My last blog post was titled “Life is a Balancing Act.” Right now, it’s more of a juggling act! Tax season is in full swing and the press is on. Every year about this time, I start thinking about what a strange business model we tax CPAs operate under. About 50 percent of the returns we prepare in a year have been completed and the other 50 percent are either in some state of preparation, waiting to be worked on or need to be extended. Work compression issues are real. But somehow it all gets done every year and we move on.
The Tuesday after we got back from our ski trip that I posted about last time, we headed up to Waco so I could speak to the Beta Alpha Psi Chapter at Baylor. The meeting was well attended by both students and CPA chapter members. Their faculty sponsor is our own member and Today’s CPA technical editor and column editor for accounting and auditing issues, Dr. Bill Thomas. Bill and I served on committees together many years ago and it was fun to reconnect with him. The students were an impressive group of up and coming CPAs, and it was great to have a chance to speak to them about our profession, as well as our organization. We got there early enough to spend a little time wandering around the lovely campus and even went to visit the Bear statue.
The following week, we headed to El Paso. Our good friend and former TSCPA Chair, Kym Anderson, picked us up at the airport, and we enjoyed visiting with her and her wonderful husband Wynn at their home. We got to meet all four, yes four, of their weenie dogs too. That was followed by dinner with them and about eight or 10 other El Paso chapter folks. The next morning, their President-elect, Tony Benitez, picked us up from our hotel and, as is the chapter’s tradition, took me to the Lucchese outlet to get a pair of boots. I was stoked about that and had been looking forward to it since I found out I would be the chairman this year. Steve was glad I finally got them so he could quit having to listen to me talk about it!
After that, it was time to get down to business, so we headed to the luncheon where I was scheduled to present a 50-minute Professional Issues Update. When it was time to introduce me, they held up a poster with the Texas A&M logo and “Howdy” on it and had the crowd greet me accordingly. Now that’s hospitality!! The lunch was excellent and as usual at these events, I connected with some old friends and met some new ones. And hopefully gave them all some good information on what’s happening in the world of CPAs.
After returning home and surviving the March 15 deadline, we took a short break and headed to Atlanta for the AICPA Spring Regional Council meeting. We spent a good part of the day talking about the strategic plan for AICPA and discussing planning issues in small groups at our tables.
And now it really is crunch time. I’ve rarely worked on Sundays during tax season – everyone needs a break. But this year, with all this time out of the office for TSCPA, I have had to work every day I’m home. It’s a once in a lifetime ride, though, one that has been filled with great experiences, and I am honored to have been given the chance to serve. So, back to work I go!
Here are a couple of pictures from my travels...
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