Monkey-Ditching

Monkey-ditching is when you finally get a monkey off your back. But the monkey doesn't just crawl off placidly. No, monkey-ditching involves grabbing the monkey forcefully with both hands, ripping it forward, and with a grunt of satisfaction, slinging it into a ditch somewhere. Think of some chore or task you've been dreading, and have probably procrastinated doing. When it finally gets done, and there is a tremendous sense of relief and bewilderment of "why didn't I do this sooner?".....that's monkey-ditching.

So DH and I monkey-ditched this afternoon. We got our 2006 taxes in order to give to the CPA. Yep, 2006. It was due April 15, 2007, unless you file an extension, then it's due August 15, 2007. Unless you file another extension, then it's due October 15, 2007. So here it is Sept. 23, 2007, we have a solid 3½ weeks until the IRS starts looking for us, and we finally just got the paperwork together.

This filing 2 extensions a year was a bad habit we picked up after DH's parents died... we needed information to do our taxes from his siblings and "the estate", and that just took longer than usual. So these days, while others are in line at the post office on April 15, we are on the phone with our CPA saying "file the extension." And the sad part is, we usually get some semblance of a refund. So we are just delaying getting our own money back, without interest!

I am determined to do taxes on time for the 2007 tax year. What bites is that come the new year, we will have just completed taxes 3 months prior, and who feels like doing it again that soon?! But if feels so good not having a monkey clinging to my back, I plan to keep the tax-monkey off for good! So February 1, 2008, it's all going to the CPA. I hope.