100 Things for the 200th Post

I never wrote a 100 things post for my 100th post so I thought that I’d do so now as a part of my 200th post! It also goes conveniently with NaBloPoMo Lists.

1. I was born in good ole Wichita, Kansas.

2. Recently I was asked what there is to see in Kansas. I couldn’t think of even one thing.

3. Regardless, I think there is nothing prettier than a Kansas wheat field at harvest time as the sun is setting.

4. I went to college at the University of Oklahoma (Boomer! Sooner!).

5. My brother’s dog is named Boomer. It was the name that he had when he picked him up from the Humane Society. I attribute the fact that he didn’t change his name to his love of his sister and her school.

6. I got a degree in history with a minor in Spanish.

7. I would have been fluent in Spanish if only I opened my mouth and used it more.

8. I still know a lot of Spanish, but it is sadly fading. Something to work on, to be sure.

9. While at OU, I lived in the dorms all 4 years. This is where many of my favorite memories happened.

10. I also have many memories related to the Baptist Student Union, which was a big part of my life.

11. My college roommate, Dana, and I still meet up about 3 times a year though I live in NC and she lives in Texas.

12. I’ve lived in North Carolina for over 2 1/2 years.

13. The hardest things to get used to were the hills and the trees. North Carolina makes up for what Kansas lacks in these areas.

14. My relationship with Jesus Christ is the main focus of my life, or at least I work at making it that.

15. I started following Christ when I was 10.

16. I had a renewed interest in pursuing the things of the Lord and really grew in my walk with the Lord in college.

17. When I was a junior in college, I started considering pursuing further Christian training by going to seminary.

18. What sealed the deal for me was hearing someone say at a conference that if you are single and able, you should consider a seminary education.

19. I work at a company that does financial education and credit counseling.

20. I started out as a secretary, but now am a “development associate.”

21. I basically do whatever no one else wants to do.

22. Right now that means doing a lot of tax returns

23. I attend seminary, where I’m getting a masters in Christian Ministry.

24. I will not be a preacher.

25. I graduate in December.

26. I’m taking a hard load of classes this semester: Old Testament, New Testament, Baptist history, and philosophy.

27. I enjoy philosophy the most, because it makes me think.

28. I don’t know what I’ll be doing when I graduate, but right now I plan on staying in the Raleigh area, working to pay off school debt.

29. I attend an awesome church which is the main reason I’m not in a hurry to leave this area.

30. Working with the older girls in Awana is the highlight of my week.

31. Each week is exciting and different, but I enjoy the challenges and the triumphs.

32. I also love the adults at church and have enjoyed getting to know many of the ladies.

33. I want to be like several of them when I grow up.

34. My parents were very young when they had me (22), so they are still young.

35. My brother is only a year and a half younger than me, so of course he’s young too.

36. He got his first job before me (by only a few weeks) and has gotten his first real job before me, too.

37. My favorite colors are blue and brown, though I also like purple and green.

38. My room is decorated in hot pink, but not for much longer.

39. I love to read.

40. Nineteenth century Russian literature is my favorite sub-genre.

41. I also like British works such as Tom Jones and anything by Charles Dickens or Jane Austen.

42. I’ve yet to find an American author I can enjoy in the same way, though Edith Wharton comes close.

43. I’m also not as much a fan of more recent writing.

44. I also enjoy a good movie.

45. I love romantic comedies (especially those with Hugh Grant).

46. My favorite movies are the Pirates trilogy, the Ocean’s trilogy, and Mansfield Park.

47. Thanks to my new schedule, my best hours for getting work/studying done are between 7 and 10 in the morning and 7 and 10 in the evening.

48. I’m not overly creative, but I like to think that I have an “eye” for things.

49. I’m actually not a horrible drawer like I used to think I was, but I do have to look at a picture/drawing of something in order to draw it.

50. Unless it’s a person, and then you can forget it.

51. Growing up, I played piano for 4 years, clarinet for 8 years, marimba for 4 years, and tenor sax for 2.

52. I haven’t forgotten how to read music, but when I’m working with the boys I babysit, I forget the names for the various things. I just remember what they mean.

53. Though I’ve focused my studies on history and theology, I actually have more natural talent for math and science.

54. I quit pursuing math when I was taking linear algebra and realized that I would totally be okay without taking another math class again.

55. As much as I loved math, I never thought I’d reach that point.

56. Then I realized that I could be just as passionate about history as I was about math.

57. But not just as good.

58. I tended to get B’s in history in college, and that trend has continued in seminary.

59. My favorite history classes were South American colonial history, colonial (U.S.) America, and the Civil War.

60. I especially loved the fact that we never studied the goings-on of the battles in Civil War history. That would have been boring.

61. My favorite seminary classes were my church history classes (makes sense, doesn’t it?) and biblical counseling.

62. The biblical counseling has totally changed my walk with God as well as how I approach problems in my life and the lives of those around me.

63. I have a melancholy choleric temperament, if you know what that means.

64. I’m an INTJ on the Myers-Briggs.

65. I like to say that I could live as a hermit, just me, my books, and a pen and paper, but after about a day like that I get kinda lonely.

66. One of my greatest desires right now is to have a reading chair with ottoman in my room.

67. This will require me to have a larger room, which I’m working on.

68. Via apartment hunting, not construction.

69. I also have a strong aversion to overhead lights.

70. Especially florescent lights.

71. I’ve been called a vampire because of my preference for low light.

72. To me, it’s just more homey.

73. I’m a compolsive email checker.

74. I also am very faithful to checking the snail mail (though only once a day).

75. I cry easily and at any emotion.

76. Most often I cry from laughing too hard.

77. When I’m upset, I have a hard time expressing myself because of the tears.

78. Occassionally I cry for no reason at all.

79. Other times, I want to cry but can’t.

80. I struggle with pride in my own accomplishments and abilities, as if I somehow earned them.
81. “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” – Galatians 6:4, NASU

82. I love to laugh and play games, especially Mafia, Apples to Apples, ImagineIff, and this Pictionary/telephone game that I learned in Turkey.

83. I don’t like games like King Elephant, Calling All Vegtables, and Hide ‘n’ Seek.

84. I love to write and receive letters, but tend to not make time for it as much as I should.

85. I don’t like surprises and prefer to open a gift when the giver isn’t watching…I don’t do a good job of expressing my appreciation on my face.

86. I don’t like cut flowers, but do enjoy them in the garden.

87. Fresh cut grass makes me sneeze.

88. I was crazy afraid of all non-human faces as a child: toys that moved, animals, and people in costumes or masks.

89. I still don’t like any of those much.

90. Because I was so scared of animals as a child, I never realized until about a year ago that I’m allergic to cats.

91. Which is sad, because cats are about the only animals I can tolerate.

92. I prefer summer to winter.

93. I prefer Diet Dr. Pepper to any other drink.

94. I love Coldstone, particularly cake batter ice cream with chocolate chips.

95. I used to be militant in calling soft drinks “pop,” but anymore you’ll more likely hear “soda” come out of my mouth.

96. I’m trying to learn that my way is not always the best one.

97. I have more interests than I have time.

98. I prefer my room to be neat and orderly, but don’t care much if it’s clean.

99. I’m not sure I’ve dusted more than once since moving in in September.

100. I make my bed everyday as the first thing I do.

Whoa, that was way harder than it looked! I hope that gave you some insight into who I am!

Ramblings and Reward

Aaahhh.

I’m finally taking a breath. I’ve done so many tax returns today, I can’t even count them. Wait a minute, there aren’t that many…there was only 5. I can still count that with one hand, or foot if I prefer. Still, that’s a lot for one day.

Sadly, I don’t think I have the energy or brainpower necessary to write a blog entry worthy of you, my fine readership. What little brain juice I have left MUST be saved to write the paper that must be written tonight. Or at least tomorrow morning. But hopefully tonight.

Both of my roommates are in my Baptist history class, so while that makes for a fun class, it doesn’t make it easy when we all have the exact same assignment due at the same time. We each have different study habits, so it’s interesting to see how that plays out. I’m the one who likes to have everything done at least 24 hours in advance (I blew that for this one…it’s due by 5 tomorrow). One of my other roommates is prone to stay up late and do things, while the other, crazy girl that she is, is more likely to get up early to do her assignment. Other than that, she’s pretty sane. Or at least I have to add that because I’ve caught her reading this blog at least once. Truly, my roommates are special women to put up with me, my moods, and my mischief.

Needless to say, I’ve managed to put fingers to the keys a reasonable amount of times to make a blog post. That a good blog post it does not make, but it’s what I have to offer.

If you’ve somehow made it to the end, leave me a comment and let me know one thing you want me to blog about, silly or serious. Your wish is my command (at least for blogging topics). I promise you that I will blog on said topic in your honor very soon. Consider it a raincheck of sorts for today’s blog entry, and a reward for reading my rambling.

Don’t Spend That All in One Place

Since we’re in the heat of the tax season at work, I’ve enjoyed some laughs about the funny things people have brought in. From wacky ideas of what they want to claim to a big stack of W-2′s worth next to nothing, I’ve realized that everyone’s financial situation is different.

Of course, I have to include myself in that one. Ever since the very first year I had to file taxes, I’ve had to file in at least 2 states. One year I even had to file in 3. This is the last of that though, as next year I can finally file in just one state!

That’s not the only quirky think about my taxes this year, though. I just received by mail a W-2 from Walmart (I haven’t worked there in almost 3 years) for the $1 “paycheck” I had received in 2007. It had something to do with how they calculated overtime or something or other, and they apparently were sued about it and had to reimburse people. They gave me a whole $1 that they had apparently cheated me. Of course, that dollar after taxes was only $.68 – taxes that aren’t even credited to me officially because they are (obviously) less than a dollar.

The crazy thing is that if I had went to a paid preparer, I would have had to pay something like $25 for having them add that extra W-2. Ouch. I’m beginning to think having your taxes filed for free is an even better idea than I thought.

Works for Me: Free Tax Preparation

Okay, now this is just cool. One of the great things about working for a nonprofit is getting to help people. I’ve always just done stuff in the background…until now.
This year I get to help with the free tax preparation. We work with the IRS through a program called VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). The VITA program is designed to help low- to middle-income individuals and families save money by not paying to have their taxes filed.
I’ve had volunteers at our site do my taxes the last two years, and now I’ll be doing my own (you wouldn’t trust someone to do your taxes if they wouldn’t do their own, would you?).
There are VITA locations nationwide, and it’s pretty easy to find one near you. Call toll free 1(800) 906-9887. If you are in North Carolina, this website can help you find a location near you.
For most locations, you must have a gross income under $40,000 and not have anything crazy like a schedule C for business income or massive amounts of stock dividends. The AARP offers a similar program called Tax Aide, which often does not have income or age limits.
Getting my taxes done for free…that works for me!
Other Works-for-me ideas: