Back to work! Is that good?

Well, here it is the 18th of March, although this post can't be viewed by anyone until the 20th of March due to contractual agreements. I've got a job! Woo hoo! So, is that a good thing? Overall it is, I've found myself getting a little crabby with the kids lately. I know that is only because I'm with them more than I have been. Working the 50-60 hour week took me away from all of the family for a long time.

So here I am with a new job...a new career...a new life?

This is going to be very different from what I've been doing for the last half of my life. I've bought a business. I, with my wife, own Penguin's Frozen Yogurt on the corner of Campbell and Fort Lowell in Tucson Arizona.

It is amazing the feeling. I'm not as nervous as I thought I would be, and certainly not as nervous as I was when we bought our house, or the one before it. It's interesting though because this is our livlihood on the line. I certainly hope I can make it happen.

This is a much different thing from what I've been doing. Over the past month and a half people have been asking me left and right what I'm doing now. I've had to keep my lips sealed for the most part because this was one of two business transactions I was working on. The other was car audio related. It really felt like it was time for a change though, in this case a big change. Not only am I jumping from one type of career to a whole other, I am now the employer instead of the employee. Yikes!

I think it will be good though. I officially take posession of the company on Thursday @ 3PM. This post won't be up until that day though, so I guess it doesn't matter.

Well there will be 9 employees plus myself, I meet all of them on Thursday at 5pm. A few of them are going to really be in for a suprise as I have just been a regular customer for the last month or so. Now I'm in the place owning and operating it.

Why frozen yogurt & Gelato? Well after some serious investigation into a variety of companies that I was interested in purchasing it came doen to a final round of two. Penguin's and another, a car audio store. Well I'll tell you this much, the annual revenue is about the same, and honestly, how long have I been talking about walking away from car audio? Too many years. I felt like if I went the other way I was tying my own neuce. I was getting into something that I was going to hate, and never be able to get away from it. So, that's why frozen yogurt and gelato!



So, that's him, Pete the Penguin. The cartoon character of the shop. As of now he's earning more money than me.

My hopes are to make this as successful of a business as I can. I hope you'll all keep me and the family in your thoughts and prayers. If your around, come by and grab some frozen yogurt!

Stimulus Package

Since there has been so much talk about the stimulus package I wanted to look into it and see what was really going on. Here is what I found and it helped me considerably. Some of you may already know this, and others may not care, but here it is either way.

Eager for Stimulus Rebate? Check out These Myths and Facts

RISMEDIA, March 4, 2008-(MCT)-The Internal Revenue Service has gone into myth-busting mode. Just weeks after Congress passed an economic stimulus package that includes so-called “rebate” payments for about 130 million taxpayers, rumors and misconceptions abound over who is eligible and how to get the money.

The IRS has been busy releasing notices to clarify what’s going on, with plans to send out letters this week reminding people to file 2007 tax returns in order to receive their economic stimulus payments.

Here are some other morsels you might need to chew on when it comes to your stimulus payment.

Myth: You have to report the stimulus payment you receive this year as income and pay tax on it.
Fact: The payments are not taxable and will not negatively affect the 2008 tax return you file in 2009.

Myth: Economic stimulus payments will reduce your refund when you file your taxes next year.
Fact: Not only will the payment not reduce your refund, but if you receive less than the maximum amount, you could receive an additional credit amount, up to the maximum, on your return next year. If your stimulus payment is more than the credit calculated on your return next year, you do not have to repay the difference. (The maximum amount is up to $600 for individuals or $1,200 for married couples filing jointly, plus up to $300 for each qualifying child.)

Myth: Filing taxes is so hard, you can’t possibly do them yourself, and professionals are too expensive.
Fact: People not normally required to file can use a special, simple version of Form 1040A to qualify for the payment, only needing to fill out a few lines of the form. And there are dozens of free tax preparation sites in the Tucson area for low-income and elderly taxpayers. To locate such a site, call 1-800-906-9887 or 1-800-352-3792.

Myth: Payments are automatic for everyone. You don’t need to do anything but keep checking your mail in anticipation of its arrival.
Fact: You must file a federal tax return in order to receive it. If you are one of millions of people who don’t normally file a tax return, but got at least $3,000 in Social Security, railroad retirement or certain veterans’ benefits, or if you have a small amount of earned income, you need to file a Form 1040A to receive a minimum payment of $300 for individuals or $600 for married couples.

Myth: Payments won’t be mailed until July or later, which doesn’t help when you need your money now.
Fact: Payments will begin going out starting in early May and will continue through the summer.

The IRS has yet to release the 2008 stimulus payment direct deposit and mail-out schedule. The fastest way to get your payment is to electronically file your taxes and have the money directly deposited into your bank account.

Myth: Everyone is eligible for a stimulus payment.
Fact: Lots of people aren’t going to get it. People who have less than $3,000 in qualifying income who wouldn’t otherwise file a return, “nonresident aliens,” people who don’t have a valid Social Security number, those who can be claimed as dependents on someone else’s return, and anyone who files a Form 1040NR, Form 1040PR or Form 1040SS are not eligible. Also, anyone with an income above the level at which the stimulus payment gradually reduces until it is phased out will not get a stimulus payment. Phase-out income levels begin at $75,000 for a single head of household or $150,000 for married filing jointly.

Although the purpose of the stimulus payments, or “rebates” as some people call them, is ostensibly to encourage consumers to continue spending in a weakened economy, the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies suggests people first evaluate whether they are in a “personal recession.”

http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-03-03/eager-for-stimulus-rebate-check-out-these-myths-and-facts