Tax Year 2007

Each pay he withholds

Money he freely wasted

I hate Uncle Sam.

Today I made the annual pilgrimage to my CPA on the other side of town. As usual, I had my stacks of papers, W-2's, 1099's, piles of receipts, calendars, appointment books, and canceled checks. He pushed the buttons on the adding machine and went over his check list of questions. I sat and bit my finger nails. BTW: I only bit my nails because he doesn't like people to chew gum when he is "working" and I wasn't about to upset the man who stands between me and those buzzards at the IRS.

So now I wait for Mr. CPA to call me back with the only news that I want to hear from him. The call should go like this:

Me: "Hello."
Mr. CPA: "Ms. ILP? This is Mr. CPA."
Me: "Yes!" [heart begins to race]
Mr. CPA: "You have a refund coming from Federal and a refund coming from the State."
Me: "That's awesome. As usual, Mr. CPA, thanks!"
Mr. CPA: "Would you like to know the amount?"
Me: "No. I'll wait for the surprise."
Mr. CPA: [slightly chuckling] "Ah yes, you only like to hear that you don't owe."
Me: "You know me."
Mr. CPA: "Well then I will mail all your paperwork to you."
Me: "That sounds good. Thanks again."

Keep your fingers crossed that the call isn't like the one I received for Tax Year 2005. I'd hate to have to come up with another Haiku.

The Verdict is In

and it was: not at this time. For the last few weeks I have had my fingers crossed that my cousin, a very talented screenplay writer and editor, would get into the Disney Fellowship Program. She got the call yesterday. They decided to go with another 4 Fellows for 2008.

Well Michelle, although it sounds trite, things do happen for a reason. I have no doubt that you will make it to Hollywood. Something tell me that it will be sooner than you planned. Someone at Disney is going to wish that they reconsidered.

By the way: I'm not just tooting my cousins horn, she really is talented. Check out her BLOG (it is one of my favorites). You can find a link to her place: Girl Child Press on the right.

Simple Pleasures

I did something different this Valentines Day. I celebrated the spirit of the day. I dressed in a pink and red, Valentines Day inspired $5.00 t-shirt (that read, "love...laugh...dream"), took 30 boxes of Necco Sweethearts in hand and went into full swing.


I enlisted the help of the students in my Creative Writing Class. The mission was to open the boxes of sweethearts and to use the corny sayings on the candy to make Valentines Day poems. We decided that we'd give our creations to someone. Each student had to create 3 poems. After laughing about the hearts that had messages like "hottie" and "fax me", oh and I can't forget "so hot", we all got to work.

60 minutes, a ream of colored paper, paper cuts, and hundreds of sweehearts later our mission proved to be a success. How do I know you ask? Cheryl H. (the teacher across the hall) stopped by my room and said, "ILP, your class assignment made my day." When she saw that I didn't know what she was talking about right away, she held out a neon pink valentine poem.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that she didn't get a poem that had "hottie" and "fax me" on it.

Old & Wise

Yesterday while waiting for a ride to a party for my cousin. My mom says... "You know Miss Slize died."

Miss Slize is the woman that raised my mom after my maternal grandmother (whom I have never met) died. As a child it was obvious that my mom didn't have a good experience with Miss Slize. My mom usually told us about her when she wanted us to learn some life lesson. Or when she thought we were being ungrateful, in other words when we were being repremanded. The name Miss Slize is one of those names that I heard over and over again. I knew how she cooked, what made her laugh, how she disciplined, how she hated, how she loved. I knew that she had impeccable taste in clothing and style. I new what frightened her and that she was illiterate. I knew that her husband (my mom's uncle) was an alcoholic. I knew all of this before I met her for the first time in 2001.

When my mom left Jamaica all those years ago, she never went back to see Miss Slize. She had all the opportunities in the world, but she always had one reason (never a good one in my opinion) or another as to why she would "go the next time".

I am grateful for this past summer when all of the girls in the family (except mom) went to see Miss Slize. It was obvious to us that Miss Slize would soon have her final sunset. The ravages of old age had definitely taken its toll. I was kind of ticked with my sisters for putting the camcorder so close to her face. I am grateful, because now we have physical pictures along with mental ones.

Miss Slize connected the dots for me. Meeting her somehow completed the picture of my existance. She is my maternal conduit to Jamaica.

Old and Wise

Alan Parsons Project

As far as my eyes can see

There are shadows approaching me

And to those I left behind

I wanted you to know

You've always shared my deepest thoughts

You follow where I go

And oh... when I'm old and wise

Bitter words mean little to me

Autumn winds will blow right through me

And someday in the mist of time

When they asked me if I knew you

I'd smile and say you were a friend of mine

And the sadness would be lifted from my eyes

Oh when I'm old and wise

As far as my eyes can see

There are shadows surrounding me

And to those I leave behind

I want you all to know

You've always shared my darkest hours

I'll miss you when I go
And oh... when I'm old and wise

Heavy words that tossed and blew me

Like autumn winds that will blow right through me

And someday in the mist of time

When they ask you if you knew me

Remember that you were a frined of mine

As the final curtain falls before my eyes

Oh when I'm old and wise

As far as my eyes can see

Rest in Peace Eliza Higgins.

Random Doodling from Student Papers

I finally decided that enough was enough and tackled a pile of papers. Every so often I come across some really interesting stuff in the margins of my students papers. Sometimes I get this what I will call doodling, instead of the actual assignment (sigh). These were some of the most interesting: Megan C.' wrote an ode entitled...

Ode to A Banana

in the warm sun, da-dunk
comes free ranged delicates.
the clean growth develops
to a crescent. with age
a silk skin, with health
a crescent body. a fighter
hanging by a limb. once
defied, plop a mushy
banana is conceived.

I remember this day. Megan kept asking me if I wanted one of her banana's. She had a bunch of them in a grocery bag. She must have picked them up at the store on her way to school.

Michael R. wanted people to know that, "the way I see it, people are gonna be really pissed in a few years, when I am famous and make more money than they have ever seen if there little pathetic lives."

Betthany T. said, "Hi-ya!" Then she drew a big smiley face.

Hallie G. wants to die in Forever 21. As she is "like totally obsessed with that store and like everything in it."

Chris A. asked, "what the hell is going on in this school? No, like seriously?" He drew his question mark and gave it human features with eyes and boxed eyebrows.

I haven't returned the papers yet. I still have time to answer the doodling.

Full Plate

Whenever I have a full plate, I start feeling lazy and unmotivated. I really do know better (at least in my head I do), but I can't seem to talk myself into getting started or moving. I guess it is because I dont know where to begin. Let's see:

1. I skipped the gym yesterday and by the looks of things, it doesn't seem I am going today.
2. I haven't picked up Passing Through by Colin Channer in days. I think that is an indicator that the book isn't really that good. However, I feel obligated to read it (you know...support my Jamaican writers).
3. It is February 1 and also the deadline for UB's Creative Writing Program applications. I completed my application right after the Holiday's. So I am calling on all prayer warriors, tea leaf burners, chanters, whatever...to do your thing. I just realized that I am not good at waiting for things. Can I get some pointers about The Waiting Game from you experienced folks?
4. My mother's birthday is coming on the 28th. My sister started this tradition of celebrating the entire month. Yea for mom! Noooo for me. I have been assigned 3 days to buy something "nice" (my sister's instructions...translated to mean: expensive) for my mom. Everyone knows that I am the girl who writes the checks. I jazz up my checks with gift cards (I know...pathetic). I am open for ideas, as all of these "nice" gifts are supposed to be surprises.
5. Second semester began this past Monday. I teach Evening School during the second semester. Classes begin on Tuesday.
6. The appraiser is coming on Wednesday morning. Yes, I have decided to take advantage of our exiting President's "Stimulus Package".
7. I have a stack of papers to grade (already). I am, however, sticking to my rule of not taking papers home.
8. I need to organize my papers so that I can file my taxes.
9. My fridge is empty. I hate the grocery store with a passion. But I have to eat, right?
10. Whenever my house gets messier than I like it, I look at a card that I got from a rep at Merry Maids. Ummm....I can't find it. Arrgg!
11. Deadline #4 for Genesis 2008 (Yearbook) is fast approaching. Of course the kids are getting tired (hell, so am I). This faculty section is now the bane of my existance.

I am going to go off the deep edge if I think about my plate anymore. It runneth over, indeed.