I left really early to get our taxes done; lacking confidence in the van, I gave myself time to break down. It actually started without too much complaint, and ran well. So I got there about 45 minutes early. The tax preparer was able to take me in soon after. After explaining what I was having issues with, she just shook her head; clearly, this was not the first time she’d encountered situations like ours!

The whole thing was so simple, she was done in maybe 10 or 15 minutes, and that’s with pauses for conversation.

So I’m getting my caregiver tax credit. My husband, however, isn’t having enough deducted off his private insurance payments, and CPP Disability isn’t taking any taxes off at all. So he would have owed over $1700, where it not for his disability tax credit. So he’s going to get a small return, instead of owing.

We could “fix” this by asking both Sun Life to take off a higher percentage, and CPP to start taking some off, too, but all that would do is reduce his net monthly income, just to get a higher tax return once a year. Not worth it.

Before his return could be filed, though, I had to drive home with some forms for him to sign – at about the time my appointment should have been! – then drive the signed forms back again.

Only after all that was done and I was back home, could I finally check the tires on my mother’s car, as our mechanic recommended. Only the driver’s side tire had some snow in the rim, so I knocked that out.

Look what I found under it.

I’d say we found the problem.

I’ve knocked the ice free from all moving parts, but it’s too thick to knock off completely. The snow you see in the bottom of the rim is loose stuff knocked free from around the ice.

My guess is, the last time I used the car, I took a too wide turn somewhere and caught some loose snow. It was warm enough that, after I parked, the snow started to melt, then froze overnight, on the bottom of the tire – which is now the top of the tire in the picture.

We have some much warmer days later in the week. I will wait until then, before taking it out and test driving it. Perhaps I’ll back it out of the van and park it outside so the driver’s side is facing the sun before then.

Or maybe not. The temperatures are supposed to drop a little bit, and we’re supposed to get snow. Even though it’s the southern end of our province that’s supposed to get the most snow, we likely won’t get much sun.

If this turns out to be the cause of that very alarming shuddering, then I am very relieved!!!

Also, I love our mechanic. He’s such a sweetheart!

In other things, it looks like I’m going to have to head out again, tomorrow. We never did get to doing our second city shopping trip after my Costco run. I’m going to have to get more cat kibble. We still have the cheap stuff from the feed store, but the cats don’t like it!

Well, it’s cheap for a reason, I guess.

*sigh*

I really should be starting new seeds today, but the cat barrier with the door isn’t done yet, and neither is the small barrier for the opening in one of the shelf dividers. Until those are done and the living room is cat-free, I can’t move the current seedlings out of the aquarium greenhouses to make space for new seed trays.

Well, a few days shouldn’t make too much of a difference.

The Re-Farmer