My week of vacation

Last week I was on vacation for the whole week. It went so badly, that it was taken me nearly another week just to write about it!

It started off good. I was planning on doing some things around the house and helping with vacation bible school in the evenings. On Tuesday night, I started getting these awful pains in my back and side. I was a little freaked out because it hurt so bad. We ended up going to the emergency room (I have never been to the ER before). They decided that it was kidney stones. Ouch. They gave me an IV with some meds and took some x-rays (I have never had an x-ray or an IV before). They said that it was small enough to pass, which I thought was a good thing. By this time it was about 3 am on Wednesday morning. The ER nurse, who was super nice, said to come back at 7:15 am for an ultrasound. They gave me more pain medicine and some anti-nausea medicine and sent me home. The pain meds were WAY to strong for me and the anti-nausea was not strong enough. The only two things that I remember about the drive home are the awful pain that I was in and puking every 5 minutes. We finally made it home and went to bed. In hindsight, we probably should have stayed up, since we were supposed to be right back at the hospital in a few hours, but we went to bed and all of the meds kicked in and we slept through the 7:15 am appointment. Josh woke up and realized this, but it was already missed and he had to get to work. By 8 am, the hospital was calling to reschedule for 10:30am.

We went to the ultra-sound and found out two things. 1) It looked like there was only one stone, and 2) I have really nice looking kidneys. they sent me home to tough it out. That afternoon, I busted my eye open, like, really bad. there was blood everywhere and I lost so much blood that I got dizzy and fell on my face again. this was about 3:30 pm on Wednesday. Josh was in Tulsa, so I had to sit on my bed and bleed until 5:30 when he got home. He bandaged me up with 3 butterfly bandages and said that I needed stitches. I was supposed to be at bible school at 5:30, so I told him it would have to wait a few hours for stitches. It hurt SO bad, but I made it though bible school and we headed for the ER... again. We went to a different ER than the night before, thinking it would be quick, but as luck would have it, they were busy. We waited a few hours and then left and went back to Stillwater. We got in pretty quickly, after watching a short version of the Jerry Springer Show Live in the ER waiting room. I really felt like an idiot going back, but the cut was bad and still bleeding some. We seen the ER nurse again and a few hours later, we were driving home with 8 stitches in my eye (I have never had stitches before). The next 2 days were spent trying to avoid anymore injuries.

In short, I feel like I need a day to recover from my vacation!!

The Garden

Over Memorial Day weekend, my sister and I planted a garden. Last year, we planted flowers along the edge of my patio. They were really pretty all summer, but this year, after comparing the beauty of last years flowers to the weekly farmers market bill that I had, I decided to go with a vegetable garden. I planted jalapenos, banana peppers, okra, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, and squash.

After we made it back to my house with all of the plants and supplies, I realized that we had more to plant this year than we did last year. So, my sister and I (really just my sister) extended my "garden." For most people, this would be no big deal, but my husband has put a LOT of money and sweat into making sure that our grass is pretty and soft. I don't think that he was too excited when he came home to see how much we had dug up! But I calmly explained to him that it was too late and to learn to deal with it:).

My garden is now starting to come up. It has not produced anything to eat yet, but I think it will start any day now. On to the new problem... BUGS. They are eating all of the leaves! I went to the garden section of the store last night and purchased a dusting agent that is supposed to get rid of the bugs. I will see in a day or two if it is working. I really hope it does work, it will be harder for my husband to live with the bare spot in the grass if there isn't any plants left!

Pictures coming soon!

Graduation time of year

Last night was the sixth grade graduation. I went, mainly because Josh was the keynote speaker, but it was really exciting actually. I really liked watching them, all proud and ready to head on to high school. Their heads full of a million different dreams. Josh's speech was really good too. It was the usual... Set your goals high, be the best version of your self, stay off of drugs... all of the necessary stuff. I hope that they listened.

We have a Kindergarten graduation to go to tonight... It is going to be sad for me. I can not believe how big he is! These past 6 years have flown by. Look for graduation pics soon!!

The rain...

This post is a little past due, but after tax season was over I climbed in bed and slept for about two weeks. I was begining to think it was time to build the ark with all the rain that we got. I wanted to show the picture of the crawdad that we found in the dog pen.

Kind of icky, huh?

Tax Season is over!!!

Tax season is over and I survived... You still have 2 days to file an extension, thanks to Emancipation Day. New posts coming soon.

In my free time...

Well, I am now deep into tax season. Even though I haven't had mush free time, I have definitely had fun with the time I have had... I have a 6 year old around to make sure of that!

I watched him practice shooting his BB gun. He even let me shoot it a few times...

We made ourselves a target, since we were out of real targets. After we were done there were a few bull eye's and a few that were way off. Of course, mine were the bulls eye hits, but he won't admit it :).

We started practicing baseball. He is going to play t-ball this summer as really wants to know how to catch before the first practice. So, Josh (and Abby) helped out.

He is very serious...

But how long can you expect a 6 year old to stay serious?

Of course, when Elmo comes to town, we have to go see him!

As you can see, I definitely have not had to worry about getting bored when I am not at work!!

Happy Saturday!

It is tax season, let's get the rules straight...

Ok, here it is, 12:53 am on a Saturday and I am at the office. Yes, I realize I am blogging and not working, but I have a massive document printing, so I have the time. Being a CPA is like having a public target on your head. EVERYONE thinks they know more than you and they want to prove it to you. You would be shocked at the crap that comes out of peoples mouths. And, if I say, "no that is not deductible" the response is my sister-in-law's, cousins, hairdressers, CPA says it is. My new response is going to be, then you should hire them to do your taxes... I just thought it would be fun to bring up the things I hate, and maybe de-bunk a few of the questions I have been asked so far... I would like to add a disclaimer that most of these come from people who are not my clients... And if you have recently asked me a tax question, don't feel bad. If you weren't being a butt face about it, I probably didn't mind. If I acted like a butt face to you (and you would know) then I was probably annoyed. Here we go!

1) If you are filing a tax return on yourself (not an entity), it is due April 15th (before extensions)(or maybe April 18th, but we will get to that later). Just because you have a social security statement does not mean that the government gave you an early due date of Feb. 28. If you are the moron that started this rumor among our elderly citizens, you need to be punched. It is ridiculous and there are way too many elderly people worrying about this.

2) Yes, the filing date was pushed back to Feb. 14th this year. This means that the IRS didn't have all of the forms ready until then. This is because our politicians can't agree on anything and know nothing about tax law, so they enacted a bunch or new stuff way late in the year and most of it cause a revamping of a few of the forms. It does not mean the IRS was training more auditors or any other hair-brain thing. It just means that the forms weren't ready. Calm down.

3) Because of #2, the tax season got started a little late. This means tax preparers are getting a late start with the same deadline (one day extra in some cases). This means that by the end of March I will be grouchier than normal and the bags under my eyes will be a little bigger than normal. I realize this, so please don't point it out to me.

4) If you ask me to do your taxes and I say yes, that means get them to me before April 10th... Trust this, you do not want me to start your return after that point...

5) If you are playing stump the CPA with me and give the "my sister-in-law's, cousin's, hairdresser's, CPA says it is a deduction, " then you should go find this person (if they exist) and have them do your tax return. I am not going to let you take your dog's vet bill as an education expense, no matter how many people you know that have CPA's that do it... You and your sister-in-law's, cousin's, hairdresser's, CPA will get to know each other really well... in prison.

6) Tax season is a really busy time for CPA's, unless I really like you all the rest of theyear; I probably don't want to do your taxes for free. I do not have some unfulfilled desire to do pro bono work.

7) Asking me to bake cinnamon rolls, cookies, and brownies during tax season for your fundraiser will not make me happy. But for some reason, I will still do it.

8) Don't call me and say "I just have a quick question." The interpretation of that is "please don't send me a bill for this." I am a CPA, not a tax collector; I won't nickel and dime you :).

9) Let me re-iterate. I am a CPA, not a tax collector... You and me are on the same side. I pay taxes too. I pay bills too. I am here to help you pay the right amount of taxes, not so many that you have to sell you kidney to pay the debt, but also, not so few that the IRS comes looking for you and me. So, please, be honest and when I ask you something and don't hide stuff!!

10) Please do not try to educate me on tax law, loop holes, or secret credits. Chances are if you know about them, everyone does, or you have been misled.

11) Don't play stump the CPA with me. I don't know every nook and cranny in the law (but neither do you) and I don't claim to. But, I know where to find it. If there is something that affects your tax return and I AM DOING YOUR RETURN, then let's talk about it. If you see me at Wal-Mart and I am not your CPA, I do not care about your return. I just want to buy my eggs and toilet paper and get home in time for Private Practice or Teen Mom 2.

12) Here is a big one. The FEDERAL INDIVIDUAL return is due April 18th. The OKLAHOMA INDIVIDUAL RETURN is also due April 18th. If you are filing an Oklahoma partnership return, the Federal is due April 18th and the Oklahoma is still due on April 15th. This is subject to change, but as of yesterday, that is that.

13) This is meant to add humor to my life while I wait on the printer. It is not directed at any one person (Unless your name is Josh, Tyler, or TJ). It is mostly based on horror stories that I have heard about from others. Any tax advice contained in this communication was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used for, the purpose of (i) avoiding tax related penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another party any tax-related matter addressed herein.

Have a great Saturday!!

Being on a Board....

I recently got involved with an organization here in Tulsa that is for young professionals. It is a networking type group that focused on issues in Tulsa. They also have a program that you can apply for to be an intern for the Board of Directors from numerous non-profit and not-for-profit agencies in Tulsa. I signed up about a month ago. I was chosen to serve on a board for an organization that helps adults with developmental issues. I went to board training last night and there was a lot to take in. Being on a board is a big responsibility. I am going to go to my first board meeting next month. I am really excited. I am supposed to go meet with the Executive Director sometime soon. I think this will be an interesting experience.

I will post more about it after I meet and learn more about the organization. Wish me luck!

V-Day...

I hate it... I hate all things lovey-dovey, so of course I hate Feb. 14. I hate the whole idea of it. And, just so you know, I hate that my sister volunteered herself (which somehow means me too) to make 40 decorated sugar cookies for Conner's V-day party... I think I still have some orange icing under my finger nails... because while we where decorating the cookies, my squeeze bottle of orange icing exploded. I mean really exploded, on the table, floor, about 4 cookies, and me.

They turned out looking all most professional looking. I should have taken pictures to post, but I was so tired of looking at them that I couldn't stand to take a picture. We even individually wrapped them in Valentine's bags. I hope they enjoy eating them as much as I enjoyed making them. Actually, nix that, because I did not enjoy making them at all and I want them to enjoy eating the cookies...

I got to work really early this morning... I am already tired. Is it April 18th yet? I am having motivation problems today. I hope everyone has a great Monday!!

More snow anyone??

Well, Oklahoma friends, get ready for round two! They are forecasting 8-12 inches in our area. I came to work today loaded with enough clothing to last the rest of the week... Which brings me to my rant...

I have not felt good all week and all week Josh has been saying that if I want to get to work on Wednesday, I should stay in Tulsa on Tuesday night. So, last night I pulled myself off of the couch and packed clothes for the week. I got mostly everything packed, but I knew there would be last minute stuff to throw in, so I left the suitcases out and went to bed. This morning I got up and 5:15 and got ready for work and finished packing. Josh woke up and was laying in bed watching the news. I still wasn't feeling great, but I told myself I could make it threw the day. I told Josh bye as I picked up the suitcase to leave. Now, I fully expected him to say "Let me help you with that," but instead he said "is that heavy?" from under the covers. I set the suitcase down and said "Yes, and I thought you would offer to carry it." He quickly got up to help, but informed me that if I want his help, I need to ask. We are past the stage of him offering...

I guess this isn't really a rant. He helped as soon as it became apparent that I wanted help. I guess I just shocked at how old we are. I mean, I always think of us as a young newly wed couple that tip-toes around each other. But, in fact, we are a not so young married couple and we don't cover up our flaws in front of each other. We are definitely out of the "newly wed" stage.

So, anyway, I guess we will be getting 8-12 more inches of snow tonight and tomorrow. I am guess I will be home bound tomorrow, because, after I spent all of that energy packing, I really feel like crap and just want to go home, crawl under my own covers, and sleep until it is finished snowing...

Stay warm!!

Snow Day X4!!

I can hardly believe the amount of snow that came down upon us over the past week. It was literally record breaking! I was going to go to Tulsa Monday night and stay so that I could get to work, but at the last minute, I decided to stay home and chance it... It turned out to be a good choice, since work was closed Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

On Tuesday, it seemed like the storm was going to take us down. The morning was started by the phone call from work saying the office was officially closed. It was downhill from there. Josh's 4-wheel drive went out in his truck and he hit a cattle guard. Luckily, he was able to get the farm truck and head back to work. I went with him to feed and check cows that afternoon. The hydraulics on the round bale spike was cold and he had to be worked on, but he got it working. We were in a pasture a few miles from the house and the truck died... and it would not start. I actually panicked a little. It was still snowing and blowing and I was thinking about the long walk back to the house in it. Josh called my dad and he told us how to fix it. So, we got the cows taken care of and headed home. I swore that we weren't leaving again, but later I wanted some peanut M&M's and we wanted to go see Craig and Brandy. As we pulled in the gas station, the stupid gas pedal stuck and we almost crashed. Josh turned the truck off really fast and was able to get the gas pedal fixed.... We went about our night and made it home safely.

So, that was our first day in the snow. The other days were not as eventful, mainly because I stayed home and cooked and cleaned. I figured that was the safest.

Stupid Movies

Ok, I must say that I don't get the point of movies with toys that come to life (I am talking about Transformers, NOT Toy Story) or gross little people with one eye taking over the universe. Here I sit with a glass of wine and a piece of pizza on the couch beside my husband, who is controlling the remote. The movie he is watching is called "Clash of the Titans." Apparently they (who are "they??") are fighting Medusa... I obviously haven't watched close enough to really grasp what is going on. But it looks dumb to me. And those ugly little creatures are making me loose my appetite. Seriously, he thinks "Jersey Shore" is dumb, at least that is a show about mostly real (I same 'mostly' because I am sure a few of them are made up of some silicone parts) people... This is grossing me out! think I will eat the rest of my pizza in the bedroom!

Snow Days!!

Thursday morning I woke up to snow... If I drove something other than a Mustang, I would have headed to work. But I was stuck at home for the day. When I was in school, snow days were awesome because you got to stay home and do nothing all day. But, on this snow day, I got to work from home.

Conner woke up that morning and was super excited to be out of school. When his mom told him school was out he said, "I new wearing my pajamas inside out would work!!" Apparently the day before at school, one of his teachers told the entire kindergarten class that if they all wore their pajamas inside out that it would snow so much that they would have to let school out. When I talked to him on the phone later in the day, he told me all about how he "made" it snow so much that they had to let out school. He said my teacher told me to do it and " she is not a liar and she is super smart."

So I guess congratulations to the teacher that made an entire Kindergarten class think she is the smartest person on the planet! But I must say she would have had an angry mop of little kids after her if that snow storm would have missed this area!

Will this day ever end???

I feel like it should be 5:30 PM. Seriously, I got to work just before 8 this morning, and I think that my clock froze some time soon after that. How can it only be 10:30!! The Christmas Break was so nice. Conner stayed with me most of the two weeks and we had a lot of lazy fun. I wish we were off for another week. It was really sad after he left with his mom yesterday. The house was silent and I didn't really have anything to do. It really made me wish that I had a 6 year old!

I am sure everyone is in the same boat when is comes to not wanting to be at work. Not only is it a Monday, but I have been off for 2 weeks, and I feel like it flew by! Well, I guess it is time to saddle up and get back in the groove. Tax season will be gearing up in a few weeks and Mondays won't be an issue, because I will be spending Saturdays and Sundays at the office :).

Happy Monday!!