I've taken a part time job with H&R Block doing personal tax returns this season. I've always known the US Department of Revenue was crooked, but the wealthy are even more crooked. Speaking of crooked, has anyone else heard about this sneaky little ammendment George W. has slid in under everyone's nose? Its always been my understanding that you have to have worked 10 years (or 40 quarters) in order to collect social security. But if you're an illegal immigrant (according to the new ammendment), you can collect social security after working a whopping year and a half. Thanks George Dubbya. Back to the lesson at hand, I got a little sidetracked. Its kind of cool learning all about the little deductions I've never itemized that were available to me. Dave's father is a tax specialist for the IRS. I've got a pretty good resource if I have any questions, but so far, I'm doing all right. Not one single client walked into the office today. I'm bored shitless.

My birthday came and went without the usual ticker tape parade....ok, ok, so there isn't usually a parade on my birthday but rather, a blizzard. I didn't even get that this year. Dave was pretty cute, he marched into my appartment hiding what was in his hands. He tells me to come around the corner and surprises me with little Eskimo Birthday Pies and a bottle of bubbly. He said, "I knew you'd never eat a whole cake or anything, so I thought I'd get these." Awe, how nice. I'm at my parents' house visiting. After I had a quick cooking lesson from the Thai and Vietnamese ladies I work with at the Yokohama, I've learned how to make a wonderful dish that I wanted to share with everyone. While visiting the 'rents, my mother and I made Papaya Salad together. It was FANTABULOUS if I do say so myself. My dad even tried it and liked it. It's not for the faint at heart, it's got a bit of a fishy smell to it due to the fish sauce and dried prawns, but it's got such a lovely variety of flavors (sour lime and tamarind, salty, sweet, hot). It's a taste explosion I highly recomend to everyone.