Every fall, I bring my patio furniture and a few other things inside for the winter. This year, I brought in two ornate birdhouses — and surprise, surprise — two squirrels popped out of one as I was heading to the basement. I’m embarrassed to admit that once I saw the fur flying, I let out a scream worthy of a horror movie. First time this has ever happened to me. I like order and prefer wildlife to stay outside. It took a little time, but with some help, we got them both out. They turned out to be flying squirrels! We have plenty of gray squirrels in the neighborhood, but I’d never seen a flying squirrel here. Another surprise was finding someone who could trap and release them safely. Mark handled the whole process with such a gentle manner that it ended up being simple and far less stressful than expected. What a relief.
During our move, I encountered plenty of other unexpected surprises. We had wonderful help getting everything moved in and ready for our open house. I prefer doing things myself, but I’m learning to let the team run with things — and they did a fantastic job. We also have a great landlord and property manager, which makes everything easier.
The moving company got us across the street. My brother and Jodi pulled together the furniture, walls, and office organization. They helped bring my vision to life. We also worked with some terrific local businesses: A&R Janitorial squeezed us in and made our office sparkle; Sir Speedy mailed postcards and got our outdoor sign installed; Signarama understood my vision and created our values wall. Jennifer coordinated our open house, and we had a wonderful time.
I’m truly grateful for the unexpected surprises these past few months. But now I’m ready to buckle down and help our clients. Tax season is right around the corner, and we’re focused on delivering great results — and eliminating tax surprises wherever we can.
Mary Guldan-Lindstrom, CPA