The Ides of April: Top 5 things to do now that tax season is over

The Ides of March had terrible reputation after Julius Caesar was assassinated. But the Ides of April hold glad tidings, especially for Americans returning to normal life after a brutal tax season. Now that tax season is over I get to catch up on things.

Top 5 things to do after tax season

5. Exercise. Being planted to my desk for 75 days doesn't exactly do my body good. It's high time to get out and about. Brisk walking to and from the office daily is a good start. I would love to get on my bike and put on some miles around the neighborhood. Anything! Good cardio is essential for swimming which will be going on next month in Jamaica!

4. Cook. The rigors of tax season usually doesn't provide for a very healthy diet. It's high time for me to bust out the grill and make some animal carcass. I'm dying to try some new treatments and recipes this year. I have a spare tank of propane, so no worries. Meat and vegies look OUT!

3. Family / Friends. This would be a good time to show up and remind people what I look like. I might even shave! Nah, that's just crazy talk...

2. Auto Maintenance. Pets. Music. Hobbies. All the regular tasks and fun stuff that gets cut out when work becomes overwhelming. My car hasn't been washed since February, which is a sacrilege in my household. It needs a good wash, wax, and vacuum. Plus this time of the year teh car likes to go bra-less, so that has to come off too. The oil is just about due to be changed as well.

**Next** The turtles are in dire need of a thorough cleaning and attention. Silent Bob glares at me like he wants me dead these days. I need to remedy that.

**Next** I haven't touched a musical instrument in months. I would love to set up the Ludwigs and give them the pounding of their lives, but I'll probably have to settle on cranking up teh amp on teh Rolands and play some Evil Disco.

**Next** I ahven't touched a model kit since january. I was working on a 1/72 M2F2 that I would love to finish off. I have a stack of sci-fi figures I would like to do this year. I shall make it so.

**Next** More auto... I think it's high time to get to work on my 78 Buick project. It currently has a 5 liter V8 I fit in to replace the 3.2 liter six that it rolled out of teh tactory with. I have an Olds 403 ready for rebuild to go into the car. I have the 69 Olds 350 heads that'll really raise the compression. With an intake and beefy cam I expect to have that car pushing well over 400 hp. That's naturally aspirated. I will also retro-fit the car with manual steering and a four speed manual tranny before all's said and done. I think a GN rear will make a great addition too. Ah, the possibilities of an old shoebox!

1. SLEEP! In the book Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein the main character, Juan Rico, said that the only thing a man really needs in life is sleep. I concur. Through all of tax season all I've been thinking about is how can I arrange my schedule so I can score some extra sack time. I won't be able to sleep late until Sunday as I must work the rest of the week and there's a wedding to attend on Saturday. But the day I can sleep late will certainly be a sweet one!