I'm glad you reminded me of Proactive. I'll never buy that again, either.

Thanks - i'll try that [2008-06-18]
Will let you know how it works.

Thanks I'll try anything to keep the peace - NM [2008-05-28]
NM

Glad Ryan didn't bust his bootie on that remote control (nm) [2008-05-22]
x

My 'stimulus' check (which I'll believe I'm [2008-05-11]
is going not to buy gas or anything else, but to pay down credit-card debt. I'm glad I work at home because I don't need new clothes (haha... or ANY clothes, for that matter!), and only use the car for a once-a-week trip to the market. I don't use the heat except on the coldest of winter days, and forego air-conditioning in summer. I use only one lamp at a time, and don't turn on the porch or sidewalk light at night. I wonder how 'Dubya' thinks a one-time payment is by any stretch of the imagination a 'stimulus'. That would only be true if we got one every month - for life.

glad you got yours on time but [2008-05-08]
that has not been the case for everyone. Friends with last digits of 10 that used direct deposit have not recieved theirs and another only got 600 and not the 300 for her child. It can be very frustrating for those who are not getting the stimulus according to the information posted on their website.

Oh, I really like Proactive. nm [2008-05-07]
x

I'm glad you reminded me of Proactive. I'll never buy that again, either. [2008-05-07]
It did absolutely nothing for my son's acne. The only thing that actually did help was a very good dermatologist, and she had nothing nice to say about Proactiv. It's overpriced and just doesn't work for most people who use it.

i'm glad things worked out well. [2008-05-07]
kids do a lot of growing and changing in elementary school years so who knows, this bully could turn out to be your daughter's bff after a break from each other. my son struggled with a bully in daycare before kindergarten. now they are in the same class and get along great. granted neither remember the problems of 5 years ago but at any rate, the other child grew out of it and they have become good friends. best of luck to your daughter! it sounds like she has a great role model. :)

I was so glad to read your post [2008-05-06]
You stated in the beginnig that you didnyour gonna miss this he is so right. Our oldest will be leaving for college in a little over a year and I am already having issues. Just have fun and enjoy. I remember one year my DS played basketball on a team that only won 1 game. We took them out for ice cream after every game and celebrated like we had won. I understand what really irks you, but just think about the kids.

Proactive [2008-05-06]
Doesn't work like they said on TV, not by a long shot. Not to mention I was dumb enough to buy it while out of town at a mall kiosk who SAID i could return after 30 days no questions asked even in my out of state residence...well when 30 days was up I found out you have to return it at the place you purchased it so $80 down the tubes. I bet I could have received a very nice facial/spa day for that price!

glad to see you look at it this way! Really good idea! Have a good season! nm [2008-05-06]
nm

What was one of the most embarrassing moments for you? I'll go first SM [2008-05-05]
Picture it. . . . First date. Distinguished man, very refined. He took me to an indoor soccer game and when we were walking up all the levels of stairs to get to our seats I tripped, big time and went straight for a guy sitting in an aisle seat. It was likethe poor spectator had the red cape and I was the bull. Just to show you how neat the date was. . He went at intermission to get us a drink. When he was coming up the stairs I saw him grin. The next thing I knew he purposely tripped and everyone clapped andHOWLED! YOUR TURN!

Wow am I glad my MIL is not like that. [2008-05-05]
She is awesome. I can't imagine having to deal with stuff like that, and I certainly can't imagine having a husband that lets his mother treat his wife like that. Sounds like some of youneed a new husband with a backbone.

IRS stimulus - find out when you'll [2008-05-02]
Go to http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=177937,00.html and click on where They just added this yesterday. It will tell you exactly when you are getting yours and how much.

you'll get a paper check [2008-05-02]
if you didn

you reserved it, you reminded them, [2008-04-24]
the ball is in their court. They run a business. They should tend to their business. At this point, IMO, you might just consider it a gift. but if it violates your conscience, then don't do it, which i suspect is why you are asking.

I believe I'll try that. [2008-04-20]

Aww, poor thing. Glad you found it in time...sm [2008-04-19]
If it is still out there in the morning and you are not sure what to do, try giving a veterinarian a call and see if they have a wildlife rescue place you could call. The vet I worked for years ago had a list of places to refer caringpeople like you. Good luck.

Glad your day turned out well...and that was [2008-04-19]
great you huddled. After dad talked to them on the phone, and they came back inside they did their chores, made their own lunches, while I tried to get that headache to go away. DH just took them with their allowances from last week to Walmart probably to remind them the positive points of being cooperative. Yep, I love them too and don't want to think about the next 15 years when they leave. I just think for me and maybe some of us it is difficult working at home all day and doing double, triple duty. I have been worried about my MT pay and wrote my DH a note today I am indeed going to take some time off from MTing because I feel burnt to a crisp. He said something about a month in a house at the beach (with kids, and with him just popping in), but I know I won't be able to take much time at all off from work. Our production job is so tough, man, some days are difficult for mom, dad and kids. But it cheers me to hear your day got better. Mine is too because I rested and the kids are out at Walmart which they love. About my taking time off from MTing, we'll see how long that lasts LOL. Dream, dream, dream.

you might be interested in this. I have a feeling we'll all be needing it. [2008-04-19]
99 Cent Store Cookbook http://www.amazon.com/99-Cent-Only-Stores-Cookbook/dp/1598694693/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208650285&sr=8-1 Description: Tired of forking over hundreds of dollars for entertaining her friends and family, Christiane Jory made a decision. She challenged herself to create more than 100 gourmet recipes for appetizers, side dishes, main courses, and desserts-solely with items she found at 99¢ Only Stores! In this delightful, practical cookbook, Jory serves up delectable dishes, including: Artichoke Spinach Bake on Homemade Pizza Bread Green Beans Au Gratin Chicken Tetrazinni Pinot Noir Poached Pear Tart This handy guide is filled with sample menus, a glossary of cooking terms, and space for creating recipes of your very own. Each recipe includes an estimated cost and helpful kitchen hints, such as uses for recycled milk cartons and how to freeze egg whites. Never again will finances be an excuse for not entertaining with pizzazz. With The 99¢ Only Stores Cookbook, feeding a family, playing host to five or six, or even simply cooking for one at home needn't cost a small fortune ever again!

dang! am I glad I'm single! [2008-04-17]
What are you doing putting up with this!?! WOW!!! Are you kidding?!?! Abusers isolate their victims, cut them off from their family and friends. Climb a giant ladder and STAND UP FOR YOURSELF!!! You and your sister are free to do as you please. This piece of work you are married to (and whose emotions you have obviously tip-toed around for ages) is going to have to get over it. He I cannot believe you have put up with this for ages --- grow a set and use 'em!

Obama should too, then he'll look a little [2008-04-16]
like AL Sharpton .

LOL--that'll never do...there are RULES to that too!:-) [2008-04-12]

I'll be thinking of you [2008-04-10]
I hope you start to feel better soon and that the CT scan will be able to figure out what's wrong so you can get treatment. What is wrong with men! Is he one of the men that when their sick life has to stop so you can take care of him and every little ache and pain means death?

me either. I'll stay right where i am! [2008-04-08]
xx

This one has struck a chord with me. [2008-07-03]
I have been an assistant scoutmaster for 8 years now. Yes, I am a mom, and there are women scout leaders out there! My job with our troop was Webelos-to-Scout Transition Coordinator. My job was to help our youngest boys and their families become part of our troop and to make sure that the boys have fun and get all that they can from the scout experience. Summer camp was always the make or break time for the youngest boys. You didn't say if your son is a new scout, but I assume this is his first time at summer camp. Homesickness and living in the outdoors are always the biggest hurdles during the first summer camp. You are not over-reacting because your son is having a bad time. That's a simple fact, and he deserves to have those feelings validated and addressed. Since I'm female, I tend to approach the first-time scout's misery in a different way, and over the years, a lot of men have disagreed with my methods. But, they work. Men seem to like the stick-it-out approach, and I've seen some of the worst leaders actually tease and belittle homesick boys or boys who don't take easily to the outdoor experience. That really finishes off the boy for scouting. He quits. Do you think that is what is happening with your son? At summer camp with our first year scouts, I always listen to them, validate their fears, and then try to help them overcome their fears with knowledge. If spiders or animals scare them, we go to the nature lodge and find out all about them. We do a good cleaning of their tents or lean-toWell, it I and my fellow adult leaders have spent a lot of nights sitting around picnic tables talking to scouts, sometimes making a game of listening for owls or watching spiders crawl across the table in the lantern light. And if boys do call home, I would run like crazy to the camp phone to call the parents first to let them know what was going on and to tell them to expect a call from their son. In that way, parents were prepared, and we could coordinate our efforts to help their son. Basically, it just takes some compassion. The hard core approach doesn't work. Why do I go through all the trouble? Because I know the value of the scouting program. When it's done well, it goes a long way to help parents raise up honorable men. In our troop, our scouts learn to be compassionate, because we've modeled that sort of behavior for them. They learn about living in the outdoors, and learn to take care of themselves and others. That gives them a sense of accomplishment and makes them feel capable. They learn problem-solving skills and teamwork. These are all important life skills, and when scouting is done well, boys who come through are lightyears ahead of most of their non-scout peers by the time they are 18. But that only happens when it's done right. There are great troops and adult volunteers in the BSA, but there are unfortunately some real losers, as well. It's true that scouting is not for everyone, but there is no reason for so many boys to be pushed away because of issues that just need a little careful thought and attention. This is one of my most passionate issues with scouting. Even the BSA knows that the first year scout is the most likely to quit, and they spend a lot of money and time training volunteers on this subject. It seems that some adults don't learn as quickly as others, though. And there is a core of leaders who like to remember what it was like when they were boy scouts, and won't move ahead or adapt their techniques for the boy of today's times. A new 11-year-old scout should not be expected to act like a man and tough it out. He's still a boy, and living in the woods is usually a totally new experience for him. MOST boys are scared at first, but the men and other boys hate to admit it. A new scout just needs some patience, understanding and time to mature. He needs to feel safe even when he's struggling, and he needs to know that he is supported. I don't know all the details of your son's experience, but if you think that what I've said might apply to him, you might consider looking for another troop, one that will provide him with a good, supportive program. Not all scout troops are the same. Each has a different personality, so perhaps another troop would suit your son better. If that's not possible, or if at this point he is completely turned off by scouting, there are certainly other activities out there that can teach him the things that are learned through scouting. Encourage him to find out what his talents are and help him to explore all of the possibilities that life has to offer. I'm so sorry to hear that your son is not enjoying scouts. It really breaks my heart when I hear such stories, because I know that the adult volunteers could handle the situation better. My own sons had a hard time the first time they went to camp, which is why I got involved. I knew there was a better way to deal with such a common problem. My oldest, who is now 20, still works with scouts, and my youngest will receive his Eagle Scout rank in just a couple of weeks. I have seen many, many boys' lives changed for the better by the scouting program, including my own sons. I hope that your son can also have a great experience in scouting. I'm always happy to talk about scouting, and if you'd like to send me a private message, I'd be glad to share more of my thoughts on the subject.

See message..... [2008-07-03]
Well, I have to say he definitely isn't thoughtless. Matter of fact, it seems he over analysis and thinks things out waaay too much. My daughter just rolls her eyes at it. What we felt for our SIL was not aminosity. We thought a lot of him at first, and felt he always had our daughter's best interest at heart. What we do know to be true, however, is that after the engagement the person we saw changed into someone who became manipulative, overbearing, and controlling. He just manages to do it in a way that seems harmless enough, but there's just something about it that doesn't feel right. Our son saw the same thing and he spent way more time around them than we have. He does come from a family in our community where some believe they are right up there with God, but unfortunately never have had to deal with them one on one. We have asked ourselves the same thing....why has our daughter not seen this. Our son tells us he has seen her chew him out before but never where she thinks anyone can hear. He's waaaay to interested in her girlfriends, as we have come to know, since they have been married. He thinks her girlfriend's problems/situations are his as well,as if he should be involved. We have just overlooked many many things but I have to say, we have done it for our daughter. We have been nothing but pleasant around him but he can be very rude and pompous acting. So if that sounds like we wish we had a different SIL, we just wish we had the one we saw before the marriage. His dad said he can be a little too over zealous about things, which may be the case here, but this just isn't thoughtful at all. Oh well, I guess we'll see tonight.

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved pet [2008-07-02]
That was so sad to hear your story. The worse part of it was that your beloved pet died and I feel such sympathy for you and what you must be going through. What has this country become when so many people are sue happy. DH and I have talked about wanting to start a business growing veggies and raising talapia fish to sell but I said in today's day and age there is no way I will sell anything anyone eats as there are too many people out there waiting to creat a law suit. Makes me ashamed to live in a country with so many scam artists out there trying to make a quick buck. You know what, whether your dog bit her or a bone scratched her, there were no marks or anything. If her foot was mangled or something I could understand but please - give me a break. I'm glad for you it wasn't any worse (money wise), but am deeply saddened you lost such a wonderful pet. I still grieve for my cats (and they died 8 years ago). I hope things get better for you and hope that person will get her comeuppance.

Unbelievable sm [2008-07-02]
$87 was all they planned to give us. Her medical bills totalled $800, $87 was our portion. The other portion we figured for pain and suffering. We always wanted to getpain and suffering for our daughter. This was no surprise to the owner. Read the thread. I don My daughter was standing on the sidewalk in front ofthe ownerhouse when the dog attacked her. Again, if you will read the thread you Her dog has been loose on more than one occasion since the attack without a leash. The police were called, and there is a police report, along with ER and doctor notes. It is unbelievable how uncaring people are here on this board. Even though my daughter didn This is an 8-year-old child. The owners should be penalized because they are allowing their dog to be loose without a leash on a street filled with young children. I don't have any sympathy for them. It amazes me how people on this board show much more compassion for the dog that attacked my daughter than for my daughter. No one seems to care that this dog has been loose since the attack or that there were no penalties for this owner. The dog has never been impounded. A friend of mine lives next door to a dog that bit someone, and that dog was never impounded either. I think I I have been coming here for years, but for people to be so cruel here to my daughter especially is just unimaginable to me. I will do whatever I have to do to make my daughter feel safe in her own neighborhood. I have consulted with an attorney and will probably proceed in small claims court unless this owner wants to try to settle this with us. I pray that nothing like this ever happens to any of your children or family members. It It I'm done here.

for what it is worth [2008-07-02]
I understand where you are coming from. Your child was hurt through (probably) no fault of her own. . Their dog was loose and injured your child... The authorities in your town should have made them keep the dog up for a period of time and fined them for having a dog on the loose - most areas have leash laws. . They should have paid the medical bills. . If my dog bites someone (we live in the country and he runs loose some) I will be glad to pay the medical bills. . I'm sorry you were bashed on this board. . If you had rushed to sue when it first happened, it would be different - you gave them ample time and what you were asking was reasonable...

I agree with you OP... [2008-07-02]
So many, many times we see and hear about animal versus human incidences and so many times it I agree with you 100%. You and your daughter deserve to feel safe and for her to be so afraid to go out and ride her bike is terrible. The money (which I hope you do get) will not help your daughter to overcome her fear, but hopefully it will make the neighbor take responsibility for their pet All my best to you and your daughter. She'll get through this, kids are very strong!

We're off to the beach and need some ideas! [2008-07-02]
I think I have most of my bases covered, but just wanted to see if anyone had any other ideas for the trip. We're off to Ocean City MD for the fireworks - woohoo! I have 3 boys, ages 10, 7 and 5. We figure it We have a DVD player for the kids and they each have a portable video game to take. I think I have the drive down pretty well covered, but if you have anything to add, feel free. At the beach -- we borrowed boogie boards from a friend for each of them to try. I We also got some sand toys for building castles. Any other suggestions here? I'm afraid 1 or 2 won't like the boogie board thing and get bored very easily with the sand toys. We Anyone else know of anything at OC, MD that was really great for kids? Hubs and I have been there without the kids last summer, but really just enjoyed eating out and walking the boardwalk. I don We usually vacation at resort towns - like Disney and Dollywood - where there Just looking for suggestions!

Thanks -- sm [2008-07-02]
My kids love our local water slides, so I We It Thanks!

Thanks, but I planning on being [2008-07-02]
right in the ocean with them or my husband will be. We But thanks for the reminder. Glad to hear your situation turned out okay.

Some advice -- been there myself, [2008-07-02]
First of all, congrats on almost paying off that mortgage! I would love to have a $350/month mortgage payment. I watch a lot of financial shows on TV, so I hope some of the stuff I learned can help you. 1. Pay yourself first. I know this sounds hard to do, but if you put a little back each paycheck to a savings account, you can avoid getting caught in the credit card circle again. It doesn We do $40 a paycheckinto2 club accounts, $20 into a Christmas Club and $20 into a vacation club. This really helps out when those times of year come around. 2. Pay your highest interest rate credit cards first and/or lowest balance first. You say you have a credit card in the 20% range for interest with a balance of $200. Try to pay that one off ASAP, while still maintaining minimum payments on the others. Once that one is paid down, I would start on the next lowest balance (since 3 of your credit card interest rates are in the similar 20% range). You should put the money you were paying on the $200 card (after it 3. Try to make your payments as soon as you get your bill for that statement; don Interest is figured on a daily basis, so the sooner you pay it for that month, the less interest you'll end up paying. 4. The $5000 that you are planning on getting would probably be best used by paying off the credit cards for 2 reasons: 1) The interest on your house is probably a lot better rate than those on the credit cards. 2) The interest you are paying on your house can be tax deductible. If I were in your situation, I would start out with the first 3 suggestions. After you get the $5000, I would follow through with number 4. Finally, any remaining balances left, I would try to obtain a home equity loan. Home equity loans are not second mortgages. The closing costs are much less, usually not more than $100, if any. The interest on a home equity loan would be better than any of your credit card interest rates, and again, the interest paid on a home equity loan can be tax deductible. When shopping for a home equity loan, try to find one with a fixed interest rate rather than adjustable (the market You should be able to find one with a rate somewhere around 7%. Good luck to you!

Need to vent sm [2008-07-01]
My 8-year-old daughter was bit by a dog a few months ago by a neighbor The bite has healed, but the emotional scars haven My daughter is now absolutely terrified of dogs, and cats now, too. She won This is obviously out of the picture now. Our medical bills totaled over $800 before insurance. We gave them the bill, wanting $800 because we pay for our insurance on a weekly basis, and they shouldn We thought that was more than fair because of the trauma my daughter suffered. Well, today, they tried to give us a check for $87! Yes, that I was so insulted by this, and hurt! All that my daughter went through, they tried to give her an $87 check?!!! They only want to pay our copay! Well, I typed up a letter and returned their check, informing them we will be contacting an attorney. So, instead of the $800 we wanted, I'm sure they'll have to pay a few extra thousand for pain and suffering, and also for the lost wages because we had to miss work because of this. I can Thanks for letting me vent!

How exactly is your daughter going [2008-07-01]
What does your child need money for? You say itback to normal. Dragging her through court will not help her overcome her fear of dogs. Instead, you should be concentrating your efforts on having the dog impounded. Soon you will be known as the neighbor quick to sue. You I I got the impression from your original post. You said very little about the emotional details of the situation. You primarily discussed the money aspect of it. If I I just didn You even mentioned you watch People These shows put ideas into people My kids play baseball. They get hit with baseballs all the time when they Do I have the right to sue the parents of that child who hit them? How would that help them?

If it was really significant, I would [2008-07-01]
think the final cost would be more than $800. My niece was mauled by a dog and spent about a week in the hospital. She was 4 years old at the time. It was the saddest thing seeing her in that hospital bed with her whole head swollen up. The dog bite ripped out a couple of her still-forming permanent teeth and she ended up with quite a nasty scar along one cheek. Most of the stitches were in her scalp. My sister and her husband had to sue the homeowner It took quite a while to sort it all out. They ended up with a settlement that would after 15 years of very modest growth pay for her college and also any future medical bills. She has had revision of that scar on her face, but she is 19 years old now and still hasn She ismissing bone where theimplants need to go and so will need grafting to be able to accomplish it. She was not emotionally scarred forever by the incident. She is fine, and it didn Just keep loving your daughter and shebe back to her old self. Money won Try not to let your anger overtake you. I know they are responsible, but there is no need to try and take them for as much as you can. You could conceivably ruin their future. Accidents happen. What exactly were the circumstances surrounding the bite?

If it was really significant, I would [2008-07-01]
think the final cost would be more than $800. My niece was mauled by a dog and spent about a week in the hospital. She was 4 years old at the time. It was the saddest thing seeing her in that hospital bed with her whole head swollen up. The dog bite ripped out a couple of her still-forming permanent teeth and she ended up with quite a nasty scar along one cheek. Most of the stitches were in her scalp. My sister and her husband had to sue the homeowner It took quite a while to sort it all out. They ended up with a settlement that would after 15 years of very modest growth pay for her college and also any future medical bills. She has had revision of that scar on her face, but she is 19 years old now and still hasn She ismissing bone where theimplants need to go and so will need grafting to be able to accomplish it. She was not emotionally scarred forever by the incident. She is fine, and it didn Just keep loving your daughter and shebe back to her old self. Money won Try not to let your anger overtake you. I know they are responsible, but there is no need to try and take them for as much as you can. You could conceivably ruin their future. Accidents happen. What exactly were the circumstances surrounding the bite?

Thank you for the advice. sm [2008-06-30]
My daughter is an overall good kid, has always been an A/B student in honors and high honors. She has kept her grades up and is involved in environmental clubs, humanitarian clubs and is a do gooder overall all. I'm just in shock having learned that she has been drinking for 2 years. She tells me that she is glad now she does not have to hide it anymore and says she hated lying to me, but was afraid of what I would do if I found out, obviously. I want to punish her but I don't want to push her the other way where she will rebel more and do worse things. I guess this is my reality check. I need to come to terms with the fact that kids her age will drink and I think I can almost deal with that if I can somehow make a deal with her that she will not get drunk and obviously drive when she has been drinking. I have an even bigger problem with the cigarettes and I just can't stand the thought of her smoking. She tells me she has not done any drugs. I want to believe her, but at this point I am also very hurt and feel that she has broken the trust I had in her by lying to me all this time. This is one of the hardest things I have ever had to go through. Sigh.

I would lay down the law now s/m [2008-06-29]
I was a goodie-goodie, too, or so my mom thought. I was an honor student (actually graduated second in my class), ran with a pretty good crowd, never did drugs. I did, however, try alcohol (wanting to fit in with some of the wilder crew) and cigarettes. The cigarette thing didn My mom noticed the smell on me almost immediately and told me if she ever caught me smoking, she would make me eat a pack of cigarettes. At the time, I took her pretty seriously; though, looking back now, I doubt she would have actually made me eat it. As for the alcohol, tried that once, too, in high school. Fortunately, I didnbeer and since that I chose not to drink. I was heavily involved in SADD and I think that weighed in a lot for me. My biggest area of concern for my parents was the whole dating/sex thing. I had a steady boyfriend for my sophomore and junior year and ended up taking it to that level. When I finally told my mom about it, she freaked, as did my dad. I was grounded for 6 months and she kept her word. I went no where with my friends. Eventually, I was allowed to date again, my senior year, but not with that guy. Putting us on hold for 6 months seemed to do the trick. I realized he didn The guy I dated throughout my senior year was good enough to wait for me, and I ended up marrying him several years later (after college). 13 years and still going, so far so good! So, be strict with your daughter, but be fair and consistent. She needs to know there are limits and that if she chooses to continue with these actions, there will be adverse consequences. After all these years, I'm glad my mom did what she did or I probably would have ended up pregnant before I graduated high school and who knows what kind of life I would have had then.

Identity theft -- never thought it could [2008-06-26]
Yesterday, I got a call from QVC. I had ordered a GPS system for my hubby and QVC called to say they were unable to complete processing of my order because my credit card wouldn QVC said the address I gave them as the billing address did not match the billing address of my credit card. I asked the rep to hold on while I pulled my credit card account up on line. When I did, I saw that my address and phone number had been changed to somewhere in TX (I live in PA). I told QVC I would have to call them back. I immediately called the credit card company. They pulled up my account and said that yes my address had been changed just a few days ago. When I asked how, they couldn They did not know if it was done on-line or by telephone. This, I don If someone called in to change it, shouldn Furthermore, if it was changed on-line, wouldn At any rate, it was changed, and my cc company tried to contact me to verify it by calling the new phone number given. (Makes no sense). Having received no answer, they sent a letter to me, which I have yet to get. One day after changing my address, someone made a $10 on-line purchase with cc account, which went through. Immediately following that, a $4500 on-line purchase was attempted to be put through. This one the cc company did not allow (thank God for small miracles). After having all of this explained to me, I was then transferred to an Identity Theft Specialist, who would help me close this account and reopen another one as well as put into action security alerts for me. For the next 7 years, my credit report will be flagged as a fraud alert, meaning that if anyone tries to open a new account in my name, the lender will have go through extensive verification to confirm it I I also had to file a report with my local police, which I doubt will accomplish anything. Local police are not trained in the same manner as state police, and I don We will see. I did, however, write down the address and the phone number that my account was changed to. My husband called the number last night from his cell phone and no one answered. He left a message stating he was looking for my name and to please return his call to his number. They immediately called back, but when my husband answered, they said nothing. They called back again later that night and did the same thing. Here I told her that apparently I was a victim of identity theft. She said that I said what do you mean and she proceeds to tell me that there have been a lot of account takeovers with this particular company and that it was determined to be an inside job. This left me feeling less than secure about setting up a new account with that company. It also makes me wonder if that My husband says as soon as the new account is set up, we Fortunately, this cc company has 0% identity theft liability, so we will not be responsible for the charges that did go through. However, the bigger concern here is that this person obviously has enough personal information about me to set up new accounts without my knowledge; hence, the reason for the fraud alerts on my credit report. I am so furious, if I ever get my hands on this person, I My husband and I have worked hard all our lives to have good credit and some skuzbucket thinks he can just come along and take it. I don I intend to pursue this fully. If it is an inside job, I will make sure that this credit card company does something about its current employee background checks. So, take a minute today and call your credit companies or go on-line and check to make sure that noone has changed your address and phone number.

I'm not sure if I can give the name [2008-06-26]
legally, so I

"go brush your teeth" -- kid don't listen [2008-06-26]
You know, truthfully,I have a nearly perfect 7-year-old kid. He Why is it, then, that we have to havethis big fight EVERY night and EVERY morning regardinggo brush your teeth.Ihave to tell him this six to seven times beforeI am heard. Then I My onlythought is totry ignoring him when he requests something, making him ask me six to seven times. That might work. Gotta love him, but this really irks me.... Anyone else with a similar dilemma?

Private vs state college. [2008-06-24]
My daughter has been accepted to U of Tampa, a private college. She will be a transfer student from a community college.However, she is also entertaining going to U of South FL(St. Pete campus). Financially it At USF, she will be covered 75% by Bright Futures.We will have to take out loans for housing for either. We are having extreme anxiety over this. Both campuses are very nice, but her personality is more condusive to the St. Pete (state college) atmosphere. ItUT which is in the middle of downtown Tampa. There are so many factors and if I enumerated them here, well, ya But her major concern is learning and her second concern is being happy in her environment. We are not big city folk, but I have no doubt wherever she goes, she will succeed. I just want her to have the best experience possible. In my heart I think USF is best, but she thinks resume-wise, a private college would look better. Also,she is having a problem with turning downthe grants/scholarships ($15,000) from UT and opting for a state school. Let me also briefly say that her program of study is very strong at both schools and she has links with a professor at one of the schools who is advising her, but nonbiased (so he's helpful, but not enough to say GO HERE! lol) I I don't know... She's going to have to make this decision on her own, but if any of ya'll have any input regarding either school or the area or college experience with state vs private, I would really appreciate a word or two! One more thing... she Not that that's a big consideration, but a comfort zone is a good thing? And... I would move there with her IN A HEARTBEAT (either place), but my son is about to enter an AS program (radiology) at the community college here and that track cannot be interrupted... just wanted to give all pertinent info for best input by ya'll.

I was only about 12 when I was bitten, [2008-06-23]
and I'm still not afraid of snakes. In my new job we actually come across them now and then. We girls gather around and analyze whether we think it's poisonous. If we decide it's not, then I'll be the one to carry it down by the pond ... except the only one we've needed to move so far was bright copper in color, and I never picked up a copperhead-colored snake before, so we called the boss. He carried it without incident.

Anyone burned out with MTing? sm [2008-06-22]
i i love being at home for the fact i have a 10 y/o and a 6 y/o. but sometimes i find myself being bored sitting here typing. i think of doing other things, medically related. i think it would be so cool to be a surgery tech. the thing is here where i live, i can make about the same as they do working at home. it anyone else feel that way or have made a change? i often think about when my boys get a little bigger, i i would like to do some kind of work where i can make a difference in people

Ever say the wrong thing [2008-06-22]
Ever say the wrong thing, and you realize as your talking trying to say something that would make them feel better that that what your saying doesn’t quite sound right so you keep trying to explain and it just gets worse and worse. Today I was talking to someone whose wife has cancer and she started chemo a few weeks ago. I’m always caring as my mom had cancer so I know a bit of what they are going through, but of course I don’t want to say that because it would sound as though what they are going through is not that important compared to what my mom went through (which of course is not true – I love both these people). Anyway…last night his wife passed out and they had to bring her to ER (she’s better and was released). He told me it gave him a scare and made him realize how fragile life is. I told him that’s true. He then was laughing and said something in regards to life isn’t forever and we all have to move on but nobody ever wants to (or something like that) and he was laughing about it (he’s not a very serious person and usually laughs at everything), and I told him that reminded me of a movie I saw called Kingdom of Heaven when someone said you don’t’ seem upset that I’ve killed your master and the guy said to him “it was his time to go”. Talk about knowing immediately that was one of the stupidest things I could have said and I’m sure sounded insensitive. So, I tried to think of something less equally stupid to say (if such a thing was possible). But I told him sometimes its really depressing typing reports all day because there are so many people with such serious illness that it just get depressing typing them all day. Then I was thinking to myself that that made it sound as though what she is going through isn’t as important as everyone else. Not quite sure if all this was in my mind as I’m sensitive to others feelings and always want to say the right things so they will feel better (even though it may not always come out that way). I ended the conversation letting him know that what they were going through is very hard and that I was glad his wife was better and tell her that I’m thinking of her and wishing them the best. He said in an upbeat tone, thanks I will. He didn’t seem upset, but it was just a very awkward conversation and I wanted to get off before I said anything else. I don’t think he took offense to what I was saying but in these circumstances you never know and it just proved to myself that from now on its better to keep my mouth shut and not sound stupid than to say anything that makes me look so. Has anyone else been in a similar situation and do you think I’m being oversensitive. From now on a simple concerned and understanding “uh-hum” will be in my vocabulary.

Isn't it awful [2008-06-22]
I was talking to my DH and told him (it is actually his half-brother going through this), and he agreed its hard to know what to say because his brother laughs about a lot of stuff (serious stuff and makes jokes out of it). So we have decided a sympathetic uh-huh is probably the most appropriate. I canmy dad always tells me that these people have died but they haven Talk about an ee-gads!

I think...sm [2008-06-22]
Sometimes people donI or I Either is perfectly safe yet conveys that you do care about the person's situation.