tigra

No, really- don't hold back! Tell us how you REALLY feel!

Your credit is probably pretty bad already, so maybe that isn't a concern. It is true that any chargeoffs or negotiated settlements will make it even worse. If you are still considering that route, you might want to try doing it yourself- that way you keep ALL the savings you negotiated instead of splitting it with them.

I read your post completely- maybe you didn't read mine properly. You dragged race into it (which I still feel was not necessary to get your point across) and opened the door to a lot of other nasty posts, no matter what your intention was. Regardless of who is at fault or how it all started, you now have an antogonistic relationship with your neighbors. You try talking with them, they pretend they don't understand but you know/ feel that they do. Building management is also not cooperative. If you're all going to be living there for a while, I just think it might be worth the effort to try and make peace. If that fails, by all means, resort to the airhorn or any of the other suggestions made. I've been here for a while, and while we haven't ever met, you've also been on this site for a while. There seems to be a trend- you post looking for advice and then attack anyone who says something you don't agree with or want to hear. If that's the way you are in person, its really no wonder you're having communication problems with your neighbors. Good luck!

I guess you've never had an obnoxious white neighbor, huh? Rudeness, and the honking thing especially are not traits limited to any ethnic group, as far as I know. You could have posted about the enitre problem without dragging race into it, but you chose not to. You've tried talking to them, screaming at them, pantomiming and complaining to management among other things. You could call the cops but as you already pointed out, the police would need to catch them in the act, right? So far, nothing has worked, and in fact, its probably gotten worse. At this point, they probably think you're a nut case, and have gotten more than a few laughs at your expense. So here's a thought- if you're all going to live there for a while, why not try getting to know your neighbors instead of antogonizing them further? Its not always possible to get along with your neighbors, but if you can, its ALWAYS preferable. If they get to know you (assuming they really aren't all horrible people) they'll feel bad about disturbing you and make more of an effort not to. And once you get to know them, you might find out they are pretty cool people too. If all else fails, you could always move, but its pretty hard to avoid neighbors entirely, and you usually don't get to choose them either.

I got that it was a tangent with just a tiny bit of sarcasm! I'm actually not in favor of shaving anyone's head and forcing them to scrub toilets just to prove a point!

Wow- I'm just trying to cut her some slack because otherwise, honestly I don't think Rehmwa's and Freethefly's comments are that far off the mark. I don't see how this child- working with her mother in the family business- is all that different from a child working with his or her family on the family farm.

So, its not so much about her (your prof) being part of the "priveleged" class as much she's seen first hand the abuses of child labor and is violently opposed to it? Or am I reading too much into it?

Wow- interesting thread! I agree with you about the whole work ethic and learning the value of a buck AND an education. Also, I think there's a HUGE difference between a kid pitching in with the family business (and/or doing some part time work to earn extra cash) and working long hours in some sweat shop in a 3rd world country to support his or her entire family. As long as it doesn't interfere with school, or just being a kid, I'm all for it. Its all about balance, though, and I'd hate to see a kid miss out on her entire childhood because she HAD to work every weekend and every summer. Still, I'll bet this kid who is working and helping out her family will end up being an independent and successful adult. The kid who was "horrified" at the sight of another kid cleaning a bathroom just might be in for a rude awakening when she grows up and needs to support herself. My sisters and I all started babysitting for the neighbors when we turned 11, and my brother had a paper route at that age. I babysat until I was old enough to get a "real" job at a local retail store and I've been working pretty much ever since. I wouldn't call my family "working class" but we also weren't "upper class"- what we were doing was totally normal for us and the kids we went to school with. When I went to college, I was expected to pay my own tuition and arrange for my own loans and financial aid. Although we didn't have "menial" housekeeping jobs, it was work all the same! And if the housekeeping jobs were available to us, and they paid better than babysitting, you can bet we would have taken them! Maybe it IS partly a generational thing though, because out of all of my nieces and nephews old enough to work legally, so far, only one worked steadily throughout high school and college. The next oldest has only worked sporadically and expects her parents to pay for everything- even plans on grad school once she graduates from her 5 year double major program at Oberlin. Plus, it IS more difficult for kids under 16 to get any jobs than it used to be. Parents no longer want young kids babysitting their young(er) kids and the paper routes are done by adults in SUVs, instead of kids on bikes!

I say that to my hairdresser all the time, and he's never let me down. And, I think the haircut is cute- you just need to get used to it. You'll probably end up loving how easy it is to deal with!

I'm simply speaking from experience here- years of it- sorry if you don't like it. You can't get a signature or proof of delivery if you mail something to a PO box- if I'm paying off a SECURED loan or sending a large check with interest ticking, I'm going to want proof of delivery. Anyway, since you say CFA acknowledged that they have (or had) your check, this should be resolved eventually.

Well- if they can prove the check was received, then once all the "investigation" is finished, CFA should credit any interest and fees they have tried to charge. BUT....... the one thing your CU should have done (IMO) is sent the check to a street address instead of a PO box, and gotten a signature- either certified mail or an overnight delivery service- but I know that's something credit unions don't usually do.

10 isn't that old if they caught this early and she's otherwise healthy. Spaying her will give her the best shot at beating this- they'll probably do some bloodwork before the surgery just to make sure she can handle the anesthesia and stuff. If its too risky, they'll let you know. And she'll probably bounce back just fine from the surgery, too! You know yourself and your cat best and I'm sure you'll do what's right for her. I also think some vets are deliberately pessimistic with owners of less than healthy animals- I've encountered that a few times. Like they don't know or understand what we're willing or able to do for our furry friends and they offer up what seems to be the easiest option, not necessarily the best. OR they're afraid to give you false hopes so they tell you the bad stuff first. I just want them to be honest, present the options and let me make my own decision, you know? Good luck!

CitiFinancial certainly isn't my favorite financial insitution- they're sort of like Citibank's shady cousin! But, I've also seen some really stupid things title companies and other lenders have done with payoffs so I think its likely that the credit union is at least partially to blame for the whole mess.

Don't be so quick to blame CitiFinancial. The credit union could have very well screwed up and sent the check to the wrong place, with incorrect information or without enough information for the funds to be properly credited. (Not saying they did, but its possible, and even likely.) Regardless, since the credit union sent the money, its their responsibility to track the funds down and if needed, replace them. If they can prove it was signed for on a certain date and time, they might be able to get some of the additional interest and penalties waived.

I don't even travel through "rural" areas of Mexico and LifeSource started deferring me about 5 years ago. It used to be, they'd ask where I was, and I'd say "Ixtapa" (or "Huatulco") and they would ask some more questions if they'd never heard of those places. Once they verified these were resort areas, they would mark "Cancun" on their questionnaire, then proceed. Somewhere along the lines, they started looking at maps, etc. and started deferring me. They told me it was because of malaria and hepatitis risks. I guess I could have kept trying, but I got tired of postponing/ rearranging plans so I could donate, then getting up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday only to be deferred.

May I suggest talking with your vet and doing a LOT of research online? Maybe even finding a homeopathic vet? There may be some less evasive ways to hold the infection off and keep her kidneys functioning. From what I just read, kidney failure is one of the biggest risks. Not the same thing, but I've got an older cat with "challenged" kidneys, and I give him subQ fluids at home. My vet showed me how, Gizmo tolerates it well (its not painful to them!) and it makes a huge difference. Plus, being able to do it at home is so much easier on him AND my wallet!

You're a good mommy to your cats. I think if the issue was ONLY money, you would probably find a way to get it done. A lot of vets will work with you and set up payment plans- they may not offer up front, but most will for special circumstances. If the treatment is invasive and traumatizing, probably the best thing to do is keep her as happy and comfy as you possibly can for as long as you can. Especially if she's older, and there's no way to know how successful the treatment will be. I'm so sorry to hear this, because I know just how hard it can be to let go. Big virtual hugs coming your way!

Just a word of advice- if it isn't absolutely stable, chances are your cats won't go near it. That is often an issue with some of the less expensive cat trees out there. If you need to do some of the assembly yourself, you might want to have some extra hardware on hand. My oldest cat used to regularly seek the highest spot in the room. Now that he's almost 17, he prefers laps and beds!

I'd take McVet too, but you have to enjoy the symetry of the whole thing. And out of respect for the lady missing her Tivo, that's all I'm going to say........

There's lots of places I'd love to visit- Bora Bora and Spain top the list right now. I spent a few months in Europe a long time ago, and I'd like to go back someday. I LOVE vacationing in Mexico, and so far, my favorite place there is Huatulco. For me, its got just enough amenities to enjoy my vacation (beautiful beaches, restaurants, hotels with a/c and hot water.....) without being overrun with tourists- I get to practice speaking Spanish, and there are no American fast food chains there.

I vacation in Mexico for a week almost every year. I used to donate whole blood and platelets regularly, but a few years ago they started deferring me because of my vacations. Its a shame because I have a rare blood type (AB-) and apparently loads of platelets.

This morning. Seems to be done for now and I don't think any of it stuck.

What a beautiful boy! Congrats!

I hate to break it to you, but Killian's is anything BUT Irish. Its made by Coors, if I recall correctly.

Well, I figured Jack's dad would have lost his license for good if he killed a patient on the table because he was drunk. That's why I assumed the flashback took place BEFORE he killed the patient, and that killing the patient and losing his license were the catalyst that sent him to Australia. It makes it even more tragic that way too. I'm not sure they are ALL villains, but there sure was an unusually large number of killers and bad guys on that plane! What makes them NOT villains is the fact that most of them are haunted by their past and what they've done- but of course, that's the hook to the show. Here's a question for you though- I just popped in the first of my Season 2 dvds and watched the Dharma Orientation film again. Could the couple that started the "experiment" be NotHenry and Juliet???