Thursday, February 28, 2013

Hanging over my head


1040, FAFSA, CSS, Oh my!

I am a whopping 2 weeks late on filling out the FAFSA to submit to my son’s college choices.  I was fooled into complacency by the deadline for Oldest Daughter’s college – the deadline is much later for an enrolled student than for a first-time applicant.  My other excuse is that we had a few things going on in February, like, a memorial service, a women’s retreat, a cold, Lent, perimenopause, and dinner to prepare. 

Somehow there is always dinner to prepare.  My husband, having seen one article in the newspaper, has suddenly decided that I should cook according to the “Mediterranean diet.”  This idea makes me peevish.  My ancestors were Scottish and German.  Therefore, tonight we are having tofu with chick pea curry.  I don’t know no Mediterranean cooking, unless frozen cheese ravioli with Ragu sauce counts.  

Plus in my line of business February is acreage prediction season, which I hate, as it is an impossibility, using my traditional statistical methods, to predict crop plantings with much accuracy.  The USDA does it by taking a survey, so maybe I should do the same.  How about if all of my readers who are farmers just report to me how much stuff you are going to plant this spring?  We’ll all sing “Oats, Peas, Beans, and Barley Grow” while you make your calculations.

My one crowning achievement in February was getting my aunt’s tax information off to her accountant.  Too bad I am my own accountant for our taxes.

My inclination is to stick random numbers into the college aid forms, press SUBMIT and just see what happens.  Other than that, I plan to spend the rest of the day waiting for February to be over. 

How about you?  What are you waiting for today?  Are you making any calculations?  What’s going to grow in your plot of land this spring?

4 comments:

Angie said...

We just recently did the FAFSA thing, too. Our texes are pending. And before I can plant anything, I have to weed the beds.

Angie said...

Oops, I mean taxes.

The Crislers said...

Ugh, the FAFSA. So stressful. I hated doing it for myself, for my sisters, and I'm dreading doing it for my children. They don't really need to go to college, do they?

I don't have any wheat or barley on the docket, but I do plan on planting tomatoes, kale, zucchini, and who knows what else- providing this winter ever ends. Which I'm half-convinced it won't.

Cassi said...

I haven't gotten to FAFSA yet --maybe by the time I do, there will be a Turbotax add on?

No planting for me this spring, but I did manage to throw some new bulbs in the ground last fall. There were tears and bad words involved, and that was basically when I made the decision that I couldn't live this way much longer. So, hopefully I'll have some new pretty things to look at while I convalesce this spring.

And by the way --always dinner to make? Just say no! What --are they all going to starve? Think of it as training for when you're not available :-)