Tests and Taxing issues

Today I got the results of some tests. These were PSYCHOmetric tests, verbal reasoning and numerical.



the good news is that one set of tests proved that I was 100% better in one (verbal reasoning) than the other (numerical).



the bad news is that I scored out of 7000 people 1% for the percentile for numercial and 2% for the verbal reasoning. Go figure. This may be one reason I have tax issues.



I learnt that I am slow. Go figure.



I learnt that apparently it is the *norm* to dislike 3:10 people. Yes thats 3 in 10 people. I can work that out.



I should be heartend that if I compared my results to *the man in the street* than hey they wouldn't seem so bad. But I have to remember that the *man in the street* doesn't sit these tests.



I learnt that I like to see things and make things happen - but I do it slowly.



Anyways, I'm a bit over all this self analysis.



Luckily I have a weekend planned where I will be both seeing things and eating things.

One of lifes inevitable truths

is that when IRD have completed an assessment it is correct and unable to be reassessed.

So, here is my final letter

Dear ****


Thank you for your letter of 27 April 2009 in response to my letter of 26 March 2009 confirming my tax dates and amounts for my Income Tax assessment for year ended 31 March 2008. I acknowledge and accept that the information recorded is correct.

I will make arrangemnets via the 0800 number (although I wish this could be sharpened up - yeah its great that you can be called back - but the whole process takes 10 fricken minutes to get to that point)you have provided to have this amount payed in full over the next month. Please note I am not in a a financial position to pay this amount in full in one payment, as I really believed that an IRD error had been made. Well, hello, I was wrong there wasn't I?

I note the that the amount I earned in Septemebr 2007 was due to cashing in my annual leave when I changed jobs. By cashing my annual leave in it enabled me to pay my VISA debt. I did this instead of having a holiday. What do I get in return - a fricken tax DEBT. Where's the logic in that I ask.

Please note that I have tried to sort this matter out expediently as I could. Please refer to my comnent realting to the 0800 number and as you are aware it takes some time for these fricken letters to churn through the IRD machine.

I am gutted. I am devasted that I am now placed in a postion of paying IRD this amount. It should be made clear to ordinary people like me that there will be penalties for doing this.

Anyway, thanks for your help on this issue. I guess I can be grateful for one thing, and thats I dont work for IRD eh?



Yours
Hebequeen

Double rainbow

Today because my train was delayed, this meant waiting at the railway station. Then lo and behold appeared a Double rainbow. It was the clearest rainbow I have seen for some time and the curve went right over the tracks and the reversed it self in terms of the colour. There is a scientific explanation for this and you can find it on Wikipedia.

My Dad always said rainbows were not a good sign and he didn't like them. But I do. I think rainbows are - like it says in the Bible. And like it was for Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.

Susan Boyle

A.m.a.z.i.n.g

She is my new heroine.

I'd do a linky (but you know I don't).

So, if you haven't read the news feeds she has taken Briatin and Simon Cowell by storm.

A 40 something lady who lives with her cat who has a dream.

Brillant video on You Tube. Inspiring in its own way. Love it. Love her work, her frock, her smile, her humour and her wonderful voice.

Toilets and cellphones

One of my early postings (imagine the linky) was about how my workplace (floor) colleagues seemed obsessive about the toilets.

Eek, this has become me, a year later.

So, today I walked into the ladies toilet and I could hear that cubcile one was on the telephone. The conversation of cubicle one ranged from lunch, purchase of new car, how new car was driving and what was for dinner.

I was going to cough, ahem, but I didn't, The voice from cubcile one was that of my Group Manager. Ok, she is busy etc. Relatively. But surely she could have had this conversation back at her desk, in her office?

Call me old fashioned, but I just don't think its ettiquette to conduct your cellphone conversations in the toilet,

I felt most uncomfortable. But clearly my Group Manager did not.

Purple Pumpkin

One of my earlier posts (imagine the linky) was on how crazy it was I was buying my vegetables from the Farmers Market at Solway, when the lady that grows them lives within 2km of me.

Well at the weekend I went to the market. Ms Purple Pumpkin said "I haven't seen you in ages" And I said "oh, I can't come as often now because I don't have a car at the moment"

Then Ms Purple Pumpkin says "Oh, I could put you on my 'local list' becasue you live in **** St in that *** house **** (location) and I already deliver to a couple of houses down that street. Seriously, I almost fell over - that she knew where I lived. But then when I thought about it I think she is is probably friends with my neighbours daughter who lives near her. I rather defensively said "how do you know where I live" And she said "Oh I've seen you out walking and I run round ***** st".

Tonight as promised in my letterbox was the vegetable list for this week.

"Hi, here's this weeks list. I send the weekly list out on a Monday, the orders need to be with me by 12 noon Wednesday. I pick Thursday and deliver Thursday evening".

How good is that? Fresh 'organically grown Spray Free Vegetables' delivered to my door, including eggs. And how good is that in terms of food miles? Apart from growing it myself and swapping with the neighbours, you can't really beat it.

This feels like one more step closer to becoming a 'local'. My steps are slower than others - like I often thought of ringing Ms Purple Pumpkin - only to discover all along she had an existing local delivery list.

Anyway, I'm now on it and have just placed my first order including eggs. No need to buy chickens!!

I can plan my own vegetable gardening by what she doesn't grow eg broad beans. But I'm now set for eggs, spinach, silverbeet etc

NB Purple Pumpkin is the registered name of her business - which also inlcudes general horticulture advice.

Babe Ruth and Trains

Tonight the 5.33 to Carterton was delayed. This meant that the 5.33 passengers and the 6.18 passengers had to merge into the one train that departed Wellington Railway Station circa 6.40 pm. Timing is important to me.

All trains at the Railway Station were delayed - at least on the Upper Hutt line.

Once the train was on its journey a Tranzmetro man came through and announced he was sorry for the delay but the reasosn was one of the Train Managers (This is a flash term for a guard) on the incoming train had collapsed at Carterton railway station and had to be taken to Masterton Hospital. Train logic is dependent on outgoing trains being those that have previously been incoming trains.

So that is what was said by the Tranzmetro man with the yellow gerkin . Amazingly none of the passengers (and I am sorry to say this included me but at least inside I gave a shit) asked how the collapsed guard was or what is condition was. And then amazingly people started making conversations from their cellphones: and I quote one convo representative of the flavour:

"I'll be home late becasuse one of the guards has had a heart attack, so this means all the trains in NZ have stopped - and there's people standing on the train" (there was 1 person standing in my carriage)

Ah no, trains on the Upper Hutt route had been delayed due to the neccessity to follow health and safety procedures and because someones life may have been at risk.

People started complaining they would be late home. That NZ train didn't compare with those in Aus and Germany and Holland etc. They dont - but thats why they are NZ trains eh?

Then the best bit came. Ruth one of the "clippies" - that is not a train manager but lay person who earns a few extra bucks on her way to work by clipping tickets started her normal routine of "tickets please" . The Dutchman said "I'm not paying". The German woman said "neither am I" So Ruth (a classic Masterton mature woman) said "Well buggar you then" and walked off and noone had their tickets clicked. Hence a free $14.00 ride and some extra reading time.

So yeah I was an hour late home, but no big deal I missed the first few minutes of DWTS. But what about the guy in hospital?

Dare I say it, but a lot of the guards are proabaly heart attack material...but thats a seperate issue.

Yay for Ruth. She deserves a Tui.

How to get a new job part 2

First, prepare youself. Update your CV. Know who you are. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Explore. Know your passion. Know what rocks your world. What makes your world tick. Know what makes you get out of bed in the morning, Know what excites and engages you. Know what extends you. Know yourself. Inside out.

Don't be deterred by the crisis. The recession. Deficit is a mindset. Save your thoughts for bigger things.

Don't be deterred by people who interview you and then don't select you as their preferred candidate. Learn from the experience. Although it is worth considering the line "do you think that lipstick really is your colour". It traverses the ground of the personal. It won't get you the job - but heck, you will feel a hulluava lot better for having a little chuckle.

Consider the line "have we just wasted an hour of our lives when we could have been spending it more wisely" Again it won't get you the job but it will save everyone wasting more time eh?

So when one door closes in your face open another or keep knocking until the right one opens.

Some reasons why I like my town

I like my town - Carterton, because its real. My version of real. eg. Today I went and purchased fish from the fish man. He is the brother in law of Jean, the wife of the man who catches the fish out at Flat Point. I puchased the freshest Warehou for $9.00. Two decent meals. I don't know the name of the Jean's brother in law, just that I am his mate and he is my mate. Because like he says mate every second word and smiles. He is so happy. And he tells the same stories. And I kindof like that. Also the way he parks his truck up in the square and then people old and young come to him for his fish and his stories. And he is kind of a storyteller first and fishmonger second.

And then I go to Mirabelle - possibly the best cafe in the Wairarapa. Its run by this superb NZ cook and her French husband. The French husband is the front of house. Hes a bit abrupt sometimes, but today we established that I am a "local" and work in Wellington. This seemed to be quite significant progress for the Frenchman and me. This really is the best authentic French cafe you will find in the Wellington/Wairarapa region. Locals come in and meals are made to order, and there are conversations.

Then I went to buy a saw from the hardware store. I like the way the hardware store man treats you like you are the most important customer in the world. Which in that moment is possibly true because you are the only customer. But theres more authenticity to it than that. Its about making conversation.

Then i came home and sawed my wood (which my back neighbour chopped down without permission, but I kind of forgot that because the sun was shining and my bamboo is growing) while the roadworks guys had a banter about stuff and then got on with their work