farmdoc's blog post number 694

Journeys. It’s usual to measure their length in terms of distance. However in terms of my life journey, I can but measure its length in years – 62½ years. So far. And on this journey I’m conscious of – if not fixated by – milestones. As the years pass, the milestones seem closer together. Increasingly so. Additional to fixed annual festivals and public holidays, there are certain annual events whose timing’s unique to me. I’ve previously written about vehicle registration stickers [1]. Today another one occurred: I took my papers and calculations (pictured) for the 2008-9 tax year to my accountant, Michelle, in Ballarat. A lovely person and a conservative accountant, she’ll use them to prepare our tax returns with care and diligence. But I feel apprehensive: Did I make errors? Have I obeyed the tax laws? How much tax will I need to pay? Will the Australian Taxation Office [ATO] audit my accounts? One by one these questions will be answered in the next few months. Ever since I first became a taxpayer 40 years ago, all’s gone well. Every year. So chances are they’ll go well again this year. Certainly my aim’s not to fly under the ATO’s radar; but rather to be seen on its radar in a way it views me as normal aviation traffic. Time will tell.

farmdoc's blog post number 397

For the last 42 years I’ve done it. Once a year. Without fail. Sometimes easily, other times not. What, you ask? Why changing the registration sticker on my car windscreen, of course. Since my 18th birthday I’ve owned 11 cars: Morris 1100, Mini Cooper S, Ford Cortina, Mazda 1300, Holden Commodore wagon, Toyota Tarago, Mitsubishi Starwagon, Honda Accord, Mitsubishi Pajero, Land Rover Freelander and Peugeot 307 wagon. The sticker colour changes each year. I used to get excited thinking what colour the new year’s sticker would be. I’ve tried different ways to scrape off the old stickers. Knife, scalpel, steel wool. But the best is a razorblade. Sometimes I leave one corner of the new sticker dogeared up. And if I’m lucky, 12 months later at replacement time I can carefully peel the sticker off without using the blade. I feel really smug if I achieve that. But alas, all good things come to an end. Or so, at my age, it seems. This article in the Age last Monday forewarned the end of registration stickers. In this computer age, I’m not surprised. They say it’ll save money. But I’ll bet you anything you like that any saving won’t be passed on to vehicle owners. The only remaining issues are what to do with my razorblade, and which year the stickers will end. Oh yes – and what the colour of the last sticker will be.