We got our check last week. We electronically filed our taxes

My cat solved my un-filed paperwork problem - sm [2008-10-10]
... she PEED on them, and I had to throw them all away! AAAaaaaaggghhhhh !!!!!!

You could check Craigslist [2008-10-05]
I suppose. You'd choose your local area. You could even make a post that you are interested in buying AG products. You'd be able to set up a special private e-mail address rather than giving somebody your actual e-mail, yet it still comes to your e-mail box. I don't get how it works, but it wasn't hard to use.

Since June of 2007, my check has been [2008-09-26]
cut in half thanks to MQ. This will be the last year in an apt I love but cannot afford so will be downsizing. Thankfully, working at home cuts down on gas. My car is leased and I will be turning that in in April and will buy a used car. I go out to dinner once a month now, if that. I rarely order out and if I do, it is because I made a few extra dollars and want to treat myself. I went on a budget plan for gas and electric. I have basic cable now. I lowered my cell phone plan to $22 a month with 64 minutes per month. I am trying to quit smoking. Being single, it is very hard as there is not another income to count on but I manage and am trying to come to terms that I can no longer live the type of lifestyle I had become accustomed to. I think it has impacted all of us in some way and it helps to know I am not alone. We just have to do the best we can with what we have. I feel bad for those with children as that must be very hard making ends meet.

I could loan you my husband for a week. I'm not frugal, [2008-09-23]
mm

Thanks, I will check them all out! No text. [2008-09-21]
x

Thanks! I'm going to check them out! [2008-09-19]
xx

Check with your state's Attorney General's office. [2008-09-12]
NM

I saw a guy last week [2008-09-09]
who had been a teacher for a school, band and choir I think, who got the 3-X out for being boring or something to that effect. Not sure if he is the same guy you are looking for.

Thanks for posting. I will check it out. [2008-09-02]
nm

We have a 10-week-old boxer now... [2008-08-29]
have had a lab/mix in the past...

You need to check with the insurer, to be sure. sm [2008-08-23]
I disagree with the other poster, most insurance companies now pay for this surgery. I live in upstate NY and have not heard of ANYONE being denied unless their weight/BMI is too low and they don't need to lose at least 100 pounds. I had the surgery, just a warning, if you are a grazer (like me) you can gain ALL the weight back, even with RNY.

check out this link.....sm [2008-08-22]
http://www.macscouter.com/cooking/CampingFood.asp There are a few recipes on the initial pages but the links on the left-hand side is where the really good recipes are. Check out the Geezers Cookbook for sure!

While you are googling, check out some sm [2008-08-21]
Boy Scout sites. They usually have some favorite camp meals and recipes that are relatively easy and quick because most of the cooking is done by boys 11 to 18 years old. Here are a couple of my troop's favorites: Foil Packet Dinner Any kind of meat or fish Any kind of vegetables but be sure to use some high-water content veggies such as onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, squash, etc. A dash or two of soy sauce or Worchestershire sauce. Aluminum foil Camp fire First, lay flat a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place choice of meat in the center of it. Salt and pepper or season to taste. Cover this with thin slices of a variety of veggies and then add a dash of sauce. Fold up butcher style making sure to seal all seams but leave enough room for the steam that will build up. Cook on hot coals (not directly in the fire) for 20 to 30 minutes depending on the meat until meat is done. Fish will take less time and hamburger meat will take longer. Some possible combinations: Hamburger with salt and pepper or seasoned salt, bell pepper, onions, potatoes, carrots, and green beans with Worchestershire sauce. White fish with lemon pepper seasoning, onions, potatoes and green beans (probably would not need any kind of sauce as this is all high water content). Ham, canned or thinly sliced fresh sweet potatoes, pineapple slices and soy sauce (no salt needed for this one as the soy sauce and ham will be salty). Dutch-Oven Peach Cobbler 1 box yellow cake mix 1 large can sliced peaches with juice 1 stick oleo or butter. Aluminum foil. Large dutch oven Line Dutch oven with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Dump the peaches in the oven. Dump the cake mix on top of the peaches and distribute evenly. Slice oleo or butter up in small pieces and dot over the top of the cake mix. Cover and cook on Coleman stove or on VERY hot coals near the fire for about 45 minutes. Knock DH and kids away from the fire as they begin to inhale the wonderful aroma! Hope this helps some.

We just got WII fit this past week [2008-08-11]
I) We bought this WII for my son last Christmas and I can honestly say it was money well spent. They have a blast with it and they aren't constantly sitting. We don't have the Guitar Hero but maybe that will be next on the list.

Check this site out! [2008-08-01]
This site is amazing and i'm hooked! www.wishuponahero.com

Check the wait times in Canada for MRIs, etc, and see... [2008-07-30]
how bad universal healthcare really is. Believe me, nothing isfree...if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

My sister opened my eyes the other week and simply stated SM [2008-07-30]
thatmost of the people pulling this country down have children, sometimes lots of them. These kids have no guidance and only know what they see. Unfortunately, a lot of them grow up like mom and dad, thinking they don Thank God for school teachers who are there to provide guidance and structure for a lot of these kids. Sometimes it is the only place they find it.

Check the file size... it might be a very small JPEG - sm [2008-07-29]
so that they'll download/upload faster, and won't overwhelm the website with huge files. To get a less-grainy photo, try asking your daughter to email you the full-size file so you can save it to your computer for printing. For the best print quality, you want lots of pixels.... for example something like 1200 x 1800... to show the best detail. Then use your photo-editing software to make it whatever size you want for printing. When I save photo files to my PC, I usually know right away which ones I want to email (so I change them from large .bmp files to small .jpg files (around 75-200 pixels). If I'm going to be printing them, I just save them as large .bmp files. (When they're large they also come out better if you're going to Photoshop them.... clean up backgrounds, crop, etc.) If I want to email one of the .bmp files to someone later, I can always make it smaller and then copy it as a .jpg file for email purposes. (That way it doesn't take them half an hour to download one photo!)

Thanks! Got the email, and going to check out the site! nm [2008-07-24]

Please Check Your Email. [2008-07-24]
This thread is locked. Thanks, MTStars Support.

Thanks for sharing that, I'm seeing it this week with sm [2008-07-21]
my mom, sisters, and sister-in-law. I can>

I pay mine $5 a week, they do a varietuy of things - sm [2008-07-21]
from helping me clean the house (vacuum and mop and pick up/put away), clean bathroom sinks, clean cat litter box, get paper towels, let dogs in/out, clean rooms, and basically anything I can think of that I think they will do an okay job of. I have 2 girls 8 and 9. I do let them buy on credit sometimes but they know they are not getting anything else until they pay off the first debt. .

My daughter gets $10 a week [2008-07-21]
She watches her younger sister while I work, and she loads and reloads the dishes and is supposed to keep her room clean. On Saturdays she'll help me by doing various cleaning chores.

Check if you have a computer lemon law in your state.nm [2008-07-19]
nm

Also check out this site sm [2008-07-18]
another wonderful way to help animals for free as well as other needy site. Only takes a few seconds. http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces

I feel for you - [2008-10-10]
I went with someone for 7 years who had a daughter and their relationship ruined ours. I thought things would get better but they got worse as the child got older. I was also pushed aside and treated so badly by this kid. One time I cooked dinner at my place and just had new rugs installed. The darling deliberately spilled her milk on the rugs and dropped her plate of spaghetti - all the while smirking. Her father did not say one thing except that it was an accident. Believe me, it was no accident. The 3 of us would go on vacation for a week at the shore each year and they would go bike riding early, never letting me know ahead of time so I just sat and waited for them to return. I was basically there to be their maid. I sat down with him and voiced my concerns and I was told that no one would come between the two of them. He gave me his answer that I would never be involved in their lives. I left that relationship after that. I could go on and on. It is tough, it wears you down, and strips you of everything. I wish you much luck but in these situations I think it is best to get out of the relaionship as there is nothing but heartbreak and you will always be an outsider.

Here's one: When you're at an ATM, and - sm [2008-10-10]
just started your transaction, and someone comes up behind you, is standing there tapping their toe on the sidewalk and checking their watch, and asking you every 20 seconds or so Are you done, yet? That ALWAYS makes me decide to check my balance twice. Or THREE times. Or take out cash ONE $20 bill at a time!

2 things in grocery stores [2008-10-10]
1. When your looking for a specific item and looking at all the choices and someone walks right in front of you and stops and does the same thing. Then they don't even have the decency to say excuse me or even look at you. 2. When your at the check out stand and writing a check on the little counter and the person behind you comes and stands so close to your back that you can feel them breathing down your neck or they are so close they can read your check.

I hate it when....... [2008-10-10]
People write checks period. But even more so when they are in the express lane and write a check. Second, I hate it when people stop in the middle of the aisle to have a lengthy conversation and block the whole aisle!

I agree with anon [2008-10-07]
He seems to just be content and getting too comfy, maybe mix it up a bit. Make sure you have eye contact with him when you are speaking to him. My hubby I tend to take care of the house, 4 kids, the animals, etc.and work full time, so I am grumpy as well. I make sure that we get a hug in and an I love you daily and that seems to help. The more I have taken to doing this, the more relaxed things are in the house. Try to get an hour alone every week for just the two of you. My hubby and I make sure we get 15 minutes to talk about our day every day. Try not to take offense of what he is doing, just try something different. It sounds like your in a rut.

What a sad life for this little girl [2008-10-07]
She has been named a living goddess. The article is not long but definitely disturbing. Check out the link. http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20081007/AS.Nepal.Living.Goddess/

QVC...depends [2008-10-06]
Well, the sets I saw are cheaper, but not the same set you find from American Girl directly. I.e. The Molly doll came with a cuople of outfits, a stand, a couple of books, and I think her pet, which not the exact same set. So it is more than just the doll and one book, but less expensive to get all of that stuff it comes with separately. The doll and book alone from american girl is less $$ but does not include the extra outfit, etc. I didn't watch when it was on in Sept., so maybe they have other accessories or furniture on the show too. I am guessing they sell out fast! Also, if you have not done this, check out the American Girl website for the sales and monthly specials. Over the summer, I got a $40 toboggan for $20 - of course you do have the shipping charge but still cheaper. So they do have some good deals there too, just that there may or may not be an item to go with the doll you have or are looking for...

Pitbulls [2008-10-06]
Hey SO glad to hear that! I tuned in to the Rachael Ray show also & she definitely loves the breed! I admit I was a skeptic at first cuz u hear so much, but after taking a chance & owning one & doing my research I LOVE pitbulls. My male pits don't hardly shed but now my female shed like I don't know what. I told the vet & he gave me a multivitamin to give her & that fixed that:) If you ever think about owning one I'd definitely do my homework & research the breeder & see the mom/dad's personalities. Also you could check in a reputable pitbull shelter & tell them your lifestyle and what you like & have them make a recommendation as to what dog would fit you. Older pitbulls from a shelter already have developed their lil personalities & the good shelters work with them day in and day out and know their likes & dislikes. I really like the Villalobos shelter & I think they are doing an outstanding job!

do you speak with your hands - and I don't mean [2008-10-06]
My husband does not listen to me either. He looks like he's paying attention but he misses half of what I say. Couple thought I have is. Awhile ago we were watching a TV special it said that people listen and remember what you say when you talk with your hands (the study was done on school children). Well I don't talk with my hands. Never have and don't know how and when it do it just looks odd. I told him maybe I should start talking with my hands because then he would remember what I tell him. Iwhat he. He's been out of work for about 5 years now and he doesn't know what he wants to do with his life (he's 50 years old). We will talk and talk and talk and then the next day it's back to square one like I never said anything. Sometimes what I will do that helps is I take scratch pieces of paper and I write notes on them and them leave them all over the place. Like I keep a running list of errands we have to do and keep it on the corner of the table and a couple times through the week I will say we need to to this or we need to do that, and then I ask him when he would like to go do them (usually ityour not interested in what I Maybe the note thing will help, it does with me. I wish you luck.

Medical Ethics Question. [2008-10-01]
You are a doctor. You have an 80-year-old patient with stage 4 cancer, who has just finished radiation treatments. The patient is on Medicare. You (the doctor) know of a new drug that might slow the cancer, but it has not been approved by Medicare yet, and the cost is $1000 per week. Do you recommend this drug to this patient's family?

Wait it out.. [2008-10-01]
Not only that, but to cash it out you have a penalty...so say you cash out $5,000...after penalties and all that, you will get a bit over $3,000 I believe. Just know if you cash it out, you will have to claim it as income on your taxes and pay a really high tax amount on it.....

hold on tight - sm [2008-10-01]
You need not to panic. The stock market is going to have highs and lows of varying degrees. If you bail out now you will have lost money, plus all the taxes you will pay. Hang on!!

My 2 cents [2008-10-01]
IMHO, the school officials should be ashamed of themselves for not contacting you immediately!! Somehow, I would expect more sensitive treatment from a Catholic private school, too. I truly believe that, if my son had stabbed another child with a pencil, the school would likely have called the police andcharges of assault and battery may have been filed, right thereon the spot, no matter what the age. That little girl is mighty lucky. In our public school district, a 2nd grader was suspended for 3 days because he remarked to the teacher that she was pretty. No physical harm was done. My point is, if a child can deserve such a punishment for innocently complimenting a teacher, regardless of whether or not it constitutes sexual harrassment, the incident with the pencil stab wound should not go unpunished, and, asthe parents of the victim, youshould make it clear that youdo not intend to gloss over it like just a routine event in the day of a school child. It seems to me that it is to the benefit of your child to make as big a deal of this as you need to.If you do little to nothing, what message does that relay to your child--that he is not important enough to defend in this case? That his rights are less important than those of the girl? That girls should be allowed to beat up on boys with little to no punishment? Your own son While it is good to teach him the golden rule, it is also good to teach him to assertively stand up for his rights. My son isa BIG, husky boy. Things like this happened to him during his public school years. All he had to do was look sideways at someone, and I would be called; but when someone hurt him, the school didnbother mom and dad at work. What an excuse. I started documenting everything in written form, even sent faxes. Theschool hated that I put everything in writing, but I believe they respected us or, at least, pretended to respect us, and my son experienced fewer problems with verbal and physical abuse from other studentsafter that. Best to you.

Any suggestions are welcome [2008-09-30]
I find I am going into a depression each day as time goes on. The root cause is home sickness. I live far away from my family where the only way to see them is to fly. This happens maybe once every 3 or 4 years (which is how often I go back). My DH doesn However, with that said DH listens to a lot of talk shows, news stations, etc. Almost 2 or 3 times a week heanyone is nuts to want to get on a plane now adays. I havensis is desparate to see me and I haven He just came out again to tell me hedonCanada to Mexico whenever they want to) My heart just sinks everytime he says that. Once I told him that they have to make flying safe because the whole country is filled with people who have to fly for business or personal reasons. I want to go back to see my family so badly my heart just aches, sowas thinking maybe betweenThanksgiving andChristmas time frame (we donthat way it would give things time to settle, but I just haven Also, with the crisis and election coming up there is a lot of uncertainty too, and I can't throw too much at him (he can't handle it). - Believe me in this household the impending gloom and doom are an every day part of our lives and our talks what we'd do if certain things were to happen. What would you do? Do you think I should just hang in there and wait to see what happens over the next few weeks or so? P.S. - we do not have a marriage where I just demand or tell him the way its going to be. Of course I may just be thinking too much of this, but at this point not sure and I get more and more depressed the more I think about it. So looking for some opinions/suggestions on how you would handle this situation.

My sister's (now ex)husband kicked her - sm [2008-09-29]
pregnant golden retriever in the stomach repeatedly because he'd had an argument with my sister. Then he went off to work, as usual. My sister didn't waste a single minute. As soon as he left, she called in sick to work, drove to the city, hired an attorney, and filed for divorce. She also put a lien on a bunch of building materials he was about to receive, because she knew how much $ all that was worth. Then she went to the hardware store. By the time he came home that evening, the dog was safely inside a house whose locks had all been changed, his other truck in the driveway had been towed away to an undisclosed location, and all of his personal belongings were sitting out at the curb. Oh. And since he had also hit HER, she had filed a restraining order against him. She got half the house, which the judge forced him to sell, even though he built it with his own hands, and was on a PRIME piece of property. She made sure EVERYBODY IN TOWN knew what had happened, and people stopped hiring him to do construction work. He finally had to move out of state. Just goes to show, you shouldn't kick your wife's dog.

pain and/or pulpectomy [2008-09-27]
1. Is your child in pain? If not, hold off till Monday and call the dentist who won't be able to fit you in until next week. 2.Did your child have a pulpectomy (root canal) at the time they put on the silver crown? Then he/she should not be in any pain...The tooth itself may lookcrummybut donsweat it.

OhioMT [2008-09-26]
People were talked into getting loans by their realtor and lender, BUT they would have to know that if they are bringing home $3000 a month that they canadjustable rate that it That When I bought my first home there was a formula the lender worked with (I think your house payment could be 30% of monthly net). I feel bad for these people but sometimes there is no one to blame but yourself. Things are getting very tight around here. We put a lot of thought into everything we want/need to buy and usually end up without it. Instead of taking a 2-week vacation this summer, we took a 2-day vacation (that sucked). We are very fortunate in that my husband and I have decent jobs that pay the bills. I have been working at home for 12 years so we have been saving on gas, lunches, clothes and wear and tear on the car. I think things will get a lot worse before they get better. I just continue to count my blessings because I know there are people worse off than I am.

It hasn't too much, except in the 401(k)... [2008-09-26]
We are debt free but the house, the payment only requires one of DH's paychecks (he gets paid twice a month and then on the off weeks he gets his overtime check) or my paycheck for the month when I can get my lines in, we have never taken out a second mortgage or touched the equity in our home. Our mortgage rate is low to mid 5%, cars paid off, CC paid in full, great credit score and we live below our means. We still take vacations, eat in restaurants, etc. Our circle of friends don't seem to have any problem with this economy, other than investments. We are in our late 40s, early 50s, kids grown and gone, we don't pay for college. DH drives 66 miles round trip to work, but has an economical commuter care. Our SUV gets about 20 to 24 mpg, which compares to some newer ones out there. My DH has worked for the same company for 25 years, however, layoffs are coming, and he is putting out his resume just in case. He will get a nice severance package, etc, if it happens, but weare planning in advance just in case. House is up for sale, a few very interested people, and if it sells we will make enough profit to buy a house free and clear. We have always lived below our wage and I think that has helped us tremendously. Do we want new cars, TVs, etc, sure, but why bother, we don't want the payments that come with them. We are happy with what we have, don't have a lot of the gimmes or wantitis that has a lot of Americans in debt up to their eyballs with no way out.

This may be to personal for some of you but... [2008-09-25]
How is the economy crisis effecting you? Your budget, your retirement, your family, your FRIENDS families. How is it effecting the circle you run with? Do you discuss this with family or friends? It is effecting my family. The gas thing alone is cutting our budget! My youngest started college and is driving back and forth. I've called my aunt who lives close to the school and asked if he could stay with her a few nights a week to save gas money. The drive for him one way is 1 hour. It has already saved us $$$. The fact that he can't find a job isn't helping either. There are no jobs for young people. Even in fast food! Food prices have effected what we eat! Have you priced CHEESE lately? A 2 cup packages of shredded cheese cost more than a gallon of milk! Food has gotten outrageous. We have our primary home and we have a small cabin that we go to on weekends. Our primary home is paid for and has been but we do have a mortgage on our cabin. LUCKILY and by the grace of God, we are in a fixed rate situation but it's still difficult. Did we spread ourselves to thin? Sometimes it is tough but we budget and try to be careful with what we spend. Our payment is nowhere near the $1500 per month mortgages people are talking about - and at that price point with an adjustable RATE - I don't know how people are living. Also lucky that we do not have credit card debt. I've read where the CC companys are raising limits to increase spending while increasing the payment interest as well? I see more and more credit cards being used at the grocery store. It's all just very scarey for me. We have some friends who are building their dream home. They have worked and saved for 15 years. The economy is blessing them in some ways since there are a lot of people looking for work but hurt them in others as the price of materials skyrockets!

My ex's stepdaughter had same problem. sm [2008-09-25]
His wife is devoutly religious, goes to church 7 days a week and she sought help from her pastor. Daughter spoke to him a couple of times. No outside help whatsoever. Mother got knock on door at 6 am Sunday morning, stated her daughter died in a car crash. She was 18 years old. Sorry, prayer alone cannot always help.

Been connected with the AF for 44 years now - sm [2008-09-24]
I can tell you that security forces WILL be deployed, especially now that many bases are short handed. That means they can go anywhere armed forces are in place. I believe they deploy for up to 179 days at a giventime because to deploy for 180 days would mean a change of duty station, which is a lot of paperwork and expense. He could literally be deployed for 179 days, home for 1 day, then deployed again if they wanted to send him some place else. If they are telling him he will be gone 180 days a year then he probably will be gone at least that much. Ibelieve they do TRY to let them be at their home base for stretches if it can be done. It is a lot to ask of a spouse if and when he gets married. That said, however, I believe the AF is still a good choice for many people because of the awesome benefits and training they offer. If he can stay for 20 he will also get that retirement check every month, which is the best part of all! Best of luck to him.

Need advice on [2008-09-24]
My husband interviewed for a job with the state last week on Tuesday. They said they should know in about a week. This is a huge move for us, because if he gets the job we have to move, so the sooner we know, the better. since today is Wednesday, should he try to call and inquire? Or should he just wait? We are really hoping for this so of course we are very anxious, but I don't know if he would seem overly anxious by calling? He had tried to call the interviewer last week because he had to ask him a question or two (he had applied for a lower position here where we live and wanted to know if turning it down would affect him there, you know how the state is!) and left a message with his secretary. The guy never called him back, but his secretary sounds like a bit of a ditz. Anyways, what do you think? This interview is not his first but it's his first time trying to go for a career position, so we are really nervous and excited! (We just graduated college btw)

State jobs....... [2008-09-24]
Problem is with state jobs the application process lasts for a good period of time, so he needs to review the cut off date for applications. It could possibly be another couple of weeks before the cut off. But, state jobs are horribly slow in replying to the applicants. I would give it this week, check the cut off date for applicants, and then call them and inquire if the position has been filled. At least he will know then.

He already had an interview [2008-09-24]
They told him when he applied that they pick the top three applicants and interview them. The interviews were last Tuesday. They said they should have an answer in a week. Maybe we'll hear something today. We are just anxious to know if he got it or not. I would think by now with only three applicants to choose from they would have an answer.

I don't know what state you're in or if that [2008-09-24]
makes a different but when my husband was hired by the state, he interviewed in July and didn First off, as someone else mentioned below, it depends on what the closing date is. Whether they have 3 applicants or not to interview doesn it goes by the closing date. They legally cannot make their choice until the position is closed. After the closing date, they will do an extensive background check before notifying the chosen applicant. My husband They only check the top choice If his/her background check, doesn After the chosen one You go through a bunch of blood work and a physical exam and a TB test. Then finally, you get a start date. Depending on the type of facility, he may need to go for training. My husband works for the state pen and had to go for 6 weeks of defensive training. All in all, it The waiting is agony, but if he gets the job, it The benefits are unbeatable. Good luck -- hope your hubs gets it!!!