over under

Payment, that is.

I received my tax refund today--which was a blessed windfall, but significantly less than I had figured it should be. After a long, but helpful and entirely cordial discussion with the IRS representative, we realized that I essentially had to redo my taxes. Not only that, but I have to redo them in two different ways and then decide which is more advantageous to me and send that in. So, I have to work out the figures redoing the hope and lifetime credit thing, and work out the figures for the tuition remission on the 1040x, which is limited to four thou. Quite the pain and a sad result of my having done my taxes myself for the first time at the ripe age of 29. That's what the little bird gets for deciding to fly on her own. Next year, little bird shuffles back into the nest and screams open-mouthed until mama bird accepts to deal with the whole kit and caboodle again.

While I sheepishly acknowledge full responsibility for that work (although I'm happy to spend a few hours puzzling through it if it will net me a few hundoes), I am quite irked at having been overpaid this month. I checked on my bank account today and found a deposit had been made from my fine institution for $1564.25. Whooeee!! Did I get a fellowship that no one told me about that happens to have a very odd amount of money associated with it? Did I, somehow unbeknownst to myself, work an extra ninety hours at the writing center last week? Hmm...Now I'm starting to think this is probably a mistake, as opposed to an unqualified source of celebration. And should I just keep it and hope nobody ever ever notices, or try to unravel the mystery so as to give it back?

And quite the mystery it turns out to be. If, after consulting with the administrators in your department who instruct you to call payroll, you call payroll as to inquire as to how money got direct deposited into your account, they will proceed to yell at you telling you that payroll is not responsible for details about how you get paid, then tell you that you need to get that situation figured out or else there are major problems in store for you--like you have to pay them for the taxes that they've taken out of money that you have to return because you didn't earn it, so they shouldn't have to pay taxes on it. Nevermind that you shouldn't have to pay taxes on income you didn't receive either. But back to the present, as opposed to future possible, kafkaesquianisms. So, you may try to explain, that yes, you are aware that it is a problem and that calling payroll should be evidence you are, in fact, trying to take care of said problem. Key word: "try." Explanations on your part are just playthings to payroll. For, as much as you may insist that you have already spoken with the administrators in your department, they will make a three-way call between yourself, payroll, and the administrator across the hall. And when you again insist that this administrator has no information and indeed indicated that you should call payroll, payroll will stop you short with a condescension usually only heard when badly-behaving kindergardeners are the addressees: "[insert mangled pronunciation of your name here], *I'm* talking to the administrator now."

Alrighty then.

THE LISTS

to do class: Write JM recommendation. Select Catullus poems. Write Horace quiz.
done! Read Horace and selected poems.

to do work: Read Pépin secondary lit.
done! Read half of secondary lit.

to do life: Clean the oil stain on my garage space. Pay down debt (currently $3,430). Procure dog. Redo taxes: Hope and lifetime learning OR tuition and fee remission? Hm...
done! Had lovely guiltless Sunday. Pilates. Got tix to reggaefest

to do blitz: sarah, marilyn, giulia, irmary, mariana, dar, nv