OT - What are you doing now? (2025)

zaphod

sorry to hear about piper, but that new pup looks like it would have anyone's heart instantly.

dbCooper

@billt01 - Condolences to you on your loss of piper.  Nice looking pup.

kl8ton

Sorry for your loss!

Since the passing of ours, every time I call all the kids together for a chat, they think I'm making a puppy announcement. 

They don't understand that I'm not getting another dog. 

I probably don't understand that eventually I'll get another dog. 

Gulfcoastguy

Well there will be house training, shots, and chewed things to take your mind off of an empty house. Nice brown lab btw.

billt01

Gulfcoastguy said:

Well there will be house training, shots, and chewed things to take your mind off of an empty house. Nice brown lab btw.

the older i get, the more i realize that the training, shots, and chewed things are what make these 4 legged companions worth more...

I believe animals heal the human soul (especially pups)... 

  

Gulfcoastguy

Yes my 2 are hanging around my feet. Probably only months left with the old boy. After losing my Boxer girl back in 2013 I decided to have over lapping dogs this time. The young pup keeps use old dogs busy and sort of young >

fishlessman

Gulfcoastguy said:

Yes my 2 are hanging around my feet. Probably only months left with the old boy. After losing my Boxer girl back in 2013 I decided to have over lapping dogs this time. The young pup keeps use old dogs busy and sort of young >

so much easier training a new pup with the old one still around and it does bring the old pup new life.

Ozzie_Isaac

Gulfcoastguy said:

Yes my 2 are hanging around my feet. Probably only months left with the old boy. After losing my Boxer girl back in 2013 I decided to have over lapping dogs this time. The young pup keeps use old dogs busy and sort of young >

This is how we roll here.  Older dogs teach the younger dogs how to behave and you are right the older dogs stay more active.  Makes potty training and everything much easier.

btw, my Spotify playlist just played "Maggie's Song" ... song makes me tear up every time thinking of all my past dogs.

lousubcap

Wrapping up the 2024 volunteer miles data and other numbers to get ready for the tax season fun and games.  

Ozzie_Isaac

lousubcap said:

Wrapping up the 2024 volunteer miles data and other numbers to get ready for the tax season fun and games.  

Prepping for tax season too.  I am interviewing new bookkeepers and CPAs.  My CPA tried their damndest to ruin New Years for me ..... 5PM New Year's Eve sent me an email that said "Looked at your numbers, get ready for a huge quarterly payment on Jan 15th" ... no context or magnitude.  $5K, $20K, $50k? .... then at 12:36AM on New Year's day (first email of the New Year), sends an email that starting on Jan 1 his fee is increasing by 26% a month because of inflation and cost-of-living increases for him.  Yeah, bud, sorry, you are gone as soon as I find a suitable replacement.

His mom was our original CPA but she has stepped back and let him start to take the reins.  She is in damage control now, but to little to late.

lousubcap

Sad way to close out 2024 right there.  Some people just get greedy!

ColbyLang

26%?!? Mylanta. My buddy marvels as his CPA (he’s a dentist) has a NetJet membership, a cybertruck, etc etc etc…..I said you ever think you paying too much lol

kl8ton

ColbyLang said:

26%?!? Mylanta. My buddy marvels as his CPA (he’s a dentist) has a NetJet membership, a cybertruck, etc etc etc…..I said you ever think you paying too much lol

It must be a rule the partners follow at the CPA firm I use...don't drive your "toys" to the office.  The lot is full of Honda Pilots, Toyota Camry's, etc.  

DoubleEgger

I’d be nervous if my CPA were driving around in a beater. 

kl8ton

DoubleEgger said:

I’d be nervous if my CPA were driving around in a beater. 

I agree.  They're nice cars, just not flashy.  

GrateEggspectations

The sweet spot is something between a beater and flashy. A luxury/sporty car that’s a few years old fits the bill. 

Ozzie_Isaac

I was mad at first, then I decided it is all about perspective.  We haven’t been real happy with him, but the pain of staying was less than the pain of moving everything to a new firm.  He made the pain of staying more, so I am finally doing what we have wanted to for a few months now.  I am thankful for him doing this in such a poor way it motivated me to make a positive change.

Bellavista52

@Ozzie_Isaac - I got one of those emails from the accountant, then after about two days got one that said "never mind, it was an error."  Sheesh!

Ozzie_Isaac

GrateEggspectations said:

The sweet spot is something between a beater and flashy. A luxury/sporty car that’s a few years old fits the bill. 

This is a hard line to tow.  We think about the clients we are meeting before we decide what car to take.  I have found my Jeep to be the most universal vehicle.  It fits with almost all situations and venues as long as it is clean.  My wife has definitely gotten sideways comments with her car, so she is very sensitive to this.

kl8ton

Ozzie_Isaac said:

GrateEggspectations said:

The sweet spot is something between a beater and flashy. A luxury/sporty car that’s a few years old fits the bill. 

This is a hard line to tow.  We think about the clients we are meeting before we decide what car to take.  I have found my Jeep to be the most universal vehicle.  It fits with almost all situations and venues as long as it is clean.  My wife has definitely gotten sideways comments with her car, so she is very sensitive to this.

I almost typed the exact same thing.  When I was in the automotive industry with my brother-in-law he always waffled back and forth on what vehicle to take to a potential client. Does he take the beat up shop truck to make it look like we're hungry for the income and will do anything to please you type of a vibe or do you take the brand new Duramax diesel to show you know what you're doing and you're making plenty of money doing it.

Ozzie_Isaac

kl8ton said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

GrateEggspectations said:

The sweet spot is something between a beater and flashy. A luxury/sporty car that’s a few years old fits the bill. 

This is a hard line to tow.  We think about the clients we are meeting before we decide what car to take.  I have found my Jeep to be the most universal vehicle.  It fits with almost all situations and venues as long as it is clean.  My wife has definitely gotten sideways comments with her car, so she is very sensitive to this.

I almost typed the exact same thing.  When I was in the automotive industry with my brother-in-law he always waffled back and forth on what vehicle to take to a potential client. Does he take the beat up shop truck to make it look like we're hungry for the income and will do anything to please you type of a vibe or do you take the brand new Duramax diesel to show you know what you're doing and you're making plenty of money doing it.

It is funny how different people perceive this!  I was a clients place and pulled up in my truck.  The neighbor, who I know didn't recognize my truck and walked over.  When he realized it was me, he laughed and goes "I was just about to tell Steve that he needs a different landscaper, this one clearly charges to much!"

DoubleEgger

Whatever you drive, don’t leak fluids on a customer’s driveway/parking lot. 

GrateEggspectations

DoubleEgger said:

Whatever you drive, don’t leak fluids on a customer’s driveway/parking lot. 

Still a car reference, or do you mean incontinence? 😆

Ozzie_Isaac

DoubleEgger said:

Whatever you drive, don’t leak fluids on a customer’s driveway/parking lot. 

This 1000x over!

lkapigian

Ozzie_Isaac said:

DoubleEgger said:

Whatever you drive, don’t leak fluids on a customer’s driveway/parking lot. 

This 1000x over!

Company Policy for us, you never park in a customer’s driveway and always park the right way on the street … in the event we do use the driveway for a Crane or such, cardboard goes down for the duration, even if new equipment 

Ozzie_Isaac

alaskanassasin

I drive my old truck and meet people at my rental property when getting quotes.

zaphod

Ozzie_Isaac said:

kl8ton said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

GrateEggspectations said:

The sweet spot is something between a beater and flashy. A luxury/sporty car that’s a few years old fits the bill. 

This is a hard line to tow.  We think about the clients we are meeting before we decide what car to take.  I have found my Jeep to be the most universal vehicle.  It fits with almost all situations and venues as long as it is clean.  My wife has definitely gotten sideways comments with her car, so she is very sensitive to this.

I almost typed the exact same thing.  When I was in the automotive industry with my brother-in-law he always waffled back and forth on what vehicle to take to a potential client. Does he take the beat up shop truck to make it look like we're hungry for the income and will do anything to please you type of a vibe or do you take the brand new Duramax diesel to show you know what you're doing and you're making plenty of money doing it.

It is funny how different people perceive this!  I was a clients place and pulled up in my truck.  The neighbor, who I know didn't recognize my truck and walked over.  When he realized it was me, he laughed and goes "I was just about to tell Steve that he needs a different landscaper, this one clearly charges to much!"

Ozzie_Isaac said:

kl8ton said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

GrateEggspectations said:

The sweet spot is something between a beater and flashy. A luxury/sporty car that’s a few years old fits the bill. 

This is a hard line to tow.  We think about the clients we are meeting before we decide what car to take.  I have found my Jeep to be the most universal vehicle.  It fits with almost all situations and venues as long as it is clean.  My wife has definitely gotten sideways comments with her car, so she is very sensitive to this.

I almost typed the exact same thing.  When I was in the automotive industry with my brother-in-law he always waffled back and forth on what vehicle to take to a potential client. Does he take the beat up shop truck to make it look like we're hungry for the income and will do anything to please you type of a vibe or do you take the brand new Duramax diesel to show you know what you're doing and you're making plenty of money doing it.

It is funny how different people perceive this!  I was a clients place and pulled up in my truck.  The neighbor, who I know didn't recognize my truck and walked over.  When he realized it was me, he laughed and goes "I was just about to tell Steve that he needs a different landscaper, this one clearly charges to much!"

About 6 or 7 years back my investment advisor pulled up in a model S Tesla instead of his usual BMW.  First words to him at the door were "Exactly How much I am paying you?"  He laughed, we ran the numbers, they made sense and six months later we owned a Tesla Model 3.

JohnInCarolina

My clients could not care less what I drive to work.  I think half of them think I bike in.  

Botch

Bellavista52 said:

@Ozzie_Isaac - I got one of those emails from the accountant, then after about two days got one that said "never mind, it was an error."  Sheesh!

The perfect time to email him back, "I couldn't afford your new rate and found a new accountant for 20% less, would you be willing to beat that?"