i'm tired

                                      
I cannot get our taxes done. I am so sick of this pile of paperwork - I can't get to the end of it.  Most of it confuses me.  I know there are personality types that can mentally engage in organized paperwork and make sense of it all. I'm not that personality type.
I have to send out forms to our sub-contractors. It is a form that I'm finding out that maybe I should have been sending in the past, but haven't so I'm reading the IRS instruction forms to make sure I'm sending the right number of copies of the form to the right recipients.  This is where I don't get the logic of the IRS. We are in the construction business, and are sending a form to another construction business. The form is not particularly long, and I'm using one we received from another contractor as my template so I'm not sure I need to read the 10 page instruction package that goes along with it.  NO, I"m not exaggerating.  This is a 1/2 page form with 10 pages of instructions !!  Anyway, I glanced through the instruction novel and found this on page two: "If you are in the trade or business of purchasing fish for resale, you must report total cash payments of $600 or more paid during the year to any person who is engaged in the trade or business of catching fish. "  And then it goes on to explain that 'Fish' mean all fish and other forms of aquatic life.
It gives instruction on using the form for deceased employee's wages, royalties, coin operated amusements, Indian gaming profits - but the 'Fish' business seemed so weirdly specific.
I don't believe I'll ever understand the taxation industry.
As much as I dread finishing these taxes, I dread even more the check that we have to write. It's one of the horrible downsides of being self employed.  No matter how much we try to estimate the quarterly payments, there is still a chunk of money to hand over at the end of the year. Another downside to being self employed is keeping health insurance for our family.  It is crazy expensive. Oh and keeping liability insurance on our business - crazy expensive and hard to find in our industry.  Our last insurance company sent us notification that they are no longer carrying our particular type of business in the future.  Luckily, they gave me several month's notice because it has taken that long to find a new carrier. I hate the research and the applications and the forms that go along with finding new insurance companies. I want to find one that suits our needs and stick with it forever.
There are so many good things about running our own business, but like anything there's the good and the bad.  Unfortunately, all the bad has piled on my desk this month. It's exhausting.  Dave's been overly busy and exhausted this month too, otherwise I'd make him sit here with me and finish up our taxes and paperwork.
We both would rather be working on Roxanne's wedding plans. The plans for her adorable reception are coming together and we are all getting excited.

The Phoenix Marathon was held today.  It is a huge event.  I knew it was a big deal because Rachel has been preparing to run for some time now, and I knew I was planning to go see her cross the finish line, but late last night, I got on the web site to find out where to park etc and I realized it is a HUGE EVENT.  The runners start out from 3 different spots - the 26+ mile marathon, the 13+ mile half marathon and the 10k.  They even had a little 1K children's run too. The route winds around the east valley.  My sister-in-law Debbie, told me the runners would be going by near their house so we could see them there.  As I was pulling into the neighborhood to see Rachel, I got a text from her saying  "past it".  Oops, she was faster than I thought. I stayed in my car and hurried through back streets to get ahead of her so I could stop and cheer her on. When I finally found a viewing spot on Stapely and Brown, I was amazed at the number of runners. At this point, they were all the half marathon runners and the pack went on for miles!  After Rachel zipped by, I watched for my nieces Roni and Kelsie. This run was a first for all of them - they were so inspirational!

After cheering everyone one, I drove to the finish line.  The event was held in the Mesa Riverview shopping area.  There were thousands of people there.  I had to shove my way through to get near the finish line. Luckily as groups crossed the finish line, the fans spread out too and I was able to work my way up to the front and see Rachel go by and over the finish line.  She finished 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 29 minutes.  She has never entered a race longer than a 5K and had never run more than 9 miles before. We were all excited for her.  She was still smiling when she was finished.

We watched for other friends and family too. There are so many people going by, it's hard to see everyone.  A couple people I was watching for zipped by before I recognized them and then I was yelling their name from behind as they has already gone by. Then after the race, everyone melts into the crowds and you can never find anyone again.

My nephew Ben ran the full marathon.  He has been in inspiration for the whole family. He has turned everyone (almost everyone, but not me yet) into runners. He had an injury on his foot that kept him from running and training much recently. That didn't stop him from completing 26 miles!!
It was fun to be with friends and family today. I left the house at 6:30 am, got home at 1:00.  I was gone long enough, I should have just run with them!