Patrick is a NINJA CPA Blogger.

Hi All. This will have to be a quick post. I'm still in Germany, participating in a training exercise.

Being alone for the past 12 days caused me to reflect a bit, on the advantages of being single vs. married and preparing for the exam.

I'm finding it much harder to get motivated about studying. Being married adds accountability.

I'm a better steward of my time at home, because time is scarce, and because I get daggers when the Admiral knows I'm not applying myself. If you're living alone, I hope there is someone in your life who can provide accountability. Having a real study partner is probably the next best thing.

If you work for a small company, or you live in a small town (or both) you might consider contacting some local accounting firms, or county and city governments. I did this and was linked up with an accountant in the county treasurer's office.

We prepared for FAR together, working Wiley MCQs once a week based on a schedule. He was strong in governmental, which was a big help for me.

Who knows, maybe you meet somebody?

We just got the electric bill… It doubled over last month. Twelve dollars. I think it's because we started using the heater.

This week's photo was taken from our kayak. Our boat is the one on the right.