What Is Up With NY State Taxes?

I got paid this week. (That's the Hallelujah Chorus you hear in the background.) It feels great to be earning a paycheck again, and I have to admit that the amount felt HUGE, even though it's not. I'm starting to really enjoy my job. On Friday I was reviewing a report before sending it on to corporate and I started to feel excited that all the gibberish is going to make sense at some point. That is going to feel great.

Lots is going on with the job. I already have one employee that HATES me, and knowing how to deal with that in a totally new culture is causing a little stress. But I have started to feel like the job is one that I could eventually love - crazy, isn't it? My boss still seems great. She was telling me her philosophy about work on Friday while we reviewed this report together. She said she makes sure something is 90% ok and then moves on to something else. That was hard for this little brain to handle. 90%??? What about obsessing over it and making sure every detail is correct and giving 150%? How can you be the teacher's pet if you only give 90%? It would be great if I could learn a little of that and let it balance out my Type A insanity. That's a tall order, so we'll see.

So I've started to think of vacations! I have three weeks this year and need to start planning something soon. My great love is travel and I think it would be nice to have something to look forward to as I continue to struggle with knowing how to juggle work and life. I've been thinking about concerts and maybe making it to Nashville and LA to see Craig Carothers and Levi Kreis. I've never been to Nashville, so that could be fun. I know I'll visit DC at some point, as I've never been and a close friend just moved back there. And I've never been to Toronto or Montreal, which are both now in my neighborhood.
I'm also thinking about doing a bigger vacation in the fall. It's been a long time since I've been to Europe, and the toss up is always between going someplace I've been and loved, and going someplace totally new. Someplace new usually wins. I love Eastern Europe, so I'm thinking maybe Poland or Hungary or something. I don't know. I studied Greek for 3 1/2 years in college - maybe Greece? Several years ago an old ex-bf and I rented a car and drove all the hell over Europe. I've always done the train on solo trips, but driving was really fun, and I admit that I'm a natural on the Autobahn. Who knows? Part of the fun is dreaming about and researching locations. I've wondered about making the leap to Africa, as I've never been, and have friends of friends in West Africa. Do I take two weeks at at time to really get away, or do just one week at a time and spread it out throughout the summer and fall? These are my favorite kinds of dilemmas.