Category Archives: Tax

A Very Nordeast Spring

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I know it’s time to post when I get the concerned “are you alive?” emails from readers. Well, I’m still here, and it has been a hilarious couple of weeks.

Let’s start with the most cliché shot of Minneapolis ever: the stone arch bridge:

Minneapolis stone arch bridge

Minneapolis Nordeast Spring

Cee Cee Russell at the Gay 90′s:

Cee Cee Russell Gay 90s

There are some hardcore bikers at LA Fitness. I want to buy a vintage canary yellow moped and park it next to this:

Motorcycle Roseville

Kristin certainly stays hydrated:

Minneapolis Muddy Waters

Minneapolis Nordeast Spring

Ian and I at Lush Food Bar:

Minneapolis Lush Food Bar

Amazing weather, with everything finally green:

Minneapolis Nordeast Spring

Minneapolis Nordeast Spring

Minneapolis Nordeast Spring

Minneapolis Nordeast Spring

Minneapolis Nordeast Spring

The one and only Mercedes Iman:

Mercedes Iman

Class and elegance:

Minneapolis Nordeast Spring

Minneapolis Nordeast Spring

Minneapolis Nordeast Spring

Minneapolis Nordeast Spring

The Minneapolis Fashion Ball, which Geraldo took me to:

Minneapolis Fashion Ball

The last day of the tax season at AccountAbility Minnesota:

AccountAbility Minnesota

And a creepy trip to the Minnesota History Center:

Minneapolis Nordeast Spring

Possibly the most exciting development happened today – Madre Jansen called me and reminded me that I have to renew my passport by the end of June. The closest German consulate is in Chicago so that means I’M GOING TO CHICAGO PRIDE! Oh it’s going to hilarious.

Smiling while failing

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Technology failed me during these past two weeks. This is how I started the morning:

compfail

If you soften your gaze and back away slowly, the fail whale will appear.

Blue screens lit up my work computer throughout the weekend and the beginning of the week. I also caught some version of the plague Saturday night, but meetings and computer repair issues brought my germy-body to the office on Monday and Tuesday.

At times the sinus pressure was so great that my right eye would start pouring as I talked to coworkers. I’m pretty sure they wanted to swat me away with a Lysol wipe.

Add to this the fact that Tader and I broke up over the weekend. So, I’m sick, newly single, and my work computer is seizing. Sigh. These are my first-world problems.

Tader and I have a three-bedroom apartment, so we had to move the bedroom furniture (which he owns) to one end of the apartment and I dragged myself to Ikea several times to furnish my new bedroom. Putting together Ikea furniture while on cold medicine is slightly amusing…especially after the bed frame falls apart for the fourth time.

I eventually recovered from my sickness, just in time for our RuPaul’s Drag Race watch party!

compfail

RPDR is an amazing show and available on Logotv.com for free. One of the sponsors is Absolut: Cocktails Perfected, so I had to buy some Absolut for the party. Did you know that Absolut is three times more expensive than Bacardi? Bejesus…

There is more going on than sickness and drag queens. The dogs took the furniture rearrangement poorly. Gertrude almost broke her kennel in protest and Harley is unamused.

compfail

I’m also volunteering at the IRS VITA program, AccountAbility Minnesota, again!

IRS Vita Program

I basically prepare taxes for low income individuals. I don’t mind preparing taxes – it’s fun, challenging, and a great networking opportunity.

Preparing taxes for underserved communities is also very encouraging. It makes my Ikea furniture woes, dying work computer, and head cold seem like minor annoyances. Many of my clients are single parents making under $20,000 a year. If they can juggle two jobs, kids and still find the resources to donate to charity, then I can spend four hours of my week preparing taxes for free.

I also found time to hang out with the people that matter,

compfail

…and made progress on my album!

compfail

That’s my setup before I moved my studio post-breakup. The new room is green, but the elements are the same.

This weekend is dedicated to catching up on work. After that it is time to bond with Ableton.

Best Week Ever 5: Melt & Cover

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Minneapolis had a heat wave this week. Temperatures climbed to the low 50′s. Roadways and sidewalks became visible. It didn’t hurt to be outside anymore – in short, it was gorgeous.

And then we got a President’s Day blizzard.

Minneapolis Blizzard

Minneapolis Blizzard

Minneapolis Blizzard

Between 12 and 17 inches smacked the metro area. The storm produced thunder-snow that fell at 3-inches per hour. I used about 300 pounds of salt and spent the bulk of the day shoveling.

I’m bored with this. Can it be spring now?

My first week at the job was amusing. Some of the days were long because I left work and headed immediately to my 4-hour German cinema class, the tax clinic, or to another suburb to prepare taxes for the nonprofit.

The night I went to volunteer was inordinately long because I was too tired to drive properly, took the wrong highway on ramp, and ended up in Shakopee, which is 25 miles away from my house. Fail.

I committed myself to sleeping 8-hours every night this week. Starting tonight. The impromptu exhaustion-caused road trips are hard on the gas tank.

I also recommitted myself to the gym this week. That’s right, I am officially a card-carrying gym member again, and this time I am not a tourist. It’s just a matter of making time for this…

Earlier: Best Week Ever 14: Blizzards, Espresso, and the (sort of) end of law school.