The prospect of an upcoming tax season is always a little daunting.  The prospect of an upcoming tax season with a whole new set of tax rules and a government in shut down mode is more than a little daunting.  The craziest thing is that the craziness actually feels like the new normal.  You could easily be drunk if you took a shot every time someone said the word "unprecedented" on the news.  Yet, as crazy as things get in this world, it somehow keeps on spinning.  The lights are still on and the stores are still crowded with holiday shoppers and shredded potatoes fried in oil are still delicious with apple sauce on top and a cold seltzer is still refreshing.   

            Sometimes it feels almost like I have a dull toothache.  I go out to dinner with a friend and we are laughing or I'm tearing up during an episode of This is Us and I'm distracted.  I forget that we are living through interesting times.   Then, the stupid tooth rears its ugly head and I remember that things are a little scary. 

            All that being said 2018 was very good to me.  It was a little hectic, even by my standards.  There was a day in May I took off from work to travel to Florida for my beloved Aunt Judy's 80th birthday party.  With a little free time to kill due to the flight's delay,  I wound up at the dealership trading in my car.  By the end of the week, my kids and I put the first 600 miles on my new car driving it up to Toronto for a wedding.  That weekend after we returned, I threw my very traditional/non-traditional girls a 50s themed bridal shower at Port Jeff Bowl.  We had frilly aprons and cat-eye glasses.  We sock hopped to ShaNaNa tunes,  dined on Nathan's hot dogs and fries and finished it off with Jello molds.  I honestly had no idea how tedious it could be to make a Jello mold or how beautiful one could be.

             The wedding was epic.  The Suffolk Theatre is a wonderful place to hold a party.  The staff is very warm and creative.  The food is amazing.  The place has a beautiful ambience if you like that old art deco theatre vibe.  The ceremony was unique and beautiful.  The vows were so touching, it was hard to listen without tearing up.  Afterward, the dance floor was hopping and I was happy to celebrate the night there.   

            The newlyweds were away most of the month of November in Disney World and then on a cruise.  I got daily text messages full of pictures of them in matching shirts and bride ears.  My favorite shirts say "We finish each other's sandwiches," which is so true.  It's the most amazing feeling to see your child looking truly happy.  Luckily for me, they came were back in time to have a nice Thanksgiving at our home.  So, everyone is well and happy and yet there is that dull toothache.

             So what is someone to do in these interesting times?  I decided to do something unprecedented myself.  At the beginning of the year, I incorporated a new company called Cool & Calculating Inc. to handle the monthly bookkeeping business.  Even though it makes sense for a lot of reasons, with all the goings on, I never wound up doing anything with it.  2019 is going to be Cool & Calculating's year.  Nothing is really going to change.  James will still answer the phone, Peter will still process bank statements and I will still do the taxes.  The only difference is we will have a much cooler moniker. 

            What more can be said?         

            When life hands you interesting times, you have no choice but to fry up some potato latkes, top them with apple sauce and eat with abandon.

             Happy Holidays to you and yours!