Oopsie

I am working this audit with an auditor from another branch. When traveling together, we do our best to split all of the expenses. We buy our own airline tickets, hotel bills and meals. Some shared expenses, like our rental car, we take turns paying the bill so both branches absorb about the same in expenses.

This week, my partner rented the car. By the way, regardless of who rents the car, I seem to be the one driving! ME! The one who gets lost often! But, since I'm the one that's been here before, she thought I would know my way around at least a little bit.

Anyway, whoever rents the car also assumes the rest of the expenses that go along with the car like the parking at the hotel, the parking meters and the gas for the car. I know we're only a week and a half into the audit but so far, we were doing well.

Tonight, we worked late, then headed straight to dinner. Parking is really at a premium here, and I never seem to be able to park any closer than a block away from where ever I want to be. If you read yesterday's post, it's beyond cold over here, so even a block walk can hurt. We had a great Italian dinner - my veal marsala was the BOMB - and when walking back to the car, my partner suddenly said "do you remember me putting money into the parking meter?" You know words like that can't end well.

We rushed over to the car like that was going to help our cause. She was trying to see what the meter said in the dark. Having been here before, I happen to know that when there is time on the parking meter, there is a red light that flashes. No flashing, no time on the meter. That helps the parking nazis know who they can give a ticket before they even waste time getting out of their cars.

I had the answer before she did - I pulled the ticket off of the windshield. $10.00 extra for that veal marsala!

My only question now is . . . if I add a column to my expense account titled "brain fart", can I expense that parking ticket?