oh, and I apologize for the green bean bits on her face. She does not care for green beans. Nor does she care for chicken. She does, however, enjoy tofu. It makes me wonder if she's really our child. :)
(jk)
(as my 8th graders would say)
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Yup
We do, infact, have a little tooth. Want proof? If it is hard to see, then click on the pictures.
oh, and I apologize for the green bean bits on her face. She does not care for green beans. Nor does she care for chicken. She does, however, enjoy tofu. It makes me wonder if she's really our child. :)
(jk)
(as my 8th graders would say)
I love how this last one looks like a self-taken photo. She wanted to grab the camera so bad.
oh, and I apologize for the green bean bits on her face. She does not care for green beans. Nor does she care for chicken. She does, however, enjoy tofu. It makes me wonder if she's really our child. :)
(jk)
(as my 8th graders would say)
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Kaylynn Does DC...
...and Falls Church, and Charlottesville, and Mt. Vernon, and Alexandria, and Fairfax, and Annapolis (2 times for some of the big kids), and Baltimore (kinda, the airport).
These have been a long time coming. We went to Virginia July 9-14th, we've just been a tad busy since then. :)
SO BIG!
Lots more pictures on our shutterfly account soon!
These have been a long time coming. We went to Virginia July 9-14th, we've just been a tad busy since then. :)
Enjoying her puffs and water, while Mommy enjoys bread and wine at Kluge Estates.
With Grams at Mt. Vernon, on a very fun bridge.
In her all-terrain vehicle, going down stairs.
Sweet girl in her cute hat on the hill at Mt. Vernon.
SO BIG!Lots more pictures on our shutterfly account soon!
Monday, July 27, 2009
A New Set of Chompers
I *think* we have a tooth! We've had white spots on the gums before, but this one is sharp and a little tip is elevated. I'm thinking we're on our way to having some pearly whites.
Best part - she's still as content as can be! Our sweet girl is such a trooper!
Best part - she's still as content as can be! Our sweet girl is such a trooper!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Big Weekend
We've got a big weekend ahead of us.
Today Kaylynn's Auntie Melissa, Uncle Angelo, cousin Anthony, and GG (Great Grandma O) come into town. Brian has never met his nephew, so I know he's really looking forward to meeting Anthony. Uncle Mike & Aunt Donna are also coming down from the Big D!
On Sunday, Kaylynn gets baptised. We're having fajitas and cake and all kinds of good stuff afterwards. Is it funny that now I have to wonder if its going to rain?! I think I'll take the rain and all of us being in here over a drought any day.
Monday, we're going down to Kemah and taking the ol' Sea Pumpkin for a spin. Brian's parents are part-owners of a sailboat and thanks to a friend of theirs, we're getting to go out in it (he's the sail-er...not to be confused with sailor).
I'm sure we'll have lots of good stories to tell. Have a great weekend!!
Today Kaylynn's Auntie Melissa, Uncle Angelo, cousin Anthony, and GG (Great Grandma O) come into town. Brian has never met his nephew, so I know he's really looking forward to meeting Anthony. Uncle Mike & Aunt Donna are also coming down from the Big D!
On Sunday, Kaylynn gets baptised. We're having fajitas and cake and all kinds of good stuff afterwards. Is it funny that now I have to wonder if its going to rain?! I think I'll take the rain and all of us being in here over a drought any day.
Monday, we're going down to Kemah and taking the ol' Sea Pumpkin for a spin. Brian's parents are part-owners of a sailboat and thanks to a friend of theirs, we're getting to go out in it (he's the sail-er...not to be confused with sailor).
I'm sure we'll have lots of good stories to tell. Have a great weekend!!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Reality TV
I think it’s finally happened. I think I have found a reality show that I want to keep up with. I never actually thought this day would come, but I’m simply intrigued.
I stopped studying a little early last night. There’s only so much hearsay and impeachment stuff you can study before you realize that you’re not learning anything. When you finally come to that realization, it is time to stop. So I figured I’d spend some time with the wife and kid, have a look at Quicken to make sure the books were in line, and watch a little TV. I was scrolling through the channels when I came upon Whale Wars. I had seen a commercial for the show and figured I’d have a little look to see what was going on. I was expecting to see some crazy environmentalists. I wasn’t disappointed.
What I saw was a scene straight out of Seinfeld. You know, the scene where the executive from NBC is on the dingy in the middle of the Antarctic Ocean. He falls overboard and dies. Yeah, that’s what I saw. I turned it on at the point where the environmentalists were weaving in and out of floating ice on a rubber boat. It couldn’t have been more than 10 feet long. But they were chasing huge whaling freighters. I mean, huge. Hundreds of feet long. The kind of ship that could produce a wave that would tip a 10 foot rubber boat.
My first thought was “This is exciting. There’s a rubber boat chasing a huge freighter. La di frickin da”. Then the rubber boat got a little closer to the freighter and I heard one of the guys say “Throw the butyric acid”.
Huh? They are going to throw acid at the freighter?
Ok, now I’m hooked. But not for the reasons you may think. I’m sitting there saying to myself “Is that legal?”
Apparently, the butyric acid stinks to high heaven. So they throw the acid onto the freighters, the glass bottles break, and then the freighter stinks. What I didn’t tell you is that the freighters don’t just take this laying down. They fight back. They have guys manning hoses that spray water at the dinghies to keep them from getting too close. The water spray is apparently pretty intense and does its job pretty well. In addition, the freighters move through the floating ice to keep the dinghies from getting too close. They also put up cargo nets all around the ship to keep the bottles from getting on board. Finally, they have something called the “LRAD”. LRAD stands for Long Range Acoustic Device. The thing seems to be pretty nasty. It sends out a sound (that can travel long ranges, obviously) that is loud enough to cause permanent hearing loss within a very short amount of time. It was not used last night (but the Japanese did throw large metal bolts at the environmentalists. This did not make them happy. A little hypocritical, no?)
That’s all well and good, but how is a little stink going to stop Japanese freighters from whaling in the Antarctic? What are the environmentalists going to do, scare the whales away? Not quite. Their mission is to shut the freighters down.
How? Well, they were all giddy last night because they had a new weapon to use. It was an unbreakable net. Here’s the plan for this net. They would cut across the bow of the freighter at an extremely close distance, drop the net, let the freighter run it over, get it caught in the freighter’s propeller, and shut the ship down.
Well, needless to say, there were some mishaps from the get-go. They missed a couple times. But hey, how could you blame them? This was their first time trying to drop the net. It’s not like they had practice or anything (this thing is “state of the art” and a new “toy” for the environmentalists). Eventually, they got it right. They dropped it perfectly, the freighter ran over it, and the celebrations began.
Until they realized the freighter was still moving at its normal speed. What happened? The “unbreakable” net was cut in half by the huge freighter’s propeller.
At this point, I’m laughing my @ss off. I mean, seriously? Who didn’t see that coming?
Plan B. Take whatever is left of the net (it has floats on it so you can pick it up if you miss) and try again. Good plan. They got in position, crossed insanely close to the freighter, dropped the net, and...
The freighter stopped. Like, full stop. Mission accomplished? Not quite. The Japanese aren’t dumb. They let the environmentalists cross in front and drop the net. They stopped the ship, dropped a hook, and picked up the net.
Ok, this is the most entertaining thing I have seen in quite some time. The environmentalists were crushed. Their prized weapon, the one that was going to shut the whalers down for “months” was no more. First, the whaling freighter sliced through it. Second, the whalers “confiscated” it. This was too much.
Now what? More acid of course! Pure entertainment.
I’m searching the internet the whole time trying to determine how these people get away with what they are doing. The only thing I can find is the traditional environmentalist argument. It goes something like this. The Japanese are whaling “illegally”; we are trying to stop them. (Note that I’m not sure the activities are actually illegal. The environmentalists are basing their argument on an “agreement” that was signed in the ‘80s in which countries agreed to stop commercial whaling activities; the Japanese are whaling for “scientific” reasons and it just so happens that the whale meat doesn’t go to waste. It ends up getting sold and consumed. That said, I’m not sure it agreement is actually legally binding or enforceable. I suppose it’s kind of like the Kyoto Treaty – or any other international “law” – which can be followed or violated at will. Just look at the United States.)
Ok...but how does that make the environmentalist activities legal? Oh, right. It doesn’t. At best it makes these people vandals and at worst pirates. That’s what makes me torn in watching the show. I don’t want to encourage the activities, but it’s just so damn entertaining. Plus, I’m absolutely intrigued to see what the legal consequences are for the actions. It’s pure vigilante “justice” and I’m hoping they get caught.
In the end, I think the dork in me will continue to watch the show because I just want to try to figure this one out. I want to see what happens. And in the process, I want to continue to be entertained. You just can’t make this stuff up.
I stopped studying a little early last night. There’s only so much hearsay and impeachment stuff you can study before you realize that you’re not learning anything. When you finally come to that realization, it is time to stop. So I figured I’d spend some time with the wife and kid, have a look at Quicken to make sure the books were in line, and watch a little TV. I was scrolling through the channels when I came upon Whale Wars. I had seen a commercial for the show and figured I’d have a little look to see what was going on. I was expecting to see some crazy environmentalists. I wasn’t disappointed.
What I saw was a scene straight out of Seinfeld. You know, the scene where the executive from NBC is on the dingy in the middle of the Antarctic Ocean. He falls overboard and dies. Yeah, that’s what I saw. I turned it on at the point where the environmentalists were weaving in and out of floating ice on a rubber boat. It couldn’t have been more than 10 feet long. But they were chasing huge whaling freighters. I mean, huge. Hundreds of feet long. The kind of ship that could produce a wave that would tip a 10 foot rubber boat.
My first thought was “This is exciting. There’s a rubber boat chasing a huge freighter. La di frickin da”. Then the rubber boat got a little closer to the freighter and I heard one of the guys say “Throw the butyric acid”.
Huh? They are going to throw acid at the freighter?
Ok, now I’m hooked. But not for the reasons you may think. I’m sitting there saying to myself “Is that legal?”
Apparently, the butyric acid stinks to high heaven. So they throw the acid onto the freighters, the glass bottles break, and then the freighter stinks. What I didn’t tell you is that the freighters don’t just take this laying down. They fight back. They have guys manning hoses that spray water at the dinghies to keep them from getting too close. The water spray is apparently pretty intense and does its job pretty well. In addition, the freighters move through the floating ice to keep the dinghies from getting too close. They also put up cargo nets all around the ship to keep the bottles from getting on board. Finally, they have something called the “LRAD”. LRAD stands for Long Range Acoustic Device. The thing seems to be pretty nasty. It sends out a sound (that can travel long ranges, obviously) that is loud enough to cause permanent hearing loss within a very short amount of time. It was not used last night (but the Japanese did throw large metal bolts at the environmentalists. This did not make them happy. A little hypocritical, no?)
That’s all well and good, but how is a little stink going to stop Japanese freighters from whaling in the Antarctic? What are the environmentalists going to do, scare the whales away? Not quite. Their mission is to shut the freighters down.
How? Well, they were all giddy last night because they had a new weapon to use. It was an unbreakable net. Here’s the plan for this net. They would cut across the bow of the freighter at an extremely close distance, drop the net, let the freighter run it over, get it caught in the freighter’s propeller, and shut the ship down.
Well, needless to say, there were some mishaps from the get-go. They missed a couple times. But hey, how could you blame them? This was their first time trying to drop the net. It’s not like they had practice or anything (this thing is “state of the art” and a new “toy” for the environmentalists). Eventually, they got it right. They dropped it perfectly, the freighter ran over it, and the celebrations began.
Until they realized the freighter was still moving at its normal speed. What happened? The “unbreakable” net was cut in half by the huge freighter’s propeller.
At this point, I’m laughing my @ss off. I mean, seriously? Who didn’t see that coming?
Plan B. Take whatever is left of the net (it has floats on it so you can pick it up if you miss) and try again. Good plan. They got in position, crossed insanely close to the freighter, dropped the net, and...
The freighter stopped. Like, full stop. Mission accomplished? Not quite. The Japanese aren’t dumb. They let the environmentalists cross in front and drop the net. They stopped the ship, dropped a hook, and picked up the net.
Ok, this is the most entertaining thing I have seen in quite some time. The environmentalists were crushed. Their prized weapon, the one that was going to shut the whalers down for “months” was no more. First, the whaling freighter sliced through it. Second, the whalers “confiscated” it. This was too much.
Now what? More acid of course! Pure entertainment.
I’m searching the internet the whole time trying to determine how these people get away with what they are doing. The only thing I can find is the traditional environmentalist argument. It goes something like this. The Japanese are whaling “illegally”; we are trying to stop them. (Note that I’m not sure the activities are actually illegal. The environmentalists are basing their argument on an “agreement” that was signed in the ‘80s in which countries agreed to stop commercial whaling activities; the Japanese are whaling for “scientific” reasons and it just so happens that the whale meat doesn’t go to waste. It ends up getting sold and consumed. That said, I’m not sure it agreement is actually legally binding or enforceable. I suppose it’s kind of like the Kyoto Treaty – or any other international “law” – which can be followed or violated at will. Just look at the United States.)
Ok...but how does that make the environmentalist activities legal? Oh, right. It doesn’t. At best it makes these people vandals and at worst pirates. That’s what makes me torn in watching the show. I don’t want to encourage the activities, but it’s just so damn entertaining. Plus, I’m absolutely intrigued to see what the legal consequences are for the actions. It’s pure vigilante “justice” and I’m hoping they get caught.
In the end, I think the dork in me will continue to watch the show because I just want to try to figure this one out. I want to see what happens. And in the process, I want to continue to be entertained. You just can’t make this stuff up.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
All Kinds of Tricks
Kaylynn is chock full of new tricks!
1. SO Big! If you ask her how big she is, she will raise her hands above her head, as we say "so big!"
2. The backwards scoot. She wants to move around, just can't quite figure it out. I've caught her doing the "backwards scoot" in her crib a couple of times. On the floor, she lifts her chest and kicks her legs, but gets no where. :)
3. Waving!! She has waved her hands in the air for a while, though for no apparent reason. Tonight (not 5 minutes ago) I was taking her out of the office, where Brian is studying, to put her down for the night. He was waving, and I said, "Wave bye-bye to Daddy" and she did. Twice!
Now, the kicker will be, will she do these tricks for you to see? That remains to be seen. :)
1. SO Big! If you ask her how big she is, she will raise her hands above her head, as we say "so big!"
2. The backwards scoot. She wants to move around, just can't quite figure it out. I've caught her doing the "backwards scoot" in her crib a couple of times. On the floor, she lifts her chest and kicks her legs, but gets no where. :)
3. Waving!! She has waved her hands in the air for a while, though for no apparent reason. Tonight (not 5 minutes ago) I was taking her out of the office, where Brian is studying, to put her down for the night. He was waving, and I said, "Wave bye-bye to Daddy" and she did. Twice!
Now, the kicker will be, will she do these tricks for you to see? That remains to be seen. :)
Friday, July 17, 2009
Weekly Giveaway @ Cloth Diaper Blog
Want to win a free diaper, detergent, & wet bag? Visit this site. Don't want to win one? Give it to me! This is a diaper that I want to try uber bad!!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
One of Them Days
You ever have one of those days where you question why you entered a certain profession? I mean, really question your decision? I’ve been a tax accountant for 4 years now (hard to believe) and I used to question my decision. A lot. But after 4 years, you just seem to become numb to the pain and the question presents itself less and less often. Of course, after a couple years, you also turn into a scrooge, so perhaps the question is now just part of who you are. (I used to be a nice person. I still keep wondering what happened.)
Yesterday was one of those days in which the question again presented itself. Not only that, but it presented itself first thing in the morning. Allow me to elaborate.
A client that I work on has a return that is due today. On Monday, we reminded the client of the tax payment that they needed to make by today. They stated that they would do so, but asked if we could let them know how they needed to pay.
Simple enough really. I went to the IRS website and determined how they could pay Uncle Sam his money. There are two ways. First, they could pay electronically. Second, they could pay with a check that was attached to a specific tax form. I relayed this information to the client thinking that everything was hunky dorey. Quality service at its finest!
I received a response back stating that they could not pay electronically because they weren’t set up in the system. I figured they could probably register pretty easily and make the payment that day. Nope. It takes 15 days to process the registration. By my math, a payment due in 2 days could not be paid electronically when the registration process took 15 days. That option was out. Remember this...
The response also asked me to send them the form that was needed. Simple enough. I popped over to the IRS website, found the form, and opened it. Much to my chagrin, there was a huge watermark over it stating that the form that was online was for informational purposes only. Huh? That doesn’t make much sense. So I started reading the instructions to the form. As it turned out, the form was a machine readable form and had to be printed with special ink with margins that were specially printed. Only in America. The form also stated that you could obtain a copy from your local IRS office.
Now, being in the tax profession, you can understand that we have interactions with the IRS all the time. Sometimes it’s over the phone, sometimes it’s by letter, and sometimes it’s in person. Obviously, there’s this kind of “them against us” type of attitude amongst the tax professionals because they feel the IRS is out to get their clients. Tax professionals don’t tend to the like the IRS much.
I try to take a different view. They are just like me. They are just trying to do their job by assessing the right amount of tax as required by the laws of our country. I try to cut them some slack and I tend to think that my attitude stems from the fact that my grandfather worked for the IRS for many, many years. He took pride in his job and the work that he did and I admired that. He was very successful in his time despite his lack of a high school or college degree. The IRS was good to him, and he was good to the IRS.
Somehow, I just think things have changed since Grandpap left. I stopped by the IRS office that was downtown (remember, this is all on MONDAY). Unfortunately, they were closed. It appears that the air conditioning went out in their office (and their office only...in a building with 50 or 60 floors) so everyone went home. Minor set-back. The tax payment wasn’t due until Wednesday which means it had to be postmarked by the time the post office closed.
Time for Plan B. I would go to a different IRS office and pick up the form and then send it to the client via courier. That should be plenty of time to fill it out and mail it in. Only problem was that I didn’t have my car because I took the bus (as I always do). No big deal. I would work from home a little on Tuesday, drive to the other location, pick up the form, send it to the client, have her fill it out, and tell her to mail it in. After all, she would have all afternoon on Tuesday and all day Wednesday. Perfect.
So yesterday, everything was going to plan. I got some work done at home and I managed to find the IRS office. They opened at 8:30; I got there around 8:40 and there were a ton of people. Thank goodness I only had to pick up a form! My turn finally came and here’s how the encounter went:
Me: “Is this where I pick up tax forms?”
IRS: “Yes, it is.”
Great! I’m at the right place! This is going to be a piece of cake.
Me: “Ok. I need to pick up Form 8109 please. Actually, I may need to get a couple of them.”
IRS: “8109 isn’t a form. It’s a coupon.”
:: sigh :: Whatever.
Me: “Ok. I need to pick up Coupon 8109 please. Actually, I may need to get a couple of them.”
IRS: “I’m sorry. We don’t hand out those coupons.”
Um...uh oh.
Me: “Uh... So, if someone needs to make a tax payment, how do they go about doing so?”
IRS: “Well, there are a couple ways. They can either pay online or they can pay with the 8109 coupon.”
Hmmm....
Me: “Ok. I need to get an 8109 coupon to make a tax payment.”
IRS: “I’m sorry. I can’t just give you the coupon.”
Gettin’ a little annoyed.
Me: “Ok. Let me explain my situation. I have a client. They have a tax payment due tomorrow. They are not registered to make an online payment. How do they make their payment.”
IRS: “Sir, they can either pay online or with the coupon.”
Me: “They are not registered to make a payment online. How long does it take to register?”
I asked that question knowing the answer.
IRS: “It takes 15 days.”
Me: “Again, they have to make the payment tomorrow. Is the online payment an option?”
IRS: “I guess not if they aren’t registered.”
Finally, we have knocked out one of the options. On to the coupon!
Me: “Ok, so their only viable option is the coupon, correct?”
IRS: “Yes.”
Me: “Can I have the coupon to give to the client?”
IRS: “I’m sorry, but no. The client has to come in and register with an agent and make the payment here.”
What the fruit??? The client has to come in, sit down, register with an agent, get the coupon, fill it out there, and make the payment? This is asinine.
Me: “Ma’am, I feel as though I left out a crucial piece of information. The client has a broken leg. It is her driving leg. She is the only employee in Houston. She cannot get to an IRS office. That is why I am here.”
All true. No lie.
IRS: “Do you have authorization?”
Me: “Yes, the client sent me here to get the form.”
Duh.
IRS: “No, I mean written authorization.”
Me: “Like a power of attorney?”
IRS: “Yes.”
Me: “No.”
IRS: “Then I’m sorry. I can’t give you the form.”
Uncle Sam is making ME work for HIS money!
Me: “Ok. So the client is out of options. She cannot pay online because it takes too long to register. She cannot print the form off the IRS website. And you will not give the form to me to send to her to complete. At this point, none of the options that ‘available’.”
IRS: “Sir, there are two”
Me: :: interrupting :: “Please do not tell me there are two options. I believe we have been over this extensively. Here is what I am going to do. I am going to tell the client to simply write a check. I am going to tell her to include that check with the extension. I am going to tell her to mail both of those things to the processing center. Is that ok?”
IRS: “Most people prefer to use the coupon...”
This conversation was over a long time ago. At this point, I just turned around and left. I mean, really. Doesn’t Uncle Sam want his money? The instructions state that you can obtain a FORM 8109 at a local IRS office. What they don’t tell you is that you will end up wondering whether your career choice was one big mistake. That’s pretty much how I’m feeling right now. One big mistake.
I guess it was just one of those days...
Yesterday was one of those days in which the question again presented itself. Not only that, but it presented itself first thing in the morning. Allow me to elaborate.
A client that I work on has a return that is due today. On Monday, we reminded the client of the tax payment that they needed to make by today. They stated that they would do so, but asked if we could let them know how they needed to pay.
Simple enough really. I went to the IRS website and determined how they could pay Uncle Sam his money. There are two ways. First, they could pay electronically. Second, they could pay with a check that was attached to a specific tax form. I relayed this information to the client thinking that everything was hunky dorey. Quality service at its finest!
I received a response back stating that they could not pay electronically because they weren’t set up in the system. I figured they could probably register pretty easily and make the payment that day. Nope. It takes 15 days to process the registration. By my math, a payment due in 2 days could not be paid electronically when the registration process took 15 days. That option was out. Remember this...
The response also asked me to send them the form that was needed. Simple enough. I popped over to the IRS website, found the form, and opened it. Much to my chagrin, there was a huge watermark over it stating that the form that was online was for informational purposes only. Huh? That doesn’t make much sense. So I started reading the instructions to the form. As it turned out, the form was a machine readable form and had to be printed with special ink with margins that were specially printed. Only in America. The form also stated that you could obtain a copy from your local IRS office.
Now, being in the tax profession, you can understand that we have interactions with the IRS all the time. Sometimes it’s over the phone, sometimes it’s by letter, and sometimes it’s in person. Obviously, there’s this kind of “them against us” type of attitude amongst the tax professionals because they feel the IRS is out to get their clients. Tax professionals don’t tend to the like the IRS much.
I try to take a different view. They are just like me. They are just trying to do their job by assessing the right amount of tax as required by the laws of our country. I try to cut them some slack and I tend to think that my attitude stems from the fact that my grandfather worked for the IRS for many, many years. He took pride in his job and the work that he did and I admired that. He was very successful in his time despite his lack of a high school or college degree. The IRS was good to him, and he was good to the IRS.
Somehow, I just think things have changed since Grandpap left. I stopped by the IRS office that was downtown (remember, this is all on MONDAY). Unfortunately, they were closed. It appears that the air conditioning went out in their office (and their office only...in a building with 50 or 60 floors) so everyone went home. Minor set-back. The tax payment wasn’t due until Wednesday which means it had to be postmarked by the time the post office closed.
Time for Plan B. I would go to a different IRS office and pick up the form and then send it to the client via courier. That should be plenty of time to fill it out and mail it in. Only problem was that I didn’t have my car because I took the bus (as I always do). No big deal. I would work from home a little on Tuesday, drive to the other location, pick up the form, send it to the client, have her fill it out, and tell her to mail it in. After all, she would have all afternoon on Tuesday and all day Wednesday. Perfect.
So yesterday, everything was going to plan. I got some work done at home and I managed to find the IRS office. They opened at 8:30; I got there around 8:40 and there were a ton of people. Thank goodness I only had to pick up a form! My turn finally came and here’s how the encounter went:
Me: “Is this where I pick up tax forms?”
IRS: “Yes, it is.”
Great! I’m at the right place! This is going to be a piece of cake.
Me: “Ok. I need to pick up Form 8109 please. Actually, I may need to get a couple of them.”
IRS: “8109 isn’t a form. It’s a coupon.”
:: sigh :: Whatever.
Me: “Ok. I need to pick up Coupon 8109 please. Actually, I may need to get a couple of them.”
IRS: “I’m sorry. We don’t hand out those coupons.”
Um...uh oh.
Me: “Uh... So, if someone needs to make a tax payment, how do they go about doing so?”
IRS: “Well, there are a couple ways. They can either pay online or they can pay with the 8109 coupon.”
Hmmm....
Me: “Ok. I need to get an 8109 coupon to make a tax payment.”
IRS: “I’m sorry. I can’t just give you the coupon.”
Gettin’ a little annoyed.
Me: “Ok. Let me explain my situation. I have a client. They have a tax payment due tomorrow. They are not registered to make an online payment. How do they make their payment.”
IRS: “Sir, they can either pay online or with the coupon.”
Me: “They are not registered to make a payment online. How long does it take to register?”
I asked that question knowing the answer.
IRS: “It takes 15 days.”
Me: “Again, they have to make the payment tomorrow. Is the online payment an option?”
IRS: “I guess not if they aren’t registered.”
Finally, we have knocked out one of the options. On to the coupon!
Me: “Ok, so their only viable option is the coupon, correct?”
IRS: “Yes.”
Me: “Can I have the coupon to give to the client?”
IRS: “I’m sorry, but no. The client has to come in and register with an agent and make the payment here.”
What the fruit??? The client has to come in, sit down, register with an agent, get the coupon, fill it out there, and make the payment? This is asinine.
Me: “Ma’am, I feel as though I left out a crucial piece of information. The client has a broken leg. It is her driving leg. She is the only employee in Houston. She cannot get to an IRS office. That is why I am here.”
All true. No lie.
IRS: “Do you have authorization?”
Me: “Yes, the client sent me here to get the form.”
Duh.
IRS: “No, I mean written authorization.”
Me: “Like a power of attorney?”
IRS: “Yes.”
Me: “No.”
IRS: “Then I’m sorry. I can’t give you the form.”
Uncle Sam is making ME work for HIS money!
Me: “Ok. So the client is out of options. She cannot pay online because it takes too long to register. She cannot print the form off the IRS website. And you will not give the form to me to send to her to complete. At this point, none of the options that ‘available’.”
IRS: “Sir, there are two”
Me: :: interrupting :: “Please do not tell me there are two options. I believe we have been over this extensively. Here is what I am going to do. I am going to tell the client to simply write a check. I am going to tell her to include that check with the extension. I am going to tell her to mail both of those things to the processing center. Is that ok?”
IRS: “Most people prefer to use the coupon...”
This conversation was over a long time ago. At this point, I just turned around and left. I mean, really. Doesn’t Uncle Sam want his money? The instructions state that you can obtain a FORM 8109 at a local IRS office. What they don’t tell you is that you will end up wondering whether your career choice was one big mistake. That’s pretty much how I’m feeling right now. One big mistake.
I guess it was just one of those days...
Saturday, July 11, 2009
7 months
Dear Kaylynn,
You turned 7 months old on vacation. We visited Monitcello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, visted a winery, and spent 5-6 long hours in a car. You were a trooper! In fact, you are such a good traveller. You just go with the flow. As long as you can get your food and bottle, then you are happy. You got to hang out with Will during the vacation, and he was such a little helper bee with you, quick to point out when you lost your "Soozie" (soothie), and many times he'd try to put it back in for you. Since your carseats were right by each other, both of you often tried to grab the others arm or hand; very sweet!
You have become such a great eater this past month. Mommy had to give you jarred food on vacation, even though she didn't really want to. You weren't a huge fan of the veggies, but I can't blame you, they smelled awful. You enjoyed the fruit very much, especially the prunes. :) Since you enjoy eating solids so much, you don't drink as much, but the doctor told us at 6 months that it would happen and that 24oz a day is plenty.
Along the same lines of food, you are getting very good with your pincer-grasp. I bought you some Happy Bellies Organic Puffs (that dissolve, unlike cheerios) and you will pick them up and put them in your mouth. Then you CHEW them! No teeth, but you just munch away. They have become the best distracter at restaurants. We get to enjoy dinner and you enjoy your puffs.
In a couple of weeks, you are going to be baptized at CCUM, by Rev. Dr. Hannon. Auntie Melissa, Uncle Angelo, and Anthony are coming to visit Texas. That Sunday, you will get to see most of your entire family, on both sides!
You also get to take another plane ride at the end of your 7th month - to Portland to meet Kyle, Jessi, and Carter! We cannot wait to get back to Oregon and cool off and catch up with great friends (and you get to make a new one!)
I imagine that things are about to get interesting with you. You seem to want to move around, but just can't quite figure it out yet. And, I imagine teeth are imminent, as the drool seems to have picked up (though, you've been a very drooly baby since at least 10 weeks.)
Lots to look forward to, Miss Kaylynn Noelle. We love you SO much!!
Love,
Mommy
You turned 7 months old on vacation. We visited Monitcello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, visted a winery, and spent 5-6 long hours in a car. You were a trooper! In fact, you are such a good traveller. You just go with the flow. As long as you can get your food and bottle, then you are happy. You got to hang out with Will during the vacation, and he was such a little helper bee with you, quick to point out when you lost your "Soozie" (soothie), and many times he'd try to put it back in for you. Since your carseats were right by each other, both of you often tried to grab the others arm or hand; very sweet!
You have become such a great eater this past month. Mommy had to give you jarred food on vacation, even though she didn't really want to. You weren't a huge fan of the veggies, but I can't blame you, they smelled awful. You enjoyed the fruit very much, especially the prunes. :) Since you enjoy eating solids so much, you don't drink as much, but the doctor told us at 6 months that it would happen and that 24oz a day is plenty.
Along the same lines of food, you are getting very good with your pincer-grasp. I bought you some Happy Bellies Organic Puffs (that dissolve, unlike cheerios) and you will pick them up and put them in your mouth. Then you CHEW them! No teeth, but you just munch away. They have become the best distracter at restaurants. We get to enjoy dinner and you enjoy your puffs.
In a couple of weeks, you are going to be baptized at CCUM, by Rev. Dr. Hannon. Auntie Melissa, Uncle Angelo, and Anthony are coming to visit Texas. That Sunday, you will get to see most of your entire family, on both sides!
You also get to take another plane ride at the end of your 7th month - to Portland to meet Kyle, Jessi, and Carter! We cannot wait to get back to Oregon and cool off and catch up with great friends (and you get to make a new one!)
I imagine that things are about to get interesting with you. You seem to want to move around, but just can't quite figure it out yet. And, I imagine teeth are imminent, as the drool seems to have picked up (though, you've been a very drooly baby since at least 10 weeks.)
Lots to look forward to, Miss Kaylynn Noelle. We love you SO much!!
Love,
Mommy
Friday, July 10, 2009
Vote for Kaylynn!
So, Kaylynn has been entered into CW39's "Beautiful Baby" Contest. Winner gets $5k (HELLO college!) and a photo shoot.
Here's the link:
http://beautifulbabies.trb.com/kiah/babies_home_gallery,0,1587029,permalink.ugcphotogallery?u=hfrink
I sent an email out to a lot of folks, and I think some info was wrong, but the thing is, that you have to register to vote and you can only vote once per email address (so its great for those of you with multiples, vote more than once!!).
I haven't looked through them, and I know I'm quite partial, but she seriously is WAY cute. Just sayin'.
So go vote! Rock the vote! In a totally non-political sense. And if we win, you can have that warm-fuzzie feeling, knowing you helped send our sweet girl to college...18 years from now. :)
P.S. Kaylynn is 7 months old today. We (Kaylynn, Mom, and I) are in Virginia with Jenno, Sir William, Judy (visiting Ashley) and she spent her 7 month birthday visiting the home of Thomas Jefferson - Monticello, and sitting on a blanket in 70 degree weather while the adults enjoyed wine and bread at Kluge Estates.
Here's the link:
http://beautifulbabies.trb.com/kiah/babies_home_gallery,0,1587029,permalink.ugcphotogallery?u=hfrink
I sent an email out to a lot of folks, and I think some info was wrong, but the thing is, that you have to register to vote and you can only vote once per email address (so its great for those of you with multiples, vote more than once!!).
I haven't looked through them, and I know I'm quite partial, but she seriously is WAY cute. Just sayin'.
So go vote! Rock the vote! In a totally non-political sense. And if we win, you can have that warm-fuzzie feeling, knowing you helped send our sweet girl to college...18 years from now. :)
P.S. Kaylynn is 7 months old today. We (Kaylynn, Mom, and I) are in Virginia with Jenno, Sir William, Judy (visiting Ashley) and she spent her 7 month birthday visiting the home of Thomas Jefferson - Monticello, and sitting on a blanket in 70 degree weather while the adults enjoyed wine and bread at Kluge Estates.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
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