Since I don't post everyday the new year is likely to be here and I won't have the chance to wish all the (e:peeps) Happy New Year.
Best wishes for a wonderful 2009 for everyone.
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12/29/2008 16:18 #47214
Happy New Year12/29/2008 16:16 #47213
Work RantCategory: work
well at least it will be my last one for 2008.
We're going to be reorganized at work and this is basic plan they have come up with.
They = very upper level decision makers
They will survey all impacted employees.
They will hunt you down if you don't want to answer the survey. It's not an anonymous.
They will gather all the information and take this back to the upper level decision makers for each unit and the budget/financial persons.
I will get reorganized in some way since I have been by someone close to the process that everyone will get reorganized in some way.
I will get a letter/email telling me where I have been reorganized to.
No one will lose their job and that is good.
I have no idea if I will continue to work for my current boss, if I will move from my office and building, if I will get promoted or demoted or move laterally or anything and not knowing causes me some stress, not a lot but some.
We're going to be reorganized at work and this is basic plan they have come up with.
They = very upper level decision makers
They will survey all impacted employees.
They will hunt you down if you don't want to answer the survey. It's not an anonymous.
They will gather all the information and take this back to the upper level decision makers for each unit and the budget/financial persons.
I will get reorganized in some way since I have been by someone close to the process that everyone will get reorganized in some way.
I will get a letter/email telling me where I have been reorganized to.
No one will lose their job and that is good.
I have no idea if I will continue to work for my current boss, if I will move from my office and building, if I will get promoted or demoted or move laterally or anything and not knowing causes me some stress, not a lot but some.
12/15/2008 11:46 #47067
Cars - hate them!!!Category: cars
So Sunday morning my husband tells me we have a flat tire on our Saturn so he goes out and puts some air in it. The Saturn has a built in air compressor and then waits to see if it's slow leak or something more.
It was something more. The tire was shot and we needed a new one but since we have a super sized Saturn places like Sam's club don't carry a tire that size in stock and most tire places are closed on Sundays. At least the tire places I could think of were closed.
We found that Firestone was open and we ended up buying a tire from them. We had to jack up the Saturn, get the old tire and rim off, take it to Firestone, get the new tire installed on our rim, go home and install the tire on the car...in the rain. It totally killed our day! I swear it took us about 3 hours to get everything all settled.
Spending $150 on a tire 10 days before Christmas was not exactly what I was planning on doing but gotta have a tire on the car. The guy who looked at the tire told us that the wear isn't right and we probably need another tire and that we should take the car to the dealer.
My husband confirmed when we got home that the other back tire should be replaced. Now we need to replace another $150 tire and possibly have a car repair bill too.
Congress I still need that bailout!
Later that night, I passed our neighbor on my way home from Wegmans. His car was being loaded on a flat bed because he had a flat tire. Since it was too busy of an intersection to stop at and I was already through when I saw his jeep, I pulled over and called his partner to make sure no one needed a ride home.
stupid cars!
It was something more. The tire was shot and we needed a new one but since we have a super sized Saturn places like Sam's club don't carry a tire that size in stock and most tire places are closed on Sundays. At least the tire places I could think of were closed.
We found that Firestone was open and we ended up buying a tire from them. We had to jack up the Saturn, get the old tire and rim off, take it to Firestone, get the new tire installed on our rim, go home and install the tire on the car...in the rain. It totally killed our day! I swear it took us about 3 hours to get everything all settled.
Spending $150 on a tire 10 days before Christmas was not exactly what I was planning on doing but gotta have a tire on the car. The guy who looked at the tire told us that the wear isn't right and we probably need another tire and that we should take the car to the dealer.
My husband confirmed when we got home that the other back tire should be replaced. Now we need to replace another $150 tire and possibly have a car repair bill too.
Congress I still need that bailout!
Later that night, I passed our neighbor on my way home from Wegmans. His car was being loaded on a flat bed because he had a flat tire. Since it was too busy of an intersection to stop at and I was already through when I saw his jeep, I pulled over and called his partner to make sure no one needed a ride home.
stupid cars!
mrmike - 12/15/08 12:14
Sucks indeed. Sorry
Sucks indeed. Sorry
12/12/2008 10:08 #47041
House Assessment ChallengeI'm preparing my case to fight out recent house assessment.
I will be taking photos of the exterior of our house, it needs a paint job terribly. I will be taking using photos of our kitchen and bathroom that show they have not been updated, well the bathroom was updated in the 50's but it's crazy.
Our bathroom is pink and baby blue including a baby blue tub and sink.
I am also going to look at the sale data for the house next door as our houses are planned out the same way and roughly the same square footage.
I have an email into my neighbors who are also fighting the assessment on their home.
I will be taking photos of the exterior of our house, it needs a paint job terribly. I will be taking using photos of our kitchen and bathroom that show they have not been updated, well the bathroom was updated in the 50's but it's crazy.
Our bathroom is pink and baby blue including a baby blue tub and sink.
I am also going to look at the sale data for the house next door as our houses are planned out the same way and roughly the same square footage.
I have an email into my neighbors who are also fighting the assessment on their home.
metalpeter - 12/12/08 16:45
I wish you luck. I have no advise since I don't have a home. I do know others who have tried to fight like you are. In some cases the value of a house does go up, the value of a house isn't really what it is worth it is how much someone would pay for it. Cities and towns often raise the value of peoples houses because it means they have to pay more taxes, and this is true for most of the time. I wish you luck with your battle.
I wish you luck. I have no advise since I don't have a home. I do know others who have tried to fight like you are. In some cases the value of a house does go up, the value of a house isn't really what it is worth it is how much someone would pay for it. Cities and towns often raise the value of peoples houses because it means they have to pay more taxes, and this is true for most of the time. I wish you luck with your battle.
janelle - 12/12/08 12:18
I'm using photos of my house and my neighbors homes that need repair. My neighbors across the street have won several times in the past using that strategy but I also think they compare sales prices of recent sales to their assessment. It's hard for me to compare to recent sales because we were the last house sold on our street. Who knows how the city makes these decisions...go figure.
I'm also using the inspection report from less than two years ago documenting some of the repairs that are needed. I even have an estimate on replacing the 28 year old furnace from the inspector.
I'm using photos of my house and my neighbors homes that need repair. My neighbors across the street have won several times in the past using that strategy but I also think they compare sales prices of recent sales to their assessment. It's hard for me to compare to recent sales because we were the last house sold on our street. Who knows how the city makes these decisions...go figure.
I'm also using the inspection report from less than two years ago documenting some of the repairs that are needed. I even have an estimate on replacing the 28 year old furnace from the inspector.
pmrk - 12/12/08 12:08
it's not like the city it known for its make sense decisions. :-)
it's not like the city it known for its make sense decisions. :-)
matthew - 12/12/08 11:41
Well like I said, that was just her opinion. Its probably a safe bet to just bring as much information (pictures and data) as you can.
Well like I said, that was just her opinion. Its probably a safe bet to just bring as much information (pictures and data) as you can.
pmrk - 12/12/08 11:31
that is crazy that the photos didn't work since the city specifically asks for them on the forms you have to fill out! Guess we'll go with sale data and photos as backup.
that is crazy that the photos didn't work since the city specifically asks for them on the forms you have to fill out! Guess we'll go with sale data and photos as backup.
matthew - 12/12/08 11:23
I have a friend in my neighborhood who has fought the increase on two seperate occasions. The first time she brought in pictures of her homes "weak spots", ie: needed roof repair, old bathrooms, old plumbing, ect. It didn't work. The next time she fought it she skipped the pictures and just brought data and numbers comparing her property's assessed value to the others in her neighborhood, and what the current selling prices were. It worked. I don't know if this is the norm but, in her opinion, the city is more likely to side with you if you use facts and figures. I don't know if this helps your situation, but good luck either way!!
I have a friend in my neighborhood who has fought the increase on two seperate occasions. The first time she brought in pictures of her homes "weak spots", ie: needed roof repair, old bathrooms, old plumbing, ect. It didn't work. The next time she fought it she skipped the pictures and just brought data and numbers comparing her property's assessed value to the others in her neighborhood, and what the current selling prices were. It worked. I don't know if this is the norm but, in her opinion, the city is more likely to side with you if you use facts and figures. I don't know if this helps your situation, but good luck either way!!
12/12/2008 10:01 #47040
well what are you going to eat?ahhh the age old question my mother asks every time a holiday or family gathering of some sort is going to happen.
Why? Hubby and I are both vegetarians in a family of non-vegetarians and we apparently still confound and confuse them - we probably do that on many levels.
Neither one of us is a crazy strict veg nor are we veg for moral reasons. You can't control every food product you eat, esp. when you go out to eat so we try to take in stride when we discover that after the fact the soup was made with chicken stock but the serving staff didn't know that.
It shouldn't matter that we don't eat meat but it's always something my mom worries about. It's not like we're going to go hungry anywhere we go as generally all of the sides dishes, appetizers, drinks and desserts are meat free and available in such abundance that no normal person could consume all of the food at one of my family gatherings.
My favorite is when my mom offers to cook us something. I always tell her no since she usually picks something crazy and then doesn't execute it well at all. If I think it's such an issue, I can cook something for us. I'm the person who is the veggie and who has been preparing my own meals as well as the meals in my household for a long time. She means well, she is just trying to show she cares and is sensitive to things.
I lost track but I think I've considered myself a vegetarian for about 15 years or so maybe longer so my family shouldn't be too surprised anymore but I'm sure it will continue to be an issue until far into the future.
Why? Hubby and I are both vegetarians in a family of non-vegetarians and we apparently still confound and confuse them - we probably do that on many levels.
Neither one of us is a crazy strict veg nor are we veg for moral reasons. You can't control every food product you eat, esp. when you go out to eat so we try to take in stride when we discover that after the fact the soup was made with chicken stock but the serving staff didn't know that.
It shouldn't matter that we don't eat meat but it's always something my mom worries about. It's not like we're going to go hungry anywhere we go as generally all of the sides dishes, appetizers, drinks and desserts are meat free and available in such abundance that no normal person could consume all of the food at one of my family gatherings.
My favorite is when my mom offers to cook us something. I always tell her no since she usually picks something crazy and then doesn't execute it well at all. If I think it's such an issue, I can cook something for us. I'm the person who is the veggie and who has been preparing my own meals as well as the meals in my household for a long time. She means well, she is just trying to show she cares and is sensitive to things.
I lost track but I think I've considered myself a vegetarian for about 15 years or so maybe longer so my family shouldn't be too surprised anymore but I'm sure it will continue to be an issue until far into the future.
tinypliny - 12/15/08 21:56
Yea! Somehow people don't understand that a wealth of choices exist if you are a vegetarian. I am amused by just how concerned people get when I tell them that I am a vegetarian. Some people just assume that I don't eat dairy products either - which is just weird. Some others think fish is okay!
Yea! Somehow people don't understand that a wealth of choices exist if you are a vegetarian. I am amused by just how concerned people get when I tell them that I am a vegetarian. Some people just assume that I don't eat dairy products either - which is just weird. Some others think fish is okay!
Thanks so very much!! Wish you an awesome year ahead as well!!