If you are a Christmas baby like me, you know that the merriment of the season also means its time to pay all your taxes. Since my birthday fell on a Sunday this year I was able to make it to the tag office the following Monday and file without a late fee. Because it was a holiday week, little miss was out of school and was tagging along.



Pulling open the heavy glass door, I was slightly disheartened seeing the fifty plus people already waiting and seated.

"Looks like all of these people have birthdays on December 29th!" I said to Senia Mae as she led me through multiple aisles to find the best seat. After changing her mind several times, she decided that the second row on the left gave us the perfect view of the shiny Plexiglas payment windows. Within seconds she was engaged in conversation with the woman seated in the row in front of us.

"Are you getting a new license plate?" Senia Mae asked the woman, who was jolly and plump, looking to be in her early sixties. She turned around smiling, appearing surprised at the openness of the inquiry.

"No," she said. "I need to pay other taxes today. How old are you?"

"Four and a half," Senia Mae said.

"Well, I have a granddaughter who is just about your age. Do you like the movie Frozen?" she asked.

"Yes. Santa Claus brought me the Frozen Castle and Ice Palace," Senia Mae said. "And I have a new kitty named Tulip."

"Did Santa bring you the kitty?"

"No. There is a man at the office named Chris Gober and he brought a cage," Senia mae said. "When the kitten went into the cage I named her Tulip and we brought her home." The woman nodded, listening intently to Senia Mae's captivating story.

"Then the toilet started overflowing right before the people came on Christmas," Senia Mae added. I instantly felt my face reddening as I looked at the floor. Please stop talking, I thought to myself as the woman put her hand over her mouth to muffle her laugh. I piped in trying to push off more embarrassment.

"Mae Mae, remember we thought it was the toilet but it ended up being the gutter outside," I said, trying to make it appear like I was not that person who lets their septic system overflow right before the holiday guests arrive.

"Well, yes," Senia Mae said. "It did end up being the gutter and nobody had to go pee in the bucket for Christmas." Fortunately the announcer called number forty two, the woman's number, before Senia Mae rattled off any other family secrets to a complete stranger!

"Out of the mouths of babes!" the woman said as she walked off and I was thankful that the conversation had ended.