July 2016

This blog represents a period of misery in my life. I was working at a miserable job..with miserable people and home wasn't all that satisfying either. It was so irritating to get continuously screwed over by one company or another. I have not learned to live with it all but there is no sense in complaining when no one is reading this but me. I cut off these companies, I don't buy from those that sell things and don't patronize anything else I have a problem with. It is time to move on....

T-M Vacuum

Or I could call this TM Vacuum of Cinnaminson, NJ, anything to get hits and let the world know that T-M Vacuum is the worst employer and one of the most evil companies in the state of NJ, possibly the entire United States. What gives me the right to judge, other than the "Freedom of Speech" thing- I've worked for some pretty evil companies. I had a previous employer who went to jail for child pornography and weapons charges and I still don't consider that employer as evil as T-M Vacuum. The name of the victim and certain other innocent employees will be changed, the guilty will be named, other than that, here's the story as I know it:
Courtney majored in welding at BCIT throughout high school. She won several awards for welding at the graduation ceremony. She started a full time job the day after she graduated as a welder and loved every minute of it. She worked at that company for a few years before a freak accident with a peice of wire put her out of work for a little while. Then the recession hit full force and work was scarce. She was finally referred to a company as a secondary machine operator and was hired. At the same time, an ex co-worker told her that T-M Vacuum was looking for a welder. It seems Mikey, who she had once worked with, and who now worked at T-M Vacuum was out on workers comp, I beleive for the 4th time in his career (including both employers, of course) and T-M Vaccuum was looking for a welder. So Courtney applied there. When she filled out the application, she forgot to put her first name. When they called to talk to her, they seemed surprised that they were actually calling for a female instead of a male but they hesitantly allowed her to come in for an interview. The had her weld and ran what she did through a vacuum test. This was something that they had never required of an applicant. After all the questions and tests, she passed, they hired her and she was thrilled. She called the other company she had been offered a job with and thanked them for the offer but she really wanted to be a welder again so she was accepting the other job.
DAY 1: The first day was tough. Face it, it may be the 21st century but men don't know how to react to a woman in their territory. No one talked to her but one of the supervisors, we'll call him "Bob", oh wait, that is his real name, oh well. Bob was not very welcoming or very helpful but Bob did tell her it she was only "temporary". That was a surprise, no one had said that upon hire.
DAY 2: Courtney went into the office and asked if this was a temporary job. She told them that she had been offered another job with room for advancement so she would appreciate the truth.They told her that it was a permanent position. Upon returning to the work area, the atmosphere was totally different. Her co-workers were surprised that she returned and she assured them she wasn't a quitter.
DAY 5: Having planned and paid for a vacation week in May, Courtney turned in a vacation request.
DAY 6 through Week 4: Courtney was very happy working at T-M Vacuum. She had made friends, met the owner.Bob continued to be unfriendly, but you can't please everyone. She never had one critisism for all her work. In the back of her head, she wondered why she never got her vacation request back, could this be a sign as to what was to come?
THE CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON: T-M Vacuum provided a very nice luncheon. Mikey was at this luncheon and said he was coming back after the New Year [holiday].
WEEK 6, DAY 1: The holidays are over and it was back to work. Roland, the shop foreman, had shaved and gotten a hair cut over the holidays. She thought it made Roland look sadder. She noticed he wasn't smiling anymore. He didn't talk much to Courtney that day. Unfortunately, this was another sign. That evening, at home, she expressed concern that Mikey was returning to work soon and she had been working in his work area. Where were they going to move her? There didn't seem to be any space for another welding station.
WEEK 6, DAY 2: Business as usual. The thought stayed in the back of her mind, where would they put her? Why hadn't she received her vacation request back?
WEEK 6 DAY 3: Courtney asked Roland that morning where she was going to be when Mikey returned. Roland said he didn't know. Towards the end of the day, Roland called Courtney in his office. He told her that the chamber she built had failed the vacuum test. He told her that her welds were bad. He told her that he was letting her go. He said she could finish out the day or leave. Being the trooper that she is, she stayed and finished the day. Shocked that this had happened after all this time. If her welds were so bad, why would it have taken them all this time to notice? She went back to her area and told the lead welder what had happened. She asked him if her welds had been bad. He said they weren't. He realized that Mikey was coming back. He walked her to her car, on the way, he passed Roland and told him what he thought of him.
She went home and collapsed. Broken. Distraught. Feeling like a failure. After 5 years of welding, she beleived Roland when he told her that her welding was bad. But we know the truth, don't we? It was always a temporary job. She was hired as a replacement until Mikey came back. We know the FMLA laws and that his job has to be held. My question to T-M Vaccum is why did you have to be a bunch of liars? She asked you on day 2 and you blatantly lied to her. NJ is an AT-WILL state. You could have just told her you were letting her go you didn't have to destroy her confidence. You didn't have to make up lies. You could have at least been decent about it. You are barking up the wrong tree if you think she would make sexual discrimination charges. She knows this is a man's world she is in and has accepted it as that along time ago.
JUSTICE: There is reason for everything. I beleive justice is always served in the end although we probably will never know. It's funny how it was assumed that Bob was just an asshole, when actually he was the only honest one. I hope the reason that Roland seemed unhappy for the 2 days preceeding the incident, is that he was feeling guilty for the wrong he was about to do and I hope that guilt wakes him up in the middle of the night for a very long time. Fred and T-M Vacuum in general, I hope that Mikey continues to increase your workers comp premium until you are eventually run out of business. You will get yours in the end.
We did a novena to Saint Jude, Patron Saint of Lost Causes, for Courtney to get this job so "If the Lord takes you to it, he can get you through it", right? Or is the lesson, be careful what you wish for?

Computer Viruses

If all the nut jobs in the world with the talent to create havoc with computer viruses would use their talent to fix the problems of the world...imagine what a better world we would live in. Do you know why they don't-they are a bunch of COWARDS!

On Plus Size Fashion

Here's what I have to say to the fashion industry:
Reality check #1=If you sell plus size clothing and your catalogs feature size 2 models swimming in super large clothes and the outfit looks ridiculously horrible on them: Guess what? a size 20 woman is certainly not going to look good in that outfit either. They are probably going to look worse! Be for real!
Reality check #2=Who came up with the idea that a pair of jeans with a boot cut leg elongates the leg making the body appear thinner? Maybe it gives taller women that illusion but if you are under 5'7" your legs look fatter and you aren't fooling anyone with this look!
Reality check #3=Who came up with all these loud, wild print tops? Most woman that are larger up top don't want to draw attention to that point. They don't want all the focus on the upper part of their body. They don't want to wear bright orange, mixed with hot pink and royal blue geometric patterns! Most women (with any class) also don't want to be flashing 3" of cleavage. One can only assume that a man dictated this fashion faux pas, thinking a woman should should flaunt that "asset"? Again, let's get real...

On Black Clouds

Funny thing about black clouds: they don't stay forever. When they've been hanging over your head for a long time, and then move away, albeit temporarily, sometimes you're left numb.
I haven't blogged in a while. I don't want to say it's because I haven't had much to complain about (with the exception of healthcare and politics, but who doesn't complain about those things?) I didn't want my blog to be one continuous complaint after another. I wanted to help. There's also the fact that I haven't made any major purchases due to healthcare cost issues. Unfortunately, I do know a few people who are going through life with my black clouds over their heads. They will get through it all too. I believe if the Lord takes you too it, the Lord will get you through it. I know things can always be worse, so I hoped I never came off as feeling sorry for myself. What I have experienced this time around- is that when the clouds moved away, I was left feeling empty. Somewhat defeated. I was not left in a place where I can experience joy either. But I guess "numb" is a safe place, so I must be here for a reason. Or can it be? Am I getting to old for all this?

Leaf Guard Gutters

I had Leaf Guard gutters installed last year. I thought they were a great idea....wrong...the birds think they are a great idea but that is about it. I was leary about having "open" gutters but anxious to get my old gutters replaced, not just anxious, desperate. The water pooring into my basement was getting scary. Replacing the gutters did fix the problem. This spring, I think just about every small bird on the east coast discovered that my gutter was the perfect place to build a nest a start a family. It is so bad that the bricks that make up my front steps are erroding due to the constant waterfall pouring onto them from the clogged gutters. As usual let the buyer beware...especially in times of desperation!

2007 Toyota Tacoma

We have a 2007 Toyota Tacoma. At 16,000 miles the clutch needs replaced. 16,000 miles.... not 50,000, not even 25,000 miles,...... 16,000. Toyota claims this is not covered by the warranty because it is normal "wear and tear". What is normal about needing a new clutch at 16,000? I say nothing. I think maybe Toyota is putting out defective vehicles with defective parts and claiming it is "normal wear and tear" if a clutch goes at 16,000 miles. Now I could see if there was a pile of metal sitting in my driveway from grinding the crap out of the gears, or if maybe.....a very slim maybe....if the driver of the vehicle was inexperienced at driving a stick, but neither of these are the case. Toyota headquarters is holding their ground about the normal wear and tear thing. Maybe, we, the taxpayers, should be helping to bail them out too if they can't afford to put decent parts on a $30,000 truck. Any body else want to stand in line with their hands out?

American Standard Toilets, Part 3

Just to keep you updated, I am on my 3rd flusher handle. The flushing mechanism appears too difficult/heavy to pull up without staining, so the handle keeps snapping off. The toilet continues to clog. I actually got a co-worker to return the one they purchased after hearing all the problems I have had.

College and the Middle Class

I could make this short and sweet and just say-forget about it! But if you have read other posts in my blog, you will know by now that I can't do that.
I can't say that when I graduated from high school that I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. Ah Contrare! I didn't have a clue. I knew I wasn't interested in college. I joined the ranks of the full time working world and carved my career plan for life. I didn't know it at the time but that is another story.
My son was lost and scared upon graduating high school. (Weren't we all?) We went to college fairs when he was in 7th or 8th grade, he was always interested in art. He decided to try a semester at community college, after graduation. It wasn't a good fit.
He started to puruse Art schools. Prefering a suburban area, we checked out the Art Institute of York, PA. We had compared several schools for programs and tuition costs, as well as pre-requisites for acceptance. To visit the school, I decided to follow the GPS directions. That will never happen again. The estimated 2 hour trip had crawled onto 3 hours in no time. We road on every off-the-beaten path that existed between Lancaster and York. We were placed behind several buggies, (cool, but I didn't want to be driving behind one) and even re-routed (due to either a fire or a truck driving into a house, I'm not clear on that one). I was suprised to see that AI of York, looked like a two story office building. It was very small. We came in the back way, past the Shoehouse, past several farms, by a row of townhouses and then entered a small industrial park. The program seemed to be a good fit. I wasn't sure about the rest of it. I did my financial aide preparation over the next week. I was disheartened to see that PA won't give NJ residents state aide and vice-versa. I am a middle class wage earner. I worked long and hard to repair my credit after a bad marriage. I worked even harder on earning more money. Sometimes, I worked several jobs at a time, mostly working from home. In the past two years, after taking a second job, I was doing better than I ever had. Of course, I sabatoged myself with that one. My parents didn't put me through college. It didn't work that way. I figured it out on my own over a span of 10 years, but at least I figured it out. Right? I thought he'd appreciate an education, if he had to work for it. We were not eligible for any free money and a very minimal Stafford loan. I was told there was a parent loan (PLUS) that I should apply for. They said everyone was being turned down for them, because of the economy, and if I wasn't approved, he would be entitled to more Stafford Loans. Of course, I was approved. Someone out there decided that I could afford to pay back $60,000 in principal and interest. I am supposed to come up with an extra $600 per month, if my son doesn't pay it. No wonder this economy is bad. They garnish your wages over these loans. Or, my son, would be paying more than that back over a 10 year period. With starting wages estimated to be about $35,000 per year, he would have to live with me until he was 30. So in conclusion, it seems to me that you have to be poverty stricken or extremely wealthy to go to college these days. If you're middle class, forget about it!

on Windowizards

Even though the housing market has become a little (and I mean a LITTLE) more reasonable, I think houses are still overpriced. I wanted to move to a little "more house" now that my kids are out of school, but six months later and the economy being as scary as it is, I realized I can't afford "more house" even in townships with less-than-desirable school districts. I feel sorry for all the people that got suckered into overpriced houses with interest-only mortgages that they would never be able to pay when the principal payments became do. Greedy banks/mortgage companies and home owners put a hefty nail in the coffin of the American dream, not the President or the government (but that is another rant). So before I get off the subject, I decided to make the unusable spaces in my house, more usable. I had useless enclosed porch. (I don't understand why people do that.) This porch had custom made windows. Well not really windows, more like an outer single pain storm window and a custom built interior storm window with nothing in between. The whole room is on a slant. There is a good 2" difference from where the side wall touches the house and the front exterior wall. A challenge for any window installer. The front door was not the standard 80" door and the framework between the sidelites and the door where very thin. My brother used "Castle Windows" and was very unhappy. They put the wrong windows on his enclosed porch on the back of his house- but he learned to live with it. I researched Windowizards and read a lot of good feedback on them. The salesman came out and we discussed the pros and cons of replacing the doors and windows vs. turning it back into an open porch. I decided to go with the replacements. The windows were very nice and I very reasonably priced. I got 2 large sliders for the front of the house (at the salesman's suggestion)and decided to go with 2 regular pane windows on each side so I could put in a window air conditioner. I need to seriously think about the front door though with the 2 sidelites. I was expecting $1500 and it was really more like $3000. I decided to go for it, albeit painfully, but I thought realized I was putting these beautiful windows in with this old, drafty, wood/glass door in desperate need of TLC with a non-working lock. The carpenter was out about a week later measuring so everything could be ordered. After the carpenters visit, the salesman called to tell me since the framework around the door was not standard size, he wanted an extra $500. I said I didn't want the door then because it was so much anyway. We argued and guess what-I didn't pay the extra $500. The order arrived and was installed 2 weeks before the ETA. That was great. They did a beautiful job and the windows and the door look great. The space is now usable living space. Yea!! There was one set back. Two days after the door was installed I noticed all the wood on the base of the door jam was breaking off. Was this the result of the carpenter not getting his $500?? I sent the salesman a picture on a Saturday and Monday morning they said their service department would be out on Thursday to do the repairs. They were and I am quite happy with the finished product and my "new" room.

on Irish's Concrete

I wanted to put a deck on my house and I actually know a very good builder. He's just a little slow on getting back to me. I wanted a fairly large size deck, 20x18. I was going back and forth between using pre-treated wood or composite materials. I like to consider myself enviromentally conscientious, but this is a very controversal subject. On one hand, wood will decompose quickly and on its own. It would involve alot of painting and up keep. On the other hand, composite materials are basically plastic, they will be around for a long-long time, longer than us. They will scratch and fade and emit posionous gases/carcinogens that we are not aware of (look what has been discovered about water bottles and #5 plastics). The house will fall down before the deck will. Did I really want to spend 3x as much for this kind of deck? When the estimate came in at $12, ooo for regular wood, I decided to pursue other options. My builder suggested concrete. I went on line and found I liked stamped concrete. I called a few contractors and settled on a company called "Irish's Concrete". Joe Irish answered the phone right away. He was at my house the next day with a book that had a variety of styles and colors to choose from. It was March, so there season hadn't quite begun. I ordered a stone path stamp and the colors I wanted. Joe suggested a curved style to add character, in leiu of a rectangle. In a matter of a few days, I had a beautiful 20x18 patio and front walkway and they removed the "sidewalk to nowhere" that stopped about 6 feet short of the road in front of my house(?). All this in the neighborhood of about $3500. They were efficient and professional and very reasonable. I highly recommend them!!!! Five stars! I think there is a picture of my patio on his website gallery but it just shows the stamp and color not the whole patio. http://www.irishsconcrete.com/

on "Dollar" Rental Cars

Actually, this really isn't specific to Dollar, they are all sneaky rip-off artists but since I used Dollar, I'll pick on them specifically. You want to rent a car but you aren't really sure how far you'll be driving. You go on line and look for a budget. At Orlando International Airport, that low priced winner appeared to be Dollar. For a mere $63.10, I could rent a small economy car for two days. I made the reservation and put in my "frequent flyer" miles account, they asked, why would I question it? By the time you pick the car up and get the paperwork you are up to $86, this includes the $0.95 per day charge for accumulating frequent flyer miles. I was asked if I wanted to pre-pay for a tank of gas at their current price per gallon of $2.69. I declined thinking I wouldn't be using that much gas. After driving to my destination, I realized I just may use a tank a gas. I called Dollar the next day and asked if I would be able to bring the car back empty, they said yes, never mentioned anything about paying a whole lot more than the going rate. I returned the car having used about 5/8ths of the tank. The attendant goes in the car and hands me a receipt for an additional charge of $71.38 for gas. Virgin car renters-beware!

on NJ Junk

I took a week off and decided to do some things around the house. I removed wallpaper and painted my living room. I cleaned out my attic. I decided to replace my shed that was falling apart. Upon inspection of the shed, I realized that everything in it was destroyed, there were creatures and eggs and all kinds of lovely things living in it, as well as the cat that I scared, that went running. I decided to search Craigslist to find someone that would remove it and the other trash from the attic. I sent messages to two people. I then found a website for NJ Junk and sent them an email. I never heard from the two people I emailed on Craigslist but NJ Junk called me later that day. There were at my house 36 hours later. They pulled up in a very large truck. I thought it was way too big for what I had to remove. They gave me an estimate of $425. I thought this was high at first, but then I thought about the critters in the shed and all that was involved in removing the trash and decided to go for it anyway. They were quick, efficient and even swept up the concrete blocks under the shed. My trash, to my embarrassement, filled up the truck. Mark, one of the guys that came out, was very polite. The money was well worth it and I highly recommend them.

on Eddie B Plumbing

The company I used to work for used Eddie B's for their plumbing needs. When I had the problems with my toilet running, I called Eddie B's to come out. I also wanted a quote to put a water connection on the driveway side of my house. They were out the next business day. The advise I got was to buy a new toilet. They said they would want $325 to install the water connection and could be out in two days to do it, which would be a Wednesday. Wednesday came and went, they never showed. I called the office and was told they never scheduled it but they would come out the next day to do it. I wasn't available that day, so I said I would call when I wanted it. That was 2 months ago. I can't seem to get past the no-show.

on Harris Fence Company

I had my 4 ft green chain link fence installed by Harris Fence Company in 2001. It took too months to get the fence installed because it was summer and that is there busy time. I ordered it in July and it was installed in September. When I had the gate installed, I opted for a little garden gate instead of a big swinging gate. Seven years later, I was thinking about installing a detached one car pre-fab garage. I called Harris Fence to come out and give me an estimate on replacing the garden gate with a swinging gate. I called on a Tuesday. The gentleman that answered the phone said he would be at my house Thursday at 1pm. As it happened my daughter was home from work that day, so I didn't have to leave work to meet him. It's a good think. He never showed up. I called Harris's office at 2pm and was told I probably talked to Keith and he called out that day. He would call me tomorrow (Friday). He never called. I then changed my mind about getting the gate changed. Their loss. If the economy is supposed to be so bad...why don't businesses want business???

On Gutters

I didn't realize how important proper gutters are. I watched the water pour down in sheets above the front window of my house. A year after I had my driveway paved, the water started filling up in my basement. Their were several occassions in which I had to wet vac a few inches of water out if it. These were the times the sump pump decided not to work. It took me a while to realize what the real problem was. There was a drainage pipe from the gutters, on the front corner of the house. This drain just dumped all that water down my, now paved, driveway and seeped into the basement. Most of the gutters were barely hanging on to the house. I did my infamous- online -research and decided to go with a covered gutter, although there were very mixed reviews. Joe Salesman came out with his little bag of samples and his lovely laminated book. I didn't feel like playing the old "Bathfitters" game but I needed gutters ASAP. Joe Salesman pulled the old "I don't know if I can go that cheap, let me call my manager" bullshit that they so like to play. I called him on it, but I still overpaid. Apparently, the game is like this, you say "no that is too much money". They leave and if it is the right timing, you can get that price dropped to 1/3 of the original estimate. I didn't know that at the time, but now I am telling you. Trying to research gutter prices on line is a bit unrealistic. I tried this and got prices of anywhere from $1.60 to $2.20 per foot. I don't know if installation was included. I paid 3x times that amount. I got the LeafGuard brand gutters. The installers were on time and quick. They were here and gone before I knew it. I did not get the drain along the driveway and I don't have that sheet of water running down the front of my house. Part of the reason I went with this company, was that they were supposed to replace the rotted wood on the soffet that was ruined from being wet. I am pretty sure I had bad wood and they didn't replace any of it. I had them come out and told them the places I could see that were bad but they insisted there was nothing wrong with the wood. They said it wasn't rotted it was just marks from where the nails were on the previous gutters. I am happy to not have water in the basement, although right now, maybe I regret that because maybe the fleas would drown. But, with my luck, it is more likely they would float to the top of the water and make way for the rest of my house, instead of being confined to the basement. I have heard good reviews on "The Gutter Guys" but I have not had a personal experience with that company.

Don't buy American Standard toilets, part 2

I found out that, of course, American Standard has their own "specially" sized tank lever. It was my third trip to Home Depot, after discovering this fact online (which wasn't easy), that I found, in small print, a lever that says "for American Standard toilets". It actually fits and works. The plumber came out again and said if the water starts to leak from the shut off valve again, the pipe would have to be replaced. Yee-hah, something else to look forward too. Upon further research, I found a posting from a lawyers office from August 2007 concerning a class action law suit against American Standard for the same problems I was having. Go figure???? I filled out the necessary information but it is now a year later so I don't know what has become of it or if I can still put my two cents in.

On the Indestructible Flea

My basement was/is infested with fleas. Through much research, I am extremely grossed out and amazed at the strength of the cat flea. I also know much more than I ever wanted to know. Fleas can go dormant for two years! They hide and reproduce constantly. The live for 200 days. Even if you kill the adult in another week or two you have a whole new generation of infestation. One of the best ways of controlling a flea population after treating is to vaccuum. I have learned from experience this does pretty much nothing on a concrete basement floor. I ran out and bought enough of a product called "Hot Shot" to treat my whole house. I purchased this product because it didn't require you to put out the pilot lights. I removed the pets from the house, treated them and followed the directions on the box. It stated that you may have to do treatment again in 2 to 4 weeks. Twenty-Four hours later, I had just as many fleas as I had the day before. There were not any type of dead insects at all in my basement or anywhere else in my house either. In a long moment of anger I sent a letter to the manufacturer who promptly refunded my money. My next attempt was "Raid" fogger. In the mean time I was using a spray Raid flea killing product. The fogger did kill some crickets and the flea population seemed to dwindle but they were still there. Hiding in wait to attack....I have gotten into the habit of going into the basement wearing shorts so I can see how many fleas jump on my "glow-in-the-dark" white legs. Gross, yes, and it freaks me out too, but I don't know how else to know. I end up jumping around screaming and swatting at them, which, by the way is completely ineffectual. I took the dogs the vet because I thought the older dog was getting sick from the treatments. He gave the dogs cortisone shots and treated them with Frontline. He warned me that I will probably have to keep treating for six months. I was very disenheartened but felt better about the dogs being taken care of. I have managed to keep the fleas in the basement, although the vet did say if the dogs went in the basement, the fleas would bite them and die but that seems cruel to me, so I can't do it. This has all been very expensive ( I've calculated a good $500 so far) and not getting any cheaper as time goes by. What else is new? I have spent hundreds of dollars trying to exterminate these fleas. As a last resort, before calling a professional or moving (which I am seriously debating) I have purchased several cans of a product called "Ultracide". Ultracide claims to be professional strength, serious flea killer that lasts through a complete flea season, although I am not sure what that means. Is it like, winter, spring, summer, fall or is it the life cycle of a flea? I was so excited when the box arrived. At this point, I am broke and exhausted. I open the box, read the directions and start spraying. 24 hours passed. I went down in the basement, near the washer and dryer and stomped around a bit. They are drawn to the vibration of footsteps. Nothing jumped on me so I waited a little longer, afraid to get too excited. I walked to another section and nothing! The excitement I had been restraining all day was building, could this finally be over? Then I walked to the darker, far corner and boom; 4 fleas jumped on my ankles. My heart sunk. I grabbed a new spray can and went crazy spraying all over again. I will probably be dead before the fleas are from inhaling all that poison. If this is my last post...you'll know why.
UPDATE: Ultracide did not kill the fleas.
Another update: I called 2 exterinators today. One said they would charge $160 + tax to spray. The other said it seems like I have done everything I was supposed to do, so give it another week and see what happens. I put on a respirator and sprayed the basement like crazy with 2 cans of Ultraside for 880 square feet. One can is supposed to do 2630 square feet.
UPDATE: I tried Borax and it didn't do anything. The Ultracide seemed to "reduce" the population but didn't get rid of them. I then read that fleas like warmth and dampness. (I sure don't want them to feel comfortable.) I do have a dehumidifier in my basement, so I turned that on. Again, that seemed to help and there seemed to be less of a population. One of my dogs did run into the basement when the door was open ( I wasn't looking) and trotted all over the place. She picked of several fleas but they didn't drop off and die as the vet said they would. She was scratching like crazy for several days and I was getting bit again. I had eight bites accross my shoulder in a matter of minutes. I put Frontline on her again, 2 weeks earlier than I was supposed to. I won't let that happen again.
I did "bomb" again this weekend. I doubled the amount of bombs I had previously used. They are the "Raid Fumigators" and you don't have to turn the pilot lights off. I walked all over the basement in my white tube socks (that I bought just to test the # of fleas).I didn't think I picked up any but a little while later I did notice one crawling up the sock. I killed it, but the next day I was bit on my calf, so they are lingering. I don't like using all those chemicals but my washer and dryer are in the basement and I hate going down there. Maybe the answer is just persistence. You would think with nothing to eat they would die and I'm hoping that the colder weather might help but I'm not sure. I can't even get up the nerve to vacuum the concrete. I am so tired of being bitten. To be continued...

About Sam

We had a cat. He was not the nicest cat, nor was he the friendliest cat but he warmed up to some people. Unfortunately, I was never one of them, but I did my best to take care of him. For a few years he lived his life hanging out in the window, or hiding under things where he couldn't be found. He lived peacefully with our dog. Then my daughter got a scottish terrier. The scottie is a warrior, he wants to fight everything on four legs. His natural instinct was to attach the cat. So the cat, became more and more of a recluse. He took to hiding in the basement. As time went by, the cat got used to hearing the click of the scotties claws as he wondered around the first floor of the house. After awhile, he knew when the scottie was tucked away in bed and it was safe to emerge from the basement. I put a little door on the basement door so he could come and go as he pleased but he wouldn't go near it. I ended up having to block it off so the scottie didn't go through it and attach the cat. I felt bad for the cat and I tried to find him a home for two years but no one would take him. He was too old. It became a habit of his to yell at the basement door late at night for my son to let him out to wander. This wouldn't have been a problem if he wasn't so good at hiding and the scottie wasn't so good at hunting. So my son had to make sure he would return safely to the basement when he went to bed. The cat never "meowed". I swear he would yell an eerie "hello" and many people swear he could call my son's name. When this past summer came along, late at night my son got into the habit of sitting outside with the cat. He was not an outside cat, he was declawed, but he would hang close to my son, till one night he ran off into the darkness. I saw him the next day, hiding in the hollowed out tree in the back yard of the empty house next door. I called my son and told him where he was and he said he would get him when he returned him. He did get him, very late at night, and deposited him in my basement covered with lots of new friends.

On Identity Theft

Somewhere around 1983 I was a victim of identity theft. I left my purse unattended and my wallet was stolen. The thief knew not to charge more than $50 on my credit card at a time so no one would call to verify the transaction. As I recall, my credit card bill was 8 pages long by the time I got it. They had opened a charge account at Neiman Marcus, that one took a while to take care of. I even received letters about returns "I" had made to stores I had never been to. It took years to clean things up. You attempt to be careful after that. You watch and read all the information you get about identity theft because it has become such a big thing. My social security card is locked away. I do alot of things electronically. I monitor my credit card bills and bank accounts. I shred things with personal info. Can you ever do enough? A few years ago I received a letter from an old health insurance carrier. Someone in their office may have sold my information to a third party, they just wanted to let me know to watch my credit. Last week I received a letter from my mortgage company. An employee (now former) may have sold unauthorized personal information about me to a third party. This information includes my name address, social security number and other information they had on file, like were I work, my bank account, etc. Great! Here we go again. At least they offered to pay for a credit monitoring service although that alone is minimal in all the stress this could involve.