The best laid plans are by mice not men.

I am happy to report that I completed my "time sensitive" reports and they were in the mail by noon yesterday. And the congregation said "amen".

Yesterday morning I was laboring over my desk when my cell phone chimed. K.O.. "What are you doing?", he asked. "Working on my quarterly and year end reports", I replied. "I thought you had already done them", he stated. "I have, but in draft form. I am now transferring them to the final copy in ink!", I said.

"What are you going to do when you get through?", he asked. "I thought we (meaning K.O. and I) were supposed to go talk with Pepa about his truck", I said. "Can we do it later today?", he asked. "I guess. Why?", I said. "We need some help", he replied.

And with that, the day was changed. For anyone who is not involved in taxes and their reporting or are not involved in ownership or management may not be aware of all the time sensitive reporting that hinges on the "end of the month following the end of the quarter". The absolute worst of these is January 31, because not only do you have quarterly reports, you have year end reporting, W-2's and 1099's have to be postmarked 1-31, TWC reports, Futa, 941's. It can be a nightmare.

K.O. and his small business recently had some personnel changes. Their office staff was reduced by one and then the main remaining person moved with her husband who was transferred. A new person has been on the job for two months and is learning, but hasn't been exposed to lots of the reporting.

On my way to K.O.'s office I stopped by his accountant and picked up the W-2's and 1099's. That was a load off. Next was a stop by the burger to pick up lunch for the masses. then on to the office.

I wasn't quite ready for what my first chore was. Quarterly fuel taxes. With a new twist. The employee who had left had taken all the info with her to do the reports but had failed to take the forms. I had to do the reports over the phone, long distance. It probably took two hours just to get and verify the information, then you have to figure miles per gallon and go through each individual state and determine how many gallons you should have purchased for the miles in that particular state. Then you subtract the gallons actually bought and end up with a positive or negative number that you multiply with the state's per gallon tax rate. You tally all the states and fill out the reporting form.

When I was done with that report, D.O. asked if I wanted to do the weight distance tax for New Mexico. Not a problem. Done. Final project was trying to help some with their payables. K.O. said they had been drowning in paperwork, and I could probably testify to that with what I saw. K.O. spent his afternoon trying to reconcile the receivables and payments. It was a long afternoon.

Just as we were trying to wind up our day a prospective driver walked in. K.O. began interviewing him while I contacted Pepa and tried to beg off until today. We were running so far behind, the yard where #222 is at was already locked and wouldn't be unlocked until morning. If we didn't slide the drive to Pepa's, it would involved another day and another 100 miles to get the truck moved.

I didn't get everything done at K.O.'s. But I made a contribution. It has been two years since I helped in their office. There have been many changes, some good, some bad. Before I left K.O. asked me what I would have to have to come back. Yeow! I am flattered to be asked. But I am afraid I could be walking into a bad situation with lots of family politics, and I don't think I want to jump in that mix.

Well, I've got to get my day moving. I've got to meet K.O. in thirty minutes.

Have a day. Make it a good one and we'll do one more and take the next two off!

Be with me LORD!