It's been a pretty hectic year for me. Beyond the work I've been doing researching and writing stories for the "Back-Grounder", I also continue to put out stories for my other blog, "Diary of a Daoist Hermit". In addition, my day job became somewhat Hellish this summer and fall as the federal and provincial governments decided to dump millions of dollars on the library---which meant lots of days moving dangerously heavy pieces of furniture. (I'm almost 60, and have tendinitis in both my left leg and arm---which means nasty moving isn't as much fun as it used to be.)
This means that I am really in need of a vacation. As it turns out, my sweet, dear, lovely wife Misha asked me to come down to Saint Louis over the winter holiday in order to help her with clearing out her house. (She's finally moving to Guelph to live with me as the last of her family obligations has cleared up. The next hurdle will involve the Canadian government and getting her registered as a landed immigrant.) As a result, I'm going to be putting my writing on hold in order to take a breather from my usual crazy work load.
The last article, "Why Are My Taxes So Darn High?", was by far the best received of all the ones I've published. It got shared widely and three people signed on through Patreon as subscribers. (Thanks Marian, Ben and Marty for being so awesome!) Since I'm taking a bit of break, I thought I'd ask readers if they have any ideas about what they want me to research and explain for them. Is there something that really bugs you? Or just mystifies you? If so, drop me an email at: thecloudwalkingowl@gmail.com .
In the interim, Misha and I would like to wish all of you a good time this winter solstice---don't get stressed by the materialism, but do enjoy the time spent with friends and family. I'll be back in January with more background information about the city we love.
This means that I am really in need of a vacation. As it turns out, my sweet, dear, lovely wife Misha asked me to come down to Saint Louis over the winter holiday in order to help her with clearing out her house. (She's finally moving to Guelph to live with me as the last of her family obligations has cleared up. The next hurdle will involve the Canadian government and getting her registered as a landed immigrant.) As a result, I'm going to be putting my writing on hold in order to take a breather from my usual crazy work load.
The last article, "Why Are My Taxes So Darn High?", was by far the best received of all the ones I've published. It got shared widely and three people signed on through Patreon as subscribers. (Thanks Marian, Ben and Marty for being so awesome!) Since I'm taking a bit of break, I thought I'd ask readers if they have any ideas about what they want me to research and explain for them. Is there something that really bugs you? Or just mystifies you? If so, drop me an email at: thecloudwalkingowl@gmail.com .
In the interim, Misha and I would like to wish all of you a good time this winter solstice---don't get stressed by the materialism, but do enjoy the time spent with friends and family. I'll be back in January with more background information about the city we love.
