Steph in NYC

The main leaves look dead--pale, dried up, but there are small dark purple sprouts near the base. Are these new kale plants?

I am not sure how this plant regrows. Thanks.

I just had an unexpected car repair of about $600. My car insurance is due in May, and is just over $450. IF I pay in full.

They also offer 6 monthly payments of about $82. If I pick that it will ease my monthly bills a bit, but I HATE the idea of paying about $40 more.

I think I might be better carrying a balance on a credit card--but I also HATE doing that! And I haven't for a few years now.

What would you do?

Sounds stupid, but I'm really not sure. I know I have to mail in the CA W-2 but not sure about including the NJ one.

I am thinking no, since they can see from my CA W-2 plus my CA 1099-G info, that 80% of the income is CA. Looking at my Fed. AGI, they can see the 20% difference, right?

I was on a 1/2 salary for the first half of 2009, then the company completely closed in June. I claimed UI and then had a short holiday job. My income will be about 10k less than last years return, will that be a red flag for an audit?

Thanks.

Thanks!

I was collecting UI in CA.

Then I got a holiday job for November and December. There was an error while trying to claim partially. I am only now getting the error corrected--yes it took 2 months! So I am now getting my partial checks that cover November and December 2009.

I wanted to file my taxes ASAP, but I am not sure how the partial checks will effect my 1099 forms. Doesn't really matter to me, I just want to get my tax return.

I am thinking that there is a 1099 ready now, but will it change once the partial checks are in the system? Or will they just become part of 2010?

I just got a big paycheck. I have a large credit card bill due in 2 weeks.

Should I put a large chunk of my pay into my savings account for the 10 days or so and get some interest? Is it worth it, juggling the money between accounts?

Or just pay off the credit card right away?

I have an older blazer and the gas gauge no longer works. Will this cause me to fail the inspection?

We re-did out kitchen ourselves, so the problem I have is because I didn't know any better when installing the cabinets.

All our cabinets are flush to each other. However, the cabinet above the microwave is set above the level of the neighboring cabinets.

Now that I am looking at the crown moulding details in magazine and websites, all the cabinets that are not level with the other cabinets, are also set forward (or back) allowing for the moulding to come out to a point and then return to the next cabinet.

Still with me?

With all our fronts flush, there is no room for the moulding to return when it reaches the microwave cabinet.

It is hard to tell from pictures, but it looks like they just put a plain block of wood to allow for a small return?

What options are there to make the moulding look ok?

Links to pics or video would be AWESOME. Thanks so much

I have 2 questions:

Asters: I have 2 purple asters planted in pots. On the smallish side. They are a beautiful color, but they are not blooming as much as I had hoped. I bought them because it looked like there were lots of tight buds, so I thought they would all bloom, eventually. It is now about 3+ weeks, and there are still a lot of tight buds, but only a few blooms. Should I add some fertilizer to get more of them to bloom in time for Thanksgiving? Or are asters just kinda sparse.

Mums: I have some large mums in pots and they bloomed, and are kinda rotting looking. Are they basically done for the season? Do I just need to buy new ones if I want them to be nice for Thanksgiving? My neighbor has had a bright yellow mum that has held up amazingly. I even had to touch it over the weekend, wondering if it was fake! She does have a magenta one that is showing some dead blooms, but this yellow one still looks pristine for the past 3+weeks.

(Also, my neighbor just left her mums in the original pots, I replanted mine into slightly larger pots, thinking it was better for them. But hers still look amazing...)

Thanks, I am obviously a novice!

We have a working chimney,but don't use it.

Our old windows and door are very leaky and it just sucks all the heat up the chimney.

Plus, the condo community that we live in forbid installing glass fireplace doors--some sort of fire hazard???

SO..I was thinking of trying that inflateable pillow/balloon thing that you can stuff up the chimney to help stop that draft a little more--I am sure the flue could use some help.

Also--as stated, we DON'T USE the chimney, so I hope I don't see any "Don't do that, you will forget about it when you use the fireplace" comments!

Thanks!

It was hurting me for a while, from my tennis serve. I am not great and I don't think my bf was able to give me the right instructions.

Then I fell and added to the tennis pain. The main impact was on my under arm.

Anyway, is there an exercise that can help strengthen it? It has been about 2 months and I figure I should be working on it. I didn't for a few weeks because I was worried about shoulder damage--which could be possible, but I have no insurance and no job.

Again, the pain is below the deltoids, almost to the under arm area. I have almost no strength there, and was having a hard time finding info when googling. The pain also goes down into my arm and into my wrist sometimes. Just an over all soreness almost crampy feeling. Really feels like I need to stretch or something.

Thanks

I originally signed up with my work yahoo address. Literally, it is the company ID, but we have a website so the work emails go to that mail box. Anyway, the company is basically closed--my boss hasn't closed the email yet, because there is still a small possibility that a job might come through. Also, I was in charge of the website and assigning emails to people. So, I don't want to loose my level status--not that high, but it took me a LOOOONG time!

Would you just start on a new yahoo ID now--or keep going until my boss closes down the account?

I know it's so stupid, but hey, I just don't know what to do. :(

Thanks!

I live in a condo community, and I have noticed that they don't cover the AC units. I know that we own the AC, so I suppose it is not common property.

No one seems to cover them--when I was growing up, my dad always covered the one for our house.

It does snow here--but not like it used to! (I am in NJ.) The AC unit is very old--like over 15 years old. We only had to add freon about 3 years ago. Any advice?

We currently live in a "no dogs" condo, but there are some renters who have had dogs in the past. I also know of a few dog friendly owners.

I know that there are rules and by-laws that would need to be changed, but have you ever heard of any successful examples?

We sometimes have to take care of a friends dog, and we are able to sneak her in and out--she doesn't bark and is an older dog, so she is not a nuisance kind of dog. Our main problem is that a counsel member lives 3 doors down and has reported us in the past.

I am well aware that dogs and more specifically owners can be out of control. I wonder if having an approval process would help--yes it would be a lot of work.

Also know there are issues of insurance and liability, though most of the complaints about having dogs is aimed at their waste, we have plenty of that already thanks to the Canada geese!

Should I do anything about this?

To be honest, I don't use this credit card anymore. I have had it for 17 years, and have not really used it for the last 5 years or so. Mostly because I didn't like the bank that much. Too many fees etc. But I still kept the card anyway, because I had a high limit 28k.

So last month, they lowered it by half, to 14k.

I am currently unemployed and not looking to buy a house.

I think I have a good credit score. I haven't check for a few years--I think it was in the low 700s.

For the last 10 years or so, I have usually paid off my other credit cards in full every month. (I have 3 other credit cards that I do use on a monthly basis.) Back in the mid 90s I did carry a light amount of debt, but motivated myself to pay it all off--and not carry it again. Occasionally I have had to carry some debt, but nothing that wasn't paid off in full in 3 months.

So, I don't know if I should be worried about this 1 card cutting my credit in half? And if so, what should I do about it?

My bf and I live in a condo owned by his mom. I found out early on that the reason why we get the mortgage bill, rather than she, is that the mortgage was a special "in state, owner occupant". The mother lives out of state.

Last year my bf and I renovated the kitchen, and she asked --right around tax time--what we had spent. She had never asked us before. We did a lot with sales and stuff so, it was probably about 4k. So this past week she also asked us about the utility bills from 2008. I just realized that the utilities are still in her name--I guess that was a way for her to keep the look of her being the occupant?

I have asked other questions similar to this, but I guess I am wondering how can she be claiming the utilities on her taxes if she lives in another state and the mortgage is dependent on her being the occupant in this state?

Is this something that would only be exposed if she were audited? Mortgage Banks and the IRS don't share info?

I am worried that she might somehow loose the condo, and we are both unemployed, but still paying enough rent to make her mortgage, out of our UI and savings.

So this question is a bit more involved that just the basic question.

My bf and I pay rent to his mom to live at her NJ condo. She lives in VA. She has a special mortgage that really only applies if she is living in the house in NJ. But she doesn't, so I know that is illegal. When I moved in, I was like "Why does your mom still get mail here? She hasn't lived here for 6 years?"

Anyway, 2 days ago, she called to ask my bf to find out what we paid in utilities in 2008. Why would she need to know this?

Could she be claiming that amount off *her* taxes? If she does, I would be super pissed! I don't claim utilities as a renter, not sure if I could or not, but if I did, wouldn't that be totally illegal on her end? Aside from the fake NJ residency thing.

I work in a niche job, and recently the company basically went under. I worked on projects that involved other companies and made some basic contacts.

One company, that we actually rented space from for about 2 years, seemed like a particularly nice environment. One of the majority owners wanted to include our company in some projects, but in the end, the main client makes those decisions.

So this guy, "Joe" was very nice and even mentioned about 3 years ago, that if things didn't work out with my company--it was a rough patch--he said that his company could probably find a place for someone like me, because of my experience.

Flash forward 3 years, and now I really am out of a job!

I last spoke with "Joe" 5 months ago, just as my company was slipping, we were looking for a new office space. The main company was full up, but he also personally owned some office space near by,and offered it, but things ended up being too far gone.

In recent months, I also know that the main company is in a holding pattern--I know 2 people who work there, and they told me that they are still occasionally laying off people--18 months ago there was a big string of layoffs, but then 12-9 months ago, they started to hire back.

Anyway, don't know if I should contact "Joe" via email or if I should try his cell phone, which I have off his business card. In the past, his office number is usually fielded by an assistant, who must get paid well for sorting out people---I mean, I know I am not client and "Joe" does have a big business to run. Though, when I have spoken to him, he has always been very kind and helpful.

I am also not sure how to approach it, as I am not a clear hire at this point. There is one titled position that my niche experience would be very useful, but I also know that there are other aspects of that position I would need training for. My experience is about 8 years of hands on knowledge and I know that most people don't have what I have. The stuff I would need would be more like accounting and formal scheduling, which I think would be easy enough to learn in a few months in an assistant (or even intern) position.

So any thoughts or advice?

I am collecting from the state of California. My Mother, who lives with my sister out of state, fell 2 weeks ago, and I am currently spending 2-3 days a week there helping out.

My question is: When I get my UI check, I am required to answer the question, "Are you actively looking for work?" The truth of the matter, is no--or at least not full time work, since I need to 2 or 3 days off a week to care for my mother.

I don't know if I should ask the CA officals, because I don't want/can't afford to loose that check right now.