1. Serve as a small nugget of useless knowledge that you will promptly remove from the limited space we all have for knowledge retention in our gray matter.
2. Cause you to shake your head in disbelief at the futility of trying to understand the IRS.
3. All of the above

What gets my goat is that I have to fill out the really confusing forms for living abroad and get them to the IRS even though I don't pass the limit of income.  IF i did pass the limit, I would be taxed on the amount over that limit by the IRS - so doubly taxed by paying taxes to Finland AND the US on the same money.  Where I get the benefits of paying my taxes in this country (free education, maternity benefits, free health care, etc), the only benefit I get from the taxes I would pay the IRS were I over the limit,  is the privilege of carrying a US passport and the protection of the US embassy should I need it.  Great benefits, yes. I am a proud American - however, these forms require that you have a PhD in economics!  GRRRRR....

With that rant being done - my task for this evening is to fill out my 1040, and 4 other appendices so that the IRS doesn't try to arrest me when I eventually move home...  And in-case you are worried about the dreaded April 15th deadline on my behalf - I do get an automatic extension to June by nature of living abroad. So, I will be well in time for filing.

 

The debate I am going through now in my head is if I use some of my stuff from my 1st gig and work in the new stuff...hmmmmm. discuss...

WOOOHOOO

The feedback I got was very encouraging.  I am actually stoked because the chic that runs the comedy club watched my set and pulled me aside afterwards to tell me that I was fuckin hilarious and that I am welcome to come do a set any time at the club :)  So that is a plus :)

Friday night we decided to stay in.  Met da Finn (tm) at the open air market (go local whenever possible people) only to find that they were all closed up at 4pm? What on (insert your favorite deity here)'s green earth were they thinking?  Working professionals like us can't just leave our office at 12pm on a Friday (oh how I wish) just to get to them before they close.  It was kinda sad actually.  We have been making a concerted effort to buy from local farmers at the farmer's market so that we 1) reduce our carbon foot print  2.) Support local growers and 3) get happy fresh food to cook at home rather than the crap with preservatives in it.   We were mighty disappointed let me tell you.  We walked to the large supermarket across the way and picked up some stuff for dinner.  Luckily we were able to get most things from the organic isle and avoided the products that didn't say grown/produced in Finland.  There were exceptions however, but for the most part we tried to keep it local.  The problem is that the big supermarket chains have most likely paid a ridiculously low amount for the stuff they mark-up to sell to their consumers.  Frustrating.    We cooked at home and then da Finn(tm) and I went through my stand-up set.  I did some tweeking - with some great suggestions by da Finn - and I think I have a pretty good flow at this point.  Now the key is to memorize it and be able to spit it out without sounding like I memorized it. 
Saturday:

We went to Suomenlinna for a lovely birthday picnic with our friends Jaana and Päivi - it was Jaana's birthday.  That place always makes me want to put on period costuming and start speaking in old Finnish. - Not that I have the ability to speak in Old Finnish...but I would give it my best shot whilst running around shouting about the Swedes or the Russians coming :)   It was a great day.  Sunny, not too windy, not too hot not too cold.  If I had blonde hair it would have been like Goldie Locks...only different.  We had champagne, fresh strawberries with home made whipped cream (da Finn really is talented), cheeses, prosciutto, pasta salad, dark bread, wine, more wine...and more wine.  Lo and behold, when we stepped foot back on the ferry to head back to the mainland...I was a wee bit tipsy.  I proceeded to then introduce myself to these lovely grad students from Oshkosh Wisconsin and we discussed - if my hazy memory serves - Scandinavian history and the history of Finland in regards to Russia...  Brain ..over....load.  Then in my infinite wisdom I bought them all a shot of the local specialty - yes the ferry has a fully functional bar -  called Salimiakkikossu