Which activity would you choose to do on a bright, sunny, 95 degree (with 90% humidity) Saturday in Southern Louisiana?
A. Drive two hours north to Alexandria and take a 4-hour IRS exam.
B. Drive two hours north to Alexandria and visit one of my favorite zoos.
Reluctantly, I chose option A while Trevor, Aisling, and Alex (we have my nephew for the summer!) happily selected option B.
***NEWS FLASH*** I CAN NOW RECLAIM MY LIFE! I passed all three tax exams (May 7th, May 30th, and June 13th) and I'm mailing my Enrolled Agent application today. Oh, happy day! My part is done, and now I'm just waiting on the IRS (and we all know how efficient and quickly they handle things, right?...uh...right.) They'll do a background check, check all of my personal tax returns and payments, past tax work, etc. and get back to me within 60-300 days(?!?!?!) The speed of the government always amazes me.
But, back to my happy place...my part is done! Yippee!!!!! Thank you, and good night!***
In addition to all of the regular animals you see at the zoo, the Alexandria Zoo has a great Louisiana exhibit. Plenty of Alligators, crocodiles, alligator gars, humongous turtles (their exact names and species elude me), as well as pelicans, egrets, and other indigenous birds flying in and out as they please. The neat part? You can get really close to them, and most are not behind glass. For example, my family arrived right at midday feeding time. Did you know big alligators prefer steak to fish?
(See how close you can get? Telling your kids to keep their hands to themselves takes on new meaning, eh?)
With the smaller gators, the zoo keeper just goes into the enclosure. I mean, who's afraid of 10+ smallish (2-3 feet) feeding-frenzied killers, right?
YIKES!
Aisling and Alex decided to follow this gator's lead, and rest for a bit. It's hot out here!
Quiz: What do you do during the excessive heat of Louisiana midday?
Bengal Tiger: Sit in the pool and try not to move too much.
4-legged deer-like animal: Sit in the pool and try not to move too much.
Black Bear: Avoid the sun, spread-eagle to catch any breeze that might miraculously go by (maximum surface area is the key!) and try not to move too much.
Giant alligator turtle: Submerge into a shady corner and try not to move too much.
Hmm...there seems to be a common theme to all of their heat survival tactics.
What kid doesn't like to feed the koi while waiting for their train ride? Wow!
Come for a visit, and I'll definitely take you to the Alexandria Zoo, and you can experience all of the up-close encounters for yourself!
A. Drive two hours north to Alexandria and take a 4-hour IRS exam.
B. Drive two hours north to Alexandria and visit one of my favorite zoos.
Reluctantly, I chose option A while Trevor, Aisling, and Alex (we have my nephew for the summer!) happily selected option B.
***NEWS FLASH*** I CAN NOW RECLAIM MY LIFE! I passed all three tax exams (May 7th, May 30th, and June 13th) and I'm mailing my Enrolled Agent application today. Oh, happy day! My part is done, and now I'm just waiting on the IRS (and we all know how efficient and quickly they handle things, right?...uh...right.) They'll do a background check, check all of my personal tax returns and payments, past tax work, etc. and get back to me within 60-300 days(?!?!?!) The speed of the government always amazes me.
But, back to my happy place...my part is done! Yippee!!!!! Thank you, and good night!***
In addition to all of the regular animals you see at the zoo, the Alexandria Zoo has a great Louisiana exhibit. Plenty of Alligators, crocodiles, alligator gars, humongous turtles (their exact names and species elude me), as well as pelicans, egrets, and other indigenous birds flying in and out as they please. The neat part? You can get really close to them, and most are not behind glass. For example, my family arrived right at midday feeding time. Did you know big alligators prefer steak to fish?
(See how close you can get? Telling your kids to keep their hands to themselves takes on new meaning, eh?)With the smaller gators, the zoo keeper just goes into the enclosure. I mean, who's afraid of 10+ smallish (2-3 feet) feeding-frenzied killers, right?
YIKES!
Aisling and Alex decided to follow this gator's lead, and rest for a bit. It's hot out here!
Quiz: What do you do during the excessive heat of Louisiana midday?
Bengal Tiger: Sit in the pool and try not to move too much.
4-legged deer-like animal: Sit in the pool and try not to move too much.
Black Bear: Avoid the sun, spread-eagle to catch any breeze that might miraculously go by (maximum surface area is the key!) and try not to move too much.
Giant alligator turtle: Submerge into a shady corner and try not to move too much.Hmm...there seems to be a common theme to all of their heat survival tactics.
What kid doesn't like to feed the koi while waiting for their train ride? Wow!Come for a visit, and I'll definitely take you to the Alexandria Zoo, and you can experience all of the up-close encounters for yourself!
Comments
By the way, did you get my message on facebook? I'm putting something together for Darren for Fathers Day, and I need your help! :)
You are so awesome. I keep talking to people complaining about their taxes and I get all smug knowing you are all over it! You are the bomb!!:D
Sarah, I plan on returning to school to get my MBA when Trevor finally finds a good job. It might take a while, but I'm really determined to do it.
Heidi, I'll now have an "E.A." after my name (for Enrolled Agent) which means I'm a tax expert ;) If I would have stayed with Block, they would have my business cards printed as "E.A., Tax Master" LOL...sounds kind of presumptuous and pretentious to me, though.
Trev and the kids said the black bear was the best...he was so excited when they were feeding the alligators next door, that he was swaying and dancing. Apparently, the giant gator next door only likes the steak and not the fish, so the zoo keeper throws the unwanted fish to the bear. Yummy for him!