I feel better. My head is fuzzy, but they're done, the balance I've owed for the last ten years is mostly paid (betcha it takes them two months to figure that out) and I am now a fine fellow who files his taxes in February. My usual routine, envelope in hand, dropping it into a postal black hole before midnight in April, has been broken. (Right.)

This is a curious way to do your taxes. I loaded the software and it asked me a series of questions, checked the thing for "accuracy" and told me I had money coming back from the feds and I owed the state somewhat over $300. File the federal return electronically for a refund (they'll grab it for back taxes in my case) and print out the state and pay them electronically when I have the $300.

What exactly happened? What rules were applied or not applied? I have no idea if it was done right, if I paid too much or too little, if anyone will read it when it arrives. My computer talking with theirs, fast and loose over the wire. Should this make me more certain in this life, less likely to blanch when I hear the whisper: IRS?

I think I'm getting more radical in my old age. Aren't you supposed to mellow out? Am I going to be running a partisan web page in my declining years? DeathAndTaxes.com?

Note: (added some hours later) I received an email from a reader wishing me a happy Valentine's Day even though they'd sent other emails that I had not responded to. I'm not sure why I'm not receiving them, I'm pretty good about returning them. I just checked the mailto: and it looks all right. I sent a couple to myself to be sure.

On the subject of Valentines, I'd rather like to send a couple myself. One for the reader who's emails didn't get through and one for someone (who doesn't read this) who would consider it, um, inappropriate for me to send her a Valentine, but I'm hereby sending one anyhow. Happy Valentine's day! (I've had similarly bad luck with flowers, but that's a more complicated story for another journal.)