stupidity: a lack of intelligence, understanding, reason, wit, or sense.

I am clearly not plugged in.

This past year, I worked as a literacy coach for a middle school, and was paid as a consultant. I did not initially realize how much extra work this would cause in terms of taxes. I have to send in quarterly statements and checks with state and federal tax approximations from my earnings, and have had lots of additional paperwork quarterly and during tax time.

I was not paying attention when I received some official-ish document asking me to verify my tax information and social security number. And I did. Filled in my SS#, signed it, sent it off on Monday. Didn't make a photocopy or anything. It looked official. I've been recently worried about being audited because of all this new tax stuff, and was afraid if I didn't return the form on time, I'd get flagged. Also, it said I would be fined $50 if I failed to comply. I don't like fines. I follow rules.

Stupid. I am so stupid. Might as well have sent my life savings to a prince in Nigeria. Surely someone with a PhD wouldn't have done this, so it's good I don't have mine yet and can claim ignorance.

I am certain that my identity has now been compromised and in the middle of all this dissertation crap, I had to figure out how to get my fraud alerts on my credit so no one can get a $500,000 mortgage or open 25 credit cards in my name. Realized this at 2 in the morning yesterday, and spent all day yesterday figuring this stuff out.

My body does not handle stress well. As such, it sounded and felt as though a freight train was making the rounds in my stomach all day. Pilates last night helped me breathe a little, and I'm resolved not to be so dumb next time.

And so now thanks to Equifax and $15.95 a month, I'll get constant monitoring of activity on my accounts and if anyone opens a credit card in my name, I'll get a call. Following the rules helps sometimes: right now I have an awesome credit score.

Let's hope it stays that way.