Say What !!!!!!

Last weekend I got my W-2 and decided to take a jab at my taxes. I am one of those who like doing their taxes themselves and doing them fast. Until last year I used to qualify for the free e-file thanks to my measly student income. Not this year. Fortunately as a State Farm customer I get to use Turbo Tax's deluxe edition ($29.95) for free. And my pleasure was so short lived. After plugging in all the numbers leave alone a refund, I owe a little more than a grand to Uncle Sam. I could not believe it and tried it out on many other tax softwares and tax calculators. What is to be will be.

After all these years of getting everything back this did not feel so good. Anyway being single and no mortgage seem to have its own disadvantages. Well the only disadvantage I can think of thus far.

I thought I will call my HR manager and ask her to maybe make some adjustments to how my taxes are being withheld. But decided against it. I would rather pay up than get a refund because the refund is after all "an interest free loan to Uncle Sam" (I have read this in everyone of the PF sites I visit).

All said and done a minor setback on my way to a positive networth.

When the going gets good ........

The past year was a blurr and so was my vacation that ended last week. It was good to back home after more than three years, It was good not to have to do my own cooking, laundry or pay rent.

The journey back and forth went without a hitch, got to travel business class a small portion of the journey (5 hrs) thanks to my dad being friends with the Air Traffic Controller. Other than that the journey was pretty uneventful.

Trip to Chennai and the whole VISA stamping process also went so smooth. All my research preparation, anxiety and planning seem so unnecessary in retrospect. Oh well all is well that ends well.

The surgery also went well. I have always believed and now have proof that I am a picture of good health. Perfect lab results, perfect healing and perfect recovery. I was out of bed and walking the very next day after surgery.

As far as family is concerned I realise I am gradually growing closer to my mom though I have always been daddy's girl and never gotten along with my mother. Still loggerheads with my brother. We seems to be good for each other only from a distance, I don't know why is it that we can never get along.

But thanks to my brother I saw many movies (Tare Zameen Par, OSO, Saawariya and many more) and read Angels and Demons(Dan Brown), The Client(John Grisham), Vector(Robin Cook) and loads of Amar Chitra Katha comics, my all time favourites.

Its my parents resolution and mission this year to find me a husband. And I am not make it any easy for them. Why am I so particular about somethings I don't know but I just cant seem to compromise. Case in point, I want to marry someone who earns more than me. Before you jump to conclusions no I am not a gold digger. I earn a very comfortable living, but somehow I don't want a husband lesser than me in terms of piety, education, career or money. I maybe be wrong but it doesn't feel wrong. And to make matters worse my salary is going up about 15% every six months. Now that's no problem is it ...