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It is Autumn so nature is releasing all the allergens in her possession. Therefore, my nose is completely stopped up, my chest feels heavy, and it is hard to breathe. And I am tired. Physically tired from coughing all night, emotionally tired from not having an income stream, and spiritually tired from the current political environment. (Are we really going to have a public execution? I mean really?) I am doing everything I can about the allergies, but basically, I just ne

Small or large, making a mistake at work is always traumatizing. First thought: Oh no, can I fix it without anyone knowing? Second thought: Who does this affect and have they noticed? Third thought: Oh, this is not good. So, what do you do. Do you send a chat message or email to your boss and 'fess up right away or do you try to fix it. It really depends on hard it is going to be to fix the mistake and who or what systems it affects. Wrong account number on a journal entry

When I worked for a manufacturing company, I would create an entry but someone else would input it. One time I got a call from the inputter and she said "Linda, your entry has a negative debit on it, fix it." I pretty much always link a journal entry sheet to the back up on a different tab. However, I didn't notice that this particular line item had gone from a debit to a credit and the spreadsheet did as it was told and put the negative number under the debit column. It is v

A friend and I went to a Mosaic Art Class to make mosaic lamps. This is what it was supposed to look like (different design): Professionally done This is what mine looked like (it does look better with the light on): mine with light on mine with light off It was so hard to get the little pieces of glass to go where I wanted them. They wouldn't line up correctly and occasionally fell off because I didn't use enough glue or bumped it. Then once it had dried overnight, I had

There is a challenge on Facebook where you call your dog's name while they are sitting right next to you. The dogs are generally confused (with the head tilt) and jump on their owner to let them know they are there. I have been doing this to Boomer since we rescued him. He completely ignores me. Eventually, he will give me a side eye that says, "leave me alone". Also, If I can't find him in the house and call out to him, he does not answer nor does he come to me. I keep looki

Starting a new business can be emotionally overwhelming. I was restructured out of my job of 20 years in April 2025. I had a year's worth of severance, so I wasn't too worried about the future. A year to find a job should have been easy. It was not. I can come up with several excuses of why nobody will hire me: my age (60), my weight (a lot), slow job market, and not having interviewed for 20 years (being out of touch with the younger hiring manager). There is also som

Just a reminder that my current full-time job is as a bookkeeper at Codex Bookkeeping Services. If you need a bookkeeper or know someone who needs a bookkeeper (anywhere in the US), please visit my website at www.codexbookkeepingservices.com or email me at linda.cavanaugh@codexbookkeepingservices.com. Last week I discussed net settlement by means of contractual net settlement and by a market mechanism. Today I will talk about the characteristic called readily convertible to

Boomer went out to Wagoner, Oklahoma to visit his friend Sooner. They were chatting in the diner about their companies and Sooner mentioned he was having a hard time keeping up with inputting his expenses into QuickBooks. He was also having trouble getting his employees' hours inputted into his payroll system and he had just gotten a notice that he was behind on filing his Form 941. He told Boomer, he didn't even know what a Form 941 was, let alone how to fill it out. Boo

Just a reminder, that my current full time job is as a bookkeeper at Codex Bookkeeping Services. If you need a bookkeeper or know someone who needs a bookkeeper (anywhere in the US), please visit my website at www.codexbookkeepingservices.com or email me at linda.cavanaugh@codexbookkeepingservices.com. Please share or react to this blog post to help get my name out there. Thanks! Let's get into net settlement. Last week I laid out the three forms of net settlement: contrac

Boomer decided to start a security business protecting homes from the squirrel army. He created an LLC and named it Boomer Squirrel Security LLC. He then created a website and advertised on Yelp and LinkedIn and was able to get ten clients in his neighbor to sign up. He charged twenty scooby snacks per customer (He can guard several houses at one time from his perch atop the table on his deck.). He got so busy that he hired two other dogs in the neighbor so they could wa

Just a reminder, that my current full time job is a bookkeeper at Codex Bookkeeping Services. If you need a bookkeeper or know someone who needs a bookkeeper (anywhere in the US), please visit my website at www.codexbookkeepingservices.com or email me at linda.cavanaugh@codexbookkeepingservices.com. In Parts 1 and 2, we discussed the underlying (price), the notional (quantity), and the initial net investment. These three characteristics of a contract being a derivative are

When I decided on the topic of today's blog post, I started to think how I could analogize that to Boomer the Boxer. The only thing I could think of was security. Boomer likes to monitor what is happening outside the house and he warns me of anything moving within a 10-mile area around the house. (I little literary exaggeration there.) This not only alerts me to any possible danger, but it also lets people walking by know that a large-ish dog resides in the house and th

I left off last week with notionals and requirement contracts. Most of what I wrote about last week and again this week (and probably the next week) is more applicable to commodity derivatives rather than financial derivatives like interest rate hedges and foreign exchange hedges. This is due to the fact that the financial derivatives are very easily identified as derivatives. There isn't any controversary around them because they contractually net settle (This will be disc

My dog Boomer does not like to travel. He is excited to get in the car but then whines and cries the whole drive. He doesn't like staying in strange places and wants his own safe place at our house. He does like exploring new places and smelling new scents, he just wants them close to home. I don't want to go into the water. Unlike Boomer, I enjoy traveling and seeing new people and places. I get so excited when I go to the airport or we jump in the car to start a road t

Even though I am a bookkeeper (www.codexbookkeepingservices.com), In my prior life I worked with derivatives in the energy sector. A lot of derivatives. Derivatives are a rather confusing topic for people who don't work with them on a regular basis. I'm going to make several posts to help dissipate the confusion. I was at a conference and the session was on new FASB guidance. We got to the topic of derivatives, and one of the participants asked, "What is a derivative?". Th

When you have a 70 lb boxer living in your house, you have to constantly be aware of his location and the location of all his toys to prevent trips and falls. Boomer does not recognize that the other people living in the house might not notice a small ball in the middle of the walkway. He also purposely lays down in my way and then moves just as I am trying to step over him. I need to be aware of when he is in my way, because he isn't going to tell me. Boomer strongly beli

Accounting and Bookkeeping can seem daunting to a non-financial person, but once you learn the rules it gets a lot easier. I will be sharing accounting and bookkeeping information along with some personal stories from my 20 years working as an accountant and stories of my dog who teaches me how to live authentically and joyfully. (It doesn't matter how much I find his journey irritating.) Boomer This is Boomer. He is named after the mascot for the Oklahoma Sooners football

Managing financial records can often feel overwhelming, especially for small business owners and freelancers. The complexity of tracking expenses, invoices, and tax obligations can lead to confusion and stress. Fortunately, Codex Bookkeeping Solutions offers a way to simplify this process, allowing you to focus on what truly matters: growing your business. In this blog post, we will explore how Codex Bookkeeping Solutions can help streamline your financial records, making you

Managing finances can be one of the most daunting tasks for small business owners. With so many responsibilities on your plate, keeping your books in order can often take a backseat. However, effective bookkeeping is crucial for the success of your business. Not only does it help you track your income and expenses, but it also provides valuable insights into your financial health. In this post, we will explore essential bookkeeping tips that can help streamline your financial

In today's competitive landscape, businesses face numerous challenges that can hinder their growth and efficiency. One of the most critical aspects of running a successful business is maintaining accurate financial records. This is where bookkeeping services come into play. By outsourcing your bookkeeping needs, you can focus on what you do best—growing your business. In this post, we will explore how bookkeeping services can maximize your business efficiency, the benefits th