National Update Your Posts Day

[TromboneAl]

This is for all of you who have posted some interesting story or problem that hadn't been resolved, or asked for help with some decision. Today is the day for digging up those old threads (use the search function), and adding a post that tells us what happened.

 

[Buckeye]

I tried to do an update but the thread was deemed to be too old and I wasn't allowed to post a reply.

 

[Martha]

I think you can click on a box to chose to post anyway, even if there is a warning that the thread is old. Let us know if that doesn't work.

 

[Buckeye]

I checked the box prior to previewing my post but then I continued to edit so I maybe I did not recheck it prior prior to posting. I'll try again.

 

[Martha]

I want to know how people are doing with the barking dogs that live next door.

 

[Buckeye]

It worked the second time around.

 

[Leonidas]

I want to know how people are doing with the barking dogs that live next door.

I want to know if your friend got her car back.

 

[Htown Harry]

My TX power company is bankrupt

A happy ending...

 

[Nords]

My spouse's allergy specialist confirmed that she is, indeed, allergic to bug bites.

 

[Telly]

I don't think I've posted anything interesting...

But I would like to know what happened to that guy. What guy? This guy:

Maybe a year ago there was a new poster. A guy who said his high-stress job was killing him. He wanted to do something lower stress. It would mean a drop in income. The problem was that his wife didn't work, and didn't want to reduce lifestyle. She said she had Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, that was why she couldn't even push a vacuum cleaner around once in a while, that it "wouldn't be clean enough" for her standards. She was resisting all talk of getting a job, or letting him downsize his.

I wonder if there was any resolution, or if the guy is still alive.

Maybe he needed to pull an HP... does anyone remember that HP guy's name, the one that was presumed drowned for years? Some of his co-workers suspected that he may have skipped out, that he planted evidence to lead to the idea that he went for a swim in the ocean and drowned. For years they had a special party where they held up fake faces on sticks in his honor. His wife did NOT think it was funny. Wonder why.

He was tracked down years later, IIRC he was working at a marina in Florida.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

inherited house yet to sell, 1 year & 7 months later. only two houses in immediate area have sold in 2008, a noncomp over $8mm & a very similar comp at just over $1mm or about $550/sq ft. other such have sold within a few miles. still no reo's nor preforeclosures of this product type within miles to south. a few miles to north there are about five prefores but they are not good comps as those areas are not as nice. still, just bottom feeders buying so the wait continues.

inherited house is rented for enough to pay the bills but less than it is worth so we can keep a clause in contract allowing us to break lease in case of sale. hopefully the renter, who gets to take advantage of us now, is falling in love with the place so that she will bid against any future potential buyer.

not even considering putting my own house up for sale at this time as it is too silly to sell in this market. altering early retirement plans. just found out that an excommunicated user cousin of mine sold her house (a few towns away) in a month and moved in with her new wealthy boyfriend. that atm is in a very good area yet she sold for $115/sq ft. i was shocked when i looked it up on public records. were i to sell now i should be able to get $220/sq ft for my dump and that would be about 35-40% off peak.

i'm planning now to take substitute teaching certificate class and try teaching to see if i like that. if i do i'll get my teaching certificate and get a job with the local school system to hunker down until the market improves here.

i think we are at bottom but i really can't get a good feel for it at all. don't know if it will be another year or two or five or ten so i might as well prepare for the worst. if it happens to not be the worst, then at worst i've gotten a certificate that will secure me a teaching job wherever future travels might take me. or maybe i'll meet a cute teacher, fall in love and have someone to travel with during summers. stranger things have happened.

 

[Dawg52]

I want to know how people are doing with the barking dogs that live next door.

That would be me.

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/solution-for-barking-dog-25737.html

I'm doing great, the neighbor moved. But before that, the owner moved the dog from the front yard to her backyard. That helped a lot.

 

[donheff]

i'm planning now to take substitute teaching certificate class and try teaching to see if i like that. if i do i'll get my teaching certificate and get a job with the local school system to hunker down until the market improves here.

I was a sub teacher in Chicago back in the early 70s. I found an interesting technique that worked great in Chicago back then - who knows whether it still fits any systems. Chicago employed a fair number of half day teachers. They often taught things like gym, art, and special Ed in small grade schools that couldn't support full time teachers in those disciplines. As a sub I could make myself available for full days or half days. So I would notify the sub center that I was available for a half day morning assignment and then call in during break and register for a half day afternoon assignment. I got some great classes that way. The interesting thing was that when a half day teacher was out for a long period it was hard to get a sub. So I was able to get a regular gym teacher morning assignment for several months and eventually coupled it with an extended assignment at a nearby school - afternoon special ed class of 8 students (that was a fun, rewarding class).

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

hey don. never worked with special ed kids though i'd probably be good at it. you've seen how well i handle the forum participants. in college i used to volunteer tutor troubled kids, the ones who refused to learn during regular classes. was in rough area of tampa called ybor city, especially hard hit back in the 70s, coincidentally. i was pretty successful at helping them learn and found it fun.

i was reading up on the sub pool here but i didn't know of two sessions or really how it works. i think school runs from 7 or 8 in the morning until only 2 or 3 in the afternoon. doesn't sound like much time for two sessions. i have a cousin who teaches kids with speech problems here but she's just now back from summer travel so will learn more from her over the next few weeks.

i don't even know what subject i'd like to concentrate on or even how any of that works yet. but there sure are a lot of positions available. just this week in just this county they've advertised over 30 vacant spots including five pool substitute positions, all within a few miles from my house.

 

[tangomonster]

I was wondering about a woman who used to post questions about which house and mortgage she should get. Possibly her name was Mary? Anyone have an update?

 

[Moemg]

Well my Mother is moving to Florida on Sept.16th and the reality of the move is hitting her hard . She was always totally oriented and now she is starting to lose it . I told my bossy sister that Mom needs a stable enviroment for now and if she needs a break from Mom I would stay at their house`while they travel. I think for the first six months that was a fair offer so my Mom will hopefully stay oriented . The reality of the whole thing is also hitting my sister and I think she's realizing that Mom living with her is not going to be like the Frazier show .

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

from may 2007 Blasted cracked windshields

...i was keeping back at least 150 feet from a dump truck on way up from keys. didn't matter. small rock bounced in front of me. i slowed as much as i could without freaking out the guy behind me. couldn't swerve (cars on either side). watched it hit my hood and i ducked as it hit the windshield. thought it took a big chip but on pulling over the "chip" was just some dirt (though it left a few little nicks on the glass). also it took some paint off the hood about half the size of a dime. sure glad it didn't ding. the new stang has been christened...

found some rusty bits under the hood so had the entire hood structure repainted under warranty. never a ding, now not even a chip. just got it back today. gorgeous & new again.

 

[Martha]

Well my Mother is moving to Florida on Sept.16th and the reality of the move is hitting her hard . She was always totally oriented and now she is starting to lose it . I told my bossy sister that Mom needs a stable enviroment for now and if she needs a break from Mom I would stay at their house`while they travel. I think for the first six months that was a fair offer so my Mom will hopefully stay oriented . The reality of the whole thing is also hitting my sister and I think she's realizing that Mom living with her is not going to be like the Frazier show .

But does she have an old recliner with duct tape on it?

Hope it goes OK with mom.

 

[Moemg]

But does she have an old recliner with duct tape on it?

Hope it goes OK with mom.

No tape on her recliner but she does have a recliner that gives you a push to a standing position and no she does not have a dog but my sister and I are wine snobs and kind of uptight !

 

[Walt34]

Still working on FIL's house to get it sold but the end is finally within sight. Yesterday we finished up the hallway bathroom - repainted, new flooring, vanity, commode, and light fixture. The funds he borrowed for home improvements are now almost exhausted, he's hanging on to about $6k in case the 17-year-old heat pump goes this winter. What's left to do is put some type of floor covering in the basement room that we stripped down to concrete floor and cinder block wall, repaint the master bedroom and bath, and strip the wallpaper in the kitchen and repaint that.

SIL is going to take him to their 2nd home in SC during Thanksgiving week, and when he's "out from underfoot" is when we'll do the master bedroom, bath and kitchen. Whew!

So hopefully by spring he'll have the place sold and be moved into the retirement community. He's been there a couple of times and seems to like the idea of not having to take care of a house and still be able to do what he wants to.

 

[ladelfina]

I wonder what happened to the woman with the family farmland to divvy up.. hope she's doing ok.

Walt, glad your FIL is accepting of the move. You're really to be commended for taking on all that work.

 

[W2R]

In case anybody was wondering whether I caved in and spent my "unclaimed property" check for $4460.50, or put it into my nestegg, here's the breakdown:

$1065.72 (24%) was spent on technology (see below)
$596.55 (13%) was spent on my half of our evacuation expenses
$2798.23 (63%) went to my nestegg

Technology acquired included a new Dell desktop computer, a snazzier wireless router to replace the one that broke, and a new color laserjet printer.

LBYM? What's LBYM? Oh well. It was unexpected money so I decided to spend a little.

 

[ERD50]

T-Al, how's the milk been tasting around your area lately? We need an update!

-ERD50