|
Post by creativechaos on Jan 19, 2016 1:10:50 GMT -5
Happy Martin Luther King Day - I wish I had watched one of his inspirational speeches. I think I will before bedtime tonight.
okay... i did a big blitz on 2014 taxes yesterday. cannot find instructions online so will have to get help with the library tomorrow on that. then they can be mailed out.
worked on recertification papers last night - hit some snafus there too. Must call mgr with some questions about types of income, since all that has changed for me now.
worked more on the reconsideration letter to social security - it's super long and i don't know how to shorten it any. will email that out before bed or tomorrow morning and get printed copies so i can get that and all the proof documents sent off.
to do list: get instructions for schedule C and tally final expenses do sched. SE do schedule 1040. Finish SS reconsideration letter and email to get printed. Shorten if possible! call mgr on Tue with questions about recert papers and income - set up meeting for Wed morning or late afternoon if possible. work on pile by the bed in bedroom sort through more winter clothes and bring last batch to consignment store this week go to bed at reasonable hour for a change. shower and wash hair
|
|
|
Post by Ally on Jan 20, 2016 15:14:23 GMT -5
creativechaos, for getting started on your taxes! I have a couple of the forms I need. I have a goal of getting my done by the end of February, but it always takes a LONG time to get results for DH. (I don't have access to all of his accounts.) I have continued to make progress on my kitchen, but have some things that I just don't know what to do with. I have a little back log of clean stuff in my laundry room to be folded and put away. I spent about 45 minutes today skyping with Alex who posted a survey about hoarding here recently. I am hoping that honestly discussing some of my thoughts and feelings about hoarding/clutter/etc. will help me make the changes I need to make. One of the things he asked me to do is differentiate the differences between a hoarder, a messy/messie, and someone who lives in squalor, which I found somewhat challenging. After thinking about it, here is how I differentiate: A hoarder purchases/holds on to specific things because they have some type of relationship/attachment with those items, or they just like to collect certain things. A messy is overwhelmed with clutter, he/she may or may not have attachments to their clutter. Squalor is what happens when the amount of stuff/clutter accumulates to the degree that it is impossible to do a reasonably good job of cleaning. I'm not sure how good a job I did of explaining that to him. Where am I in that spectrum? I do have some hoarding tendencies, especially textiles. I do have too much stuff, all over, disorganized, which classifies me as a messie. My house is not as clean as it should be because of the clutter. We also discussed what was holding me back from getting help.
|
|
|
Post by creativechaos on Jan 20, 2016 22:52:13 GMT -5
Ally, what a good report - you can do it with the taxes! Congratulations on continuing progress in the kitchen too! It's interesting to read your thoughts on the difference between a hoarder, a messie, and someone who lives in squalor. Thank you for sharing this with us; I think all three definitely overlap - although hoarders (being one) seem to have no "off" button when it comes to acquiring more stuff, even while being unable/unwilling to release stuff and keep it moving/flowing. my big accomplishment is that i finally finished my 15 page letter to social security and gathered all the "proof" papers i could for my case (all invoices for my 2015 income, a chart of all 2015 gross self employment income, and projected 2016 income. I'm so glad to check that off my list! that was a huge weight on my head. i am in pain (back troubles again) so it's hard to think in a linear way because it hurts to sit, bend, and move. short list: (tonight and tomorrow) get some sleep tonight more on 2014 taxes - must get online sched c instructions. hot bath in epsom salts or hot shower/wash hair pack more stuff for camp records release from old med clinic insurance info to new clinic pay phone bill i can pack for quilt camp in the morning if i think i can go. i paid a lot of money to go - no refunds so i'm hoping i can do it!
|
|
|
Post by phoenixcat on Jan 21, 2016 9:31:25 GMT -5
Creative - you probably already know this but copy, copy, copy and/or scan before you submit. And, put your identifying information on every page of the letter (and other material) and mark it 1 of 15, 2 of 15, etc. Government departments have a bit of a reputation for losing paperwork, misplacing, etc. etc. Just my 2 cents from someone who frequently forgets that step Good luck! PC
|
|
|
Post by Ally on Feb 1, 2016 18:46:04 GMT -5
Hi all! I have some news to report. My kitchen is cleaner than it has been in a long, long time. My goal was to be done by the end of January, and I'm not quite there, but I'm getting there. All of the counter-tops have bee scrubbed. There is still a little clutter to deal with, but not much. I feel confident that I can finish cleaning/decluttering the kitchen this week. The kitchen will still need some work, we need new flooring and I'd like to renovate and maybe add a small peninsula/breakfast bar, but I'm going to wait on those things. One thing I've wanted to do for the past 30 years is to add sliding shelves/drawers to my pantry cabinet. It's not very functional the way it currently is. I have decided that I will order the supplies to do this, so hopefully those can be installed by the end of the month. creativechaos, I'm glad that you have gotten so much done with your taxes. I hope your back feels better!
|
|
|
Post by Arid on Feb 1, 2016 20:21:04 GMT -5
Ally: I think that your "definitions" were/are "spot on!!"
Arid
|
|
|
Post by creativechaos on Feb 2, 2016 0:23:38 GMT -5
oh Ally; that is such great news about your kitchen! i love your idea of getting the sliding shelves for the cabinets! ours here are the cheapo version so that can never happen. so much wasted space in the back, i hate it! you have a good vision and plan. Great job sticking with yourself and your goals! phoenixcat - yikes. i only put name and social on the first page of my huge pile of documents i sent to social security. i know they got my appeal letter but who knows where it is now. i'm better with the food stamps stuff but they never ask for mountains of papers either, and they do better about not losing my stuff. thank you for the tip! i will use it for future dealings with ss. sorry i abandoned this thread. i went to two back-to -back weekend quilt camps. i did very little sewing, but i did get almost all the necessary paperwork done so that i could attend guilt-free. i still need to mail my 2014 taxes - i did them and then put them in a pile somewhere. hope i can find them! recertification papers mostly done and handed in but i need stuff from social security and i wrote all over my award letters while making endless frustrating calls to them. i have written to social security again today; this time a letter of dispute, because they continue to botch my case worse each month. my art class at school ended last wednesday but i have a day's work to finish the project - i picked something with a very high level of prep and finish, which will also be done by me. i need to bill for that. looks like i will not be teaching after all, 4th quarter. disappointed about that. 2 important things that need to happen tonight: drop rent check down at office. neaten up my front deck, hide the box that the neighbor's poor hapless cat uses for warmth, and sweep because the owners will be here tomorrow morning - thankfully NOT for an inspection but i can feel one coming... so it's time to knuckle down for real. tomorrow: drop car off to be looked at for new problem and assessment to fix some old problems - i need an axle. postponed car appointment. my back was hurting. knuckle down and deal with the papers swallowing up this place, and me.
|
|
|
Post by Ally on Feb 2, 2016 9:28:14 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by creativechaos on Feb 3, 2016 0:50:25 GMT -5
maybe together we can tackle the papers, Ally. many of mine are coming now from DSHS and social security. they send a 4-10 page letter every couple weeks it seems. hoping that will eventually settle down if i can give them a fixed income rate that i expect to have. won't toss any of this until things get settled. done list:paid electric bill and internet and rent paid off guy who printed my calendars called IRS with some questions and now i can mail off 2014 tax forms tomorrow. yay! returned overdue library books, renewed two of them
|
|
|
Post by Ally on Feb 3, 2016 10:26:31 GMT -5
creativechaos, I have probably a years worth of papers sitting on a chair next to me. Every so often I go through some of it to shred or recycle, but I never deal with the whole thing. I have a plastic file bin, but haven't used it in a while. I need to file some of this stuff, and get rid of the rest. I can get overwhelmed if I try to do too much at once, so I'll work on it a few minutes at a time.
|
|
|
Post by creativechaos on Feb 3, 2016 14:41:57 GMT -5
good plan, Ally. i only can stand to do papers a bit at a time too. if i did this every day i would get somewhere. going to try a to do list, knowing how i rebel at even my own directions: dishes gather up stray papers, clip together into loose categories or folders papers 15-30 minutes fabric - continue gathering and boxing up mail 2014 taxes - forgot to include a w-2 form. will have to call to see if they want me to mail that.
write and mail thank you card make necessary phone calls fill a box bag to take to the thrift store - could've stuffed more in but took what i had. drink more water eat something healthy today
|
|
|
Post by creativechaos on Feb 4, 2016 16:46:05 GMT -5
i am going to do a stove challenge today. not sure how much i'll get done. stove challenge: range top range hood and under hood range hood fan filter (ugh - sticky/ greasy!) oven long generalized list of to-dos for the week and weekend: appointment for energy assistance sort through more papers and file corral more papers corral box up, and sort more fabric, label. start a bag of clothing for donation/consignment wash, dry, and fold a load of laundry, and put away. water house plants water back balcony plants drink more water eat something healthy today does avocado count? i think so!get more sleep (go to bed earlier) took fairly long nap, so it will probably be another late night.research on metal shelf units (thinking of buying one to replace rickety wood one)
|
|
|
Post by Ally on Feb 4, 2016 17:36:18 GMT -5
creativechaos, Have you thought about putting the range hood fan filter in the dishwasher? I've done that.
|
|
|
Post by creativechaos on Feb 5, 2016 3:20:47 GMT -5
hi Ally; i would if i had a dishwasher. challenged tonight with grasshopper. instead of focusing on the stove i focused on the bathroom. there was a lot of dust and grimy dust from the steam. i worked 45 minutes on it. sink looks better. shelves and plastic drawer unit is done. toilet top and base are cleaned up of the dust, and much of the floor. put stuff away in there. friday/weekend list: take some pictures of apartment messes? find receipts and turn in to school for reimbursement for materials i bought for art class. corral more papers file more papers corral and box up fabric, label water house plants water back balcony plants dig up some plants that i gave to deceased friend for his little front garden, to bring to my garden. continue stove project - break into baby steps.
|
|
|
Post by Unswamping on Feb 5, 2016 3:27:46 GMT -5
creativechaos great job on bathroom. I need to work on papers too. I need to get back to my 2016 in 2016. Surely i can deal with 6 papers a day. I think doing a little bit every day is best when it comes to papers. The paper marathons just burn me out. Ally great job on your kitchen. Those sliding shelves sound great. I would lve to do that with my kitchen cabinets too. Loking forward to hearing how it goes.
|
|