Ah December...

 So today I started out with an hour long drive (each way) to the 'local' big bookstore. So I could give them some signed copies of the new Summer's End book, so they'd have some to put on the shelves. Apparently books released in December don't usually end up on the shelves until January because of all the promotional stuff going on in December. They sit in the chain's warehouse.

If only I had known. So get home, the gate doesn't work (still- it didn't let me out this morning either so I had to open and close it by hand). After lunch I checked it out, the batteries in one of the remote sensors you're required to have for 'reasons' were dead. It's working now.

Then of course there was the $5000 dollars worth of tax fines in the mail... WHAT!!!!

Yeah, eye-opener. So spend the next few hours first on the phone, then finding out I've been filing one of the local state reports to the WRONG agency and so max penalties - with interest. Isn't it funny how they always wait until your penalties are up to a certain point before they notify you? But the nice thing was once I went back and FILED (electronically too) the proper form with the proper place, I only got hit with a 50 dollar fine on the last four, so that was a lot less money. I may be able to get some of that money back as well.

I will say this about Texas - their tax help people are the BEST. Hands down. They will take the time to walk you through everything so that the absurd fines go away and then they'll tell you how to appeal the regular fines so hopefully you get that money back as well. Honestly I'm starting to wonder if the whole reason the absurd fines exist is to get you to file the stupid paperwork, because as soon as you do, those fines (and the interest on them) goes away. 

So yes, it's been an 'exciting' day. I'm starting physical therapy for my shoulder, now that it's mostly healed. Doc still wants me to replace the joint. I may in a couple of years, we'll see. But I'm not looking forward to that at all. It's still sore and annoying, but it doesn't hurt like it had been and of course the muscles that had been paralyzed are now working again. 

Oh, and my office chair died yesterday. At least I had one in my shop I can use for now. Been a hectic week.