Homeless - 77

Greetings, fellow bipeds,

I have great news. I'm receiving a refund form the IRS totaling $601.

The bad news is that since I owe the IRS a significant amount of back taxes, they have decided in their benevolent way, to keep it and apply to my account. I can certainly appreciate their heart-felt concern and assistance in aiding me in addressing my debt but it seems that their approach lacks a 'measured' enforcement in collecting taxes - at least, at the individual level. Surely, it wouldn't be that difficult to implement a software package that would give the IRS personnel some latitude in granting exceptions instead of a black and white stance of you owe us, we keep it and you damn well better feel thankful. Please, check my math on this, there can't be that many people in circumstances like mine - living out of a vehicle, working a 20 hour work week at $9 an hour, etc. Somehow, I don't think this segment of the U.S. population constitutes a formidable voting bloc or has the resources to employ some much- loved lobbyists or has a significant impact of the GNP.

I like to think that I'm actually saving tax-payer money by living this way - for now. I miss a meal now and then, I don't spend as much as I used to due to a different lifestyle and I don't tip like I used to because that is not an option at the fast food drive-thrus.

If I went to a homeless shelter, the cost to society would substantially increase. I've made it this far by luck, an occasional home cooked meal and a sofa to sleep on - all from a few friends.

I could have used that $601 to repair a couple of things on BT, that if you recall is my transport and domicile. If she no longer functions, then I will have to do the shelter thingy.

Snow...snow...and more snow. Jeez... In the Dallas area, we were an half-inch from breaking a record. I do wonder where those snowfall measuring thingys are located in the area but yes, I think we broke the record this year. The first couple of times of significant snowfall, people were out building snowmen (didn't see any snow-women...those would be fun to build!), having snowball fights, dogs frolicking, squirrels frolicking. Didn't see any cats outside, though. The last snowfall, I didn't see anybody. Mommy, make the snow and cold go away. It ain't fun anymore. It seems people had enough. The forecast was for an half-inch accumulation but it was more than that, judging from the several inches that I had to remove from BT. That was pretty easy due to the waxing I gave her the previous weekend - the snow just slid right off.

I'm glad that BT made it through this winter; the coldest, the iciest, the wettest and the snowiest since she and I started on this path. One challenge completed, the next one begins...

In a way, the snowfall was surreal. I'd bed down for the night with just a few flakes drifting out of the sky and awake around 5 AM, the cabin near total darkness. Normally, there are night lights at my camping spot, lights that usually shut down around 7 AM. Inches of snowfall on BT tend to block light, and provide another layer of insulation which keeps the interior warmer. There were a couple of times this winter when I back flipped outta BT to find my young supple self in several inches of snow. I got BT running, removed the snow covering from her young hide, did some jumping jacks and one-armed push ups in the snow, and went on my way.

Next time,

David