Taxes. ARGH!

WOULD SOMEONE please explain to me--Don--this means you, since you are my only reader, right now. :o) Why do I feel like I am being taxed twice?????? I took out money from my IRA (without penalty for first time home buyer) and paid the tax on it. Now when I enter my 1099-R it counts as income (I guess in a new bracket) and lowers my tax refund. Is it just me, or does that seem like I am being taxed twice? NO PENALTY withdrawal--YEAH RIGHT!
I have also discovered that I would have been better off NOT working a second part time job this year since I was only taxed $7.10 in federal taxes and $7.01 in state taxes. Thank GOD we bought a house and were able to claim the first time home-buyer credit--or else I would have been paying federal and state taxes in amounts that I would not be able to afford! Granted--without the house I wouldn't have to count the IRA as income. GEEZ. I can't catch a break this year.

I'm going to start writing again!

I woke up this morning and decided...I need to blog. A lot is going on in my life and it will be nice to have an outlet, as well as a chance to share my thoughts, laugh at myself and connect with fellow bloggers.



SO...my wedding was October 11, 2008 and I found out 3 weeks before the wedding that I was pregnant! So...here I am 6 months pregnant with a little girl. We are so excited and cannot wait to meet our little Addison Faith.



Being pregnant has definitely been a test of will and strength for me. When I hear women say they love being pregnant--I wonder if they truly love being pregnant--or because they are now mothers of children whom they love--they look back on the experience as a pleasant one? Maybe a little of both. I can't exactly share the sentiment that I love being pregnant...but what I can share is that I love the child growing inside of me. It isn't something I can easily explain because it is strange loving someone whom you have never met--but I feel her moving around and I know she is there--THAT IS DEFINITELY EVIDENT IN MY GROWING GIGANTIC stomach!

As much as I don't like looking at the scale and seeing it creep up--after a year of diligently working to lose weight and get into shape--and as much as I don't like looking pale--(yes, I know tanning is bad--but I do enjoy having a little color on my skin)--and as much as I feel pain--I still wouldn't trade having the opportunity or loving Addison or being her mommy.

I think it is funny that my last post was about a book on self-image, when I seem to be having a lot of self-image issues right now! Last night, I got home around 9:15pm and I glanced in the mirror by my front door and this is the image I saw standing before me:

That's right Mama Fratelli from The Goonies was staring back at me! I had the greasy hair, the haggard,worn expression, the pasty white skin, and a very defeated look of despair on my face. My husband assures me that I don't really look like this--but I feel like I do. I feel like I am pregnant ALL over my body--I can see it in my face, my belly, my chest...everywhere. So I have decided to channel all of this despair into love for Addison and to start working on a plan. I know I won't be able to jump right back into my 5:30am boot camp work-outs, but I plan on starting slow and working my way back into it--Weight Watchers is the best $40.00 a month I ever spent and I will certainly be giving them a call after Addison arrives. Having a plan makes me feel a little less "Fratelli." In the meantime I will have to settle for a new haircut and an eyebrow waxing!

Body Drama

I was so busy the other night at work, I barely had time to finish the article I was reading in People magazine about Nancy Amanda Redd's new book Body Drama. I was so impressed with what she said in this article, that I went to B&N after work to find this book.
Having a younger teenaged sister has opened my eyes to many new issues facing today's female teenagers. I am in my late 20's and I NEVER dealt with many of the issues that she is facing--or at least not until I was much older. This book covers so many of these issues. I bought the book and mailed it to her.

Nancy Redd, a former Miss Virginia, and Miss America contestant, wrote this book to cover many topics many young girls may be too embarrassed to bring up. I think it is a terrific "manual" for young women.

2 Email Responses to my Midnight Hero!

Ms. Ingram - thank you for your kind remarks concerning the officer who returned your Wachovia ATM card. I am copying Captain Lowe and Lts. Dimitry and Jones as I suspect it may have been a First Precinct officer. If not, I am sure they will notify the proper precinct command.

Again, thank you for your email and have great holidays.

Tom Mitchell
Support Division Manager
Virginia Beach Police Department

Second Response

I am polling my officers in an attempt to determine which officer this may have been.



It is also possible the officer is not assigned to the 1st Precinct but assigned to Special Operations as they also work in uniform and at night.



Hopefully we can determine the officer and get him the recognition this incident deserves.



Thank very much for bringing this to our attention; usually we only hear from folks who are dissatisfied with the officer’s actions.



Once we identify the officer I’ll let you know.



Also, a copy of you email will be placed in their permanent personnel jacket as a letter of recognition.



Captain K.M. Lowe, Jr.

Commanding Officer




It makes me feel good that the person who helped me will get some recognition for his act of kindness. I really hope they are able to find him!

Midnight Hero

A copy of the letter I sent this morning to the Virginia Beach Police Department Division Manager:

Mr. Mitchell,

I found your email address on the city website and I know you probably aren't the right person to send this too, but perhaps you can put me in contact with correct person. I would love to share this story with this police officer's supervisor, but I have no idea who he was.

Last night I got off work at my seasonal job around midnight and went to the ATM to deposit my paycheck. I arrived back at my apartment to finish wrapping a few presents before I went to bed. Around 12:30am (12/21/07) there was a knock at my door. My fiancé is in the Marines and is in CA so I am a little apprehensive about answering my door, especially at that hour of night. My dog was going crazy and I was a little off guard as to who would be at my door so late--as I was reaching for my phone to call the police, I looked outside and saw a police cruiser. There was another knock at my door and I asked who it was and the gentleman announced himself as a police officer. I opened the door and he asked me if I was Kristen Ingram, I said yes, and then he handed me my ATM card and said, I just wanted to make sure you got this back. Apparently in my midnight shift exhaustion I had driven away from the ATM, not only without getting my card back, but also leaving my banking information wide open on the ATM screen. He had pulled into the ATM behind me. Since my dog (a Weimaraner--I'm sure the officer would remember the dog because he commented on her) was going crazy I didn't get the opportunity to get this officer's name or to really thank him properly.

I just want him to know how grateful I really am that he took the time to not only get my card back for me, but to look me up, and promptly return it to me. Not only did he save me from a potential dishonest person gaining access to my account, but had the ATM machine shut-down my access and kept my card--he saved me the hassle of canceling the card and having to order a new one.

I was at the Wachovia ATM on Lynnhaven Parkway, near the Wal-Mart and Toys R Us. I don't know what precinct the officer is in---but last night he was my hero.

Thank you for letting me share this with you and if you can put me in contact with the proper person, I would really appreciate it.

Kristen A. Ingram

Rudy and Lucia

These are our two wonderful doggies! While Jim was gone I had several travel obligations for work, thanks to my mom and dad who graciously agreed to dog sit--Lucia and Rudy went on a little doggie vacation to Danville, VA. Words cannot describe how much I missed these 2 little critters.
It is becoming more and more apparent to me that with when I have no sense of responsibility I flounder. When Jim left, I still had the responsibility for caring for our dogs and once they were gone I only had responsibility for myself. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself--however, call it a mothering instinct or whatever--I feel more put together--more of a sense of purpose when there is someone in this world relying on me. Rudy and Lucia have been home for several weeks now--and I can already see a difference in my life and how I go about taking care of business. I have a greater sense of purpose--I am more effective. I am learning that I am completely motivated by staying busy---and these 2 little guys keep me busy!
Since thier trip to Danville, they have been readjusting to being home. Every time they go away--they return with little bad habits. Lucia loves to knock over the trashcan--I HATE IT! Rudy is so introverted that it takes me weeks to get him to come out of his shell. He loves to lay under the bed or in his kennel and rarely comes out to play. I am hoping that if I continue to work with them on these little things they will eventually get back to normal!

Trials and Tribulations of being engaged to a US Marine

So--if you have been reading my blogs you will knows that Jim has completed boot camp, and just finished his MCT training. He is now in CA for his MOS training that was supposed to begin this week. (Supposed to being the operative words) I received a call from him tonight and his training will not begin until Jan 2008. They are keeping him in CA on "work parties" until then. So what was only going to be 2 more months of him being gone has turned into 5 months away from home. Not a happy girl :o(

Wedding planning has begun waaaay sooner than I ever anticipated it would. I know from working in the hotel industry that brides begin planning far far in advance--but I thought by having such a small, fun ceremony at a beach house would be so much easier with less advanced planning. I WAS WRONG. You can't just rent a beach house and have a party--you have to seek out a specific event beach house and you have to have event insurance for the beach house and there are only about 10 beach houses in this area that are classified as event houses. So I had to sacrifice my original wedding date for Oct. 11, 2008 beacause that is when the house was available. So my somewhat summerish beach wedding may wind up being a little chilly. So I have the house, I'm looking for the dress, I have family reseraching invitations, bridesmaid dresses are being evaluated, flower arrangements are being shopped, decorations are being purchased, etc., etc., etc. This is all happening so soon! Thank goodness for my best friend Niccole--she keeps me grounded and when I start freaking out about this moving too fast she just puts it into perspective for me. Love her!