What's the most communal day of the year at the post office?
Many might say the Friday before Christmas, when hordes of relatives descend, laden with packages, to make sure across-the-country tots get the in-demand toy.
But April 15 likely trumps even that special moment, as far as people visiting mailboxes for the Very Same Important Reason.
It can be stressy, in all meanings of the word, no doubt about it. But there are ways to de-knot those shoulders and add a smile to that face, once you've put the checkbook and envelopes and stamps away. Why not head out for a...
FREE COOKIE: Swinging through the Third Street Promenade? Doubletree by Hilton is handing out gratis cookies in a "friendly competition" between "the nation's two most taxed cities" (the other would be Philadelphia). A sweepstakes, possible free hotel stays, and other potential goodies await.
FREE CURLY FRIES: If you want to talk about on-going tax day traditions of the salty-tastiest kind, start right here. Arby's always goes with the free curly fries giveaway come a certain day in the middle of April, so, yep, potato goodness shall reign after the post office. But do you go Horsey Sauce or ketchup? Decisions. (Oh, and you'll need a coupon, too.)
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FREE CUPCAKE: Count on Sprinkles to be atop the timely zeitgeist. Buy one cupcake, whisper "tax day" during the transaction, and bag another. How loudly you want to whisper it, though, is really how much the people near you in line look like they might need a free cupcake, too. Use your discretion.
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HALF-PRICE SLUSHIE: Sonic's got this one just right, timing-wise. Not only is the drive-in chain discounting its famous slushies by half in honor of tax day, but isn't the Ides of April kind of sort of the unofficial start of the pre-beginning of summer? Once taxes have wrapped? It all works.
TAX DAY COCKTAIL: A number of restaurants around town, including La Dolce Vita, Border Grill, and Plan Check, have April 15-only specials in the spirits department. That means discounts on beverages, like a dollar martini at La Dolce Vita, so make sure you have a driver to whisk you home (they may well be out at the mailboxes, too).
