We got our taxes done this morning.  Even though this is our first year as a two-income family without the ability to write off my wife’s education expenses, I thought it was going to go OK. I am always the optimist.

Not only did we find parking, but the parking meter was broken and just kept flashing FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. I thought it was funny and tried to get a picture with my phone. No luck.

Anyway, taxes…  We owe over $7,000. Shit! I mean, SHIT! Heather appeared to be in shock. I thought she was going to cry. I tried to reassure her and point out that at least we didn’t give the government an interest-free loan this year. There’s no reasoning that is gonna work here.

Then on the way home, in her brand new car, we smelled something hot, like burning rubber. Hmmm… Odd. A few seconds later, there was a loud THUNK and she went, “Oh shit! The power steering just went out!”  She managed to steer across a couple lanes of traffic to the curb, and we sat there for a few minutes, incredulous at this bad luck. We just bought this car two fucking months ago!

Luckily we have AAA. The tow truck arrived in about 30 minutes and towed us a few miles to the Nissan dealer, where we were given a slip of paper and told to wait for Enterprise Rent-A-Car to pick us up. Hours after leaving home for a couple mile round trip to the accountant and back, we were on our way home in a beat up Nissan Pathfinder that smells like ass.

That’s the kind of day I’m having. I blame that fucking parking meter.