| Today, was a funny day. The boss came into | | | | get you that balance, but I'm in so much pain." |
| my office, and he had this look on his face. It | | | | He stiffened, as if I'd slapped him, and quickly |
| was a look like, I'm gonna get answers - no | | | | came to his feet. Then, his face turned red so |
| matter what. | | | | fast, I thought steam would shoot out of his ears. |
| Pasting an innocent expression on my face, I | | | | "You're hurting that much?" he asked, inching |
| quickly hid the Mafia Wars game on my computer | | | | toward the door. |
| screen and turned my full attention to him. | | | | I whimpered and nodded. I wanted to drive it |
| "What's up, Boss?" I asked. | | | | home with a few tears - just to see if I could |
| "Hey, Betty. I was just wondering - how much | | | | get sweat to break out on his balding forehead - |
| money do we have in the checking account right | | | | but I've never been good at making myself cry. |
| now?" | | | | So instead, I did the whole wobbly chin thing. |
| Oh Crap, I thought. He's not catching on to me, | | | | "You know what - you're busy," he told me, from |
| is he? "Why do you ask?" | | | | the hallway now. "I can get it another time. |
| "Well, I was checking out the iPads online, and I | | | | Just let me know the balance when you can." |
| was thinking I wanted to get one of the ones | | | | And with that, he turned on one heel and |
| with 3G--" | | | | practically sprinted away. |
| You and Me both! | | | | I was hard-pressed not to start laughing out |
| "--But I don't want to have to finance it. I | | | | loud. But I realized a hard truth. Men will always |
| figured maybe we could pay cash for it. So, I | | | | run when it comes to PMS and tears. |
| was just wondering what our bank balance was." | | | | I will definitely remember that next time. |
| Heck if I know. | | | | What Any Business Owner Has the Right to |
| Okay, maybe I do know, but I can't tell him the | | | | Expect From Their Bookkeeper: |
| real balance. "I'll have to get back to you on that | | | | I know a lot of bookkeepers may get mad at me |
| one," I told him. | | | | for saying this, but in my opinion, when a business |
| He looked around at the large piles of paperwork | | | | owner asks "What is my bank balance?" the |
| on my desk, his face twisting with irritation. "You | | | | bookkeeper should be able to answer fairly |
| can't just pull up some report and tell me?" It | | | | quickly. A good bookkeeper will be doing the |
| was obvious he didn't like my carefully gathered | | | | bank reconciliations regularly - as in, within a week |
| piles of paperwork, but I had to look busy. | | | | of receiving the bank statements. And even if |
| "It's not that easy," I lied. "I have so much | | | | they don't have an exact balance because there |
| work, it's going to take me a while to get you an | | | | are checks and debits outstanding, they should still |
| accurate balance." | | | | be able to estimate fairly accurately what the |
| "I can wait," he said, leaning against the table in | | | | current balance is. If they can't tell you the |
| my office. | | | | balance - or estimate it - or if they say it will take |
| It was then, I knew... I would have to pull out the | | | | a couple days to do the bank reconciliation, take |
| big guns to get him to drop the subject. | | | | this as a warning sign. The Bank Register is one |
| Grabbing my stomach, I grunted and shifted in | | | | of the most important things a bookkeeper |
| my seat. | | | | manages, and they should be on top of it. |
| "You okay?" he asked. | | | | Personally, it has never taken me longer than an |
| I waved a hand nonchalantly. "Oh, sure. I'm | | | | hour to do a bank reconciliation, and that's with |
| fine. It's just... I'm cramping. I'm PMS'ing right | | | | entering checks. |
| now, and my stomach is really hurting. I want to | | | | |