Chatty Cathy at the IRS

My wife and I were summoned by the IRS for an audit of our 2009 and 2010 Federal Income Tax Returns.  Second audit in 10 years.  What a pain in the @ss.  We spent days blowing dust off of our notes and receipts for those years in preparation for the interview today.  We were told to allot four hours for the meeting.  Four!  Waterboarding would have been quicker and more effective.  We trekked over to our local IRS offices, and were seated opposite a pleasant, good-natured middle-aged woman.  She went through with us a dozen or so items marked for scrutiny, checking for, and adding up, receipts.  My home office was a big red flag.  And, in a year (2009) when Sandy and I both had surgery, our medical deductions.  I made a point of turning on the charm and maintaining a jocular, but respectful, facade.  It must be that those folks - the examiners - anticipate negative attitudes and surliness on the part of summoned taxpayers - I can't imagine why - because she positively lit up in response to my pleasant demeanor, and became Chatty Cathy.  Instead of four hours we were out in two.  She did find a number of errors attributable to me and Turbo Tax, but some of them were, believe it or not, in our favor.  So, in effect, it was a wash.  A tie.  A win-win situation.  No money needed to change hands between us and Uncle Sam.  Sandy and I thanked the examiner, and walked out of there as fast as we could without running.  I was sure that, before we got to our car, she'd come running out of the building waving a form and calling us back for something issue she'd forgotten to look into.  But, no, we made a clean getaway.  Your tax dollars at work.