Category: Meltdown

Back to School! Are you kidding?

Yep, you heard it right. I started some tax courses last night. Our wonderful Internal Revenue Service in their infinite wisdom has decided that we tax preparers and Accountants don’t have enough to do. I understand the need for furthering your education, that’s not the issue.

The thing that gripes me is that not only do we have to be tested to see if we can continue to do our job, but now we’re required by the end of the year to have 15 credit hours of schooling. I’ve always kept up my education, but this is going beyond. I know they are trying to get out the shady characters that call themselves tax preparers but most have not set a foot in a classroom, much less a tax forum, but this has gone a little over board.

The funny thing is we now have to pay for the privilege to do what we went to college and paid high dollars to learn how to do. We have to pay to get a number to practice under the IRS and we also have to pay to take high dollar classes and now the required testing that was not supposed to cost much has not gone up. What next?

Well, I started going over the study courses last night. I realized I’m out of study practice. Hand me a real world scenario any day, but some of the garbage they’re handing out is purely laughable. Oh well, guess the writing will be put to a minimum until I finish all 8 courses, yes 8! Not to mention the quizzes and final exams for each. Like my life was not busy enough.

Oh well, I’ll get off my soapbox and get to work, since I now have less time in the day. Hope all of you have a wonderful Tuesday and May God always bless you in all you do!

Three cup Monday!

Have you ever had a day where you just wanted go just climb back in the bed and cover up your head? You know you have, so go ahead and raise your hand. This was one of those days. I dragged myself out of the bed at 6am. And dragged is the best way to describe it. I started with a early cup of coffee, drinking it almost in three gulps.

My son’s bus usually runs at 6:42 on the dot, well not today. She ran at 6:40 and guess who was not out there. Yes, my son. We were opening the garage door as she pulled off from the driveway. I stood there going, “This is not the morning for this to happen.” We walked back into the house, both of us properly upset. My husband of course being a man said, “You should have been out there earlier.” Well after the look me and my son gave him, he did not make any more comments on that.

So, usually after my son gets on the bus I have a leisurely breakfast and then I get on my laptop to blog. Well, this morning I had to get a quick shower and drive my son to school. I’m not a morning person, so sitting in school traffic both ways was not my morning plan.

Well, I walked back in the door and grabbed my coffee cup. I have got to try to get with the program. Oh, and my son has decided to try out for basketball today, which means I have got to get him an appointment for a physical today! Like that’s gonna happen.

Well, hope your day is going better than mine. But I shouldn’t be whining. At least I woke up this morning and was able to get out of bed. SO many people can’t.

Have a great day and May God Bless you.

Well if you have read my profile, you know I’m a children’s minister. It has been a wild ride I can say that. There’s never a dull moment. You go from laughing to amazement to fear in just a few moments. When God made me He added an extra dose of patience, or at least that’s what people say.

Today was one of those days. Usually on Sunday I just teach children’s church which takes place during adult church. Today was my day to also teach the preschool class during Sunday School. They are just funny. Their attention spans last about five minutes, ten if you are extremely lucky. I thought well I will teach about Balaam and his talking donkey. Thought that would keep their interest, WRONG! I finished the story and they played three sessions of musical chairs. I finally gave in and took them out to the playground. Well being Fall in the south you never know how the temperature will be. Let’s just say the wind was blowing my hair over my head and I was freezing. Not the kids though.

Then children’s church started. Had four visiting children along with my regular wild crew. I have the 1st through 5th grade class. Well the music and worship went well, but the closing prayer was a real hoot. One of the boys decided he wanted to pray, started off well, but by the time he ended you could not hear him. I just grinned and took them back out in the wind.

Everything was going well as the preschoolers class let out and they came out too. The other teacher and me and my helpers were talking watching the kids. I constantly do head counts as it is a horror of mine to lose a child. Well, guess what, I lost a child today. One of the visiting children. His mom came out to pick up her two boys and one came running up but not the other. Well I started calling for him and the other children looked so innocent. That should have been my first clue. The mother and I went inside looking in the restroom and then as we started back outside he walked in smiling totally happy with himself. He had been hiding on the playground.

Needless to say I was beyond upset. I looked at the mother and begged apologies. I guess she went through this a lot because she patted my arm and smiled. I had to sit down. It was not a good feeling.

Some days it comes to either you laugh or you cry.

Have a great night to all.

Stalker! My own personal nightmare…

In my post this morning I was talking about the levels of love. I mentioned obsessive love and touched on my experience with a stalker. I decided it might be helpful to others out there if I told my story. Maybe it will give them the courage to stand up and fight.

It started when I was 16. I met a really nice guy at the local skating rink. Well I thought he was nice. Looks and actions can be very deceiving. Since I went every Friday night we developed a friendship, nothing more or so I thought. He never touched me during those days, only conversation. I enjoyed talking to him. We had a lot in common.

One night I was talking about a Youth party our Church was having. I asked him if he would like to go. I had started to like him and thought it would be alright. He jumped on the chance. Well, he came and had everybody just falling all over themselves to be near him. I have to say he was a very nice looking young man. My parents even liked him. They had met him several times at the skating rink. He asked me that night for an official date. Being I had not been on many dates (I had real over protective parents-not complaining), I told him that sounded great.

We went out for a nice dinner and a movie. At the movie we held hands, but nothing really tipped me off that he was not mentally alright. He gave me a quick kiss goodnight and left after our date. Well, being a 16 year old girl I thought this was great. An older man (he was 19-which seemed older to me at the time) was paying me some attention. We started talking on the phone every night the next week. It was on the fifth night that something seemed different. I had mentioned a friend that was a guy had laughed at a joke I told him. This guy went off the deep end. He started swearing and raising his voice. Well, I told him I was hanging up and that started my nightmare.

He started calling all hours of the day and night. He would rant and rave, then it started getting sexual. He started detailing what he was going to do to me when he got his hands on me. I would hang up and he would call back. He even told my dad the same things. He would tell me what I was wearing when I would go into town. He even a couple of times told me what I wore to school. I was terrified.

My dad called the police and they put a tap on our phone. When the investigator heard this guys conversation, he was mortified. He had my principal at school watching out and I couldn’t go out without an adult. One night we were having a Christmas party and he called repeatedly. He talked awful to anyone who mistakenly answered. I got to the breaking point. I lost weight, I stopped eating. I was scared. He was watching me at a distance, but nobody could catch him.

One day I got home from school and collapsed. Both from exhaustion and complete misery. The investigator ramped up the case. They finally were able to catch him in the act. He was living with his older brother and they played the tapes for him. He called and begged us not to press charges that his brother had a mental disorder. We knew it would be the only way he got help, so we pressed charges. The judge would not allow me in the court room because the guy had implied he would get me there too. My dad went.

The guy was sentenced to two years in prison with mental therapy. He served 18 months and go out for good behavior. Well, guess who was the first person he called. Me! It started again. Well, the investigator was ready and he was put back in prison for 6 more months. After some therapy of my own, I was able to move on with my life.

I’ve not heard back from him. Thank goodness. I want anyone that has had this happen or is having it happen, please get help. People like this are sick and capable of anything.

 

Crazy things that happen to Accountants!

Well Paula Acton one of my wonderful blog friends suggested it would be funny to list the top 10 funniest deduction requests. So I decided to tell some of the funny things that have happened over the years.

1: I had a lady put down as a dependent a child named “Fluffy Ball” complete with a birthdate but no Social. I just sat and looked at her like “Are you kidding me?”

2: I had a woman ask me if they could claim her husband’s mistress as a dependent. (He was sitting beside her at the time)

3: I have had so many marriage proposals I have quit counting. (Usually these come after I get them a huge refund or straighten out their messes) I always laugh and tell them to get a grip!

4: I had a guy that handed me his list of deductions for his Lawn Care business. It included his ski boat, new pistol and his new hunting rifle. I politely handed it back to him and told him to start over…

5: I had one guy ask me to move into his office because the phone calls and visits were not helping. He had a mess!

6: I am listed in several of my clients wills as the person to find out where everything is.

7: I had one wife that did not like me because her husband kept telling me he loved me. He got nice returns every year and he didn’t realize I was just doing my job.

8: I have one client that calls me his second wife and she agrees with him. I asked him one day if I was on the insurance policy and he just laughed and winked. (Yikes)

9: One client got angry when he owed tax and stormed out of the office. He returned ten minutes later when his wife brought him back to apologize and pay me a big tip for being an idiot. (Her words not mine, but I was thinking it!)

10: I had a lady ask if I could tell from the tax papers if her husband was having an affair. (No!)

11: For some reason most of my clients think I have a degree in Psychology. I did take it in college, but not my major or minor. They will call and want to get advice. I guess I am just too easy to talk to.

12: The best one was when this lady called and asked if I would handle their tax return. I said no problem, we still had a couple of weeks left in the season. When she arrived she asked me to hold the door for her. I was curious so I held the door as she proceeded to bring in ten large plastic bins full of paperwork. I turned to my assistant and smiled. I charge by the hour to separate tax paperwork over the normal stuff. She then proceeded to tell me they had not filed in 8 years. I had to sit down. The bins had everything from birth certificates, prom pictures and bullets!!!

So how many of you are rushing out now to get that Accounting degree. It is totally hilarious how crazy these people can be. I love it. The marriage proposals bother my husband as some of these men are wealthy, handsome men. I just smile and tell him it keeps him on his toes.

Now you know why I have to lose myself in writing. I have to get it off my brain. Some of it can cause nightmares!!!

SO as always, good writing and God Bless!

Tax Season over tomorrow!!!

Well, another tax season is coming to a close. As I sit here in my office putting the finishing touches on yet another procrastinators return I wonder “why do I do this every year?” I guess because I love accounting. There is something about working with numbers and solving problems that just pulls me in. I do wish the IRS would get a handle on how they want to handle Accountants. They are constantly changing things and every year my tax books get thicker and thicker. It can get a little hectic around the office.

I guess that’s why I’m enjoying writing so much. I get to lose myself in another world for a little while every day. Well almost every day. Sometimes I can’t wait to get lost in another person’s life. I will be sitting at my desk figuring out plots and what will happen next. It’s so sad the life and mind (or lack of) of a writer. We are always churning out a story from everything we see. I can see someone on the street that is intriguing and BAM! a story comes to mind. I know, I have a problem, but if it publishes and sells books…

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday evening, or what’s left of it. Tomorrow it is back to school for my son. He has been out on Fall break. Man that clock is going to be terrible sounding at six in the morning. Oh well, life goes on. Good writing and My God Bless you tonight!

Loss of Technology leads to MELTDOWN!

Well the things that nightmares are made of happened to me on Thursday afternoon. It started with a simple request from my phone provider which also handles my internet service and fax line. They wanted to help lower my bill so they convinced me to combine my lines assuring me that I would only be down for a couple of hours. Well…

Being an accountant and writer I depend on my internet to keep up to date in my business. I am currently having to take online courses to keep up to date with the IRS. Also to keep up with my cyber friends. So my internet is a necessity.

Well you can imagine when the deadline for my services to be restored came and went I started to panic slightly. Three hours later my panic was rising to stressful levels. I asked my husband five hours into the “Black Out” as I labeled it, when had I let technology start ruling my life. He laughed and said it had been a while. He told me to take a warm bath and work on my book. I could not even face my laptop.

Upon waking yesterday, or I might as well say just getting up from no sleep, I crossed my fingers and turned on my laptop. Well, the little icon was still red and my DSL light was blinking a demon eye red. It watched me and winked at me for five hours. I started to sweat and have withdrawals. I could not eat, I could not sleep. It was terrible. I was slipping into a frenzied insanity.

After four different associates and four terrible hours on hold off and on, I got results. The lady said the words that made my heart sing “Hallelujah”, they were “your service will be back to full status by end of business day”. My stomach growled and said “now you can eat”. I took my son out to lunch and came back to a solid green light. The demon was gone from my desk and I took a cleansing breath.

It was like a awakening as I opened my browser and was able to connect. My fax line went crazy from client fax back up and business was back to “normal” or as normal as it can get. So that was my 24 hour meltdown without technology. I don’t want to go through that again. I was back to writing last night. Sad how technology takes over your life. You don’t know how bad a case of technological obsession you have until you have to go 24 hours without it. Have a great day fellow bloggers!