The Life of an Auditor

As an auditor I examine and "test" the account balances and transactions of companies to attest to the accuracy of their financial statements. But because I'm only in my second year as an auditor and I don't have my CPA license yet, I get to do all the low level work. This includes performing inventory observations for our clients that maintain inventory balances on their balance sheets at year end. The purpose of me observing and testing the client's inventory count is to verify that they perform the count in accordance with their established policies and procedures and that their inventory is properly reported in their financial statements. Since we just had year end, I've been pretty busy in the inventory department. Below is a recap of all the things I've had the pleasure of counting in the past two weeks...

1. I went to a dealership of special access vehicles to count mini-vans and commercial vans with modifications for disabled persons.

2. I went to a warehouse in Compton to spend time in a warehouse-sized -14 degree freezer to count 11,900 boxes of frozen beef strips. I will forever compare all cold weather to my experience in a -14 degree freezer! That was definitely the coldest I have EVER been. Immediately upon entering the freezer, my nose hairs froze, which is quite possibly the most bizarre sensation I've ever felt.

3. On New Year's Eve I went to the mall to count cell phones and accessories at a T-Mobile kiosk.

4. I got to drive to Camarillo to count a warehouse full of heating and air conditioning units.

5. My co-worker and I drove down to Orange County to observe the making of razor blades and count two warehouses full of box cutters, letter openers, staple removers, etc. I had no idea there was such a huge market for box cutters, but grocery stores all over the country do need to arm their staff with them. Did you know that they make right-handed and left-handed box cutters?

6. And last, but not least I traveled all the way to Spokane, WA this past Thursday in order to be at a printing warehouse at 7am on Friday to count rolls of paper and tanks of ink. It's amazing how many different kinds of paper there are, and in huge rolls they all look the same. It was in the high 20s and snowing in Spokane, but that's nothing compared to a -14 degree freezer!

Six inventory observations in one season is pretty huge. I performed more than anyone else in my office. I'm a pro now. Give me a holler if you ever need anything counted.

My turn to be sick

I spent November and December avoiding the sicknesses running rampant through the office. I was one of maybe 3 or 4 people who didn't get a cold, bronchitis, or pneumonia. It finally caught me though. I felt a tickle in my throat on Thursday morning and woke up miserable yesterday. Spent most all day yesterday and today just chillin' on the couch trying to rest. My fantastic cousin Marcy came over today with some soup, oranges, and "throat coat" tea. That made me feel better! Thanks, Marcy!

Thankfully this week is relatively slow at work, so it won't be a big deal if I miss a day or two to rest up. The only thing I'm stressed about is my test. I should have been studying all weekend, but with my head all blocked up I couldn't stay awake or focused. =( Please pray for quick recovery so I can get back to studying. And please pray that I study smart and can retain the information I need to pass this exam.

Peace and love.
J

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! My prayer for you is that you will be richly blessed this coming year and that you will share those blessings with everyone you interact with. Share God's love and be a light in the lives of those who need encouragement or do not know Him.

My resolution for 2007 is to study a lot, and more productively, in order to pass the CPA exam.

Health update: My ear nose & throat doctor finally returned my calls, and my sinus CT was normal. Back to square one with trying to figure out what's up. My dad is convinced that I'm allergic to LA and need to move back to Northern California. I have an appointment with an allergist next week.

Peace and love,
J

Bitter...

This morning things were going really well for me. I got to sleep in a little bit, my co-worker called and reminded me of a conference call at 8am that I totally would have missed because I thought it was at 10, and my apartment was much warmer than yesterday morning. THEN... I took the trash to the dumpster which is right next to my car port, where I found shattered glass everywhere. For some delusional reason I just thought, "Hmm, bummer. Wonder where that came from?" And then I looked up and saw my poor little Civic with no window and no stereo. I truly gasped in horror (and muttered a couple explitives - ooops, sorry.) Yes, my window was broken, my glove box and center console ransacked, and my stereo ripped from the dash. Yes, it was an after-market, and no, I had not removed the face plate because it's so darn finicky that it took 5 tries to get it back on once removed. I guess I'm partly to blame for it being stolen. Better to waste some time putting it back on than taking a day off work, paying my $100 deductible, and filing a claim with my insurance company. I sure hope my insurance premium doesn't go up...

My neighbor's BMW was also broken into, but he had moved it before I went to the carport. I just saw all the glass on the ground on his side of the parking area. I HATE, yes hate, people who steal!!! It's unbelievable. Anger and bitterness wells up in me when I think of the guy standing at my car, jamming his screw driver into my window, bending the metal frame of my door, breaking the plastic molding, scratching the paint and the plastic interior, covering the interior of my car in thousands of tiny shards of glass, and bending the plastic mount just to rip out my measley $160 stereo. Come to think of it, he did manage to find the remote control for it and take that too... I wish WISH that I could stumble upon this bastard out in some flea market selling my stereo and give him a piece of my mind.

On the other hand, I am thankful that he didn't take my CDs or my sunglasses, that he didn't cause more damage than he did, that my insurance is going to cover the loss, and that I was able to find a shop to replace my window TODAY. The insurance was trying to tell me they could set me up with an appointment tomorrow or next week. ?!?! I'm sorry, is my car not sitting, vulnerable out in the open with a broken window for the elements to damage and other thieves to take?

Merry Christmas.

my life...

If anyone out there reads this and/or cares... I've been engulfed in the world of Financial Accounting and Reporting. Yes, I'm finally back to studying for the CPA exam. I MUST pass all 4 exams in 2007. Not only for the whopping $2000 bonus, (which, after taxes, I'll probably only get half of and that won't even cover the costs of my CPA prep/review class) but because I REALLY, REALLY want to get this behind me so I can go on living and enjoying my life without the stress of "I still have to pass that exam..." And hopefully the CPA exam will be the last test I ever have to take.

So in addition to the stress of studying, I've cut sugar, bread, acidic foods and caffeine out of my life in a self-prescribed attempt to get rid of this obnoxious sinus problem I've been suffering from for MONTHS! I had to diagnose myself since my Ear/Nose/Throat Dr. won't return my calls about what my CT scan revealed. Oh man has it been hard not eating sugar, bread, and coffee. If you know me, you know that I have a sweet tooth and LOVE bread AND I think of myself as a coffee connoisseur of sorts (I have my own espresso machine, which is so sad and unused right now). The good news is that I was able to stay on the diet for ONE entire week! and I feel like it has helped a bit, AND I lost 5 pounds. IN ONE WEEK! wow. And then I was at a client's office and he physically placed a cookie in my hand! (who does that?!) so I felt obliged to eat it. =)

While I do feel that the "cleanse" diet has helped a bit, I still feel yucky in the sinus area. If you wouldn't mind adding me to your prayers, I would GREATLY appreciate it!

Peace and love.
J