2/05/2008

Halfway Done In AZ

One week in, one week to go in Arizona. Not forever. I'll be back here. Often, I hope. But after a few days of taking in the FBR Open and Super Bowl festivities, this is fast becoming a very productive second week.

I wasn't going to blog today, or even this week, but I just got home from running around all day and just had a real urge to write a few things. One thing I knew wouldn't be the most pleasant of tasks for this trip was trying to take care of my taxes. I spent half the afternoon visiting four different CPA offices, trying to find a good accountant who can help me this year. I've always used HR Block. It's quick, easy, pretty painless and relatively inexpensive (so long as you're getting a refund, which I usually have). But with having spent 11 out of 12 months in 2007 doing volunteer and charity work, I need someone who is creative and knows what they're doing so that I can get the most deductions possible. Well, after talking to a few of them, it doesn't sound like it's going to be all that complicated. It's something I would never likely do (not my personality), but oh how I wish I had been keeping a spreadsheet of all the money I spent. I know what I've spent in my head (ballpark, of course), and I have a handful of receipts. But having more data already on paper would help. Nonetheless, I should be able to piece together a good estimate in about an hour. Not that I don't have anything else to do this week.

My only beef with the people I sat down with today, all of whom were pretty nice, is that I wish just one of them had said affirmatively that, "yes, this can be deducted", or "no that cannot". I got a little too much, "I think that ...... can be deducted". Oh well. One of them will get the greenlight from me by Thursday. So long as they get done. I had five weeks of income in '07, and so long as I get what I paid in federal taxes during that time back, I guess I'll be happy.

Another stop I had was at my Primary Care Physician's office. This one was more pleasant. I went in to see if I can get in this week, to at least get a check up since it's been over a year, and lord knows what the mold, muck and critters that I've slept with in St. Bernard Parish and New Orleans might have put into my body in that time (nothing, I'm sure, but it's ok to be dramatic once in awhile). Anyway, I don't have health insurance and was hopeful that if I told the office manager my situation (that I've been volunteering for the past year in New Orleans), that they'd hold the cost down on me since I'd be paying out of pocket. I had a few run ins with her before, unfortunately. She's my PCP's wife actually. He's a great guy, and talks golf non-stop (imagine being a Family Doctor in Scottsdale, AZ...talk about a recipe for golf courses and easy Wednesdays), but she's pretty tough. I disputed a charge with her one time -- you know, one of those 20 minutes and you're out and nothing was done yet you're still charged $120 buck -- and we didn't end up best of friends after that.

So I go into the office today, it was pretty busy, and this rather large guy, about 20 years my senior, with a breathing apparatus in his nose, was leaning on the counter filling out paperwork. I asked Mrs. PCP if I could get in to see him this week, and if so, what would it cost out of pocket. Not surprisingly, he has no openings, but I can see one of the Nurse Practitioners, and, it would cost me $80 bucks. I was hoping for the $55 range. Whatever, health is important, so I said ok, and she got me in the books, gave me my little appointment reminder, and off I went. By this time, the guy with the oxygen tank had sat down, and right as I was about to exit, he yelled out, "hey buddy, come here". I went over, and after shaking my hand, he leaned up and almost in a whisper he apologized for overhearing my conversation, gave me the name and address of a walk-in clinic in downtown Scottsdale and said that they would probably take me for free. Pretty impressed, I thanked him, and without further prodding from me at all, he said, "an upstanding guy like you, you should get a free check up. And seriously, thanks for what you're doing down there".

No one can ever tell me there aren't a lot of good people out there.

One last stop. The local middle school so that I could vote in the Arizona Primary. I'm still registered here, I have a preferred candidate, so why not. Unfortunately, after waiting in line for 20 minutes, I came to find out that as a registered Independent, I could not vote. I had to have a party affiliation. Interesting, I said to the guy working the check-in table. Because I'm an Independent and don't want a particular party affiliation (I judge issues and political candidates on their own merit, and not at all on party affiliation. There are some Dems I like, some I dislike. There are some Republicans I like, some I loathe), I cannot have any say in who may win a nomination to run for President. That doesn't seem right. I was then told that I could, but I would have had to change my affiliation to Rep or Democrat by January 4 in order to have been able to vote for someone today. As much as I love politics, all I have to say to that is, What a bunch of crap! I liked my visit to the Dr's office better.

Things are good, though. I just sold my washer/dryer set, which had been sitting in storage for a year, to a very nice woman who came over in a truck with her son, with cash, ready to take them away. After having my phone ring all day with people inquiring about them thanks to my ad on Craigslist, I was thrilled to have them go, and to a very nice family at that.

Time to eat dinner.