I am sore. Very sore.

So, in a moment of mental weakness, I signed up for another half marathon in Seattle this summer. Two days ago I went for my first run of the warm weather season, and I am still recovering. I know that tomorrow is another running day, but I am really out of shape. I have to say though, I forgot how good I feel after a nice long run. It really clears the head after a long day of work, and it seems like those are all I'm getting these days.:)

In more exciting news, I get a nice long weekend this week and Willie and I are heading to the beach. Some friends are coming up from Portland too, and I am just so glad for a weekend of reading and relaxing. I have two murder mysteries, two young adult books and my journal all ready to go. Add a pina colada, some extra sleep, and long walks on sand... I am ready.

For those of my friends and family who are the praying type, please keep my friend's baby in your prayers. He is only four months old, and today he had his third or fourth major surgery to reconnect his intestines to his colon. Unfortunately they had to remove more of his colon in this surgery. They are a very amazing little family, and this is their first child.

Nothing is certain but death and....

Taxes. For those of you who can already see where this is going and are fleeing from the impending rant, I don't blame you. For the last two years I have worked for literally NO pay and this is the second year that I have totally screwed by my one attempt to something to give back.

If anyone knows a mysterious way to deduct the income that comes from an AmeriCorps award, I would really appreciate it. Right now I have 6,212 dollars of mysterious income that I never saw that supposedly came from our government. (The actual amount of the award is MUCH smaller.) Unfortunately, even though I never actually got to do anything with this money, I have to pay through the nose for it. To add insult to injury, I can't even claim it as an educational expense, at least not from what I can tell.

I am really stressed out about this. I didn't really have a place in my budget for huge taxes that come from spending TWO years as a VOLUNTEER!