half a brain one can avail one's self of accounting tools that, barring complications in one's financial life... like too much money... make this tax thing fairly easy.  Or easier than it used to be.  Still and even, one longs for Former Happy Days when professional help in the form of accountants was necessary... not to mention reasonable and prudent... if only for the significant delta in the personal bottom line between then and now.  But those days are long behind us now that we're drawing a pittance of pensions and Social Security.  And we are arguably happier, seeing as how we have enough of that folding stuff to indulge our vices and live a life largely free of financial worry.  The luck o' the draw, and all that... or, as a former associate of mine used to say:  "there's no one happier than a wino who can afford his own wine."  That would be us.

So.  It was organizing we were on about today. We've downloaded and installed TurboTax.  We've got all our 1099s and such in one place.  We've totaled up all our medical deductions and charitable contributions.  We are ready.  But we didn't pull the trigger, seeing as how the weather gods are smiling upon us today... and today's bright sunshine and moderate temperatures were a balm after yesterday's dreariness.  We called it a day after all that organizing stuff was done and adjourned to the Great Outdoors to burn a cigar and quaff a couple o' brews.  The actual doin' of the tax thing can wait until tomorrow.... or maybe the day after.

Don't think twice... it's alright.