Wow, talk about a screwed up county (note the lack of R in that word before you start becoming annoyed). I keep thinking "there was a reason why my mom moved away, why do I keep trying to move back?" Of course, maybe I should be thinking, "Every time I think I'm out, they pull me back in," where "they" are my emotions and my inability to let go.

As most people have been, I've been tracking my finances closely for the last few months (my recent splurge and the accompanying guilt not withstanding), so when I have this big red warning that says "property taxes!" on my house, I pay attention.

I'd pay my bill, I've been trying to pay it for the last year or so, except that I can't. I don't know how much to pay.

Porter County hasn't actually sent a property tax bill for about a year and a half. Taxes there are paid in arrears in that county, after the year is over (instead of, say, wisely like California, where you pay up front for the right to live where you are). As a result, the 2007 taxes are billed in 2008.

Except, they weren't.

The 2007 taxes were JUST SENT OUT this week.

Well, once again, not quite.

They haven't been sent out, there was a "printing error" the county blamed on the printer, but they have been posted on the county's contracted website.

So, they send the taxes out late, then give everyone TWO WEEKS to pay their taxes before they start charging a late penalty. That's right. If you own property in Porter County, you have two weeks to pay your $3000 (sorry, was it $6000?) or you're smacked with a 10% late penalty.

Even credit card companies aren't that ruthless: they give you a 28 day grace period to pay up, and they don't charge you 10% up front immediately.

I have to say I there was a reason why nearly all of my relatives have fled that county. I have to wonder why I'm trying to go back.

I think I'm beginning to have abandonment issues. No, I take that back. Allow me to restate.

I'm having abandonment issues.

I realized late last week that with the one client I have, the one that broke me, I've been abandoned by Mike for the third time.

First, he moves away.

Then, he goes to work for another company.

Now, he's left this company where I'm doing contract work.

I have to say, I'm starting to become annoyed. If I didn't like Kate and Liza and Maeryn and Mike so much, a fondness which I will use as a shield to these feelings of abandonment, I'd think he's trying to avoid me long term.

Yes, yes, I'm kidding.

Hi, Mike. Stop abandoning me.

Through Scott Berkun's blog, I learned about the Brothers Karamazov Deathmarch. The plan is a "rip through the book faster than you would on your own," very much like reading a book for a literature class. Although I'm quite excited about the idea, I'm also quite intimidated about the idea, as I haven't read any large Russian novel, and have no idea how it'll be. I do, however, have a vague sort of "no plot, lots of words" fear about the reading the book, which I hope to discover is completely unfounded.

I bought the audio version of the book, through Audible and started listening a couple days ago. One of Kris' Christmas presents was a year subscription to Audible, but I was unable to resist purchasing a "good deal" and managed a few credits for books for myself. Between the audio book and the Gutenberg version, I'm covered for the digital format, so will be able to read it everywhere I go where I have either my laptop or ipod, which is pretty much everywhere. My only regret on going this way is that I won't be reading the "good" translation of Pevear and Volokhonsky. Alas.

The trick now is to remember to plug-in in my down time.

Heh. "Down time."

A week or so ago, I noticed the Mac of a coworker at a client's office. Instead of the usual swirly background that I have on my mac, he had a dictionary screen saver: words scroll along the window and pause to display the word's definition. Hey, this is great, I can continue to increase my vocabulary without much effort. Sign me up!

The first word that displayed when the screensaver popped up was deacon:

1. (in hierarchical churches) a member of the clerical order next below that of a priest.
2. (in other churches) an appointed or elected officer having variously defined duties.

Okay, I knew that word, I thought, but then didn't really think about it much.

The next word that popped up was conclave:

Sure, the weather has been great. The trees are confused, however. We still have a 50% chance of a frost pretty much destroying all of the upcoming plants and exposed buds on the trees. We haven't really had enough chill hours for a good apple or peach crop this year, so the warm weather is again rather annoying. With the rain, the bees aren't really out pollenating. I can't say the possibility of crappy crops sits well with me. The flowers are lovely thought.