Stonehenge?  Maybe not as a vacation spot, but interesting in any case... 

Today, I read an article from the BBC about the next planned excavation inside the ring at Stonehenge. (yes, the joy of having free time at work on a Monday!~) 

Thinking about how old the world is always boggles my mind - I think this is partly because we, as American's, don't have very old things in our history, something so old that no one really know how or why its there.  I hope they have greater success excavating & dating (with modern tools), than previous efforts.  The article mentioned that the center stones have been matched to the exact spot from which they came - 250 km (@ 155 miles) away, which is pretty damn far to drag one of those stones.  They (the BBC) are filming the dig for a program airing this fall, it should be available On Demand!

Although I think this is interesting, it is not nearly as exciting as 3,500yr old Egyptian DNA.

I've been following the Discovery Channel's series SECRETS OF EGYPT’S LOST QUEEN since it first aired last summer.  I did not have much interest in the ancient Egyptians before then - but the science behind it is fascinating.  It is incredible that they are able to get useable DNA from a 3,500 year old mummy.  Eventually, they will be able to use similar methods to determine how close - or exactly where - on the evolutionary chart we are to Lucy and the first Europeans.   

I'll be lucky if I break even on my taxes this year, although I don't understand why..  Last year I worked as a independent consultant/contractor for FOUR months and a 1099-MISC form (1/3 of the year's taxes for which I am responsible).  The other EIGHT months I was a salaried W-2 employee, taxes deducted...

Naively, I thought the difference paid vs. unpaid tax dollars would be zero sum at worst, or a small return at best.

Silly me!!

In other news, my 31st birthday was on the 14th!  I lost the desire to celebrate birthdays after my 29th, so I didn't do anything spectacular this year.  I've been unfortunately preoccupied with my lack of (proactive) financial planning.  Thankfully, I am still on good terms with my EX, who's mother is a CPA.  She helped me file my taxes, and I am really very truly thankful that I wasn't working or living in Philly during the time I was an independent contractor - my local tax for last year was 1% compared to the 4.5% tax for Philly residents (3.5% if you live in but don't work in the city)

The good news is that I'll get the tax rebate and probably buy a dresser.  Although, I'm starting to think I might not need a dresser because I haven't had one since I moved to my new house in January. 

  In happier news, I adopted a new cat earlier this month!  She is an adorable Blue Point Siamese (blue point refers to the coloring, which is gray (not blue) on her head, legs, and tail).  I adopted her from a "rescue group" in northern New Jersey, which turned out to be a guy with 30 - 40 cats crammed into the basement of his home.  I definitely feel like I was the one doing the rescuing.  The unhappy news is my new cat - who doesn't really have a name yet - has a case of ringworm, which isn't a worm, it is a skin fungus.  yuck!  So far, it hasn't spread to anyone else.