Sigh of relief

I so thought I was screwed. It's a good thing I was so generous to so many charities this last year or I would have been. As it is, I came close to breaking even on the taxes, but at least I don't owe any money.

Yup, just figured out the taxes. It always makes me crazy to realize in cold figures how much of my money the government gets, but at least I don't have to pay in more on top of that. It's a pitiful refund, but it's a refund. I probably won't file the taxes right away. I just had to work them out though because I had totally forgotten about an extra $4000.00+ from a oil & gas lease on my property. Forgotten until I saw that 1099 in the mail. Momentary mini-panic.

I need more deductions. Maybe I really should consider buying another house. Too bad I can't get a tax break for stimulating the economy. I really do quite a good job at that. And now that I know I don't owe the government more money than I've already paid them for last year, I'm in the mood to do more economy stimulating. Must be time for some serious on-line shopping, ne.

My poor cats were just getting brave enough to hang around outside again, and the black terror showed up again this morning. He chased them into the house before I realized he was there. He hasn't been around for a couple of weeks, so I wasn't thinking about him. This is him --->

He comes over the fence behind the house, and usually I keep an eye out for him and call my cats in if I spot him coming. He's got quite an attitude and will even face off against me until I get the water hose going. I wish he'd give up my back yard as part of his territory, but even so, when I don't see him for awhile I hope nothing has happened to him. Guess, I'll have to continue being the watchful, protective cat owner as long as he's around. He looks extremely much like my black cat, Addy, except he's about half again as tall and leaner. The first time I met him was at night and I actually thought he was Addy until I realized she was already in the house. Little Demon. Or really, he's a big demon for a cat.

My favorite grocery store has closed. Well, rather than my favorite, it's more that it's the most convenient grocery store for me. I always stopped there because it's on my way home. It's not like it's closing is a huge hardship for me because there are two more grocery stores about the same distance from me as that one was. That one was just directly on my way home. So things are a little more inconvenient for me. The weird thing, in looking at it though, is that I wasn't upset or shocked or even surprised. It was just another business closing it's doors. And that thought upsets me a little .... that closing businesses have become common and everyday events. And since the trip to Galveston, I think I've been more aware the people factor. It's not just another business closing it's doors, it's another group of people struggling to rebuild their lives. And about a week ago America had the most ever job losses on one day due to big company lay-offs. 75,000 jobs, they said. That's 75,000 people, and their families struggling to re-build. I can't get a grasp on those numbers. Galveston of course was because of Hurricane Ike, but I'm sure current economics is one of the factors making recovery down there so difficult. The lab down there let 60% of their staff go. And 140+ faculty were let go from the university. Hospital labs and universities starts to hit a little close to home.

I don't know if there's anyone who knows how to stop the current economic mess, or even if it's possible to turn it around. I do know that I'm incredibly grateful to have my job.

Oops. Got deep again. I don't know how that happens.

I have 12 doves in my back yard and on my back fence, along with 4 cardinals (red birds, we call them in east Texas). They're scrounging under my bare peach tree. I don't know what they find to eat out there. I don't have a bird feeder, although a do have a little birdbath. A birdfeeder when I have cats just seems a bit much, but I still have lots of birds that hang around the place. *laughing* Okay, since my cats have been too scared to spend time outside, the population of birds that hang around has taken an upswing. My cats have never caught a bird, but I suppose just their presence would keep the birds away.