"add salt now!"

My mother called me urgently yesterday.

Mom: "Did you meet with your accountant yet?"

Me: "Yes, I gave him all the paperwork."

Mom: "Did you tell him that he can deduct the 27-year depreciation of your rental property against the rental income?"

Me: "I mentioned it, but I'm sure he knows about it."

Mom: "Maybe he's just a Silicon Valley accountant who knows about stock options, but not about rental properties."

Me: "He asked for my mortgage closing statement and knew he could deduct the points, and he talked about 27-year depreciation. He's been a tax accountant for over 20 years, so I think he knows what he's doing."

Mom: "But you should still go and show him the 1040 form where on line 17 --"

Me: "Okay, what you're suggesting now is equivalent to going to a 4-star restaurant and then insisting on going back to the kitchen. Then we stand behind the chef and give him orders, 'Put in a little more oil.' 'Add salt now!'"

She laughed heartily and to my pleasant astonishment, dropped the issue.