Death and Taxes

They say that there are two sure things in life: death and taxes.

Yes, I am getting a refund. Probably around $1000. I love how we've been brainwashed to think we're getting money from the government. HAH! I paid almost $20,000 in income tax alone let alone all the other myriad forms of tax I pay like: property taxes, sales tax, harmonized tax (sounds nice doesn't it?), goods and services tax etc. So really what it amounts to is I OVERPAID my taxes so they're giving some of my own money back to me....without interest of course.

I'm still not done however. My daughter rummaged around in the two feet deep pile of clothing  and debris she calls a floor in her bedroom and found her T4s. Then she went online to get her tuition receipt but it wasn't ready yet. So another delay. If she doesn't need all of her tuition to bring her income down below the minimum income amount I'll be able to use the rest but I don't hold out much hope for that. In fact we just may carry any leftover tuition forward to next year in case she gets a high-paying job for the summer. One that pays more than minimum wage plus tips. She does have a big interview coming up for a job promoting her university over the summer. That would be very cool and would support her post graduate program next year in Corporate Communications and Public Relations which she was accepted into - yippeeeeeeeeeee!!

I'm coming down with a cold - yuck! Both Kazi and Michael had terrible colds so it was inevitable. What is it about one's family members that they want to drape themselves all over you when they're infested with germs?????  I did my best fending them off but to no avail. I'm going to drag myself into work tomorrow (it's CASUAL FRIDAY!!) and then have a quiet restful weekend.  Yes, Michael is going out of town. It will be a NO Spend, NO getting off the couch, NO getting dressed kind of weekend. As my decluttering is all done (grateful now I got my challenges done early!) I will get caught up on a few books from my overflowing "to be read" pile and entertain myself with a selection of Netflix movies. Sounds kind of heavenly! Now, if someone would just bring me over a pot full of chicken soup!

Toodles for now!

A Walk Around the Dorchester Mill Pond

Michael walking on the ice covering the mill pond. Locals said it was 12 inches thick. If that was true then why in some places was there no ice at all?? 
  P.S. I stayed OFF the ice - call me chicken if you want - it won't bother me!



Around these parts people go ice fishing with a tent, perhaps a propane heater like those guys on the left, or just with a lawnchair like the guy on the right. It was -17c with a light windchill but the sun was shining brightly. Our walk was in the shade on one side of the millpond and in the sun on the other. The sun definitely made me feel warmer!




Of course there were the usual areas cleared off for pond hockey:)
Can't take the "Canadian" out of the boy!!



Worshipping the sun god!



Shoulda brought our crazy carpets!




I'll have me some blue sky, straight up.



Ice crystals on top of the pond.



And oh yeah, you can't take the boy out of the boy:)



Hurry up wouldja? There a Starbucks coffee calling my name!



This is what kept me waiting....on second thought, take your time!



It takes a special breed of man to sit for hours over a little hole in the ice while sitting
in a lawn chair in -24 (windchill added in) weather.


 

The millpond was created by a dam - this is looking down off the bridge
on the other side of the dam.
And now it's time to head to Starbucks and warm up.
Don't fret...I'm using my Starbucks gift card :)
Cheers!