Tax Woman

Started out a partly cloudy, grayish morning with breakfast and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, then a run to the Acme and the Audubon Shopping Center. I picked up my paycheck and headed to Wal-Mart after a brief stop at Staples. On one hand, I didn't get one of the things I went in for, which was underwear. I didn't like the selection or the prices. On the other hand, I did get a spare inner tube. I like to keep one around for incidents like a few months ago where my tire blows out suddenly.

I also found that Mattel must have had a huge response to the series of decade-related Barbies they released last year. There were three more decade-related doll sets on the shelves. The 1964 Swirl Pony Tail Barbie looks like one my mom might have played with (she says she had the original 1959 doll as a child) and comes with the most adorable gingham dress with embroidered flower collar. I have very fond memories of the gorgeous 1985 Peaches and Cream Barbie. We never had her...but oh, did we wish we had! Her peach gown is still awesome. Not only that, but the front cover of her reproduction booklet helped me identify one of the vintage Barbie gowns I got from the thrift shop last year. My Princess Serena doll wears the 1985 Crystal Barbie gown (though not the ruffled stole that came with her). There was also a Black Barbie from 1980 that I don't remember, though she did have some pretty nifty outfits.

Ran back to the Acme after I bought the bike inner tube. Like last week, I didn't really need much. I was mostly stocking up on fruit and vegetables, thanks to this week's "buck a bag" sale. Bought apples, oranges, bananas, grapefruit, a bag of broccoli and cauliflower, celery, chuck beef steaks, ground chicken, Dannon yogurt that was on sale, and canola oil (also on sale).

I'd debated a train/bus trip to Deptford after finishing at the Acme, but I didn't really feel like doing a lot of running around. I decided to stick to the neighborhood and do some local chores instead. Some of them, like delivering bills to the post office and the dentist's office, were errands I've put off for longer than I should have. I also ran to CVS (got pot scrubbers) and the bank. Took a long, pleasant walk around Oaklyn after I finished at the bank, enjoying the relatively warm-ish 40 degree temperatures and the fact that it wasn't raining or sleeting, which was the original forecast for today.

After I got home, I spent the rest of the evening doing my taxes. I got my W-2s today and figured there was no beating around the bush. It's not like it takes me more than an hour to do them, anyway. I live alone, rent my apartment, have no dependents, only have one part-time job, and don't have to report on anything but the tax from my college payments. At any rate, I got them done and e-filed, and they were accepted by the IRS an hour ago. I should be getting my check by mid-February.