Stijn!!

[Porsche-poor]

Morning all. I took down all the outside stuff and put it the garage to dry for a few days. As punishment for lots for holiday stuff the wife has to park outside for a short time.

[GH85Carrera]

Back when Chesapeake energy was still owned and run by the man that founded it, Aubry McClendon, he spent a lot of company money decorating the office complex campus at Christmas. It became a major deal and lots of people toured it every night. We worked with the landscaping company that had the job of putting up all the lights, and taking them down, to store for the next year. They had to rent a building that was 6,000 square feet, just to store all the decorations.

I often wondered how much they spent to buy the lights, put them up, and take them down and store them per year. I am sure it was heavy 5 figures. Now that Chesapeake is all corporate owned, and the board has to approve the spending the decorations are much reduced, and the city pays for some of the costs.

We used to fly the Chesapeake campus and make a print that was 5 foot by 12 foot at a scale of 1"=100' and I would spend hours building a shape file in a DWG format that overlayed the different divisions, and groups of the company. We loved them as they paid from the invoice in just days.

[Porsche-poor]

We don't have that many but lets not tempt her any.

[GH85Carrera]

In the past we decorated outside. Now my wife has a solar powered little 6 inch snowman by the front porch. That is it for outside.

One tree, and some various decorations inside, and we are done. My stocking my grandma made me when I was 4 gets hung up, and my wife made herself a stocking to hang next to it. Santa keeps forgetting to fill them.

[Porsche-poor]

What you sacred off the fat man?

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Porsche-poor

What you sacred off the fat man?

Nope, I live here!

My wife and I are both past the point that when we see some thing, gizmo, do dad, or whatever we might want, we just buy it for ourselves. I am about impossible to buy a gift for as I buy when I see it.

The only gifts items I want are things no one is going to buy for me, or stuff I don't really want anyway. Yea, a new 911 Turbo S would be cool, but I don't have anyplace to keep it as the garage is full. Two cars is enough. The Elky and the Carrera are staying until I can't drive anymore. I have no need for a Turbo S as it is just scary fast and can't be driven hard as you are going to jail, handcuffed speeds in 3 seconds.

She is the same way. She is retired, and long past the point of showing off jewellery to her lady friends, so no point getting anything that will sit in the box all the time.

[Porsche-poor]

We are to but we typically cut off buying in November unless it is an "I need it now" type thing. You can expect to find things under the tree.

[GH85Carrera]

I am liking this weather!

65 degrees and sunny. I just ran an errand and did not even grab a jacket. Almost time to break out shorts.

We had a client that has been a pain in the rear. Two years ago they contacted us and asked for a quote on flying their project. We sent them all the details, and expected a "GO" soon. Just silence, so every 3 months, we would call and ask, hey, any word on when this might be ready to fly. Same answer each time, not just yet, they are working on changes at the facility. Finally, a year and half later, they give us the OK to fly. We get it done, and FTP it to them. I send an invoice, and no payment. For the last six months I send a statement and invoice it to the Accounts payable people as instructed in the P.O.

Finally today we call and asked, do you folks think you might acvtually pay us soon? Apologies, and how about we pay with a credt card. Aw crap, that is 3.5% off the top as I have to enter it manually.

It is almost comical how long a string of numbers is, the CC number, the expiration date, the CVR number, the zip code, and the full amount. Approved. Bingo we get paid.

There is a note in the account, they are slow pay, and pay with a CC. Instant markup to cover all that on top of regular costs.

[Porsche-poor]

Not sure I'd turn over future work via FTP till after they pay.

[GH85Carrera]

Almost all the really large corporations take 30 to 60 days to pay. We worked with one division of a large company. The bigger the corporation, the slower they pay. They just sit on our money waiting until we start whining.

We have a few clients that pay like cash registers. They always go to the front of the line and when they ask can we get, the answer is YES!!! no mater what.

The company I worked at before doing aerial photography had the same issues with payment. We usually don't actually do the work for a final client. We are hired by a surveyor or engineering company, and they never pay us until they get paid from their clients, and sometime we are 4 contractors deep as a sub sub sub contractor and at the end of the payment feeding chain.

I have often wondered how much our invoice is marked up by all the other contractors in line. I don't doubt by the time small project we invoice for 10K gets to the final contractor is very high 6 figures, especially a federally funded road project.

[Noah930]

As a physician, insurance companies typically don't pay for about 2-3 months after you've performed a service. No matter that I have completed all paperwork charting before I even leave the office for the day.

In California workers comp (which is the bulk if my practice) it's even worse. If the insurance company hasn't paid by 90 days, they're no longer obligated to do so. So your billers really have to be on-the-ball with your accounts receivable.

[GH85Carrera]

Wait, if they are 91 days late in paying, they don't even have to after that?

Back at the old company I worked for we did a major project for an engineering company. It involved a lawsuit in a part of a city over some storm water drainage. It was about 30 grand invoice as I remember, and it was over two years old on the books. The accountant said to write it off, but he was just lazy. The owner of our company refused to file suit in court. He did not really care about the money, he kept the place open just to provide us with jobs.

One day the opposing council in a lawsuit over the project we had mapped requested a copy of the results. We said sure, as soon as they pay the invoice. The judge in the case told the engineering company they had to pay us, or all the survey results would be excluded from the trial. The opposing council showed up with a certified check from the engineering company that hired us, and requested the data. We were happy to burn him a DVD of the data. That client had several notes added to his account. Mostly, pay in full up front before we do any work. That engineering company went broke and closed soon after the lawsuit.

[Porsche-poor]

Morning all. Fun times today. I got to fix some drawings that were supposed to have been issued but were not and then the revisions were changed. I had to find previous versions and correct them.

[GH85Carrera]

Few things more fun than un-changing something you got to change before, and changing it again!

[Porsche-poor]

no kidding! Technically all I had to do was find the original clouds and change the revision numbers on the new clouds I made. Not hard to do just not fun.

[GH85Carrera]

It is 70 degrees here today. I had to take the El Camino out and run the AC!

With the sun shining in, it gets warm inside fast. The AC is of course working great, but no challenge in 70 degree heat. The biggest good news is the compressor is really quiet. It was moaning and groaning before, but it was 11 years old, so worn out. I need summer to get here to test it in the heat, and get the pressures right.

Next up is the 911 compressor. It is slinging oil from the nose seal. So it will need a new compressor and receiver dryer. It is a lot easier to do. I will want the AC in perfect top condition to take on the 110 degree heat of Palm Springs in June. It likely will be about 100 from the time I leave until the time I return. Oklahoma, the panhandle of Texas, into southern New Mexico, southern Arizona, and into south California desert is gonna be warm, forget warm it is gonna be a hot time in them parts of the country.

[Porsche-poor]

That will be one I pass on. Might not even own the car next time its close to here.

[GH85Carrera]

Last year is was pretty far north east, this year far south west. Next year is Birmingham, AL, so fairly far south east. I am pushing and lobbying hard to have it here in Oklahoma City for 2025. Fairly central USA, where I-40, I-35 and I-44 meet up and cross each other. So 2026 should be north west.

Who knows what is in the minds of the Parade committee.

[Porsche-poor]

So in three years. We shall see.

[GH85Carrera]

Today is supposed to hit 70 again.

Now I get to spend time making sure all the expenses were classified properly, and that ever single vendor or supplier that we spent more than $600 with has a tax ID on file with us. We have to send out a 1099. And the IRS insists we file one copy with them electronically, and I have to mail a special form on pre printed forms to the companies.

It is a total CPA full employment boondoggle.