Accounts of my A to Z

Following Suzan St Maur‘s challenge ‘to write a blog post using the alphabet’ and specifically for me to write one about completing a VAT return, which I have done this weekend, here is my attempt.

Admin threatened to dominate the weekend.

Boring accounts and the VAT return are not my idea of fun.

Catching up after two months when circumstances threw life into disarray could no longer be put off.

Determined to get back on track, I sprang out of bed on Saturday morning.

Eager to squeeze every second of enjoyment out of the weekend that I could, I started with a wonderful walk up a hill with our puppy.

Four-footed friends and their owners met us at every step, lifting our spirits.

Gone was the gloom of having to work over the weekend.

Home again, and with puppy settled in his bed, I settled down with receipts and spreadsheets.

In no time, my thoughts were all figures and percentages.

Just in time for our mid-morning cup of tea, Mrs Z returned from shopping with freshly baked fruit scones from our butcher.

Knuckling down again after elevenses, I continued keying in figures to clear the backlog.

Lunchtime arrived and it was time for toasted sandwiches with ham from the butcher and unseasonal tomatoes still ripening in our makeshift greenhouse.

Making the sauce for our evening lemon sponge dessert delayed my return to the accounts, but I headed straight upstairs after I had poured it into the dish to cool.

Nothing could stop me from populating the rows and columns of my spreadsheet with figures.

Oddly enough, once I get into doing admin tasks, I experience a sense of satisfaction from getting everything in order.

Perhaps I am more organised than I think.

Quitting my desk once more for our puppy’s afternoon walk, we headed outdoors for a second time.

Refreshed by more sea air, exercise, laughter and encounters with sociable dogs and people, yet again I climbed the stairs to complete my task.

Soon the light began to fade outside and as I switched on the light inside, my eyes began to tire.

Taxes, invoices, receipts, payments and petty cash were reconciled at last.

Until then I had thought the weekend would be the dullest I had ever known.

VAT was no longer on my mind.

Winding down was now my priority.

X Factor and Stictly Come Dancing were on the telly, but we relaxed with cannelloni cooked by Mrs Z followed by my lemon sponge and custard.

Year end accounts to be completed tomorrow.

Zarywacz is back on track.

Now it’s over to you!