The Goings On

I have many things to say. First, today isilya is leaving me, which is very sad. She has been with me for a while now and there will be an Isilya-shaped hole in my life until she comes back.

In other news, the government is under the impression that I owe them 4000 dollars. I have been aware of this for some time now and I have been discussing it with them. Repeatedly. in September they told me there was an error in my 2002 tax return, which accounted for the ridiculous sum of money they think I owe them. So I had an adjustment done by, you know, a professional. She worked out that the government in fact owed me 600 dollars.

So I waited for my refund.

Months later, I get a note that says I still owe 3400 dollars. I am confused. I call the government. They say that it's true they owed me 600 dollars, but because I still owe them 3400 after they credit me 600, they won't give me anything. Also, they are holding back all my GST credits. For like, two years or something. I am heartbroken. They tell me it's because of my 2001 tax return this time. They tell me that while there are errors in it (clearly I'm incapable of doing my own taxes, and you Americans, don't think I can't do an EZ file, cause I've done that before, Canadian taxes are a lot harder than that) I am going to owe them about that much regardless. Silly Ivy, they said to me. Yes, you must give us money.

So I get all my stuff together and go to another Tax Fairy. She says, oh no no no. Let's not bother with an adjustment. Get me all your T4s, get me proof of all the things you paid for, let's just redo the thing. So I did that. And yesterday I went into the Tax Fairy office with all my documents and sat down with the beautiful Tax Fairy who did my form right before my eyes.

"You could only get copies of two months worth of rent cheques?" she says.

"Oh, I thought they could be, like, multiplied to account for the year," I said. Mom's idea.

"No, I can't claim anything I can't specifically document."

I moan, I groan, I start to say, I can get more, I can get the whole year....and she says, "Well, you're sitting at a refund as it is anyway."

Me: "What?!"

"Yeah," she says. "You've got a refund. You would only get a little bit more with a whole year of cheques, see? $325 refund."

Me: "My GST credits..."

"You'll get those back."

I think at that point I told her I loved her. She didn't seem to mind. I almost cried, I swear to god. If it weren't for the desk between us I would have launched myself at her and made some femslash.

*thumbs nose at government*

The moral of this story: I should never, ever, on pain of death, do my own taxes.

Then I came home to the sound of my computer saying, "Heeeeelp! Meeeeeeeee!" It's three years old, yanno. And I have worked it hard. I have forced it to do things it wasn't ready to do. I have reinstalled it's innards multiple times. I have demanded and I have prodded. I have dropped crumbs into it's keyboard as an offering to the mac gods. So now, it's time.

New ibook ordered. I am picking it up today. I also ordered an ipod, but it won't be in for a few weeks. Back ordered, they say. I am quivering with excitement, I tell you. Quivering.

My sister painted the cover of Philosopher's Stone on the front window of our favourite local bookseller. It looks fabulous. My brother-in-law is making chocolate frogs to give away on Saturday. I will be babysitting for them for a short time on Saturday, so my plan is to go into the bookstore with my nephew after I've painted a scar on his forehead. I mean, he's a year old! His dad has dark hair and his mom is a redhead! My nephew is Harry Potter!

Also: due to circumstances unforseen and completely unexpected, I am going to Nimbus. SHOCK AND AWE! Will I see you there?