tax and paperwork

We had a much-needed day off from renovating today.  SO spent most of it out bike riding with his mates, while I got some housework done.  It was so nice to have a break!  As you may have gathered from the whiny tone of my last post, I’m looking forward to when it’s all finished.  That’s when you really appreciate it, it looks great, and it’s finally earning some income from tenants.

It’s rapidly coming up to the end of the financial year (30 June).  I dread this time of year, because for me it means Lots of Tax Paperwork.  I was really naughty last financial year, and didn’t get our tax stuff to our accountant until about February.  I’ve vowed that this year won’t be a repeat of that scenario.  Accordingly, I spent about two hours tonight organising paperwork.  This is a nice way of saying ‘doing filing’.  I can’t believe that there was so much stuff to be put into files.  I guess though, when you think about it, we have four units, plus our own house, all of which have their own paperwork and files; then SO has his file, and I have mine.  So really it’s understandable.

I haven’t even touched the data entry stuff yet.  Some of it I can’t do – we need to wait until the end of the financial year for our group certificates, and to work out how much interest we can claim.  However there are a lot of receipts which are sitting in a small but obvious pile which could be entered.  Hey, at least I know where they all are – that’s a step in the right direction.

Plus, tax this year will be easier as we only have one new investment property.  Last financial year we had three.  The amount of detail I had to find and give to our accountant relating to loan fees, purchase costs, etc, was unbelievable.  It really was a huge job.  This year I only have the one, which is a great relief.  It’ll be so much easier to manage.

exhausted

I’m tired.  Very, very tired.  We’ve been flat out with the reno, which is going well.  I’ve been spending every day up a ladder, painstakingly plastering up the settlement cracks.  This is physically tiring, particularly for ‘Ms Desk Job’ here.  At the end of the day, when I start to get so tired I wobble on the ladder, I come down and pick another section of kitchen to disinfect.  Last night, I put in all the new kitchen handles; tonight, it was cleaning our ‘new’ (really, second hand, bought on eBay) fridge.

We go to Bunnings to get different bits and pieces, then head home and have dinner.  We talk about what else needs to be done, what order to do it in, and discussing different options we need to make decisions on.  Not long after that, we hit the sack.  I’d be tired if this was all there was to it; but it’s not. 

I’ve been waking up every night at around 3am, my brain racing and full of stuff that I need to remember.  I’ve tried going back to sleep but it hasn’t been working, so I’ve been getting up and surfing the net for a couple hours, just enough to switch off mentally and go back to bed, to get another couple of hours’ sleep.

Anyhow, as a result of all this, I’m just worn out.  Today I got up, had breakfast and a shower, and sat down to wait for SO to be ready to go to the unit.  SO came out of the bathroom and found me sleeping, sitting upright.  This never happens.  He sent me to bed, where I completely crashed for a couple of hours.  When I woke up, I was worn out, but it was manageable.  I then put in a full day at the reno, doing more patching.

However, things are going well.  I’ve managed to shake off a potential cold, which given how tired I’ve been, is nothing short of a miracle.  The reno is going to plan, and everything seems to be working out there.  SO is well, and he’s enjoying the reno work too.  He dug out a wooden cabinet from the bathroom wall today, which he hasn’t done before, and he did a really neat job.  So yes, it is all going well.  I’m just surprised at how tiring it all is.

reno #4 update

It’s a funny thing.  You agree to buy a place, thinking all you’ll need to do is throw around some paint, plus maybe some new light fittings.  Then you start looking a bit closer and before you know it, you’ve decided you absolutely MUST completely renovate, a la the Taj Mahal. 

This has happened in our case.  We’d decided we would replace the toilet and the bathroom cabinet.  Then we got a quote for getting the tiles resurfaced.  When SO saw the quote, he hit the roof.  As he pointed out, we could get the bathroom retiled for not much more.  So, that’s what we’re doing.  The whole bathroom is going to  be redone – new fixtures and fittings, new loo, cabinet, shower screen, hot water system, you name it, it’ll be replaced.  The whole damn lot.

Tentative costings show it’ll probably cost us in the realm of $6K, which is obviously about $5,500 more than we’d originally planned on spending.  However, as SO says, we’ll be able to depreciate it for tax purposes, so that will be a bonus.  Plus it will look nice, which will mean we can charge decent rent for it.

Anyhow, at this point in time, SO has removed all the floor tiles, which is the majority of the hard work we’ll need to do.  We’ll get there tomorrow and get into the wall tiles, which hopefully won’t take too long to remove.  The plumber is coming at 11am to fix a few things and disconnect the hot water system, then it’ll be full steam ahead organising a tiler, cabinetmaker, etc etc.  Fun times.

Heh.  We weren’t exactly planning for this to happen when we bought, that’s for sure.  Oh well, good thing we like a challenge.  I’ll make sure to take lots of photos for a before-and-after post when we’re done.

sick/reno #4 progress report

<grits teeth and closes eyes tightly, trying not to throw a tantrum>

I’m sick.  Again.  It’s not anything major, by any means – just some kind of bug that isn’t really a cold, but isn’t really a flu.  Sore throat, fever, shivering, aches and pains.  And an increase in the general level of grumpiness.  It’s just frustrating.  I’ve had the last two days off work, and I had to go to the shops this morning.  After wandering around confusedly for about half an hour, I felt like the only thing holding me up was the trolley I was gripping.  Now I can see why old folks hang onto them with a death grip.  (Sorry, no pun intended there.)

In other news, the plans for the current reno are moving along.  We’ve decided to get some quotes for getting the bathroom tiles resurfaced.  This will basically give them a new colour (instead of dirty white wall tiles and, you guessed it, apricot floor tiles) and, as a bonus, it will seal any grout cracks.  This is great, as we do have some damage to the wall on the other side of the shower.  It’s also supposed to be a lot cheaper and a lot faster than getting new tiling done.  Sounds good to me.  SO has also agreed with me that we can get a new toilet.  For some reason, he wanted to hang onto the current apricot-coloured one.  I have no idea why, but he’s come around.

reno #4

We finally settled on our fourth investment property, last Thursday.  Since then, of course, we’ve been flat out assessing the scope of works.  As per usual, they’re somewhat larger than we’d anticipated.  We’ll need to remove and replace the bathroom cabinet, which is badly water damaged inside (the shelving has exploded from water absorption).  This is disappointing as the cabinet otherwise fits the space well, and is reasonably clean and modern.  I’m not sorry that we’ll get a new handbasin though – the current one is apricot.  As is the toilet – cistern, seat, pedestal, the whole lot.  Apricot.  For me, the colour conjures up recollections of polka-dotted ra-ra skirts, teased fringes, and side ponytails.  And I was only in fifth grade at the time.

Work on the unit is progressing well.  I’ve already managed to do most of the patching of walls, prior to the mammoth (and unpleasant) job of sanding back.  SO has installed almost all of the lights.  We’ve taken measurements of windows and doors, so we know exactly what we need to get in terms of dimensions for window treatments and door replacements.  We’ve had two quotes from plumbers, and have organised a cabinet maker to come out and look at the bathroom.  All in all, we’re going okay.  We have next week off from our jobs, so we’ll be able to get into the nitty-gritty then.  For me, this will include lots of painting (particularly cutting-in, my specialty), cleaning the oven, and other tasks such as window cleaning.  SO will be heavily involved in painting (he’s the roller man) and collecting the rest of the furniture for the unit.  We’ll also need to do some fairly simple stuff like organise the carpet to be laid, etc.  So yes, I feel like it’s under control, for once.

tuesday update

It already feels like a Friday, and it’s not even the middle of the week yet.

Both SO and I have been out of town.  SO went to a large country town for work, and I went to a small country town for the same reason.  He was lucky and got a flight; I drove.  The trip took me a fair bit longer than expected – I thought it was going to take two and a bit hours, and it actually took closer to three and a half.  (I wasn’t exactly restraining myself to the speed limit, either.)  Anyhow, I was there for an investigation, so I went straight to my first couple of interviews, which probably took about an hour and a half.  Afterwards, I booked into the hotel, called SO to let him know I was okay (and didn’t have mobile reception - thank God public phones do still exist, in regional areas, if nowhere else) and did the last interview.  I was completely knackered after all this, so I crashed for a good nap of about three hours or so.

I managed to wake up just before my alarm, so I threw on some clothes and decided to get a meal.  The hotel has both a front bar and a restaurant, which are connected, so I decided I’d go into the bar first, and if it looked okay I’d eat there.  If not, there was always the restaurant.  Anyhow, I walked into the bar through the side entrance, and it was like a scene from a movie.  Specifically, Deliverance.  All the guys in the bar turned and looked at me with deep suspicion.  Even the boys cheering on the sport on the wide screen stared at me like I was visiting from outer space.  I swear I could hear what they were thinking: ‘She ain’t from ’round these parts’.  It probably didn’t help that they all looked like they were from the same family, either.  (Okay, maybe I’m stereotyping here, but not by much.)

Picking up on the vibe, I decided to eat in the restaurant.  I thought I’d spoil myself, so I ordered the grilled crayfish (lobster).  After an hour (!) it came out of the kitchen, overcooked to within an inch of its (former) life.  It also had a distinct tang to it.  I was eating it and thinking, that’s all I need – a case of food poisoning in a little country town.  Yuck.  Still, it was edible, and it was relatively inexpensive.  I love crayfish, so even though it wasn’t the best I’d eaten, it tasted pretty okay.  And the good news was, I didn’t get food poisoning, so that was a bonus.

I woke up at 7:30am this morning, got ready, and checked out.  I went to visit the local shops, where I found the town bakery.  The food looked great, so I picked up some breakfast (a custard tart – yum!) and a large iced coffee, and I started on my way back to Perth. 

I remembered to get the car washed on the way back (I took a work one) and even filled up with fuel.  I went past home on the way and unloaded everything, then went into work.  By this point I had a splitting headache – I think it was the light glare shining off the roads for hours on end – so SO took me home, whereupon I crashed again.

It feels like the last couple of days have been very long ones.  Interviewing people is hard work – it demands your full concentration and really sucks your energy levels.  Plus, the driving was tiring.  However, I did enjoy the trip, I liked the autonomy, and it was very interesting.  Also, I’d never been to this particular town before, so that was good too, not that I had much of a chance to look around.  I missed SO, too - it was the first time in the five years we’ve been together that we didn’t talk to each other for more than a day.  (I had got his message bank when I rang him, so we didn’t have a conversation.)  Altogether, it’s good to be back home.

mother’s day 2009

It’s been a busy weekend.  SO went for another all-day bike ride yesterday, so I cleaned the bathrooms and toilets, did the food shopping, and also did about five loads of laundry and hung it out.  I also had good intentions of cooking, but all I managed was to half-do some rissoles.  After that I collapsed in a heap and slept for four hours.  Whoops.

Today being Mother’s Day, we saw SO’s stepmum for breakfast.  We went over to their place, but took our coffee machine, and made french toast.  It was nice, but we got there at 9 am and didn’t actually eat until 11:30am, by which time SO was frothing at the mouth he was so hungry.  I was okay as I’d had two coffees by that point, so I was high on life and caffeine.  SO still isn’t in touch with his mum, and mine is currently away in New Zealand with her boyfriend, so it was an easy day for us.  (In the past we’ve had to see all three on the same day, which was a killer for both of us.)

We got home after 1pm and I had every intention of having an afternoon nap.  However, SO was going to a couple of the units to do some work (one needed new tap washers, the other needed a replacement TV as theirs blew up) and I wandered outside to say goodbye.  In doing so, I was confronted by SO’s latest acquisition – a fridge/freezer he’d picked up from the side of the road.  It does work; but it was so revoltingly filthy, I had previously vowed I wasn’t going near it, much less clean it.  The black, fluffy mould which covered the interior was retch-making, and would probably lead to a nasty dose of ebola if it was inhaled.

Anyhow, I looked at it.  And yes, two and a half hours later, the bloody thing was clean, inside and out.  I’m sure there are antibiotics you can take for ebola, so I’m not too concerned.  When SO came home and saw it, he was overjoyed….. new beer fridge!!!  As a result, he actually offered to cook dinner – grilled fish and vegies – so I took him up on his very kind offer.  Quid pro quo (otherwise known as, ‘you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours’.)   ;)

tmi

Warning: this post contains discussion of menstrual issues.  Feel free to pass.

Sigh.  I can see it’s going to be one of those weeks.

I’ve been horribly premenstrual for the last few days, and it came to a head last night.  I was in an evil mood.  Realising this, I decided to say as little as possible (having been there before, I know I tend to be beyond horrible whenever I speak when I’m like this) in order to spare SO from some of the pain.  Unfortunately he saw I wasn’t talking much and asked if anything was wrong.  This, of course, gave me the perfect excuse to snarl, ‘No, everything is fucking fantastic!!‘.  The scene ended up with me in tears and SO with the look of a rabbit caught in a car’s headlights.  Not the best evening for either of us.  I apologised profusely and went to bed early, as I couldn’t stand myself any longer.

Cut to this morning.  I woke up with the kind of cramps that make you wonder if something is actually disembowelling you.  When I worked out this wasn’t the case, I realised that work was not on the cards.  SO very kindly got me a hot water bottle, a glass of milk and a panadeine forte, which helped to zonk me out until about midday.  I’m not feeling the best tonight, but my mood is substantially improved, for which my poor long-suffering husband is grateful.

The only thing I can put all this down to is the problems we’re still having with the unit we’re buying.  Settlement has been delayed a week, and we think the bank have lost our loan application documents for the second time.  It’s getting beyond ridiculous.  To be honest, because it’s been such a drawn out process (we put in our offer in March!), I’ve lost interest.  Still, final pre-settlement inspection is this Friday, so hopefully I’ll get excited again when I see it.

recipe: arrabiata sauce

I made this the other night.  I gave it a go because not only is it low GI, but it’s also vegetarian.  In my experience, arrabiata contains hot Italian sausage.  Now, I adore Italian sausage; but it’s a highly processed meat, which contains a lot of fat.  So when I saw this recipe, I was intrigued enough to give it a go.  (Of course if you wanted to, you could include the sausage.)

Link:  Arrabiata sauce, from Taste.com.au.

Taste:  Fantastic.  Absolutely had the authentic taste of a beautiful traditional arrabiata.  One thing to note – I only used one red chilli, about 10cms long, as SO isn’t able to eat really hot food.  It was still hot, but not unbearably so.  Next time I make this I’ll do the same.

Difficulty: Very easy.

Approximate cost of ingredients:  I didn’t keep details, but this would have cost no more than about $5, including the pasta I cooked to go with it.  It will do us for two dinners (ie. it serves four people).  Very cheap.

Quickness or otherwise:  Very quick.  Took about 20 minutes from start to finish.

Other comments:  We both really enjoyed this one.  Delicious.  SO didn’t even complain much about the fact it was a vegetarian recipe.

Overall:  Brilliant recipe.  Loved this one.

Score: 9.5/10.  Quick, easy, few ingredients which are easy to source.  This one is a definite keeper.

recipe: beef and borlotti bean stew

I made this recipe last night, for dinner.  Yes, two new recipes in one day – this is a record for me!  I’ll have to make sure to edit this post to include how good it tastes as leftovers, when we eat the rest tomorrow night.  Generally a nice, easy recipe that tasted good.  Would work well as comfort food in winter.  I’ll be making this one again.

Link:  Beef and borlotti bean stew, from Taste.com.au.

Taste:  Delicious.  The beans were a bit…. crunchy?  Just a bit.  This is despite the fact I put them in boiled water twice, rather than the once indicated in the recipe.  However, the red wine and beef stock gravy was delicious, and it all tasted good.  I’d cook this one again on its taste.

Difficulty: Easy.  All you need to be able to do is brown meat and simmer stuff.  Even I could manage this on the first try.

Approximate cost of ingredients:  $21.50.  However, it makes a lot, and I extended it by serving steamed vegies alongside.  It will do us for two dinners (and SO is a big eater).

Quickness or otherwise:  Slow.  It took me nearly two hours, including the vegies, dishing up process etc.  However, it looks after itself most of the time, so ideal for a weekend when you’re doing other things, or maybe even in the slow cooker.

Other comments: SO liked this.  It took us both a bit of getting used to, with the beans being a bit on the crunchy side, but it wasn’t unpleasant, just unexpected.  (They weren’t undercooked, they just weren’t mushy.)

Overall:  Recommended if you have the time.  Maybe not something to try after a long day at work.

Score:  7.5/10.  I’d say more, but it did take a while to cook.