The Day Starts

This was taken very early with me stomping about in a dressing gown, wellington boots and lugging the tripod that I have not yet learned to love.
I have to admit that I wasn't paying very much attention to the dogs.
I had something on my mind.

To digress slightly, those who dip in and out of this journal will know that I have an interest in personality differences.  I therefore know that I am one of those last minute people.  I always meet my deadlines but usually by the skin of my teeth.  I find it difficult to plan anything too far ahead.  Holidays are usually last minute as is Christmas planning. If you were to be invited to my home it will most likely be a last minute invitation by which time you will be booked up.  Living in a family of people who are very similar  I have had to operate outside my preferred style so I will try and write lists and will usually arrive at destinations hours before I need to.

All this is to explain why I leave it until January to submit our Tax returns.  For ten years, a lovely man called Max, would take the jumble of information I threw at him in the second week of January and turn it into an acceptable return by the 31st.  Nothing ever bothered him.

I therefore sent off the usual email last week with the information I had managed to pull together.  I heard nothing.  I followed it up with a phone call and got his answer phone.  I sent another email and followed this up with a phone call.  Still nothing.  A part of me wondered if he had had enough of my chaotic tax affairs and was refusing to respond as a way of escape.  I was panicking because although I am registered for self assessment I had used an old work email address and, of course, The Revenue need 10 days to send me the form that will allow me to re-set this. This means that I would pass the deadline.

This morning, then, in the garden I remembered that an acquaintance who I haven't seen for years had recommended him and, surprise, surprise I still had his phone number.  I was, very shocked to learn then that Max had died suddenly in October.  I had had an exchange of emails with him in August.  This was a shock.

Suddenly my problems with The Revenue seem very small.