Year's End

I had a couple days at home after getting all the machinery inside for the winter, so I decided to get a jump on the books. With a fresh pencil and a Christmas radio station on, I jumped in with a pretty good attitude, for me.

Perhaps it took less time this year because the numbers were so much smaller than the last couple years. Whatever the reason, I finished up in pretty good time.

So off to the Federal Building in Fargo to get forms for my old electric typewriter. They had a stack of W-2 and W-3 forms but none of the other ones I needed. Could it be I am so far ahead my government isn’t ready for me? After punching in a code and cooling my heels for a time, a lady came out to tell me they weren’t going to have those forms anymore. So much for my pretty-good attitude. She responded to my polite inquiry that, yes, I still needed to file them and they might be available at Office Max.

Of all the things the government seems unable to get done, I guess we can add printing 1099s to the list.

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I got my Christmas shopping done
With only just one stop.
My wife takes care of all the kids;
She’s much more prone to shop.

Now here comes the time of year
I always hate the worst.
It just can't be avoided:
The book work must come first.


The IRS will want to know
What I did back in June.
If there’s hope to remember,
I had better dig in soon.


I know the numbers in that pile 
Of canceled checks and stuff 
Will give me answers that I need. 
But digging in is tough. 


It’s too bad I’m so crabby 
When Christmas time is near. 
But I would rather skip the books, 
And cultivate all year. 􀀀

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David Kragnes farms near Felton, Minn. A former board member and chairman of American Crystal Sugar Company, he currently serves on the CoBank Board of Directors.