Paper Bag Floor...Fail

 So, maybe we're friends on Facebook, maybe not, but on August 9, I declared this awesome project done.  And it was beautiful.  WAS.  We had to rip it up.  After a few weeks of hard work, we laid the last coat of polyurethane, and something happened to it and it never dried properly.  It had a layer on top that was dry, but underneath that it was gooey and squishy.  Like a cooked pudding that has formed a layer.

 Here we are on September 19, scraping the whole thing up.  We're working now to fix it properly so it can be beautiful once again.  Keep following for the rest of the story.

Tax Nightmare

So, I'm having a problem with my H & R Block Deluxe at home software.  I spent 4 hours on the phone with: My Employer, H&R Block, and the IRS.  I know, it sounds like a lot of fun!


You have been connected to Elisa T.
Elisa T: Hello PAULETTE, welcome to H&R Block At Home Live Chat Support! Please allow me a few moments to review the information you have submitted to us.
PAULETTE PHELPS: No problem.
Elisa T: Let me check on that for you.
Elisa T: Try this
Elisa T: Click Take Me To in the top right corner of the screen.
Click Wages, Salaries and Tips (W-2) under the Income section. Note: If the box next to the link is not Green, there is no need to check it since there is no information entered in that section, skip to step 9.
PAULETTE PHELPS: I have already attempted this with a rep on the phone.
Elisa T: When you attemted this it didn't work?
PAULETTE PHELPS: No, I tried 2 more times to submit it and it still rejected.
Elisa T: The only other option since you did check with your employer and it was correct then you have to print and mail in the return.
PAULETTE PHELPS: The IRS said that it looks to be something wrong with your systems because it is transmitting the wrong EIN to them.
Elisa T: Yes Ms. Paulette but to be on the safe side you can print and mail the return, it may take a bit longer but at least you know what they are getting.
PAULETTE PHELPS: There is no fix for this, or technical support? Can it be researched? I hate to spend money on the system, and it not work correctly.
Elisa T: Yes Ms. Paulette I'm technical support but the instructions that you received before mentioned that if they didn't work then the only option is to mail in the return.
Elisa T: The system works only it has a glitch.
PAULETTE PHELPS: That is what I mean, if it has a glitch then it doesn't work.
Elisa T: That issue is being researched even as we chat there have been some same incidents but the bosses are looking into it.
PAULETTE PHELPS: Is there a time frame for correction, or a ticket/reference number that I can look into it again?
Elisa T: Not necesarilly but as soon as we do receive a any changes we are notified and we get sent our most updated information.
Elisa T: But for now all you can do is mail the return in.
PAULETTE PHELPS: Okay, so how can I be notified of an update?
Elisa T: You won't be notified as I've researched this issue since you have tried to troubleshoot this and didn't work the first time all that means is that the IRS is not recognizing it but since you mentioned that you verified with your employer you would still have to print and mail the return into the IRS.
Elisa T: Is there anything else I can assist you with today?
Elisa T: I would like to let you know that you may receive a short Customer Satisfaction Survey by e-mail in the next day or two. If you could take a moment to provide me with some feedback on my performance today, I would really appreciate it.
Elisa T: Thank you for contacting H&R Block's At Home Support, PAULETTE, and we look forward to supporting you in the future!
Thank you for using H&R Block At Home Technical Support. Your satisfaction is important to us. You'll soon receive a short survey via e-mail. Please share your thoughts about your service experience. Your chat has now ended. Please close this window.

Universal Property and Casualty Insurance is Cancelling our Policy!

Universal Property and Casualty Insurance Company is cancelling policies if they believe that you have a dog that is at least 50% of the following breeds:

Chow

Doberman

German Shepard

Pit Bull

Presa Canarios

Rottweiler

Staffordshire Terrier

Akita

American Eskimo

If you have a dog that even looks like one of these breeds, they will cancel due to ineligible breed, unless you can have your veterinarian produce documentation stating otherwise.  That documentation is in the form of DNA testing at a cost upwards of $300.  Insurance companies and their property inspectors should have training on how to spot a dangerous animal, and not ban animals based on their breed which has little to do with how they were raised.  We are asking that they use the Canine Good Citizen Certification that is run by the AKC or a similar program.

The CDC strongly recommends against breed-specific laws in its oft-cited study of fatal dog attacks, noting that data collection related to bites by breed is fraught with potential sources of error (Sacks et al., 2000). Specifically, the authors of this and other studies cite the inherent difficulties in breed identification (especially among mixed-breed dogs) and in calculating a breed’s bite rate given the lack of consistent data on breed population and the actual number of bites occurring in a community, especially when the injury is not deemed serious enough to require treatment in an emergency room (Sacks et al., 2000; AVMA, 2001; Collier, 2006). Supporting the concern regarding identification, a recent study noted a significant discrepancy between visual determination of breed and DNA determination of breed (Voith et al., 2009).

Pasted from <http://www.aspca.org/about-us/policy-positions/breed-specific-legislation-1.aspx>

Dog bite statistics

An estimated 4.7 million dog bites occur in the U.S. each year.

Nearly 800,000 dog bites require medical care.

Approximately 92% of fatal dog attacks involved male dogs, 94% of which were not neutered

Approximately 25% of fatal dog attacks involved chained dogs

 Approximately 71% of bites occur to the extremities (arms, legs, hands, feet)

 Approximately two-thirds of bites occurred on or near the victim’s property, and most victims knew the dog

The insurance industry pays more than $1 billion in dog-bite claims each year

At least 25 different breeds of dogs have been involved in the 238 dog-bite-related fatalities in the U.S.

Approximately 24% of human deaths involved unrestrained dogs off of their owners’ property

Approximately 58% of human deaths involved unrestrained dogs on their owners’ property

Breed-specific legislation (BSL)

In response to these statistics, many communities have enacted breed-specific legislation (BSL) that prohibits ownership of certain breeds, such as pit bulls, Rottweilers and others.

Any breed of dog can bite, and research suggests BSL does little to protect the community from dog-bite incidents.

In fact, BSL can often have unintended consequences -- such as black-market interest and indiscriminant breeding practices -- resulting in subsequent breed overpopulation that leads to increases in the number of homeless, stray and euthanized dogs.

Enforcement of BSL has been shown to be very costly and extremely difficult to enforce. One county in Maryland spent more than $560,000 maintaining pit bulls (not including payroll, cross-agency costs and utilities), while fees generated only $35,000.

Responsible breeding and ownership, public education and enforcement of existing laws are the most effective ways of reducing dog bites.

American Humane supports local legislation to protect communities from dangerous animals, but does not advocate laws that target specific breeds of dogs.

Change.org|Start an Online Petition

Moving out of ICU!

My Dad's doctor signed the order to release him from ICU to the step down unit!  I visited with him yesterday, and he was much more awake and aware of what was happening.  His BP was a bit high, but I guess they are just watching it.  He had a chest X-Ray the other day, and he had a little fluid in his lungs, but we're hoping that will go away now that he doesn't have to be laying down all the time.  My oldest sister is flying in today from Pensacola to spend some time with him.  The bleeding from his ear has stopped.  The cardiologist is going to run a stress test as soon as the neurologist clears him.  Overall he's doing much better, but still in a lot of pain.

Status on my Dad

4/27/12 11:00 AM

Bert was flown to ORMC after blacking out and falling while walking the dog.

A CAT scan revealed a Left Temporal Fracture, and a Sub Arachnoid hemorrhage in his Left Frontal Cortex (Small Brain Bleed)

He also has a Thoracic Spine Fracture (Mid-Back) His spinal cord was not displaced.  He has feeling in his hands and feet and is able to move them.

He has received 5 bags of platelets so far, since he is on an aspirin regimen, as a precautionary step in case he needs surgery.

They believe he may have also fractured his rib on his right side, as he is having quite a bit of pain there. NO FRACTURE, JUST A BAD BRUISE

He has a cut in his left ear which the neurologist will re-evaluate this morning. BLEEDING WAS CAUSED BY FRACTURE AT BASE OF SKULL, NOT A CUT.

His cardiac enzymes were just slightly elevated (Normal is .05, he was .29)

His blood sugar was in a normal range for him (200s)

He was admitted to the ICU for observation.  He had a second CAT scan this morning and as of 11:00 AM.  We are still awaiting the results.

3:00 PM Update
No surgery at this time.
The CAT scan revealed a second fracture at the base of his skull that was not seen on the first CAT scan.  
His ribs are not fractured, but badly bruised.  
They placed a central line to deliver a 3% sodium drip to remove some water from his blood and "dry it up" to facilitate the swelling in his brain.  
The second fracture is also to blame for the bleeding from his left ear, not a cut.  He has a consult with an ENT regarding the bleeding.
Around 1:00 PM he had an Echo-cardiogram, and we will discuss the results with the doctors later.

Money Rhymes

I found this super cute money rhyme for the kids, and I had to make it up quick!

Mine isn't quite as cute, but it's functional.  I used this free font, but you can just copy and paste it! The money came from Staples.

Penny, Penny, easily spent copper brown and worth 1 cent!

Nickel, Nickel, thick and fat you’re worth 5 cents, I know that!

Dime, Dime, little and thin I know in cents you’re worth 10!

Quarter, Quarter big and bold you’re worth 25 cents I’m told!

A penny’s worth one

A nickel’s worth five

A dime is worth ten

And a quarter 25!

Hey…Honey Bunny!  I know…my money, money!

Household Management Binder

I've been doing a lot of work to get more organized this year as we start preparing for our taxes.  About this time every year, I'm looking through insurance paperwork to find how many times we went to the doctor and the co-pays and prescription information.

I first came across this idea when I was doing Fly Lady a few years ago.  Then I had another baby and all of that went out the window.  I've renewed my quest for organization, and started pinning!!



I found quite a few different ideas, but I decided that not everything was a fit for me, so of course I have to make my own. I'm in the process of expanding the documents, but I'll share them here so you can see them!

Paulette's Monthly Cleaning Schedule

Pin It

Growing Green Onions -- A Pinterest I did it!

Source: homemadeserenity.blogspot.com via Paulette on Pinterest

I saw this, and I didn't really think it would work.  Last week Monday, was Chinese New Year, and I used quite a few bunches of green onions.  I figured I would give it a try.

Here they are after one week.

You can see where I made the initial cut to the onions.

They have doubled in size, and they start growing almost immediately!  I really hope that these last, because it is really awesome!  Thanks pinterest!

Go Ahead and Buy that No Touch Soap Dispenser

Been holding off buying one of these, because the refills are so ridiculously priced?  No problem, refill them!

My 64 oz. soap cost $4.99.  Those refills hold 8.5 oz for $4.99.  One of these big guys will refill 10 of the small ones.  That's a savings of $4.50 each!  And that is if you use the soap at full strength!  I often water it down, because it dispenses too much soap for a single handwashing, especially if most of the handwashing is done by kids.  I use about 1/3 - 1/4 water.  It still feels nice and thick, but its thin enough for the kids.

You will need your empty refill container, soap of your choosing, and one of these cheapo condiment squirt bottles.  Please have a dedicated bottle for this, and don't use ones you've used for food.  Fill up your squirt bottle with soap, and pop it into the top of the refill container.  You will defeat the valve temporarily with the nozzle.

Fill it up to the bottom of the colored cap, and pop it on your dispenser!

Linking up!!

Make Your Own Bisquick One Picture Post

Linking up!