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Last week, 2 days before we went for our tax appointment we received a letter saying that our accountant had left the company. However, we should come for our appointment and someone else would see us. That was Thursday. We thought it was strange because we knew a friend had seen him the previous Saturday. Friday, I tried to find out if he had opened up somewhere else. The man did our taxes for 25 years. So we went in and saw another elderly accountant. I asked if he at least knew if our accountant was all right. He said that as far as he knew all was well. However, he couldn't do our taxes right then. He talked to us for 15 minutes, took our records and said we could pick up our taxes at the end of the week. We left feeling dissatisfied. Turbo Tax could do what this guy was going to do for us. When we get home there is a letter. Our accountant has opened a new office. I thought for a while. I thought about how he was kind to us when my husband lost his job and did our taxes for half his usual fee. I thought about the good advice he gave us. I thought about the fact that he is still working because he is paying for his mentally ill son and his problems and the problems he caused others. He has always been a kind man and as far as I know, has always done right by others. He has always done right by us. I called him and made an appointment. I called the company and left a message. I just said that he had always been our accountant and had I known he was opening an office, I would never have come in and I would be by to pick up our documents, please do not process them. I did so and they did not charge us anything.

Today I went in and asked what happened. I knew that he had merged with this company due to financial difficulties after a problem with his son and due to his making good on his son's debts. I expected to hear that there was a parting of the ways due to a disagreement over wages or policy or some other, similar issue. I was entirely unprepared for what I heard. He said, quite simply, "They beat me up". Dumbfounded doesn't cover it. I didn't get a lot of details, but apparently there was a disagreement over something and a 60 year old man and a 35 year old man sent my 80 year old accountant to the hospital. "Did you call the police?" I asked. He said that he did, but that his attackers then claimed that they had called. My accountant said that he "didn't want to be vindictive" and thought that these men might have Bipolar Disorder. I told him that that's as may be, they still don't get to put people in the hospital. He said that he was speaking with an attorney because they were also suing him since he opened his own office again, claiming he was stealing clients. My accountant now walks with a cane. He said that he fears his spine is permanently damaged. He has had only 1 physical therapy appointment. He said how impressed he is with his physical therapist. I told him that they can work wonders, which I truly believe. But I was and remain appalled.

In honor of Crusader Rabbit

Many years ago, for reasons too complicated to mention, we collected glass in dump trucks and recycled it out at Anchor Hocking. It was fun to break the glass by lobbing it into the trucks. It was fun to hang around in the Jewel parking lot and take the glass from people. It was clean, weirdly glassy, teenage good times. And Green, really green. We didn't make any money. The city donated the trucks. We donated the time. The glass was recycled. It was all good. No one got cut (don't ask me how) and we didn't worry about liability. This was probably dumb, but it was how it was. Being Green was very popular for a while, then it went out of vogue and being wealthy was chic once again. Now, Green is in, again. Unfortunately, it's very tricky. At our house, as at lots of houses, we recycle, paper, glass, plastic, cans. We do it faithfully. But they won't take plastic bags. We have to take those ourselves. They won't take styrofoam, no one will around here. They won't take batteries, those have to wait for periodic drop off events along with toxic household chemicals and electronics. The government (meaning that genius president of ours) is now urging us to be Green. He is joined by a number of other, more well-meaning individuals who want us to use ethanol made from corn. They neglect to point out that corn-based ethanol takes more energy to produce than it provides. Lately the big push has been compact fluorescent bulbs. Saves energy. I'm no fan. Fluorescent bulbs provide lousy light. Bad for the eyes. Distorts color. They are vile for people with migraine. As my daughter has been so fond of pointing out, these bulbs contain mercury. Still, we are admonished to save the planet by using these bulbs. If everyoe did it, the energy crisis would be over. Uhhhhh. Today I read this article http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23694819/
In brief, the mercury in 1 bulb is enough to contaminate 6000 gallons of water beyond EPA levels. Even the newer "low mercury" bulbs contain enough mercury to contaminate 1000 gallons of water. If you break one in your house, there is an 11 step process recommended by the EPA to safely clean up. It doesn't actually mention what to do if you have children crawling around on the floors. The article sounds as though the expectation is merely that people will be walking. Pets aren't mentioned either. There are very few fluorescent recycling facilities in the country, but IKEA will do it for you- save those bulbs- but for the love of God, DON'T BREAK THEM. Still don't want those things in my house. However, you can get some nifty little bags to take with you and you can use them again and again. You just have to remember to take them. The truth is, it's just not easy being Green.

Can't get no....

If 60% of the American public is overweight, why can't I find anything to wear?????? I have spent a very frustrating weekend shopping. Now I generally like to shop. But this has been very frustrating. I am looking for a power suit. Something "real nice". And I'm willing to spend money on it. I'm not trying to get it cheap. I admit I did go to 1 outlet mall, but only because there were 2 stores there that carry plus sizes. I tried on 2 suits. Both were just bad. They Jones New York Woman Outlet had 2 suits and a few things for parties and a bunch of leisure wear. Well, 3, but there seemed no point in getting another suit that was the same as the one I had. Liz Claiborne Outlet-0. So off to the real mall. Carsons- 1 suit. yech. Macy's- None. Carson's at least has the good grace to put the fat ladies department on the same floor as the other ladies clothes. Macy's has a tiny little corner with almost nothing in it. My mom went with me on the voyage of non-discovery. On day 2, when we went to Northbrook Court and tried the Macy's there, I had to explain to her that the fat ladies' clothes can't be with the other clothes, because the fattness might rub off. Or maybe the skinny ladies just don't want to look at fat people. Nothing at Macy's there either. At Lord and Taylor, the other ladies clothes are upstairs. Fat ladies are downstairs. However, they have a decent sized department with a variety of clothing that a real person might actually wear to work, as well as dress-up clothes and leisure wear. Some things were on sale. Just like with skinny ladies. The suits- again 2 of them, left me unmoved, but, some of the other things were pretty cute. The sales lady was helpful and found me a little sweater to wear under my old suit. We walked the mall. We went to Coldwater Creek just because there was a sale. The sizes there start at PS and go to 2XL and they just all go on the same rack and everything they carry comes in all the sizes. No one faints in that store. The skinny clothes don't get fatter and they don't seem to be going out of business even though skinny ladies and fat ladies shop in the same space. I bought a pretty little pink jacket, just because. We walked to Nieman Marcus. I asked a clerk, supercilious as only those Russian immigrants can be- I asked, "Plus sizes?" She looked at me as though I was INSANE, said "NO", and not another syllable. Of course not, not there. 60% of American women may not shop there. They don't want them. So then I went and bought a new pair of heels at and tiny Free Spirit shop where I met a lovely woman whose daughter is getting married and who supports Obama. So, I guess, I'm wearing the old suit. Which I suppose says a lot about buying classic clothes. It also says a lot about the fashion industry. Who is buying all those clothes? I walked through Macy's and saw a Jones New York Outfit that I tried on at the outlet, but Macy's won't carry it in my size. I just can't figure out why. Fields would have. That's not economics, that's predjudice. And that's just stupid, because my dollars have exactly the same fat content as a skinny woman's.