April Fools, CPAs, FICO scores, Shanghai, slot machines, and roses

April Fools Day. Boy, I must be old. Not one person even attempted to fool me...worse, I didn't try to fool anyone either!

Had to send a certified letter today to a small company that says I owe them money! They sent me a letter telling me I owe for a service (aerating my lawn) that was done in Feb 2008, and that my account is in "serious default." I have a cancelled check showing that I paid the bill. I have called and emailed them for the last 3 or 4 days, and they haven't bothered to call me back. So, today, I sent the certified letter. It's stuff like this that can ruin a girl's FICO scores!

I also sent some signed forms back to my CPA (Ahlers & Stoll, a great firm in Houston) so that they could send in my e-file to the IRS and to AH-NOLD. I'm getting a bit of green back from both. Good thing. I've managed to deplete my savings this year and I think I'll be able to put a little back into the bank. No, I'm not talking about my mutual funds in my IRAs and 401Ks...my story is just like yours...depressing!

If I'm careful, maybe I can gift myself with a few of those greenbacks to gamble! Yup. When I retire (probably when I'm 80 if the economy doesn't turn around soon), I plan to be one of those old women in gaudy polyester sitting at a slot machine putting in my pennies! Of course, I won't be smoking and the machines don't take pennies these days, but you get the idea. It's definitely something I can strive for! :-)

I'm here at my HP cube killing time because I have a conference call scheduled with my little team in Shanghai at 6:30 pm. 6:30 pm Wednesday my time is 9:30 am Thursday for them. When we set up the meetings, it was only 5:30 pm for me, but when we started DST, the call changed to an hour later. Did you know that all of China is on the same time??? Their country is about as wide as the U.S., yet they all live on Beijing time. The rest of the country just deals with sunrise and sunset at weird times. Can you imagine that for us? If we set our clocks on Washington D.C. time, those of us in California would have sunrise at 3 am! Nuff said.

It's definitely spring here and I have the roses to prove it! I'm not sure if it's the food I gave them or the additional rain we've had, but I'm getting some killer roses! A couple are as big as my head! (not really, but almost!) Anyway, I've decided that this year, I'm going to cut them and bring them inside more often than I usually do. Someone told me that they bloom more when you cut them. I enjoy seeing them out in my yard, but maybe, if I plan it right, I can have both! If you're a rose fiend, check out this place online or in Texas: The Antique Rose Emporium . They're wonderful!

And with that bit of potpourri, I bid you au revoir!

Twenty-two hours to go!

Yep, just 22 short hours before I get on the first plane to head to Beijing! Let's see, SAN to LAX to Hong Kong to Beijing. I leave San Diego at 6:05 PM on 19 October, and arrive in Beijing at 11:25 am on 21 October. That whole international date line thing is a bit weird. I have no idea how long I'll actually be flying. The time changes make my head spin. But, what's even weirder is that when we come home, we leave Shanghai at 8:40 am on 31 October and I'm home in San Diego at 4:46 pm the same day! Guess that's how I get the day back that I will lose on the way over...

I remember when I used to date sailors (those details another day, another blog), they told me that crossing the international date line was reason for celebration and/or hazing...or was that the equator??? Hmmmm...goes to show how long ago that was! I can't even remember it right.

Well, I'm not ready. And, I've found something else to do to procrastinate just a little longer. Lots of things are done, but the packing is still far, far behind. I'm doing laundry. Can't pack it 'til it's clean, right? I have some piles of things all over the guest bedroom. That's my staging area and I'm hoping that by 3 o'clock tomorrow, when I have to leave for the airport, that I will be calm, cool, and collected, knowing that I have it all done and that I've forgotten nothing. Yeah, right!

I've cleaned out all the likely-to-go-bad food from the fridge, I've paid bills through the end of the month, I've got instructions ready for the dog sitter, and I think I have my traveling money figured out. I'm still putting files on my new laptop so that I'll have everything I need while I'm there. I got the car washed, and I had a mani/pedi, and I have my rides to/from the airport set up. Wish I had packed. But, nonetheless, I'm ready. Not literally...but mentally. The literal part will come.

The next time you hear from me, I'll be in China!

wan an! (good night)