Random thoughts

[chipotle]

I’m trying to see if I can set up BBEdit to allow LiveJournal posting from within it. We’ll see. (Fear the pseudo-Emacs.)

I finally did the taxes that I’ve been putting off. The good news is that it’s less than last year. The bad news is that it’s more than twice my savings. Have I mentioned how much I hate working on 1099 contracts?

Part of today I wandered around Palo Alto. I was very tempted to spend money that, well, I don’t have. Part of me wants an iPod mini. Part of me also wants a new PowerBook to replace Peroxide, which has served me well but has more damage than mere cosmetics at this point—the most serious problem being that it can’t load CDs anymore. And sometimes the battery falls out. Really. There’s also a couple dead pixels on the screen and the keyboard is starting to get flaky, but I can live with that for now. And of course the latch is broken (probably from being dropped a year ago), and the plastic bezel looks like hell. I might be able to get all of the problems repaired for $300; what I’m tempted to do, though, is try to keep working on it as-is until the battery starts going (as opposed to merely falling out). Then I’ll take stock of my finances then. Which, since I’m at least on W-2 tax terms now, hopefully won’t be quite as terrible.

This is all contigent on my not deciding to leave my job, sell everything I can, and spend a few months cruising around Mexico looking for really good tequila. I’m kidding, I think, but I’ve rarely felt quite as much at loose ends as I have been recently. Terrible restlessness with no direction. I’m supposed to be planning a vacation with my mother that’d happen in May—I’m inclined to tell her to put a hold on the thought until summer, and take a few days off to be entirely alone. Maybe off in a remote cabin in New Mexico.

If I get a network connection there, can I convince my employer to let me work remotely there for a week or two? I’m not sure “midlife crisis” is considered a sufficient justification.

Comments

[ja-ren.livejournal.com]

If you don't decide to repair the laptop, I'd be interested in buying it from you.

Either way, I hope you feel better soon.

[gatcat.livejournal.com]

>...can I convince my employer to let me work remotely there for a week or two? I’m not sure “midlife crisis” is considered a sufficient justification.

can I convince my employer to let me work remotely there for a week or two? I’m not sure “midlife crisis” is considered a sufficient justification.

Click your heels together, then say it one more time: you'll find you've known the answer all along!

[wordslinger.livejournal.com]

I've seen laptops at $800 recently -- but they're not Macs, they're Windows machines.

Sympathies on the taxes. We have to do ours.

[chipotle.livejournal.com]

You can actually get an iBook for $800 direct from Apple if you poke around the 'refurbished equipment' area on Apple's website; new they start at $1000. Naturally, the one that I *want* is $2000, though. :)

I suspect I'm going to hang on to the one I have until its battery goes out again, then -- if I have the money at that point -- get a new machine.

[padfootsm.livejournal.com]

Taxes in general are just 'Ewww...' when you find out how much you owe. And it always seems to be owe. And as for buying things you can't afford. We all do it. Sad, but true. How else do Credit card companies do so well?

[chastmastr.livejournal.com]

Many hugs. :(

[samiamknot.livejournal.com]

I don't suppose you ever considered putting money aside in the past??? That whole savings shock would be lessened. And if you do go to mexico bring back a bottle for me.

[chipotle.livejournal.com]

Of course I have, but the first problem has been that I only worked about half of last year, and went through savings to do things like pay rent. The second problem is that 90% of the money that I made last year was done as an independent contractor, so there was no withholding whatsoever. What I was putting away was meant to pay the tax bill, which between state and local this year comes out to about $6500.

[katrinahawke.livejournal.com]

Greetings!

It may not be sufficient, but it's a damn good one.

Best of Fortune to you!!!

-B