I keep checking for updates on Grasshopper No.4's blog and I keep getting the last entry of Nov. 6, 2008. It never changes yet I keep checking it. I think that is the definition of insanity.
Grasshopper No.3 and I belong to an investment club consisting of 8 guys trying to save a little money and then invest it smartly so that we can enjoy retirement some day. It does cause me to ask "what the hell is someone like me who is already retired doing in an investment club"? The answer is I always learn something about finance and being down 34.5% last year leaves me undeterred.
Yesterday No.3 and I met with a local tax specialist who prepares a tax statement for each of our 8 club members. We lost our ass last year and then we have to pay to report it to the government. Last year, we sat down with JW (our tax preparer). He entered our information in his computer system and by the time we left his office, we had a K-1 tax form for each club member. JW really is pretty smooth as he enters data and prepares statements. Last year I made the mistake of asking him about his specialized software system and he stopped entering information and gave Grasshopper No.3 and me a 25 minute dissertation on the merits of different types of software. It was one of those situations where I was sorry I asked. We got way too much information.
This year the plan was not to ask JW any personal questions so that our tax meeting would remain short. Our meeting was for 10:00 AM in the morning. A prior client took until 10:30 AM so we started late. Ten minutes into our tax meeting, JW's computer system failed. It seems that he had an electrician rewiring parts of the office and they must have pulled the wrong wire. So there we are trying to make the meeting go fast and the computer collapses. I had a feeling of stark terror realizing that we could be captured in JW's tax hell forever! Grasshopper No.3 looked at me and I looked at him and we agreed, "do not ask any questions about the problem". If we did it would take longer than forever. The system rebooted in about 15 minutes and we finished at 12:05 PM. Whew!
So like the insanity of checking Grasshopper No.4's blog and never seeing it change, No.3 and I keep going back to the same tax preparer year after year and continue to experience marathon sessions. It is called the land of Oz (insanity). Maybe we ought to change tax preparation services? You think? We won't because the price is low and if we switched, I wouldn't have stories to tell.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that there are clues along the way that insanity is part of your life. You can elect to endure the insanity or you can change it. Good luck.
Love,
Dad