Month: September 2017

Emily leaves in two days. And I may go to. So today is he day where you have to seriously get things settled at home before you leave. Like having someone take care of your pets. Or watch the house and pick up the mail. The fortunate thing is Emily will be gone only one week and I have not made any plans. So maybe I won’t need to plan anything. Of course, I may end up doing all last minute in a big ole hurry. Don’t know. Exciting isn’t it? Not really.

A tough part about leaving is all the things you do that are different. For instance, I have been on a weight loss program for a few months. And it works. But I gained 15 pounds back when I went on vacay to Maine this summer. Not good. So if I leave, who knows, one week five more? I seriously hope not. No room in the suitcase for diet food. Have to be careful when I eat and drink. Cocktails have calories too I hear.

Going to try and get to work early today. Maybe I can get some real work done. Instead of sitting around. There is another deadline on 10/15 which is just around the corner. I know, I looked. I always have a lot of work to do. I am well past the old days when I was out beating the bushes looking for work. I actually had to find it. Now, it finds me. I need to find a better hiding place.

I have been sitting here daydreaming for twenty minutes with the occasional work break (the blog) and I think I need to get my rear in gear. And SSS and go to work.

I drove the old car to work, for a quick change of pace. It is more comfortable than a rather small two seat convertible. I know most people find that hard to believe but rest assured it’s true. My old car almost felt kinda new. Almost.

I only had one appointment today with an important client. He was supposed to be signing on the dotted line today for a huge tax plan. Instead he threw a hissy fit about a rather unimportant part of the plan. I want to slap him. We have been working on this for a year and a half. Without pay. And he hunks that should all be free, no charge to him. What an asshole. Well the cretin will be back on Thursday and it’s time then for him to shit or get off the pot. I’m tired of talking to him. I wasted an hour of my life with him today. No charge.

I had to go to the bank and make a wire transfer for a client. The recipient bank is a credit union. Notoriously difficult to deal with. I was at our bank a half hour, had three bank personnel working on it including the branch manager. He finally threw up his arms and said let’s send a cashier check by FedEx. And I have to tell the recipient Credit Union to phone the branch to verify funds. PITA. I also sent a wire to same place from another account via my online account. So I log on. Then went through secondary verification. Then I set up the wire and hit send. It doesn’t send and the bank locks me out of the website. These banks are so god damn stupid. They protect themselves to the point nothing can get done. I hate them. And I hate our government for making all the truly asinine rules they have to follow.

Spent what was left of my day preparing tax returns and the usual accounting nightmares of my clients. Ahh, it pays the bills and excites the senses! Half true.

Drove to the carniceria on the way home. It is Tuesday and this is tradition. They had my favorite, chile verde con nopales. None last week so there was some pent up demand. I got carnitas for Emily. Of course, Emily requires chips and salsa as well. The salsa verde was not very good this time.

Off to home. Emily had gone to workout and after she went grocery shopping for whoever watches the house. Emily presumes I will be leaving too. So she got home quite late for dinner. No matter. God invented the microwave oven for times like this.

I just finished putting the garbage out (see how important Tuesday is), all three cans which is two trips to the curb. It’s a long way up our driveway so it’s an extra pain. Whatever.

I am now officially ready for the sack. 9pm is late. And I’m a growing boy.

I think I have A bit of a mental and physical hangover today. We had planned out the entire weekend in advance, and had a wildcard as well. But the weekend was full, and e had quite a blast I must admit. And I must, a big part of blogging is laying yourself out for everyone to see. Ewww. Or, lucky you! But, as I was saying, I am tired this morning. I slept very well last night and only woke twice to go to the can. And got right back to sleep. Emily slept well too, which is probably more important. Her sleep makes me feel better too. The over drinking and over eating also kicks my ass the next couple of days. I regularly eat about 1400 calories a day of protein and veggie. And no booze. Mostly. So a bacchanalian meal or two on the same day or weekend is like redlining Grandmas Cadillac sedan. It’s just not used to it. Though I am proud of myself because on Saturday night, before dinner, I did not order the bourbon flight I had been hoping to have. The restaurant we ate at Saturday specializes in rare bourbons. But I ealized after a day of wine tasting it would only extend my pain. And I still have a weekend hangover without that. We are going to go back another time. Without wine all day.

I should mention, or give a quick shout out, to my daughter who now works in the wine industry. She is a wine business major at Sonoma State and this is her first foray into the work world of wine. She is starting at the bottom as a server in the tasting room at Sonoma-Cutrer winery. They specialize in Chardonnays and Pinots I think. And they are damn proud of their wine$. If you know what I mean. I’d like to describe her first day, as related yesterday. 9am she was wine tasting. At 10am more wine tasting. Then some boring stuff which was interesting because she had never done it before (she said it). Then working in the tasting room till 5. They sold five wine club memberships so each of them got a free bottle of wine. After close the employees went out to the lawn and played croquet and drank wine. Did I mention, this is a job and they get paid to do it? Seems a good fit for the girl.

I am going to take the newest car in the stable to the detailers today. I want to see if they have some magic goo that will take the smell of tobacco and deodorizer out of the inside of the car. Actually, the smell seems to reside in the convertible top. Also wax it and shampoo seats and carpet. I think without the nasty smell the car would be perfect.

The car is way fun to ride. Emily and I drove all over Vacaville running errands yesterday with top down. At least until she was overcome by the heat (82!!) and it was too up AC on. I was surprised by how much I could fit in the trunk, not too bad capacity. Half a dead body, maybe more. If needed. And you never know when that may be a need.

Moving on, this is a short week. Emily leaves for Maine on Thursday. Her parents need help. Aging parents are tough. They are all too damn stubborn to get the help they need and you really have to force it on them. They are essentially toddlers. Only they will never become more able. Only less. Preview of coming attractions folks. Anyhow, she will be in the great northeast for a week. I have a week off. Not sure what to do. My sister is going to Belize with friends and husband. She has been trying to get us to go but mom and dad win out and I can’t vacay without my bride. Wouldn’t be prudent. So I guess I can work on the cars for a week. That could be handy.

Today is my brother in laws (see above) birthday and my old neighbor Betty’s birthday too. I already texted Vince (bro n law) but need to call Betty. She lived across the road from us here for ten years. Her dad built the house and lived in it over 50 years. He was a farmer. She, of course, would be the famous farmers daughter. She wins the prize for best neighbor ever. Someone you can truly count on. We love her. We could always count on her to help out. She is the neighbor who would show up with a shotgun if there were trouble. Good neighbor. So she gets birthday greetings.

So, as I was saying, this is a short week. I have to move into that mode of helping Emily get the hell out of town. She will fret over everything and worry about all. I know that does not help her but it’s what she does. There is a big exhale once she walks down the gangway to the airplane. In three days. And counting. And while she is gone all I have to do is keep the place clean. And have clean sheets on the bed when she gets back. And clean towels in the bathroom. That’s all. Easy peasy.

I have to go do my morning duties. So off I go. Duties done. Poorly, but done. I am off to work. No stops required.

When I got to the office I walked through and found someone to give me a ride to the detailers. Cara was the winner. At this point I was given my annual rhubarb pie birthday present. So instead of leaving we all had pie. Then I went to the detailers.

Once I got in Cara’s car on the way back, I noted perhaps she should have left her car to get cleaned cuz it was dirty.

Client came in to finalize his tax plan and make first payment to the attorney. But then he has to pitch a fit about the fees and boy can he pitch a fit. I had to get the attorney on the line to explain it all again. Which only made him partly happy. But he is coming in tomorrow with the updated engagement letter. And the check. So it will be fine. And we cut his fee $10k. Money talks.

Fortunately no one else came by. So not much to do there. I did have one client I worked with over the phone to get a letter written to the IRS. Usual BS with the IRS claiming someone owes money when they don’t. And I need to convince them to back off. It seems like letters to them are half my business.

The rest of the day is a blur. I am not sure what I did. Kinda sad the way days go by like that. I did spend a lot of time calling the bank about a property up in Auburn. The loan officer spent the day avoiding me as far as I could tell.

At end of day I picked up the car. It is beautiful. Got the carpets and seats shampooed, the inside of the convertible top washed, car waxed and top blacked. It really is new. And, most important of all, the stank is gone. Wow is that a BIG improvement.

I left for home soon after. Damon the loan officer on dad’s loan called me while I was driving. We had to settle on the amount to pay as a down payment. FYI I am negotiating dad’s loan for him. Damon originally spoke of a 20% down. Then he sent paperwork with a 40% down. We talked about it and managed to bring it down closer to 18%. If you don’t pay attention to what people are doing you can easily be taken advantage of.

Got home kinda late. Not much going. I rearranged the garage a bit to better fit the new car. Slid some shelves around. Good news, it fits better.

We got to have left over birthday dinner from last night for dinner tonight. The steak was wonderful and delicious, still.

Spent the balance of the evening watching TV and Emily doing laundry. I have realized that Monday night is a desert wasteland of television. I guess I never watch TV on Mondays. This type of TV is incontrovertible evidence of why I read books. Which I am doing in a few minutes as I lay in bed before dropping off to sleep.

In honor of my birthday today, I am writing a very shortened blog. Been busy all day and really did not feel like posting today. I do have a short video to share.
IMG_3283

Kinda says it all, doesn’t it? Nice birthday dinner and ice cream cake at home hosted by my favorite wife. Tomorrow will be business as usual.

Ahhhh Saturday! Up at six am so I can be in Newcastle by 9. This is the life! No it isn’t. I felt like hell when I got up this morning and the coffee barely helped. I drank too much last night. That’s two drinks. I seldom drink anymore at all so two drinks is a lot.

We finally get to look at a property in Newcastle we have wanted to see for three weeks. Previous tenants completely trashed it. I have low expectations. But I have seen “before” pictures and the house is fabulous.

After this we go pick up Marika’s S2000. That will be fun. Drop the top and air it out. Woo hoo!!

We are running late to Newcastle. Late start because Marika is with us. Late is her middle name. And first name. It kills me. But I was the same at her age. I still blame her.

Ok. We got there. Take a look. . That is the best photo I could take. The house is full of garbage in every room. They had fifteen cats that smelled like twenty. They pissed everywhere. In spite of the litter boxes in every room. The prior tenants tore out all the appliances. Because nothing says high market value like old, used appliances. Morons. They were just mad because they got kicked out. The five acre lot was completely overgrown just for kicks I guess. We don’t want this place. We are down to two choices now. But look at this, a hawk. In the yard.

The day is becoming more exciting. We are headed to Sacramento now to pick up the car!!! Awesome!!! Well, I’m excited. Pictures soon. It will be a blast. Lots of work to do on it, mostly cosmetic like interior detail and deodorizing. But air of work till I am happy. Return it to new condition. I need a hobby. Making Marika’s car perfect.

Well the car rocks out loud, just so you know. Drove back home, top down of course. Getting used to the shift pattern and shift points and raw power, of course. The S2000 has 240hp and weighs only 2800 lbs. So it goes fast. And quick. I had forgotten, though, what women say. Always the same thing, “my hair is messed up!!”. Good thing I don’t care. With the top down the noise level makes it impossible to hear anything. But, just gonna say, the car is a lot of fun to drive.

We got home and the girls went to get ready for wine tasting at 2pm. I went through the car and found the owners manual. Did not have time to read it. Bob and Renee showed up. They are going with us to the winery. And dinner. So we chatted about the car and life and I gave Bob his present from Maine. It’s a bottle of absinthe which is brewed in Maine. Near where we live in Madison. Readers of the blog may recall back in July we visited the distillery and got a few bottles of hooch. We gainally got all loaded up and off to Yountville. Bob and I are in Marikas car with her. She is going home direct after dinner. Em and Renee are in the MBZ.

So we got to Yountville finally and went straight to work. At the winery. We managed to beat the girls here. They are slow. Goose Cross is a very small winery. Only 12 employees. Majority owner is some woman, last name Coors. You think she is related? Yes. The place is nice, no crowds. They schedule all tastings so there is no crowd. Very relaxed. We sat back for 2 or 3 hours and enjoyed the tasting. I have to say, of all I drank only the cab sauv was worth it. But Emily is a club member here so we go here. We also hooked into a wine dinner in December as well. Once they have ahold of you, they don’t let go.

After we left Goose Cross we drove to Napa, which is close but a long car ride. Traffic. Got into downtown Napa, and we found a parking space immediately. We live right. The girls, got one too, but not as awesome as ours. We walked to the Bounty Hunter and got on the list for dinner. No reservations accepted. An hour and a half wait at 545. Popular place I think. But that’s ok. We headed up the street to wait in a jazz bar close by. There it’s cheaper and they have open space at the bar and tables. Which after a truly hard day tasting wine is important. I managed to order an Old Fashion (drink not donut) and Marika ordered an olive plate. Both were just fine. We have an hour to kill and time is dying as we sit here. We are drinking in the Blue Note. This place obviously gets going much later because it’s slow now. We left the bar at 615 because the restaurant said a table would be ready. It wasn’t. Thirty or forty minutes later it was. They have the old type system where you have to check back every once in awhile to see where your table is at. Bad system.

The Bounty Hunter is the name of the restaurant. They have a huge collection of rare and hard to find wines and liquor. They serve BBQ. Is that not perfect? I love BBQ and it’s my birthday so it’s a good combination. Here are a couple of things:

The vertical chicken is their beer can chicken. They shove a can of beer into a whole chicken and set it on the grill. That was a fabulous taste treat. The other picture is the remains of a rack of ribs, brisket, and shredded pork all with cole slaw. We ate almost all of it prior to me taking a picture. Sides of Mac n cheese and corn bread. Added to all was a nice bottle of red wine. We under ordered a bit on the food which turned out to be just right. And, better cost wise too.

There is a tough task involved in eating a nice dinner out when the restaurant is an hour from home. You end up, full, tired, and maybe not drunk but very relaxed. All that’s great. The task is driving home after you are done. Glad Emily drove. We all complained a little about being kinda upset in the tummy. I think, and we discussed it, that the 2pm wine tasting with no food (not even snacks) was a mistake. None of us had lunch either. Then we had dinner with more wine and the rich food. I feel fine now (it’s Sunday morning though).

After dinner Marika went straight back to home in Santa Rosa. She starts her new winery job Sunday at 9am.

The rest of us piled in to the car and hit the road. And, as I said , I felt a little queasy all the way home.

I think everyone was tired cause Bob and Renee boogied when we hit the house and we went directly to bed. Rich food and alcohol makes you tired. Who knew?

It’s 9pm and I remembered to blog my day. It’s that kind of day. Too damn busy, too many phone calls, too many visitors, too many. When you are buried in work up to your eyeballs and beyond, then everything else is just too much. I want to be left the hell alone when I have that much to do. But no one will leave you alone. They want to help you feel better. That ain’t happening.

Well all my deadline crap is done. I am out to dinner at a brand new brewery cafe in Winters. It’s about 8 miles from our house at a high rate of speed. Country roads if you know what I mean. I just threw down a cocktail. They have liquor too. I had a very small glass of pineapple cider. They sell by the ounce here. Which encourages drinking more I think. Because you can have just a little more if you want. But I like the system. They have lots of beers. Don’t like beer. Place is called Green River.

Morning started same as it has all week. I had an unannounced client at 8am. She just brought her crap and sat down. In my robe again. 3rd time this week, a new record. She is a very chatty woman. Very. Always has been. No dead air with her around. Anyway, went through her stuff and discussed what’s going on for an hour and a half. Had to end hat conversation. I’m busy today.

Managed to get her out the house. Got myself ready and hit the road. Got to work and started my day. Only three returns left. Which, if history is any judge (it is), will take all day. This whole day, as with all deadline days, is a series of interruptions. Email, text, phone, walk ins, just a ton of people vying for my attention. By four pm I had finished two returns and knew I had to go to the bank to get money for the car deal. So at 530 I finally managed to get out the door to the bank and go close the deal on the car. Which I did. We will pick it up on Saturday morning. But, I still had to go back to the office after. That elusive 3rd and final return. Got back at 630 and it was quiet. I finished the return by 7. But, as you may not be aware, I have to efile all return. Today. So I had to email the client the efile forms to sign and wait for the return back. Then efile and wait for confirmation and then go home. So, by 8 pm I was in my way home. Long day.

There was an accident on the Cap City freeway which ate 20 mins of my life but otherwise it was a swift trip. Marika was home when I got there. We are all going out together tomorrow for my birthday. Will be a Barrel of fun. On my way home I callled my friends Bob and Renee and now they are going too. This is gonna be a blast. We are going wine tasting in Yountville. Then dinner in Napa. Marika just got a job at Sonoma-Cutrer winery in Sonoma. Bob, it turns out, knows the place very well. And he wants to go here once Marika has started. Good idea. I look forward to it. And the free wine she will get. I like free. My favorite flavor.

So time to go home from our quick trip out. It’s 10pm which is past my bedtime. Maybe I can relax enough tonight to get solid sleep. Who knows?

We got home and are sifting through everything. Emilny is trying to get her Houston shipments together. She is sending school supplies to her childhood elementary school in Spring Branch, near Houston, Texas. Her school was flooded. She wanted to help. Here are two of the boxes.

At home I dished up pistachio ice cream and Marika poured some of the gold medal winning Cabernet her roommate gave her. Six bottles. Nice. Red wine and pistachio ice cream are soul sisters btw.

Why is this cat here?

Always on the table. In the box. The cat’s a pain.

I know I have shorted you, my dear readers, but I will do better tomorrow. Much better. Goodnight.

Today is Sept 14. It’s the day before the corporate and business tax return deadline. This is the day I get phone calls from clients who say they didnt know it was today!?! What a surprise for them to find out that for the last twenty years it’s been a 9/15 deadline. Does anyone pay attention out there? I have had three calls today, and it’s only 745am. And someone texted and wants to drop by at 8. I get real popular with the late filing set in September. No matter, this is how I make money. I will stay sane for them while they go crazy. It’s a living.

I hope to have all documents and some time to go get the car deal done. Finally found the correct combination of car features to make her happy. Now all I gotta do is close it up. On one of the busiest work days of the year. No problem. The car dealer is a sweetheart. But that can change quick. It would be fun to drive it home. I need to put a facial on it, by which I mean a deep clean detailing in and out. Trip to body shop too. Hey, it’s 15 years old.

Client Holly showed up for her 8am appointment. I had forgotten. I was in my bathrobe. Don’t tell Emily, I’m not sure how she feels about meettings in bathrobes. Of course, it’s the second time this week. Client Raquel was here early two days ago, no appointment, and at 8 am I am in my bathrobe. Oh well. Maybe I need a promo photo for advertising, Bill in his fuzzy blue bathrobe. Don’t know. Holly and I got to talking and we were discussing he floods in Houston. I showed her all the school supplies we were sending to my wife’s childhood elementary school in Spring Branch near Houston. I was complaining how much the shipping was going to be. Tmso Holly got out her checkbook and wrote a contribution for $100. What an awesome thing to do. I told Emily later and she was just floored. A very generous gesture. Thank you Holly!

Once Holly had gone I got my shower and the rest done. Left for work bybway if the bank. I also had to drop off a gift for my hair stylist. Some Halloween themed dish towels with French bulldogs on them. She has a frenchie named Monte. Whom I met yesterday. Here he is:

The big white dog is Miles. She is an American Bulldog and a total sweetheart. She lets little Monte sit on her head like that all he time.

So anyway, off to Jims shop to drop off paperwork. I didn’t see him or his wife. Though they did call several times today. They want me to negotiate a better mortgage deal with their lender. I am not sure I can get better but geboutcome could be better. They purchased a lot in South Dakota. They need to borrow in order to put a manufactured home on the lot. They made a deal but are now not sure the loan deal will work. Hence having me call and talk to lender. I called and will probably get a call back tomorrow.

I, again, spent the day preparing tax returns. One after another. I took some time off to go to the car dealer and hand off all the paperwork they need to finish the deal. I hope. He said it will be written up by Friday and we can pick up the car on Sunday. Good.

Went back to the office, about 430 pm. Worked till 1030 pm. More taxes and a couple of clients also stopped by. Yes, at deadline everyone works late. Nothing special happened. I have two or three returns left to do and the season of corps is done. Finally.

It’s midnight and I’m a pumpkin. So off to bed.

Today is Wednesday and as all who read this know, I don’t go to the office on Wednesdays. Well, since deadline is Friday, I went to work today. I have a ton to do.

I am going to try and remember today. It’s 20 to 9 at night and this is the first chance I have had to write anything down. I tell you in the spirit of honesty not just to get sympathy for what could be a lame post. I hope you all know where to find sympathy.

First appointment, here at the house, for 8am, cancelled. Great. More time for me. Received two or three calls from my Dad. He is moving up to Auburn with us. Hence one reason this is taking so long. He needs handicap access in any home we choose which can involve remodel. Tough with a rental. I forgot to mention this prior so now it helps you understand my travails.

This morning I had to go to the salon and get my haircut. Rachel, who used to live out here, finally listened to me and brought her new dog to work so I could meet him. His name is Monte (short for Joe Montana). He is a brindle French bulldog. Male in name only since he just had his nuggets removed. The dog could not be cuter. And I think he loves everyone. I held him the whole time I was there including while I got worked on. And he put up with it.. I almost want another dog except I have 3. So no.

Returned home after to put my dogs out since I had left them in the house.

Off to work and the usual tranquil drive to work, except for the constant phone calls. Did I mention the deadline on Friday? I am a wanted man right now. I had to recharge the phone battery twice today. Mostly due to a client in a contested battle with partners in a business. It appears the tide turned in his favor today and I believe he will prevail in whatever comes out the other side. But it was also about 5 very long phone calls. It makes him feel better.

Got to office and the scanner was down. This is not good. I scan docs all day long. Got ahold of the tech and he was able to fix over the phone. Free. Okay. Way to go Shawn!

Spent my entire day doing taxes, printing tax returns or on the phone talking to tax clients. Head never came up.. Had a couple texts from Marika regarding the car. Trying to get the rest of the info from her to finish up the purchase for her. Tough during the deadline time. But at least she understands.

I have to be at Turkovich winery for wine club night. Tonight at 6. Emily, I thought, wanted me to go. We are to meet Barb and Kirk there. Barb is Emily’s bestie and many people think they are sisters. Both are awesome and also are our neighbors. They live two forty acre parcels away from us. That’s close, for you city folks. Probably should stay at work and do tax returns but too bad I’m leaving by 430.

So, balance of day is tax returns and etc. Off to the home front at 430. Arrived before Emily but got out of the house kind of sluggishly. We arrived at the winery at 615. We still beat Barb and Kirk by quite a few. We managed to score a table for four even. The place was packed when we arrived. Nice evening of hors douvres and wine. Tasted seven different bottles. Took seven bottles home. Nice talking to the friends as well. Always seems we don’t get to do this type of thing very often. Not often enough for sure. Funny aside, there was an exact ’02 S2000 in the parking lot in front of Turkovich that Marika is buying. Exact, except for interior. Funny. I was able to show Emily what it looks like in advance. Guess they made more than one.

I am home now, 915 so I ought to be. Trying to post something that will be interesting and informative. I can settle for not dull. But it is what it is. I am going to bed. I am sure I will be working very late tomorrow.

This week is deadline week for corporate, partnership and other business tax returns. So each day is about the same escalating into the 15th which is this Friday. All must be postmarked or efiled by midnight Friday. The IRS seems to think deadlines are awesome. They think that because they can start charging obnoxious penalties once you miss the filing deadline. Congress creates these rules, which are onerous and putrid just like congress. They do it to create revenue for their own nefarious activities. I hate them. The IRS is the public face (ugly) of congress for enforcement. The system works ok unless you fail to comply or they (IRS) create an error that starts a problem. When mistakes happen on either side it can take years (no kidding here) to clear it up. I usually get errors fixed in under 3 months. All by US Mail. The IRS does not do email or text or helpful phone call. I have been working on one clients problem since 2010. IRS owes him $20k. Have had direct meetings at IRS district office twice. They admit it. They are sorry. So far, not able to fix it. Anyway, deadlines are just the beginning of the screwed up administration at the IRS. Or, actually, congress is. I have come to dislike what I do for a living. It’s like beating your own head with a hammer and not ever being allowed the courtesy of a break. No more ranting.

Today I have one appointment for a client to pick up two returns. I have to keep my schedule open because the people who wait till the last minute are the types of people that show up without an appointment. They also are usually poorly groomed and unwashed too. Just kidding!! No, I really like to keep the last few days prior to deadline open so I can have time for late arrivers. And late filers. I also charge more. Or should I say, no discounts or coupons. Like there are any. So I expect unknowns to show. They do also tend to pay immediately. They are obviously used to how this works in other areas of their lives. I want to say clearly, most of these people are very nice and I like them. It’s the deadlines I hate.

Just got off the phone with a friend. She is at the hospital. Her husband is having a procedure. Since she did not say, I figured, based on his age, he was getting a colonoscopy. Bingo. For those of you unaware, when a man in the US with health insurance hits age 50 the insurance will pay for one. My doc just called and told me when to show up. That’s it. It wasn’t so bad. Except, the day prior you have to drink a gallon of nasty tasting liquid to clean you out and not eat either. The drink is not good. I asked and got permission to drink swiftly. I shotgunned that crap. Yuck. But quick. They allow clear liquids to drink as well. I chose Vodka. I think that qualifies. I want to give every guy a little advice. Right before the procedure, in front of your wife, ask the doctor to look for your car keys while in there. And your head too. After the procedure, again with spouse present, have doctor say out loud he did not find either. Now she has lost two things, forever, that she can use in an argument. You’re welcome. My procedure was fine. He gave me ten years before we do it again. They don’t quit till you are 80 at which point you are close enough to dead it does not matter I guess. So back to friend, from nature of the call I would say he is fine. And I hope she does not pick on him too much. Hey, it’s not every day you get a tube stuck up there. At least I hope not. My doc did take pictures of it. He failed to provide me with a framable 8×10. What a jerk.

Well had only one client stop by my house this am. It’s amazing how busy I get around deadline time. All of a sudden people get interested in doing their taxes. Well, at least I like the client who came by and I have known her a long time. Gotta take care of those.

Off to work and more taxes. Same client was waiting for me today as was waiting for me yesterday when I walked in. I had his returns done so I quickly got his efile docs out and him on his way.

Next appointment, yes another one, came in immediately after. Able to process all his returns while he waited. And then he paid! Yay for him. Need to invite him to all the parties.

Next appointment is with Hal. Yes, back to back to back appointments. We needed to discuss ongoing business. We do large case tax planning as a team. While we were talking, one of our biggest and best prospects called me and said he was ready to get started and could he come by now? Like I would say no. We first discussed this with him 18 months ago. He came over and the three of us got his final questions answered and he is ready to go. Life can be super fantastic at times. Like now. This is a good one and will help him immensely. And pay us a fair wage as well. Win win baby!

Balance of day doing tax returns. Which is what many days are like. Most really. I am managing to clear out quite a few. I will be really happy when 10/16 rolls around. It’s about six and I want to go home. Since I’m in charge, I am leaving.

I went to a local car lot to look at an S2000 for Marika. I saw it advertised last weekend. I have been looking for one for a year or so. It’s silver with a red leather interior. Seems nice. I forgot to take a picture for the blog. But I will be back there tomorrow or Thursday and can get one. I have been trying to find a good one for over 12 months and this one just popped out of nowhere. Good for her. I know I can make a deal on it. Seems clear. I will keep all updated. Ok, forgot to mention, we agreed on price. Now I have to get good terms. We are moving. Marika is a little amped up which is no surprise. We have been sitting on this for months.

Drove home quickly. It’s taco Tuesday but since I was not home Emily picked up dinner. She actually picked up exactly what I would have. Funny. It’s like we know each other.

After dinner I had to scan a document to Marika. The save function will not work when I scan a document. Totally screwed. I had to do a backdoor save through an email to myself to get it where I wanted it. Stupid. I really hate technology. Really. But I got it done.

Tuesday night is also for garbage. So I am off to do that. Well I have to say, the garbage job 99% of the time is just me. Tonight, Emily came out and helped. That was very nice. I have complained in the past about the task, many times. But I have never complained that someone needs to help me. So I can say, it was nice and I was surprised pleasantly that she helped. She did most of the work too.

Went in, watched a little TV, read for a few minutes and went to bed.

Today is what most people, I believe, think of as the first day of the week. Today I don’t want to go to work, or even work for that matter. Usually I have no issues getting to work even when I don’t want to go. But today I have this strong desire to chuck it all. Work, I mean, not the good parts of life. I’m keeping those. I can think back to the beginning of my career, a time when I wanted a good job (whatever that is) and fair compensation (more) and friendly work environment. I thought all this was possible and success was just in front of me. I have learned in the last thirty years that it may be a dream. The reality is days of hard work when you don’t want to work, no recognition, and the pay is unimportant in amount because the money really never mattered. Best job I ever had was coaching youth baseball. Hard work. No recognition, except from the boys, and less than zero pay. Great job. Too bad we figure things out when we are old and people stop listening to us. I have been told by many people over the last many years how lucky (extreme hard work) I have been. My job is awesome, people respect me, I’m rich (where did I put the money?) if I have success, I feel sorry for those that don’t. And I truly mean that.

Back to today, I have a load of deadline work and a second deadline looming in a month. Why, again, did I sign up for this? Why do we tell our children to get a job and do the same thing? I know why they rebel against it. No matter what parents may think, your kids may be on the right path when they move away from what you tell them.

Ok. Negative Nellie needs to leave before I bitch slap her out the door. Gotta vent somewhere. Maybe it was the pancakes and coffee. I don’t know. Or the Monday.

Dog feeding has returned to the recent Jaxsonian era. By that I mean a few months back when Jax was on seven different meds (we thought he was dying, it was awful) and I had a drugstore in place at mealtime. As I have written, Jaxon is a new dog and off almost all meds. But, after recent visit to vet Saturday I have two dogs to fill in. Taffy has to take an allergy pill 3x a day, an antibiotic 1x per day, bladder med 2x per day and pain med 1x per day. Dog one. Latte has an antibiotic 1x per day, but no more bladder meds (just as hard to remember what she gets vs what she doesn’t). Dog two. Jaxon gets liver pills 2x per day but half dose am and qtr dose pm. And a chewable liver pill once a day. It’s the size of a child’s fist. Have to cut in four. And if he decides today it’s a chewable, then he eats them one by one. If not, push it down his throat gently four times. Dog three. I really should have been a pharmacist. The pay is excellent but my friend John, a pharmacist, does not speak so highly of it. He says he should write a book. It would be about counting pills. He thinks it won’t sell. I told him to write it anyway. I would buy a copy. He said I would probably get one for free. Signed.

Last night after having a long discussion about our home search, it seems we are getting closer to a conclusion. Probably go with our first choice which is the most difficult property to work with. Always with the hard work. I must be crazy. Wait, we settled that in a prior post. I’m half sane. Which half I wonder? So maybe now we can get ready and move. That might be a calming operation. Or a cluster. I suppose both are equal. Stay on topic, will you? The property I speak of is one of the first we looked at. Great location, great view, isolated enough, 5 acres, on a hillside. Lots of room for evening walks and gazing at the view. Is good, n’est pas? Who knows. Jump in and swim just like the rest of life. Hope for the very best conclusion. We will get to the finish line, maybe even in first place.

I have got to go to work. I have a 230 and need to be done with his crap prior to his arrival. So I left. And you thought I wasn’t ready? Nice drive. Lots of phone calls. I was on the phone for five minutes before I noticed he CHP behind me. Oops. I dropped the phone in my lap and pretended I was a good boy. Phone rang and I hit the kill button. Cop pulled off, yay! Called back Linda the agent. We have to make decisions today. We countered their offer and they spanked us down. Who cares. We already decided to not take it. So there. So less work for Linda.

Got to work at 1115 and my 230 was already there. A hole. He said maybe he made a mistake on the time. No shit Sherlock. I hate idiot clients. So I had to see him then. At least he is done. I collect d the info and got him as far as I can on his two tax returns. He left, happy enough. I was happy enough he left. And after he left I finished his returns and he can come in tomorrow and get them.

Kept working on taxes for awhile. Another client showed up, he had called this am and requested an appt. I said sure. Anyhow, he came in with his two young kids in tow. I have zero problem with that. I used to have young kids. Well behaved ones. His did fine, they ate some candy (I have lots) and played with all he toys (I have lots). We managed to get him moving forward on things. Then we had an overlong discussion about his bill. It’s fine but he has to argue anyway. I can’t wait till he comes back with his analysis of payments. What fun. I’m glad I like this guy.

Spent the balance of the day preparing tax returns. Which is what pays the bills. And is the only thing I still enjoy doing. At least doing at work. Left the office about 6 pm. Got home round 7 pm. Fed the dogs, what a pain in the butt. And that damn Latte had to be forcibly medicated. I shoved her pills down her throat is what that means. Stupid dog.

Opened a nice bottle of Pinot with dinner. Very nice actually. We got it as a gift. The wine company also gives to charity with each order. Ours was a dog centric gift to us and to a dog charity. We got the wine and some dog toys and some treats for each. Quite nice. The wine is excellent too. Win win win, baby.

It has reached the bewitching hour again. That’s the time where we want to go to bed.

So I actually slept late. My favorite kind of sleep late. I woke at 430, all dogs in kennel, whining. Put them out to conduct dog business. Then back in, one by one, into kennel. Back to bed. Woke at 6, usual time I get up. Went to can. Lay down for a moment instead. Woke at 8am!!! I am so thrilled. I have been unable to sleep that late in so long I can not remember. This will be the best day. I can feel it.

I fed cats. I fed dogs. Hey, regular readers already know this part. I will skip it.

While eating breakfast I checked my texts (right after posting yesterday’s blog). I had six from our agent Linda. One from another client too. Who wants me to call her. At 8 am on a Sunday. I don’t need to rush that response.

I am so busy texting and blogging I have failed in my primary Sunday duty. The paper. It still sits at end of driveway. Even Emily commented when she came down, all showered and dressed that she was surprised I had not gone out and picked it up. I guess my habits are strong and noticeable. Go figure.

It amazes me how many text conversations you can keep going at once. I am doing several and no one knows it. Obviously Sunday morning is a slow time for all. I appreciate the contact. Without it I would be stuck reading my Big paper. By stuck I mean lucky enough to be. Hope I can remember next Sunday to compare.

Emily left for work and has been gone for an hour. I walked her to her car, and then walked out and picked up the Sunday paper. There was, as usual, a lot of not much in the Sunday paper. I read one article in full about how movie studios blame Rotten Tomatoes for low ticket sales. I blame lousy movies myself. The Rotten Tomatoes site does give out high scores to good movies. I saw Baby Driver without checking the scores. Wow. Really fantastic. Checked the score after. It had a 100. Anyhow, I think movie studios are stupid. So there. Otherwise only the usual commentaries, funnies, obits, etc. I always read it with the hope there is a true gem hidden in it. Just not today. Hey, it’s shower time.

I had a quick lunch, one of the diet bars. I am getting closer to goal. Again. My health coach has me eating a little more on a daily basis. But, I really would prefer meals of food rather than where I am. I know the next move is to a transitional diet with more calories and then a maintenance diet with even more. But I would prefer it be at an end. The end, of course, is a complete change in lifestyle in order to maintain your desired weight. That’s all.

It’s Sunday so I stripped the bed and took all linens to the wash room. Started with the sheets. This is a Sunday ritual, made easier since the kids moved out. Towels next.

I am going to iron my shirts next. I have four waiting for me upstairs. Why does society create things like ironing and irons. Wouldn’t it be easier to accept wrinkly shirts and clothes as the norm? That would save tremendous time and energy. And I would not have to get up now. And climb the stairs. And get out iron and ironing board and sprayer. I hate to iron. Had you already noticed?

Looks like fun waiting to happen!! Right?

Well it took nearly an hour but I ironed all four shirts. I am very slow but thorough. I have never mastered the art of ironing quickly. Emily can do it fast. I envy that. But at least I am done till I do the laundry. Wonder what chore I will do next? It’s a shame I don’t like football on TV because I am sure there are a few games on now. I am gonna look around, right after I switch the laundry and make the bed.

Emily got home right about here. She says we need to go to Sams Club to get pictures developed and also go to grocery store. So we went. Ended up not going to grocery store, we picked up cat litter at Sams. Then to FedEx for some boxes. Emily is sending school supplies to her childhood elementary school in Houston. A little flood relief. We did go to grocery outlet which is not a real grocery store. It’s a nice place but not the full inventory regular grocery store. They have cheap food, like close outs and old food. It’s fine.

We went home and dumped the groceries. Then off to Auburn to view another rental. We are driving now. We got to the site way early. Like 430 for a 5 look, early. Our agent showed up at 5. We were driving around looking at the neighborhood when Linda arrived. The house is very nice in terms of amenities, well located 5 mins from the freeway, and the backyard is truly spectacular. Palapa bar, pool with beach entry and grotto with waterfall and a big tiled slide. The view out the back is of Folsom Lake, Sacramento and surrounding areas and is the nicest I have seen. Better location than the last place we were really interested in. Tough choice with what we have seen.

We decided to eat out tonight. We were driving home and it’s 630. And I’m hungry. Vince’s was our first choice. Its in West Sacrmento right on the drive home and we both like it. Turns out, closed Sunday’s. Next try Broderick Roadhouse. Open and close to the drive home. We are there now. Food here is good and varied at the same time. I ordered a Banh Mi Pulled Pork sandwich. Emily ordered the blue cheese burger. The food is great and seems to get better with each visit.

We left dinner and headed for the barn. Got home about 815. Usual chores, fed dogs, put away laundry, put dogs out, clean leftover dishes, etc. I am ready for bed now, it’s already 9. Yes, I like early to bed. I live on the edge. I think Emily has a few more things to do before bed. Maybe I am more efficient. Probably not.

We go on vacation again in 10 days. Don’t tell anyone, it’s a surprise. Last vacay till next summer. So sad. Maybe I should go on vacay at Christmas. But where?