I'm feeling a lot better about the nursery -- it's beginning to shape up. I finally got EVERYTHING out of that room and cleaned the carpet this weekend.


We were finally able to start putting together the stuff we got at IKEA. The desk and bookshelf are assembled. I got my computer hooked back up yesterday. The dresser is put together, but will need to be painted. It is sort of an antique finish so we are going to paint it the blue that is going to be the trim-around-the-window color. We just found out that our crib is on back-order, so the new arrival date should be March 1.

I got another cryptic letter from Ohio dept of taxation wanting back sales tax for Hope's Handmade. I have been out of business since around June of 2004. The tax folks STILL are trying to collect sales tax for times I haven't been open. Since almost all of my sales were over the internet (out of state), I would generally have like 5 bucks in sales tax to send in for a 6 month period. If you don't pay your sales tax, the minimum assessment is $200. This means that the tax folks keep trying to collect assorted $200's for various 6 month periods that I wasn't in business. The most recent letter had a phone number. (YAY!) I called and talked to a woman who made it sound like she put a note on my account that Hope's Handmade has been closed and that I should not receive any more letters. I'm still concerned about the July to Dec 2004 period that is the main one being contested. I requested a hearing so that I could explain to someone in person that there was no business during that time period. Hopefully either that will be granted or they will realize what is going on and just cancel the whole thing. Either way, she said it would be 10 weeks before I hear anything.

I need to:

- Mail a letter (certified) to the Ohio Dept of Taxation. They don't seem to believe that I've been out of business and want over $200 in back taxes. Grrr... (UPDATE - the stupid mail truck didn't come today)
- Contact Choice to get doula list
- Contact a least 3 doulas for interviews
- pick a birth class (Grant hosp. vs. a private one)
- decide whether or not to take a breastfeeding class
- clean off my desk at work (that should take the rest of the day - at least)
- Visit some pediatrician offices and get a doctor picked
- Pick a &$% crib and get it ordered
- register at BRU with the actual zapper thing before Patty sends out the Canton invites on Wednesday
-CLEAN THE NURSERY (UPDATE - To the skilled eye, the room looks only slightly better. I spent the majority of time going through 10+ years of software and unlabeled floppy disks -- most of which I trashed. I have a large pile of donatables that have been moved to another room. We've started on the *shudder* closet as well.)

Cyndi at work had her baby this morning. That bumps me up to third in line to pop.

On a lighter note, I've started going through the crap in the soon-to-be-nursery room. I took some pictures of the before. Yipes... We have a lot of stuff to go through/get rid of/re-organize. This was formerly the junk room and where all my 'puter stuff was. The computer is staying, but we need to go to IKEA and get a desk that will allow me to go vertical with stuff so there is more floor space.

This room also has 3 completely full bookcases (some two books deep), a filing cabinet, a cat tree, some cacti that were brought in for the winter, etc. etc. etc. The thing with this stuff is that it is in the room because there is no other place for it to go. This was the room that this kind of stuff went to. This means stuff needs to be condensed and/or boxed and/or found new homes for. Our only options are the basement (damp and gross) or the crawl space upstairs (dark and scary). Oh well, at least I'm started.

( The sad state of the room in photographic form... )