Hi, Just curious, I have a question about sphagnum peat vs sphagnum moss. By mistake, I purchased sphagnum moss at the onset of making the 511 mix. I mixed one batch and used it for one of my 3 plants. When I realized that I was using the moss instead of the sphagnum peat, I threw it out and purchased the correct one and used it to make the mix for the other 2 plants I have. My question is this, is it possible that the presence of the sphagnum moss in this one container could somehow attract any pests? The reason I ask is that I saw about a couple of black, winged, fast-moving pests (maybe thrips or gnats?) around this plant today. Upon further inspection, I shuffled some of the top mix and saw a single, tiny larva(e) crawling in the medium and suspected that I have pests breeding in my container. And afterwards, as I shook the container, a fast crawling, winged pest climbed out of the mix, and up the side of the container. I sprayed this plant with some insecticdal soap and plan on repotting it using the sphagnum peat moss instead. So could this (sphagnum moss) be the reason for pest-sightings? I want to solve a potential big problem now, before the real bug season begins. By the way, I haven't watered this plant for like a week and it still seems to be moist inside. I had watered every 3 days prior to the last time.

I read up on use tax, and certainly will pay what's owed at the end of the day, but still have to keep in mind that potentially lower online prices will mean lower taxes as well... Taking the "no tax" issue out of it, I wonder if they might deliver for free as all the online stores I am looking at will. I have printed out the 1 or 2 lowest prices I found online for each appliance. Don't know if these are from acceptable stores as far as the local's price-match policy goes, but worth a shot. I really want to buy from the brick and mortar, but we would like them to be able to come within $1000 or so of the online prices. Hope that is not unreasonable? If there is one item they are really far apart on, we may get that one thing online. I have not yet set foot in this local store (as I mentioned, it is 90 minutes away) but I have to say the customer service so far has been quite good. I emailed them to find out what exactly was in their showroom and have since exchanged 4-5 emails over 3-4 months with one of the salespeople about different products, etc. And they did offer to deliver/service outside their normal area for me. So fingers crossed for Saturday, I'll let you know how it goes! :-)

I called the Virginia state tax department and they said, I filed federal in 94 but not the local (okay-stupid me. I wasn't very financially astute at the time, being in college and new to the tax thing). Therefore, they assumed that I should be filing local tax too. However, the $100 'debt' was written off in 2001 (7 years after), and he can't research past 2005 in the current computer file. Also, I moved to CA in 98 after graduation from college so I haven't filed Virginia tax since then. Somehow, when they recently turned the outstanding debt record to the collection agency, my 'debt' was in there and the agency located me. I just bought a house last year and this wasn't in the credit report, nor was it in my credit report when we bought our previous house in 2001. I just didn't know why I filed all the subsequent years up until 98 when I left the state but they didn't contact me or take the back tax before issuing the refund. He suggested that I should locate the old w2 form in 94 and see if I was supposed to pay tax. If I did owe tax then I should pay the state. If I don't owe tax then send proof (being the w2 form) and they will forgive the debt. I would talk to a tax attorney except - the fee is probably more than the 400$ that I supposedly owed. This has been very time consuming dealing w/ the tax department. I have so much going and it's so frustrating dealing w/ the various tax department over 100$ (which I don't even know if I owed) that happened 14 years ago. The lesson is - file your tax and keep old records. My mom's advice is to just pay the 400$ and have peace of mind. Big sis thinks I should pay otherwise I am going to jail for tax evasion. :-( DH thinks I should not pay. If I go to jail he would have couple days of me not nagging him a/b painting the house. (haha..:-) Thanks for all the advices.

I have asked my accountant about this issue as this is not the first thread that has brought this up. Any company that does not charge you sales tax either pays it to the company that actually produced the product or they are evading paying the sales tax. A granite company does not charge sales tax because they technicaly charge 100% of profit as labor and are supposed to be paying sales tax to the wholesaler of the slab. Any kitchen and bath store that is buying the cabinets from an outside source is by law supposed to declare sperately the value of the product and the cost of the labor. I have to fill out a form from the State of Va that notifies all my suppliers that I have a "RE"sales tax certificate. That I am buying something for the purpose or resale. Other wise I have to pay sales tax at the price I get for the product. The law says that if I resell it I am supposed to collect sales tax again regardless of the fact that I paid it when I got it from a supplier. The oppinions that state you do not have to pay sales tax because it was installed is just not true. For this to be true the company has to state the products were sold to you for the same price they were purchased and the install was the only profit on the job for labor. For that to be completely legal you need a reciept that shows the cost of the products as stated to you was what you paid for them and that the dealer you had install the cabinets paid sales tax for you.