Tax Day

Well I had an adventure last night. Late last week I had moved some money from one account to another to pay for our income taxes. I wrote the check to deposit it in the bank my e-file return would take it from. Then this Monday morning on the way to work I made the deposit. Tuesday evening after work I first completed Anna’s return with no problems. I had only recently received the information needed to finish it.

Then I logged on to complete my return. Everything was finished except the last step – filing the return. As I neared completion I decided to double check to make sure the deposit had gone through. I saw where it had been credited – but then it had been taken away. It wasn’t there. What?

I called the bank and talked to three different people. Person #2 told me the problem: the check was “out of date.” How can a check be out of date? I had the deposit slip bank receipt, with the check image printed on it. I looked all over and saw my mistake: I’d written “2017” instead of “2018” – and the bank had rejected it. Hey, Jerry Seinfeld’s bank had deposited all those old ten dollar checks his grandmother had given him that he’d never cashed. I spent 35 minutes on the phone, to no avail.

Instead I had to mail my return. That took extra time to print out the forms and carefully write the check. Then I discovered only one post office was open late – the main PO down near the airport. Great – road trip. Left the office at 7:20. Ceil had just learned the IRS had just granted a last-minute one day extension, but by now I wanted to be sure. Adding salt to the wound, I had to use a “LOVE” stamp on the envelope to the IRS.

Made good time through town, arriving at 8:10 pm. Traffic was backed up on Central Avenue for a quarter mile, but the postal employees standing outside kept cars moving. When I was headed back onto the northbound ramp to I-75 the cars had backed up on the southbound exit ramp all the way to the freeway.

Made it up to the East Cobb library by 8:45, and home shortly after nine. Ceil was watched Blackish. Had some salad and a pocket PB&J. Matthew emerged from his room and cooked himself a veggie burger and cheese dip. Earlier he made a corn and black bean dip. W&MC were at the Fox Theater watching “Something Rotten.”   

Friday W&MC and Ceil and Matthew were all out running around, and I beat them all home. Barney and Okie greeted me. Ceil cooked stir fry, and afterward we watched Jesus Christ Superstar. While the movie and stage version ended with Christ’s crucifixion, at least this recent TV version had the Jesus ascending into the sky, becoming a beautiful bright light. Then Jesus came back to take a bow.

Saturday morning Will cooked breakfast: a mixture of eggs, hashbrowns, and turkey bacon. Then W&MC went off on a day trip to a farmers market near the Carter Center, then a cool coffee shop nearby. I did the dishes, cut the grass, did some raking, and blew the drive. Ceil worked in the back yard. Matthew arrived home from his sleepover and helped out. W&MC ate at Joey D’s Oak Room near Perimeter Mall.

At three I journeyed out to Gwinnett for my first Stripers game. UGA linebacker Roquan Smith was signing autographs. Saw bobblehead friends LJ, Johnny, Hugh, Michael, Bobby, Norman, Alan, Jonathan, Corrine, James, and others. The game went quick, and I saw home by nine after a stop by QT and Taco Bell. Couldn’t believe the Braves lost their big lead to the Cubs, but strange things can happen over the course of a 162 game season. After the game they let Jackson go. So far the Braves have only lost one series.

Sunday W&MC went to a reformation church near downtown Atlanta, then ate lunch in downtown Marietta. At JFBC several couples gave reports of their recent mission trips, including one story of a class member snapping too many photos in a predominantly Muslim country, and subsequently being surrounded by unhappy locals. Another lady in our SS class who had to flee Iran due to persecution of her Christian beliefs. She lost everything she had.

Leftovers for lunch, but Ceil made homemade pizza for dinner. Sunday afternoon Will was outside shooting baskets with the neighbor boy when Ceil let Barney and Okie outside without a leash. Okie spotted a deer down near the creek and took off after it. Eventually Okie came back, bounding up the steep hill with no problem. Barney has a gentle leader leash that fits over his nose. Without that just a regular leash isn’t enough to control him. He would pull on the regular leash and choke himself. Even up in South Carolina when I take him out I use the gentle leader, because if he were to run off I wouldn’t want to have to chase him down.

W&MC rented a movie, and we all watched. Jumanji was filmed in Midtown’s Sherwood Forest neighborhood behind White Columns – 1646 Friar Tuck Road NE. Also at Westlake High School, the Gulch near Mercedes Benz Stadium, at Atlanta Metro Studios, and in Griffin. A total of $35 million was spent on the movie in Georgia.

I had a so-so Monday. Let life get me down a little. Left at my usual time. MC was having dinner near Lenox with a friend who’s in town to perform in a play. Will drove her down there and took Okie with him. Barney needed the break, you can tell he’s worn out. He laid around all night.

Stopped by Kroger on the way home, making me a little later than usual. Ceil also had a long day, but M went to the grocery and Ceil started supper at 7:30 - Mexican. We weren’t through washing the dishes until almost 9:30. I had turned on the Braves so Ceil went upstairs. I went to bed around 10:30. M had another good doctor’s appointment. The doctor recommended protein so M came home with Ensure. He also brought Rotel tomatoes and Velveeta to make cheese dip.