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Dreamer et al, I am very grateful for my federal pension. I'm also saving aggressively in TSP and Roth, but the pension is golden. I also have a small state pension and a 457(b). The state pension system is not doing well, and they just arbitrarily adjusted the COLA from 3% to 2%. Oh man, what a...

I've done it with no consequences, and am about to do it again. As far as I know there is no catch. I don't know if you could do it repeatedly though with the same company (expedia.com or a particular bank for example). Never tried it. The one I just enrolled in is the airline I use the most. I...

My first marriage was at age 21. I hope I'm smarter now but only time will tell. :) Anyway I enjoy my life tremendously now and wouldn't trade it for anything. As I read the "biggest regrets" thread, I am reminded again why it was a good decision. At least in my relentless quest for ER I learned...

Yes, that's me! I am very impressed by your memory. I can't even remember people I met last week! The multiple languages...still a challenge but I'm getting by. :) I've been reading the survey on how many years worked before retirement. At 52 I will have worked full-time for 30 years. It...

Well it's been so long since I last posted here I figured I should start over again with introductions. I am 34. Recently divorced. Thanks to the divorce, my nest egg has shrunk significantly. With all assets combined minus house (which is slightly under water), I am now only at $250K, set back...

That is hardcore! I went to Thunder Bay and Sleeping Giant in September one year, and even then it wasn't very warm. I better stop b*tching about the cold & snow here! :blush:

I live in Minnesota and I don't know ANYONE who got married in December. November maybe, occasionally March, but December??? It's impossible to look nice (hat hair, bulky shoes), and travel is extremely unpredictable. But have a fun time! There won't be much else to do, so it's good you like...

I was travelling Monday - Friday for about 6 months for a job. I never want to do it again. When there was a one week when I didn't travel, I looked in the fridge and realized I had nothing edible at home. Worse, I couldn't even REMEMBER what I typically eat, as it had been very, very long since...

I was/am a really good student, and jump on any opportunity to take a class. However, perhaps like you, my concentration is only on face-to-face time. I found distant learning difficult because I felt less motivated to study. I do think you should investigate the program and make sure it's...

I am just starting a new career from scratch, since I got a little disillusioned with my last career. In my last career, I felt that I had no room to grow. :banghead: Since I'm still in my early 30s, I hope to stick with the new career for another 10 to 20 years. We should definitely be FI by...

Congratulations! Nice progress!!

I wear an under-wire bra all the time, and have taken more than 40 flights this year without any problem. I usually arrive at the airport an hour ahead of the flight for domestic flights, unless it's a holiday, then maybe 1.5 hours. Some things will depend on your airport. Shoes in bins or on...

I was there a few years ago and it was still a pretty sleepy little island. I was surprised it wasn't more touristic since it was so close to Cancun.

Me too! That was very nice. In my last job I worked for a man who was always making inappropriate comments with sexual connotations. I stopped wearing clothes I felt pretty in, because I did not want him to pay any attention to me. That was pretty sad. When that happened, I knew it was time to...

I have had a lot of success since I first started this thread! I've made several trips to the local Goodwill, took one box of books sent to Half Price Books (and made $7), gave many scarves/hats/mittens/sweaters to a friend of mine who teaches English to new immigrants, and, most amazingly...

Second everyone's suggestions, especially Tulum and snorkeling in Cozumel. I also had a great time in Xel-ha and Xcaret. If you like water and caves, snorkeling or diving in the Yucatan's many cenotes is just wonderful. These are underground rivers that appear once every few miles in the form...

I am about to join the federal government as a civilian employee, and I have absolutely no objection to the wage freeze. Our nation is going through tough times. Many people are unemployed for long periods of time. Whatever people say about unemployment benefits, I think it is demoralizing and...

If the situation was that way before the law for a buffer zone is adopted, it's possible that the situation was grandfathered-in, meaning that new laws are not applicable. However, if the new owner did X, the grandfathered-in status is no longer in effect, and he or she should not be able to...

I prefer A because I enjoy more traditional music. B has more of a jazzy air at the end thanks to the sharp notes, but the rest of the melody seems more classical. If you are going for more jazz, then I would suggest add a bit more flair to B throughout the piece. Both sound nice!

I fly out of MSP. I usually check worryfreevacations.com. and travelocity's vacation packages and last-minute deals. Besides the locations you mentioned, they sometimes have good deals for Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. Happy Trails!

Wow! Thank you all for your great suggestions!! There are several that I can implement right away, and some others that may take a while but could be eventually. I haven't watched the shows about hoarders, but probably should! When I was a realtor, I've seen houses by real hoarders, so I know I...

Touche! I know I waste too much time online. It's just infinitely more fun than going through boxes in my basement! P.S. Good idea on the professional clutter buster! I didn't even know they exist. First though, I need to convince DH that we have a problem...

I still have my film camera and lenses, too! It didn't even cross my mind that I would probably never, ever use them again. I also paint, and if I ever have kids, what to do with my paintings will be something my children and grandchildren will have to deal with! Hmmm. On second thought, maybe...

Confession: I have been a hoarder all my life. My mom is a hoarder, my grandma was a hoarder, and it runs in my genes. Earlier this year, I realized I was unable to throw away anything, I mean ANYTHING. Plastic bags, pen caps, you name it. To make things worse, I am also married to a hoarder...

Be very careful. You don't know what your Boss' boss' intentions are. You don't know which side he is on. There are things you might complain about that may actually be his directives. You never know. I would give a couple of generic comments as others suggested, propose a few changes that...