The darker side of EPL's CPA of the Month competition is not something we often address, but for every Crown of Roses, there is a Halo of Flies. And this June, it was the raunchy malodour of one Phil Tarold that attracted those flies.Every four weeks, Bodacio and I pour over resumes and corporate portraits, each hoping to best the other with our picks at the end of another (AGONIZING) round of deliberation at the judges' table.
I'm going to be honest, from the second B. held up Steve's 8x10 and silently mouthed the word "mine," I knew I was licked. How do you cope with passing on a pony like Steve Grissom? One of two ways. You go mad, or you go maverick.
I grabbed the nearest glossy and in that first rush of desperation that heralds the coming of inevitable defeat, I saw potential. I saw my clay. Some Loreal Strawberry-blonde here, bump up the cyan on the irises. Unisex lavender silk blouse... Maybe. Maybe there's something there...
...but it was a Fool's Paradise.
And while I certainly congratulate Steve on his much deserved victory, I find I can't be that magnanimous with Phil. I questioned, "Did I see something that wasn't there? Did I push too hard? Expect miracles?"
And the answer is "no," Phil. It was you who let me down in failing to make flesh my vision of The New Accounting. I hope you can live with that.
You make a great argument...and so did the representatives from Phil's own Pelton Shinobi Tax Services. In the end, I chose meat and potatoes over champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, whipped cream, and Worther's Originals. Dirt under the nails, not pomade. Phil's a great story. He jumped into the game, turned heads, obliterated stereotypes. However...if I may borrow an extremely famous line from Griss: "To the IRS, all taxes are handsome."
ReplyDeleteAlways next month and/or EPL CPA of the year, Phil. Until then, let's focus a little more on crunching those numbers and not so much crunching those bangs.