Taxes

So it's tax time again. You know, the time of year when your hair turns a little grayer, your vocabulary a little saltier and innocent people at the internal revenue are cursed and deemed minions of Satan himself.
For me it is also a time to get ready for Chris next patrol. The girlfriend came home yesterday and has already decided to monopolize all his time.
So, I did the taxes. I have had to do them before...so it's not a new process for me. But this year we have mortgage taxes and moving expenses and a whole list of other goodies that I have never seen nor heard of before today.
To make matters worse, our moving expense W-2 was never mailed. Oh, they claimed it was mailed two weeks ago. But the last time I checked, transit time with the US postal service between Ohio and Washington was about 4 days. 14 and 4 sort of sound alike, but that's it. Unless, due to the economy, they reinstated the Pony Express.

Anyhoo...I called them today. The Navy's defense finance department. I had a cup of coffee in hand and a snack waiting because I knew I was not going anywhere for a while. I put on my "polite" voice (you know the one, the I'm being nice but one wrong move and my head will start rotating in an unnatural way, voice)
The man I spoke to told me they had sent it, but they would send another one. I said, "well, I would like to have it before I have to pay my taxes next year. Is there any way you can email it to me"
Guess what. They can. It's an option. One they don't tell you about, but an option none the less. He said "sure, I can do that"

What? Wait, isn't this a government office? You are a government employee are you not? You're not supposed to be....HELPFUL!!! What will his boss say? I mean, if it gets out that he actually did something...God forbid, productive it would be total chaos. Pigs would fly, hell will freeze over and we could expect a G N' R reunion tour.
Then I was even more shocked when he actually did what he told me he would! Yep. There in my inbox, in all it's glory was my W-2. I know! I was dumbfounded too. What is the world coming to?

So, I have finished my taxes. Chris is still at work and has no idea. One less stress on him right now. And I did it. I did the complex task of itemizing and deducting. Yea me. I didn't get angry or annoyed with government employees AND I'm getting a decent refund to boot!