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No Internet Monday...An Unbalanced Start to the Work Week

Guest post by: Debbie Lessin

Article Overview: We take our internet service for granted. It's our communication link to the world. And yet when the technology gets the better of us, we are lost, confused and scattered. For this to happen on a Monday morning only means that the work week gets off to an truely unbalanced start. Handling this tech "fault line" can either set you off...or you can take the high road, roll with the punches and know that tomorrow will be another day....one where the internet connection might actually work! Debbie Lessin, CPA and self-proclaimed Balance Lady recently had such a Monday. Debbie always tries to roll with the punches, remembering of course that in the scheme of things, it's really just the internet!

No Internet Monday...An Unbalanced Start to the Work Week

All things considered, I'm fairly calm. It's been one of those technologically challenging days. There was no internet access from the minute that I stepped into the office after a 4 day weekend until the minute I left. Why? Who knows? It's not like this is the first time it's happened. But usually after futzing around with the plugs and cords and on/off switches, it resets and all is well. Today, I try this more times than I can count, going up and down the step ladder to reach the equipment - nada, nothing, zip, zilch. I want to yell in frustration but I don't. There's no one around to hear me. I could have checked email from home before I left for work. I usually choose not to do that, deciding long ago that multiple email addresses worked best for me. I've always proclaimed that there is no such thing as an accounting emergency. And there isn't. But now that I'm back to my 3 day work week, the least I can do is check email on Monday morning! I can access it from my Iphone (or at least try). Sometimes it works, other times, not so much. I've yet to figure out the mystery of the 3G. Today it's a not so much day! Since its post 4/15, I even take the time call A T & T. Technical assistance is no help. They instruct me to do exactly what I've already done. Since my modem is not A T & T brand, they assume no responsibility for it. I authorize them to downgrade the speed that I thought had already been downgraded. Apparently my building is too far from the tower (or so the tech told in November when there were problems after the move). Spotty internet has happened in the past. But usually by day's end everything was working fine. At least now I had time to be proactive or at least pretend that my calls and efforts matter.

I drove to work today since there were thunderstorms in the forecast. Of course they never materialized. It's a beautiful day and I would have appreciated the walk to/from. But I suppose that I drove for a reason - to go home in the middle of the day. I'm only five minutes away from home by car, one of the best benefits of my recent office move. I drive home around 10:00 AM to check email and reply as need be. Not too many require a response. Five or six emails require printed copies for the files. Printing is the one thing that can't be accomplished by Iphone. I'm back at the office by 11:15 AM.

And the whole day still feels off. I review two files that I can finish, changes needing to be called in to the computer center (I outsource processing) by 1:00 PM. And every 15 or 20 minutes or so, I hop up on the step ladder and reset - again! Once the returns are called in I feel like I accomplished something, even though the billable hours foretell a different day. It's the beginning of the month and there's some month end billing to do, stats to update, progress to track. I know that I've worked less so far this year so it's not unexpected that revenues are down. But collections are lagging more this year than normal. Given the economy, that's not a surprise either. I've been barely scathed by the economic crisis. I know I am lucky. I am grateful for that every day. The sooner I bill, the sooner I'll be paid.

I knew I won't stay until 5 PM, but am not surprised when I'm there until after 4:00 PM. I know that I've lost an hour (probably more) dealing with the internet. I use the computer in the management office downstairs to print out two UPS shipping labels, another back/forth trip home avoided. I find excuses to just be outside, the weather sunny and warm. I gather bags of trash, accumulated boxes and take them to the dumpster. An assistant handled those chores for me in tax season. But she's working next to nothing right now, there being little for her to do on a weekly basis, her grad schools finals more important. I walk to the mailbox with the invoices, a sales tax return, an income tax return and two amended returns. I feel somewhat accomplished. And yet, I only bill three hours by the end of the shortened day.

The billable hours do not matter. An eerie calm surrounds me. I survived the day, no internet not withstanding. Amazingly no other emails arrive the rest of the day. It is May 3^rd after all. Most clients have no clue if I'm on vacation. Nothing's really urgent, or at least nothing I know about. I let it roll off my back as best I could. I figured out ways to get around it. And I am silently thankful that it's May 3^rd and not April 3^rd. I know that calm would not be my demeanor if it were.

And then I remember that Mercury is in retrograde. And I laugh. I believe, I don't believe. I'm never quite sure. I'm curious and am open to the possibilities. Mercury in retrograde and technology on the fritz, now that's a coincidence that I can believe in. I've seen proof of this phenomenon more than once over the years. I don't think about this until I get home where the internet works just fine, thank you very much!

What will tomorrow bring? Who knows? I will assume that nothing has changed. I will check email at home before I leave for the office. I will schlep the laptop (tomorrow I walk!) and hope that if I can't get into my "Balancelady" wireless network, I can slide into the "admin" one that tends to pop up.

I will remember that in the end, today was a pretty good day. It's just the internet. Can't totally live without it, but I can and did survive! I'm not stressed. I'm not crabby. I'm balanced! Ah, life really is a balancing act!

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Article Tags: cpa, internet, life is a balancing act, post tax season balance, work life balance



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