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 Deadlines Looming - See TaxMama's 2004 Calendar Sept. 15 - - FINAL corporate tax returns due Sept. 30 - - FINAL deadline to open SIMPLE for 2004 Oct. 15 - - FINAL Personal/Partnership/Trust Tax Returns due  Dear Family, For all those folks in Florida, the President DID declare the hurricane areas a National Disaster. So if you have friends there - or live there, pass the word about the special tax benefits. With the corporate filing deadline racing up - it's next Wednesday, we'll be working all weekend to finish up all our returns and get them into the hands of all the right clients. It's been a bit of a trial this week, with our Internet connection going defunct due to a virus, we were offline for about two days. (If you sent us e-mail on Wednesday through this morning and didn't get a reply - please send it again.) [It turns out, the virus killed one of the communications devices (the router) on the network. I spent hours on the phone with tech support and they didn't figure it out. Finally, the DSL guy from SBC came over and found the problem. Ironically, the device folks whose tech support couldn't get me connected to the Internet or identify that it was their device that was the jamming point, sent me a survey to answer about the support call - by e-mail. Uh, unclear on the concept? I didn't HAVE e-mail. I didn't have Internet.] I've been spending much of each day this week preparing for the nightly EA Exam classes lectures, and ... one other thing has been draining me emotionally - especially since there seems to be SO much of this going around ... An old friend is dying. (So many people I know are battling or losing out to, some form of cancer this year. I've never seen so much of it. Are you noticing it, too? ) His son is calling three times a day, terrified about the poor attention from caregivers who fall asleep on shift and don't wake up when he's having attacks - even when he calls for help; (And they don't wake the son up to take over for them when they want to sleep) or they leave the house to wait for their replacement - and he has siezures; and ... agencies refusing to provide care...and one emergency after the other. Naturally, all this terror started over Labor Day weekend, when he couldn't reach any companies to get replacment caregivers; and didn't dare leave the house himself; and the neighbors turned their backs on him when he asked them for help - or just to watch his dad while he ran out for supplies or medications. He finally found a little old lady he'd never really gotten to know, who has been gracious enough to spell him briefly so he can run quick errands. Is it really true? Do medical care companies no longer train their people well? Are they so hard up, they'll hire any warm bodies at all? I know there are LOTS of dedicated and caring nurses and caregivers out there. But where? And wow, this boy's dilemma really makes it clear that we've lost community. They've been living in that housing community for over 20 years (with restrictions against allowing renters to live in those prime, low-income housing units, right near the beach). Why don't the neighbors know each other well enough to help out when asked? What would you do if a neighbor you only know on sight asked for help? Would you make the time? Or would you also mumble some excuse and not get involved? I don't really know what my answer is. But this week makes me afraid to find out. I've been terrified, too, each time he calls, both because I am dreading the news, but primarily because I know nothing about medical care, medical coverage handling or how to answer his questions or how to help him deal with the problems. So far, it seems, I've been coming up with the right answers for him. But, what if I don't? What if next time he calls I run out of good advice? At least I can listen. And we're coming upon Rosh Hashanah. The Jewish New Year. It's next week. It's not one of those loud, party-time, let's get drunk and celebrate kinds of new years. It's more of an introspective, let's evaluate myself and my flaws kind of new year. And boy, this week, I am seeing plenty of my failings. My biggest failing right now? I just can't meet everyone's expectations. I just can't keep up with everything that everyone needs. Is it age? Is it choices? Or is it just too many things being juggled at one time? I don't know. But I remember when I used to work about a third of the hours, make three times as much money, and have time for my family and friends - and rarely feel pressured or harried. Gee, I know I miss those times. Ain't these modern conveniences grand? Here's to life before modern conveniences and the Internet. Have a lovely weekend. Hugs to all. Eva Rosenberg, EA Your TaxMama is watching ... out for you.  |
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