The Old Folks Home

[bobbi-j]

We farm so taxes are complicated. We have a tax guy.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I many years ago did them for many also had three business's to cover of my own

 

[getaclue]

bruce, my cousin in GA does pine trees, and each year has a certain section timbered, then it's replanted. The following year, another section is cut, and replanted. She's been doing this for years, and pays all her property taxes that way. In the meantime, her dad planted a few of certain types of trees when she was born. They're 65 years old now. She too planted a few of those same types of trees when her daughter was born. I know when she retired, she made enough off of those few trees to pay off everything they owed, get a new vehicle, and have a nice nest egg to boot. There are still about 4 of the trees left from the ones her daddy planted. Those are for later, in case they need the money. If not, they go to her daughter. When they cut the expensive trees, she planted some for her grandchildren. I don't remember the type trees they were, but she says they are worth a lot of money.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Clue, having no idea how those cookie are made or the work involved with all that frosting, they look like store bought to me! Nicely done! I am now officially diabetic by the numbers so much as I'd like to try one, I'll save you the postage costs to send here. I also have to comment on the keyboard issues... Damn... like brain surgery! Who knew? I find the cheapest wireless one and buy it. If it breaks (when) Repeat previous. Lit keys? unlit keys?, fancy sounds? feel? When I slam the key and the symbol appears on the screen, I'm happy. I don't type in the dark, and I'm not a keyboardist... I hunt and peck with 2-4 fingers. When they stop appearing, time for a new KB.

VA doc appt didn't go well. They called me several days in advance and asked me to change the appt time from 2pm to 12 noon. I said OK, despite the fact that it really messes with my animal chores and timing of everything (2 hour drive). Got there before 10am to leave plenty of time for the labs to get done before seeing the doc, to find they DIDN'T change the appt time Top that with: My doc had just returned from India that day so was on admin for the day to get paperwork caught up. So had to see a new doc who knows nothing about me or history. Anyway, he was nice and seemed to really care, want to help me.

Been in a lot of pain recently (a lot!) and I guess there's a blood test that shows "pain cells" called PSR or RSP or some such. The avg person reads below a 7. I came in at 235. This has been getting worse and spreading for over a year & I finally came right out and stated that this is NOT gout or arthritis. (Uric acid count was ~4, well below the 6 that starts crystals) I need them to do what needs to be done to figure this crap out! There is something wrong and it's muscular/tendon related, not joint ligament. I KNOW what gout feels like and how it presents... I've had it now for 15 years + I told him I want to know if maybe MS or MD or even ALS, or something else. This is getting ridiculous. Anyway, he put in for various consults... He said it's most likely an autoimmune issue and I may have to use a biologic like Humira... I said let's not jump there before we know what we're dealing with... biologics worry me.

So, Diabetes... the magical cut # is 6.9 and that's exactly what I registered, so no longer "pre diabetic" I'm now official. Doc said it's not like a major deal at this point as I'm right on the boundary, so no insulin or anything, just have to really get serious about cutting back on sugar and sweets, lose weight, try and get more exercise. (Yeah... exercise when it's almost impossible to even walk due to ankle/feet pain! and hands and wrists that don't work... )

Got a couple big bags of dog food and a 50# bag of goat pellets on the way home from the VA (hurt!). Then Tuesday went and got the 12 bags of pellets, 25# of mineral, and a 3'x3'x8' (800#) bale of hay. By the time everything was unloaded/put away, I was wiped. Didn't finish breaking down and moving/stacking that hay inside till well after dark. The final bit was pure torture. Could barely walk last night. Extreme pain. Have spent most of today in bed dosing on NSAIDs to moderate the pain. Am able to get around and function, but at a cost... It hurts. Am forcing myself to move to do animal chores but little else. Have so far NOT taken anymore oxycodone (morphine based). Have also avoided starting another 5 day pack of steroids. It's tough.

OK, wasn't (aren't) crying for sympathy... just letting y'all know what's going on here. Hope everyone is enjoying a better hump day than I. 76° and very humid, had to turn the AC on this morning to get the temp down in here and eliminate some of the moisture. OK, time for me to go back to horizontal.

I hope that they can find out what your problems are. After 30+ years of abdominal pain, still trying to figure things out.

 

[bruceha2000]

bruce, my cousin in GA does pine trees, and each year has a certain section timbered, then it's replanted.

I understand how it works but I'm pretty sure no tree will grow to harvest size in 5 years. Even Christmas trees take 10 years and that wouldn't be near big enough for lumber or firewood.

 

[Alaskan]

Is that the "oil" check all Alaskans get (or got??). Never did understand that.

The way it works is that Alaska was bought by the feds... so technically no private land. There is land that the natives own.

Anyway, if you buy land up here not only do you ONLY buy the surface land with zero rights to minerals, but you agree that the feds can show up when ever they want and strip mine it. Or whatever they feel like.

No joke.

To make up for that huge loss of property rights... they said that a portion of all of the mineral rights and timber rights etc. that the state of Alaska made money on was to be put into a fund, PERMANENTLY, for the people of Alaska. And a portion of that was to be paid out to every Alaska resident every year.

How much we get each year depends on how much revenue the state gets from the mineral and timber etc. and part is interest from the invested capital.

But you know how government is. They spend all of the money they have and then some.... and then want more.

2 years back they decided to balance the budget by taking the money that was supposed to be sent out. They took it ALL. Last year they took half.

We shall see what we get this year.

And no, my property rights did not improve.

 

[drumstick diva]

Property taxes keep going up - for a nearly 50 year old house with no remodeling except for replacing both toilets (a lot of use with over that time.)

 

[Alaskan]

And it is often seen as "the oil money" since you betcha...that is where most of the revenue comes from. So the higher the price of a barrel of crude. The more money we get.....

Well....

Used to get.

 

[drumstick diva]

my sole income SS went up $ 12. this year - taxes jumped MUCH higher.

 

[Alaskan]

Property taxes keep going up - for a nearly 50 year old house with no remodeling except for replacing both toilets (a lot of use with over that time.)

I once asked why I was being taxed so high on a tiny leaky shed... I was told if they didn't tax buildings that leaked then they would get zero taxes.