I was in Emporia a little after 9:00 this morning. It was the weirdest day dong taxes. We decided it was a good day to have a hard day doing taxes as it was the last day of the season. We only filed two returns today but helped a couple of other people. Taxes feel so complicated to some people and they struggle to bring us what we need to complete their returns.
We didn’t get out of there until almost 1:00 today. I helped organize the material we use so the leader can take it to its storage space next week.
I stopped at Bobby D’s for lunch and then came home. I haven’t felt the best this afternoon so haven’t done much. My blood pressure was high when I checked it earlier. It randomly does that – sure wish I knew what causes it to misbehave. My ankles were a bit swollen which is unusual. I doubled up on my pee pill to see if that will help reduce them.
I got nine letters from the Detainees at the Chase County Detention Center today. Several of them are looking for a pen pal and several were thank you notes. Not all of them gave us their identification number so not sure how we can respond to them.
I will match pen pals tomorrow after I get clarification as to how the Center wants us to communicate with them. I need to get two letters translated. I didn’t have the energy to attempt that today.
I didn’t sleep well last night as I took too long of a nap yesterday afternoon. I have nothing on my calendar for the next two days so hoping I can sleep lots. Sunday is family day which I am getting excited for.
Today was the last day of tax season. I turned my computer in and I am done. We will have a gathering of all the preparers sometime soon to wrap up the season. I finally feel competent to do taxes this year. Things clicked in for me and most all returns I feel like I can handle. I still see an occasional thing that I haven’t seen before. Wonder how many seasons I would have to do before that stops happening?
Next week I have family day Sunday. Monday I am working at the Friends of the Library book sale from 3:00 – 6:00. Thursday I have a doctor’s appointment in Topeka to check out the stone I have in my pancreas duct. I will be anxious to hear what they recommend to take care of it. They may order another CT scan to see what if anything has changed. It is possible they may need to surgically remove it. They may surprise me with another recommendation too.
One of the notes I received from a Detainee was from a 27 year old single mom of a nine year old. She has been in the country since she was a toddler. She has a hearing April 21 to determine what will happen to her. She didn’t say who was taking care of her son. Another example of a Detainee that is not a criminal and has been detained for two months and counting. I wonder just what the hell we are doing! Can we really sleep better tonight knowing she is behind bars?
We are to get some rain this weekend. The ground is very dry and the smoke is very thick tonight from all the pasture burning that is happening. I will be grateful for the rain to lay down the smoke and cleanse the air. Burning season should almost be over as pasture season traditionally starts April 15.
Feeling just this side of cranky tonight. Our systems are so broken and I saw too much evidence of that today. Our tax system is set up to benefit the rich, not the ones working several jobs to survive, our immigration system is broken and we punish the wrong people. Add the mess in the Middle East and the truly horrible way it is being handled and I guess I figured out why I am cranky. I will allow some hard feelings to be felt and arise and be released. Sometimes you have to take a dip in the muck pond to wash away those hard feelings that come with doing life and interacting with others. Once I can fully be present with my hard feelings and allow them to be heard, I find they usually can be released and then I can rise above and get motivated to do more acts of kindness for others.
Grateful to have completed another tax season, grateful we are expanding our role with Love in Action to include being pen pals, and grateful for the rain we will get over the next couple of days.