I Called In Sick Today

[frautotenkinder 1,025]

Alinea isn't food. It's art.

 

I'd like to hear more about this please.

 

Did you go once, more than once? Special occasion? And did you get the wine pairing?

 

I don't think I could get a wine pairing at a place like that. My palate isn't very good, and neither is my portion control. I would drink expensive wine that's wasted on me, I would finish everything poured to me, and be wrecked and sick by course four or five. (I don't drink that much, and I'm not that big of a person. Even if I don't get dead drunk, the amount of calories is yuuuge.)

[Tiltinagain 973]

 

I'm going to Chicago in a month,

 

 

So I left here, was reading some stuff elsewhere when this line popped in my mind. Because I realized that, oddly enough, I will be in Chicago in a month. So, you know, you brvy and I can all not meet up one night.

[frautotenkinder 1,025]

You've been paying attention!

 

 

Other food things--I'm trying to eat less, and better. I don't want to eat as much takeout. It's healthier and cheaper, right? So this weekend I made myself chicken wrapped in prosciutto, with a creamy pesto sauce. Green beans on the side.

 

Tonight it was pork chops with shallots (first time for those bastards since I cut myself), and couscous out of a box. There was a bagged salad, too, with a perfectly perfectly ripe avocado.

[iTommyGavin81 288]

Neat! I had subway and watched The Wire and some porn

[Tiltinagain 973]

Our avocado consumption has risen considerably since moving to So Cal. We've always really liked them but something about being here...I can't leave the store without picking up a couple. Partly I guess because they're so much cheaper here.

 

I had lunch at California Chicken Cafe today. Ever heard of it Frau? Good stuff. I had their combo wrap in a wheat tortilla. Had chicken, avocado, sprouts, lettuce...some other stuff...and this really, really good italian type dressing. These people are no dummies. This particular location is walking distance from CSU Northridge and it's packed every time I've been there .

 

Another couple of notes: College girls love to wear legging/yoga pants to show off their tight little asses. 2. College girls look about 14 to me now. 3. I'm getting old.

[Napa Lite 3,278]

Oh, I never thought you implied that you had/wanted something sexual between you and your life coach. I actually didn't know it was a "thing" and not just your own words. Just that if given the option between a life coach who calls themselves a sexual unicorn and one who doesn't...I'm going sexual unicorn every time.

 

 

I probably use a business cliche everyday but my boss but my boss is cool and understands I'm using it sarcastically, so, I don't think that counts.

 

Now I want to know what kind of jeans Frau bought.

 

 

I can't sleep. This is annoying. I woke up yesterday at 4 and wasn't able to get back to sleep. Today it's 3.

[brvheart 1,752]

 

 

Please go to Alinea while you're there. And don't take Brv, he wouldn't appreciate it.

 

Not at $220 a plate I wouldn't.

 

Also, she's going to be there in a month. No way they have any reservations left this close. A lot of times they post cancelations on their Facebook page, an when they do, they tell YOU how many people you have to pay for and when you're eating to take the reservation.

 

For instance:

 

"Folks. It's your lucky day. We just received word they we have an opening for tonight. It's a six top at 8pm. First person to post is the lucky receipiant of a $1320 tab. (Drinks not included)"

 

NO THANKS. (I won't appreciate it)

[brvheart 1,752]

Sigh. Someday, Frau. Someday.

 

 

So my team played at half time of the bucks game last night. The kings were playing (so it was a terrible game), but I'm now best friends with Joey Crawford, so that's something. My players got some autographs of players that shouldn't be playing in the NBA, but they were super excited even though none of them had ever heard of OJ Mayo. We won 10-0.

[brvheart 1,752]

I can't be the only one that thinks it's hilarious that Frau's life coach is on her 4th marriage, right?

 

I'm going to be smiling about that all day.

 

Isn't that kind of like Mel Gibson being an AA sponsor?

[iZuma 764]

got a tax question for you people: I donated a bunch of clothes to goodwill (or one of those places, can't remember) back in the fall. kept a somewhat itemized list of the items (# of button ups, # of jeans, etc) and have calculated the value at $875 using the values on the goodwill site. I have a receipt from the donation place but there's no appraised value on it. so my questions: am I going to have to fill out a shit ton of forms? am I going to get audited? and how does that amount play into my refund? 1:1? a percentage?

[brvheart 1,752]

Goodwill rarely puts a value on receipts. Using their site for value estimations will be fine. You are so low on the list to audit that you might need to start buying Powerball tickets if you get chosen.

 

At one point I owned several duplexes and a business and I've never been audited even though I did my own taxes. (On everything but the DQ)

 

You are low risk.

 

How much it affects your refund will be completely based on your other deductions and your income. It's possible it wouldn't affect your refund at all, but most likely will give you a few extra bucks. It's definitely not going to be one-for-one, and I can't even think of a situation where it would be. (that's Suited's department)

 

What's going to happen is that it will reduce your "income" by the amount of the donation.

 

So let's say you made 40k last year. The standard deduction for 2013 is [insert answer from Suited]. Everyone gets that. So you have to have more deductions than the standard before it affects anything. Hypothetically let's say you had 5k in other deductions and the standard is 5300. Well, that 875 just reduced your income to 34k~ AND put you over the standard deduction minimum. So you may now be in a lower bracket AND you'll get more back because you had over the minimum.

 

You'll get to deduct your mortgage interest and other crap, and hopefully that 875 puts you over the standard and you can get a few extra bucks.

[SuitedAces21 2,722]

got a tax question for you people: I donated a bunch of clothes to goodwill (or one of those places, can't remember) back in the fall. kept a somewhat itemized list of the items (# of button ups, # of jeans, etc) and have calculated the value at $875 using the values on the goodwill site. I have a receipt from the donation place but there's no appraised value on it. so my questions: am I going to have to fill out a shit ton of forms? am I going to get audited? and how does that amount play into my refund? 1:1? a percentage?

 

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf

[brvheart 1,752]

Come on, Suited. You need to at least give him a tl;dr.

[Ron_Mexico 4,219]

I probably use a business cliche everyday but my boss but my boss is cool and understands I'm using it sarcastically, so, I don't think that counts.

 

 

You're listening to too much rap. We don't need the remix

[Napa Lite 3,278]

Those who can't, teach, Brv.

[iZuma 764]

so basically it's not going to do anything at all so there's no need to even go through the trouble of reporting it?

[Essay21 2,385]

Impossible to say really.

[Napa Lite 3,278]

It's unlikely, Shake.

 

Also...you're a tiny man. You should open up a "Rent-A-Swag" store. Have we discussed this before?

[brvheart 1,752]

so basically it's not going to do anything at all so there's no need to even go through the trouble of reporting it?

 

I'm not a lawyer, so I don't have to be a dick like Suited.

 

Conclusion: If your total deductions aren't anywhere near the standard deduction, including the 875, then you don't need to report ANY of your deductions, because you won't be using them. The government only cares about it if you are using the deduction to reduce your tax liability. If you aren't near the standard, then you will be taking the standard, so you won't be using the goodwill deduction, and the so government won't care about it.

 

Twist: you might be able to find a bunch of deductions with regards to your new land, and you should definitely hire someone like Suited to do your taxes this year.

 

Double twist: you already know tax stuff better than Suited and know how to maximize your deductions, therefore rendering Suited obsolete.

[iZuma 764]

thanks for all your help suited. I'm sure you earn every dollar.

 

 

 

but yeah napa/brv, think I figured it out. gotta add up all my deductable stuff and see if it's bigge than standard. I did pay a shit ton in property taxes but I doubt that plus the donation and state income taxes are all bigger than 6200.

 

so why did I help poor people again? what a ****ing gip.

[Napa Lite 3,278]

I can't speak for Suited but usually I get a multitude of calls/texts from friends I haven't spoken to in years asking for tax advice around this time of the year and I try to at least point them in the right direction if I don't know the answer but if they ask it I can do their taxes I always say I can but it's going to cost you $500 because I don't do taxes and I'm not even that good at them. And even then I have to be careful about giving advice because I could be sued if I give wrong advice.

 

So, I assume Suited is similar, although he doesn't have friends, so maybe not.

 

 

[Essay21 2,385]

I mean youd need to itemize. Look into whether that would benefit you, if it does, look at the rules for charitable deductions.

 

Generally i never dealt with personal income tax questions and so i know very little.

 

Actually a friend asked me the other day about the gift tax in regards to a gift and then purchase of land by the donee from the donor. I mostly dealt with taxation of retirment distributions and the gift tax.

[Tiltinagain 973]

I can't be the only one that thinks it's hilarious that Frau's life coach is on her 4th marriage, right?

 

 

No, I noticed it right off. But there's something about frau that makes it nearly impossible for me to give her a hard time. Probably afraid of running off the only female/sane poster in the thread.

 

It is pretty ironic though getting life advice from someone that is on their 4th marriage. It would be like somebody taking SA's advice on dating.

[hank213 1,823]

shake, i think we ought to open up a consulting firm. I figure between us, we've heard every excuse there is for an employer shafting an employee. That is valuable knowledge the business community would pay for, don't ya think?

[iZuma 764]

apparently you can deduct state sales taxes? screw this I'm saving every reciept ever. but yeah I'm nowhere near 6200 it seems. like maybe 3500 or so. wonder if va state sales taxes would have pushed me over the edge? considering my spending habits I'm leaning towards yes.

 

 

and brv, hiring someone was what I thought too, but I'd have to be getting back more than the cost of the accountant to make it work. doubt that would be the case een if it were close.

 

 

bright side? I still make shit money so I'm still in a low tax bracket. yay.

 

 

 

hank, that is a million dollar idea, I'm down. but unfortunately I'm gonna need to work with someone with at least three more years of experience in this field. sorry.