It is 10:55pm here, I’m working on our tax return, and the ONE pencil we own has run out of lead.
Instead of staying up to the wee hours mired in the fascinating intricacies of the US tax code, I’m going to finish my glass of wine and go to bed.
Who says minimalism doesn’t have its perks? ;-)
Sounds like a plan to me!! : ) Great thing being a minimalist is you have a lot of flexibility. HAVE FUN!!! : )
Heather, the rest of the night was quite enjoyable! Great to go with the flow. :-)
oh no! wait oh yes? if i hadnt done my taxes online i doubt i would have been able to find a pencil ;)
LOL, josie — glad I’m not the only one lacking writing implements!
Wait… people still do taxes by hand?!
Jeff, I wouldn’t dream of attempting my first year of expat taxes without software! I downloaded it earlier this week, expecting to breeze through the returns. Imagine my dismay when I reached the most difficult of forms, and the program said something to the effect of, “We’re going to do something different now. Instead of answering interview questions, open up this form and fill it in by hand. Click Finished when you’re ready to move on.” ?!?!
After a few choice “gosh darns” ;-), I picked up the aforementioned pencil and got to work. HOURS later, my lack of lead (and other pencils) gave me a most welcome reprieve. :-)
That’s a great example of enforced discipline from your minimalist lifestyle. You just had to go with what the moment presented. Great!
Hi Jason! I was happy to discover that running out of something isn’t necessarily “bad.”
Awwwww… you have to put it off.
By the way I adore my mechanical pencils. I hate the way traditional wood and lead (graphite, really) go dull after a few lines of writing and you can now replace both the leads and erasers in the mechanicals, making them last for years! The only way I will give one up is if it gets lost.
Carla, I love mechanical pencils too, for the same reason. I’ve had my current one for years. Better yet, it’s also a pen (turn once for the pencil, turn again for the pen), so it’s actually my only writing implement. :-)
Lol at this! A friend gave us a pack of one hundred pencils when my first son started school. He’s in Primary 3 now and his little brother is in Primary 1 and we’ve used maybe ten. I have visions of being buried with these pencils…
Karen
(Scotland)
Got a bunch of free mechanical pencils and pens over the years and have enough so I’ll never have to buy any. Find other office supplies at yard sales and rummage sales. There isn’t much I need or want otherwise.
Have a bunch of small pads with my name imprinted from charities. Gave the plain ones away. Still using the pens and pencils from years ago. I have drawing pencils and paper from years ago. Sometimes I sketch. One of the books I kept is about Japanese brush painting and another on drawing plants and flowers. I am down to one shelf of books.
Just gave away another stack of books. I am trying to empty a bookcase so my son can take it when he gets his own place. Besides, there are so many hobbies I don’t do any more. I gave away more quilting, sewing, and beading books. Also more paper crafting books.
I thought of you because my husband wanted 3 rubber bands and was going to buy 100. I went to one of the places I volunteer and got 3 rubber bands. They said they came on mail. he was happy and so was I.
My grandkids came over and we did a 300 piece jigsaw puzzle together. Then they read for about an hour. I dug out my drawing pencils and good erasers and we sketched together until their folks came back to take them home and put them to bed. I know other grandparents who would have just put in a DVD for them but we don’t own any I think they’d be interested in. Besides, what’s the fun in visiting grandma-grandpa was busy- if you just watch tv.
Someone gave me a package of soda straws. I thought of making beads for the 4th of July with some cardboard and dental floss. I think there is some narrow red ribbon for bows here, too.
My friend taught her Bible school class how to make necklaces with straws and string or ribbon. Then she sent me a picture of the kids.