Well, nothing much is going on over here but I am at the Kencho and have finished anything I needed to do and just feel like rambling a little.

I finished my taxes this morning (see how much fun I'm having). Did the federal stuff yesterday and the state stuff today. You might be saying, "But Marcus, you fool, don't you know that April 15th passed over three months ago?" And yes, I do. But when you live overseas you automatically get a two month extension. "But Marcus, you fool x 2, June 15th was over a month ago!" Yup, right again, but there is this thing called the Foreign Income Exclusion and to claim it you must have been out of the USA for 330 days. So what you do, since June 15th would only make it 325 days that I was out of the country, is to file for an extension in order to push that total up (and to make it possible to procrastinate just a little longer). So I sent in my change of address form and my request for an extension by June 15th and was given until August 15th.
The Foreign Income Exclusion allows you to earn up to $80,000 overseas and not to have to pay taxes on it. As I don't make anywhere near that amount, all the money I make in Japan is tax free. To federal. So I filled out the neccessary forms yesterday (2555-Ez and 1040 for those of you taking notes) and was finished.
Then I started doing my Californina state taxes and had some trouble finding out the neccessary information online. So I sent an email to the powers that be there in Sacramento and, lo and behold, this morning I had gotten a reply that answered all my questions (guess they quickly answer those who they think might owe them money). Unfortunately, California does not have anything resembling the F. I. Exclusion. So basically I had two choices: A) pay them what I owed them based on the money I've made overseas or B) fill out the partial year resident form (because I did live there up until July last year) and only report what I made at my part-time job there in Bakersfield. The disadvantage to B is that I am severing my ties to the state and thus, giving up my residence status in California. This would be no big deal in my book but if I do return and decide to go to grad-school in Cali I would either have to wait one year to reestablish residence or pay out-of-state tuition. But I figure I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Hell, I might not even live in California when I get back. So I filled out the partial form (540NR) and, as soon as I send it off, will no longer be a California resident.
You might be wondering about any Japanese taxes I might be paying. Now, I don't claim to understand it completely, but yes, they do take money out of my paycheck for tax purposes. But if I heard right, and I think I did, I will get it all back when I leave the country. Should be a nice big check all at once. Perhaps a downpayment on a new car.
Wow, you know I'm bored if I'm telling you about taxes. Sorry about that.

To fill time here at the Kencho I have been looking online at various jobs for after this Japan experience. I'm pretty sure that teaching is not my thing. I'd prefer to write for a living but that's just not something you apply for and start the next day. So I've been visiting sites with names like adventurejobs.com, actionjobs.com, backdoorjobs.com and have come away with an interest in gaining employment as one of those guys you meet while on vacation and then go back to your office and enviously wonder, "How in the hell did he get that job?" even though you are probably making much more money than him. I don't know. Maybe nothing will come of it but this is how you get into things. First you get an idea, then you do a little research, then you make a real effort, and if you are lucky, you get accepted. In a year or two I might be sailing in the Caribbean or hiking in the Rockies or doing anything that doesn't require me to sit in a office all day.

In other news, there is no other news. Amy left today for Oklahoma so I am actively pursuing a stand-in girlfriend for the next two weeks. But if I can't find one, I look forward to sitting around in my underwear, drinking beer, burping out loud, watching too much baseball, and leaving the toilet seat up. Should be fun.