Another Enrolled Agent Exam Done! - SEE Section 1 - Individuals - Passed

I am so relieved right now. I went early into Puyallap and completed another exam for the IRS Enrolled Agent (tax). One more section to go.

As usual, I will sprinkle in pretty pictures with accounting/tax talk.

I woke up early. Nim puked on my behalf and then proceeded to pace around the house with me wondering why I wouldn't feed him. Eventually I gave him a peanut butter Kong and hit the road by 6am to get to the testing site.

The traffic was considerably better on a Monday morning than when I tried to do this on a Saturday morning. I even was early enough to read some of my Vogue Magazine. Now I have no fashion sense, I mean really none - made worse by the fact I hate shopping. But I love Vogue. I get so many fabric inspirations for quilts in that magazine and September is the big fashion issue. I love it.

As I sat there reading and waiting for the testing center to open up I was also very hungry, but I was too nervous to eat which was frustrating.

This exam felt different than the first part I took I think because I have more hands-on experience doing individual tax returns which definitely helps my knowledge. Also, in many aspects I would say my Exam Matrix study questions were harder than several of the IRS exam questions (this is a good thing)!

As usual there were probably 3 - 5 questions I flat out guessed. One of them I had never even heard about before. Always a fabulous feeling. 

And now, the weekend ramble...

The weekend was full of studying as you can imagine. After some extensive online research I realized my sister's laptop that I have borrowed for about 2 years was chirping because it was overheating.

Cookie rack to the rescue!

I would take study breaks to do cone work for obedience. Nim and I are sucking on this right now, and naturally we have our first traditional obedience trial next weekend. :)

Nim had a lot of happy sitting in the sun.

And Kong time.

I am thrilled to have this test done!

So thrilled that I rushed home and did the thing I would normally NEVER do and already schedule the final section I need to take having only barely started studying for it: SEE section 2 - Business.

I am really trying to push myself to get this done before the quarter starts at the end of September and I have to add back all my teaching assistant work.

Congratulations, you survived another post about accounting!

Wait! One more piece of good news...guess who's jacket was still sitting in the lost and found from last time! I guess they couldn't get anyone to take it. :)

Sunflower Friday

I hope everyone has had a nice week. First things first. There are 4 photos in this post and the last one is of three snakes. It will be below the photo of Nim. You have been warned. :)

My sunflower is blooming! I was a challenge to get the entire plant in the photo.

I hope more of the buds bloom. I am so proud of this flower. I may not have grown much this year, but I grew a sunflower and tomatoes.

Nim hasn't had a great week. Not enough activity. I hope to make it up to him after the weekend.

I was so excited to see a few of my snakes. However, upon further research I suspect I photographed them mating. Get a room guys.

Have a good weekend!

Monday

What a Monday already! This is that Monday you dread because your weekend was SO not relaxing and you know the work work will not be any better.

This weekend there was a lot of good things however.

One, I treated everyone for fleas...again. Actually, there is nothing good about that, unless all the fleas died. I added Capstar to the regiment.

The cats weren't a fan. Both had an increased scratching and intense behavior. Emile did the worst. He started frantically running the house and when he did finally stop his little ears and feet were hot (probably from all the running, although I never see his pads so red). Anyway, the response is over in 30 minutes to an hour, but I am will probably avoid doing that to the cats again.

Except for some increased scratching (also in that 30 minute to an hour window) Nim did just fine. Then we spent the weekend outside and I am sure he found all the fleas in the yard again. Diatomaceous earth is coming this week for me to sprinkle outside for natural flea control. I have had it.

My gardens continue to produce just a little bit. I love these flowers.

My lemon cucumbers may have a chance as I have them going up a trellis sort of arrangement. Keeps them off the ground and away from the slugs. I can't wait for one to ripen.

It was an active Sunday of wildlife commuters. If you enlarge the photo you can better see the two fawn crossing the stream ahead of her.

Still some spots left on the baby elk. I miss my 4 from last year. I haven't had many baby elk visitors this year it seems.

I have scheduled my next IRS SEE exam - Test 1 - Individuals for Monday August 25th. Yes, I am nervous.

Fall-Like Weather

We had a couple of heavy rain days and even now it is overcast and drizzle outside.

Nim is happy. :)

Weekend Happenings

When I study or work outside, more and more it looks like this.

He has his own dirt pit under the table. I was contemplating getting some nematodes and setting them free in the dirt in case that is where our fleas are living, but now that I realize they are round worm I am thinking maybe more parasitic worms is not what I need.

Especially since I am now de-worming Nim as we speak...most likely for worms related to the fleas!

He makes me happy under the table, hanging out while I work and study...even if he gets super dirty and has fleas.

These bunnies also make me happy because for whatever the reason they don't seem to chew much in my gardens. Therefore I find them cute. Although I think they are also the reason I had a young coyote in the yard the other day.

Bunnies make Emile VERY happy.

I went to my friend's house today and got flowers:

Tomatoes:

And a Kolrabi. She and her roommate are major successful gardeners. I can only hope to be so successful someday, although I might lack the patience.

I am ridiculously pleased with myself however that not only have a produced 3 tomatoes (all of which I have eaten) but as you can see, I have more to come!

Have a quiet Sunday night. I am trying to squeeze some studying in and get ready for the upcoming work week. Supposedly to be successful for my CPA exams I should be studying 20 hours a week. This coming week I am going to actually try and track time because I highly doubt I am hitting that. I am however daydreaming of all the things I will do when all 4 sections are passed so I better get on it.

Asparagus Fern and Walk Around Beaver Lake

Yesterday on my way to work I stopped at the store and saw this pretty little guy. I thought it might be a nice addition to my desk. It is an Asparagus Fern. We will see how it holds out in the office.

Yesterday was a nuts day. It was one thing after another. Work ran late so that it didn't make sense for me to go home and then leave again go for obedience. Instead I dealt with my desperate need for new tires and took Nim for a walk around Beaver Lake before class at 8pm.

Yesterday was another hot one, but today is more of a fall-like start to the day...well...what I wish fall-like would be in that it isn't super cold or raining. :)

Happy Friday!

Hooray for Friday! I hope it was a productive one for all of you and you can enjoy your weekend. We have been in a bit of high heat week again. Lots of bunnies laying around the yard with their buddas hanging out. I love this photo because as you can see she is just outside the direct sun.

Today I had about an hour of gardening. I swear I haven't worked in my garden for weeks. It is a miracle anything is still alive. Check out Nim's garden this year. It has some large mystery thing growing which I am hoping is a sunflower (you would assume I would know, but it was some start that I was given and I forgot what it was). Anyway, his garden is so full that Nim can't walk around in there anymore.

I got the lemon cucumber plants in Nim's garden under control today as well as the tomatoes in my other bed. I actually ate my first self-grown tomato today. It was so good. Every summer when I get garden tomatoes it is then really hard for me to eat store ones for quite awhile afterwards.

I also attempted some dog training. Since Nim and I have decided to branch out into competition obedience I have to teach him to:

a. fetch, and more specifically
b. hold a dumbbell while sitting, jumping, returning to me, etc.

Yes. He looks like I am abusing him. He is so perplexed by the sitting with the dumbbell in his mouth process. However the taking the dumbbell and running off to drop somewhere else - he has that mastered! I can't wait until we try jumps.

Enjoy your evening! It is 6:45pm and I am about to settle in for dinner and maybe find a movie or something else to watch. Emile is all ready. :)