Aaaaahhhhhhh...

Tax time... I have been so busy, I've been putting it off. We always have a ton of stuff to add up. I miss the days of the 1040-EZ. But tonight I forced myself to get everything together. The Husband will be mailing it to our tax preparer tomorrow. Then we just have to... wait, write a $400 check, and pray that we're getting money back. But at least it's a relief to have it almost done. Done-ish.

My GOAL was to get everything in the mail to the tax preparer YESTERDAY. But I didn't. I spent pretty much the entire day researching stuff for our Vegas trip. I am so excited. Maybe that's the psychology of procrastinating on the taxes... I don't want to know how much of this trip we can't afford. Aah, you say, but if you had the taxes done you might have gotten a REFUND and then you could take it to the craps tables and blow it. Yeah, doesn't work like that around here. We always seem to end up owing the State of California whatever we get back from Uncle Sam. I guess that's the mark of successful tax planning; having a big "windfall" in April just means you've been loaning the government interest-free cash for a year. Still, it would be nice every once in awhile to get some huge refund and buy a big-screen TV with it or whatever people who get refunds do.

Okay, enough whining about taxes. Back to Vegas. I've got dinner reservations at a Zagat-rated place, a Restaurant.com certificate for a drag show dinner, and $50 in comps at New York, New York as part of our Cirque du Soleil package. And I've got a list of the cheapest buffets in town for breakfast and dinner. I've got us on guest lists for three ultra lounges (though we're leaving town before K-Fed's birthday bash), and I've committed most of Gay Vegas: A Guide to the Other Side of Sin City to memory. I've printed out certificates to get coupon books at the outlet malls. I found my Harrah's card and have printed out 20 pages of March casino deals. And this afternoon we went to the mall and spent $200 on new clothes for the trip. (Yes, I know, $200 won't even buy a belt in the Forum Shops, but I wanted clothes I can wear OFF the Strip as well.)

I cannot remember the last time we had an entire week away. We had three or four five-day vacations during '07, but nothing with an entire week and two weekends on either side. We have plans with two sets of friends (one couple that is taking us to the airport and picking us up, and another that's joining us for the first weekend in Vegas). And it's going to be warm. (It's been lovely here lately--unseasonably so--but the highs in Vegas are in the 70's this week. There are just so many things to love about this trip! Five more days...