Since we bought the house almost a year ago now, we had this vague idea of the first time home buyer's tax credit, money coming back that would be useful to...reinvest in the house to do a seizmic retrofit, or some such big project. Then reality hit. We've been broke, which is to say cash poor, but we're making ends meet. We had to take on some debt to get appliances and the like, and occasionally break even for the month, knowing once the refund came that we could wipe the slate clean. No seizmic retrofit, though. Knock knock. Hope the big one doesn't hit the Hayward fault while we're owners of the place and/or "Get the drills, bolts and epoxy ready, 'cos I'm going in."

Anyway, today I got confirmation = We're getting a lot of money back. Got the email from the tax accountant today. We actually hired one this year, no more Turbo Tax. Glad I did, because now we'll be back at about break-even. But I'm getting a new fuckin' iPod. Them's the rules.