End of an era

Well, for the first time since Julius Caesar retired, we are not claiming any children as dependents on our income tax this year. Younger Son is making his own way through graduate school, no parental levy.

Empty nest.

We got maybe 1/2" of snow in flurries overnight, not enough to even cover the crap. (Word used literally -- too many indolent dog owners in the neighborhood.) Definitely not enough to improve skiing surfaces.

Gah!

Well, after wading through the arcana of business profit, self-employment tax, self-employment health insurance deduction, book royalties, "qualified" dividends, capital gains, interest, and real jobs, I _think_ we owe Uncle Samuel an additional hundred bucks. Given the dodging target of our income and the wild-ass guess of my estimated tax payments, that rates up there with a "Robin Hood" in archery.

Tomorrow, the state taxes.

Or maybe I should just shoot the tax collector.