salary epitome of incomprehensibility Writing about Julia in side_hustle reminded me how she can be awkward talking directly about money, which then reminded me of a conversation with Lia Sunday before last. We were walking our dogs along the bike/walking path and I said something like, "I don't know why that's a taboo topic in general. Not that I'd bug people to ask them how much money they make, but I don't mind talking about it myself. I guess it would be different if I were very rich or very poor." Lia said that some companies made it so that employees couldn't disclose their salary. "What? Really? With anyone??" If I'd heard of this before, I'd forgotten. Yes, she said. It was basically so that people working at the same place wouldn't know whether others were being paid more for the same job. Which seems to lend itself to all sorts of abuses. People not wanting to talk about how much money they make? Perfectly okay. Companies telling people they can't do that? Not so much. ...I feel rich looking at my tax documents from 2021. Because then I only made $11,664, apparently (I didn't count the craft shows, but that would be only, what, $250 more?) 2022 had TA salaries, more tutoring, more admin work...I probably made more money last year than any other. Like 22-23K? It doesn't seem much in terms of national averages, but it sets me up quite comfortably, what with the 2K scholarship last year. So I can be frivolous and do language-immersiony things! I need to add these things up, but not now. Kirsten, finish your goddam German writing assignment because you have 9.5 hours of tutoring tomorrow (that is not a typo). Time is...not money, because I can't quite fantasize about time being abolished. What would replace it? Money being abolished is relatively imaginable: I like the scene from William Morris's News from Nowhere where the main character goes into a store and tries to buy something, only for the teenager behind the counter to say "Oh, cool vintage coins!" (Not in those words. It's still 1890-ish.) But that's the sort of socialist, perhaps proto-anarchist fantasy, I could get behind. No money, but coins are still collector's items because coins are neat. 230423 ... e_o_i But I guess, I shouldn't be, an accountant, because, I keep, putting commas, in the wrong places. 230423 ... e_o_i Nooooo, I was still poor! Better than 2021 and 2020, but not up to 2018-19 level. Total salary 15K, 17K if you count the scholarship. Maybe I felt rich because I had fewer expenses? -I did enough chores that I didn't have to pay my parents rent -Montreal actually lowered the bus pass rates for my "zone" when they did the fare reform? But then -School -Travel Or maybe I was just generous_but_stingy, without the generous part: in 2022 I donated less than a thousand dollars to registered charities, at least if I've listed everything (aaand for some reason, payment for the choir I went to counts as charity) ...arrrgh, taxes. At least they're done - well, prepared to send to the accountant - and I can angst about my last exam + essay + fear_of_flying. Onward! 230426 ... e_o_i "I did enough chores that I didn't have to pay my parents rent" - inaccurate, I had to pay about $500, but that was all that was left over based on the calculation system we devised not that this is exciting get to sleep, self, it's almost 2 230426 what's it to you? who go blather from