As Ian Sees It

 Here it is,  the middle of April,  and our taxes are done.  Seems late, doesn't it?  It may have crossed the mind of some of you that we must really not need the refund if we waited that long.   While we could have used the refund in February and every day since,  we were out of country for a couple of months.  So there's that.  And for the first time in my adult life,  we owe the tax man what amounts to a tidy sum.  Tidy enough to strike the whine bone.   Yup.  Here I am,  a golden aged old dude on a fixed income having to pay the man.   So, here's the surprise.  I was taking my daughter to the airport in Calgary when I got the text from our family accountant who I often refer to by name:  Carol.   She needed to share her denial, frustration, anger, grief and acceptance and couldn't wait till I got home.   That was likely because she hadn't got to the acceptance thing yet.   So there I ...

      Know what?  It feels like forever that I got a chance to sit down and do this:  Consult with you, my online therapists.  Sometimes life gets in the way.   And lately?  Well we've been away.  Only six short days ago we arrived home from California.   We spent two months just outside San Diego in a beautiful rural setting.    A place where the Canadian Snow Bird reigns supreme.  Now it did happen to be what locals called the coldest wettest winter in modern California history,  but I am not at all sure Californians should even be allowed to use the word "winter".         We have escaped the Western Canadian winters numerous times.  It started the year I retired with a two ween trip to Hawaii.  I remember February 1st 2009 walking on the beach in Honolulu in bare feet and a tee.  I giggled all day.   We've done Hawaii four times since then.  Florida two times.  Port...