You never truly appreciate the depths and intensity of the love that you feel for your child until...

...you do your taxes. This time last year, I was once again lamenting the reaming that we were experiencing at the hands of the tax man. The 2004 return was a particularly painful one and to this day I still have disturbing flashbacks about the inappropriate touching of my wallet perpetrated by the Revenuers.

What a difference a year, and the birth of my son, make. Instead of having to write a hefty check to the IRS, we're actually getting a refund. Granted a very small refund on the exorbitant amount of OUR money that the guvamint had already confiscated, but a refund nonetheless. Believe you me, it beats the hell out of suffering the abuse of having to pay EVEN MORE into the system as we have in the past.

Come to papa baby!

UPDATE: Lest you think that The Elder doth protest too much, remember that when it comes to overall tax burden, Minnesota is #6 with a bullet. While we're not quite the sinkhole that is New Jersey, the way the Legislature is going we risk becoming nothing more than a cold Frankfort.
Posted by Chad The Elder--Link