On The Nature Of The Fifteenth Of April

[dr_phil_physics]

In my post on the "spring" weather for today, I noted words of birthday cheer to two people on this Ides of April -- or more appropriately Tax Day in the U.S. Of course, as with the transient nature of some days, dare I call it a holiday?, April 15th is a bit mutable. In 2012, for example, taxes were due on Monday 16 April 2012, since the 15th was a Sunday. Except they made it for the 17th, because of a D.C. holiday...

But like any day of the year, there are going to be birthdays. And because of the day, I tend to remember them more than others.

And then there were two Facebook posts -- one from a close friend and one a writing friend:

6 hrs ago
My father passed away years ago, but his birthday was yesterday. He always seemed to spend his birthday filling out his tax forms, so I still commemorate it that way too.

Last night I worked on taxes, but I finally filed for an extension after many years of completing my filings at the last minute. I'm sure he's laughing at me. LOL

This was closely followed in my Facebook by...

13 mins ago
Fourteen years ago today, my father died. I will note two things:

1) The old man always told me that there was no escaping either death or taxes. Rather economical of him to pass on this date.

2) Edward Gorey (who like my father was also born in Chicago) also died on that day. And you know, I never, ever, saw the two of them in the same room together. Hmm.

I know when my father died (DW), but it's just a day. Not like when people have events tied in with other events. Being born on Christmas. Or 9/11/2001. Or having a father die on Tax Day.

Yet this affects us, clearly. And if you put it into a story, someone would complain that you're not being realistic.

Happy Birthday. And Condolences.

Dr. Phil