The Party’s Over

unnamedNow that Christmas is over and we are three days into the new year, it’s time to take down the decorations, straighten things up, and forge head long into the question of how to get that artificial tree back into the box it came in?  I know it came in that box, but it is clearly a foot and a half too fat to go back in! Why? The branches fold up on themselves. I alternate directions, the same way you find a new pair of shoes, and it’s still overflowing the top of the box! I wonder if the tree was originally packaged by gorillas at the San Diego Zoo jumping on it until the top of the box can be easily closed, but I’m sure, if I look closely, I will find that the tree is made in China. China! A country where only 1% of the population is Christian, and few celebrate the holiday. Serves me right! Maybe an adorable panda could be put on loan to assist me?

I have five, yes five, plastic storage crates full of Christmas decorations. Though things didn’t get put back exactly where they came from, they are nestled inside those crates, and though I needed to firmly press down on a couple while trying to snap the lid closed, closed they are! Now back to that tree!  I don’t know why I keep looking at it. Looking at it won’t help.

Topping off the tree conundrum is the large envelope that arrived from our CPA just prior to the new year. It’s our tax planner to be fill out. Happy New Year to you too, Mary! I can’t be the only person who hasn’t drawn up a chair in front of the mailbox to excitedly await the arrival of the W-2. Surely I am not alone in not having neat piles of bank statements, investment records, 1099’s, and 1098’s, 1090-whatever’s, W-2’s, sharpened pencils, erasers, calculator, and the IRS hotline number on speed dial just waiting to go January 1st!

Can we all just take a moment!? Enjoy the breath of fresh air that comes with the new year? I promise I will get right on that tax stuff…just as soon as I figure out how to get that tree back in the box! I have until April 15th, right?

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