Hi Shaun, Why can't the existing mtg company send the money we've paid in for our property taxes to the new mtg company and then *they* can pay them when they are due? I just dont understand this. Can someone explain it to me? I can explain... but unfortunately, the answer's not going to be very satisfying. The reason is beacuse the servicing company (the place you send your loan payments to, who manages the distribution of the cash, and subsequent bookkeeping of where it all goes, and when) is not your mortgage company. It may be a subsidiary of them, or a 3rd party contractor... but its not the actual mortgage company (even if it has a very similar name.) The servicing companies business model is to have as many loans managed per month, by the least number of clerical administrative staff, at the lowest possible hourly rate. In order to accomplish this, their processes are *EXTREMELY* dumbed-down and stretched out. *NOTHING* happens quickly on any out-of-the-ordinary request, and all standard changes (like the turnover of escrowed funds for taxes & insurance when a refinance occurs) is handled in a batched-out manner once a month during a special shift. In short; It COULD be done the way you logically just described... but the rate/fee driven public doesn't want to pay the higher servicing costs for that kind of service. Hope that clarifies (if not exactly creating the warm & fuzzies.) Cheers, Dave Donhoff Leverage Planner

I don't check in here very often either, but I posted the following some months ago: Thought I'd drop by and share my experience on this thread. I'm eight years post-menopausal. My main symptoms were hot flashes (w/night sweats) and emotional swings that included some impressive rages. At the time I was also having heart palpitations and some chest pains, and had been diagnosed with lupus. In addition, I started menopause about 35 lb. overweight and added ten more once it was underway. I argued with three doctors who wanted me to take HRT. I felt, as I do now, that for most women menopause is like childbirth: a natural process rather than a medical condition. Although my mother died before reaching menopause, I felt I would come through it in better shape if I didn't mess with nature. I added hawthorne with motherwort to my supplements, which helped with the palpitations, and took a couple of doses of a homeopathic remedy (essence of pit viper!) for the rages. Other than that, the biggest changes I made were to my lifestyle. I traded my "healthy" high-carb, mostly vegetarian diet for a low-carb, high-protein one and lost my excess weight. I upped my consumption of tofu and soy milk for isoflavones. I joined a gym. And I went out and got a full-time job. These many years later, I am no longer going to gym, but I'm taking up yoga. I had to quit my job to take care of my husband, but I'll eventually go back. Almost all the weight is still off. The hot flashes are long gone, along with the rest of the symptoms. I stopped the hawthorne, etc., ages ago, but still take vitamin supplements. I still eat (and enjoy) the soy foods. I'm often told that I look a lot younger than I am. My health isn't perfect, but I'm convinced HRT would have made things worse rather than better. I'm so glad I didn't listen to those doctors. Kris, another objection I had to HRT is that the most popular prescription, Premarin, is created from the urine of pregnant horses, resulting in a horrendous situation for the rigidly confined mares and the otherwise unwanted foals they are forced to produce on a regular and rapid basis. There are tons of books out there on alternative approaches to menopause. Try a search on amazon.com. Best of luck, Susan

Hi again everyone, I know that few of them have ever conned others, but ... have you ever conned yourself? Confession time: I just conned myself, big time. I had 20 shares of that stock, and the cashout value is around $70. each. At one time I'd done the math accurately, when I was thinking of sending the shares in to the transfer agent. But then I got thinking about the way that I could avoid (not "evade" - there are big fines and sometimes one goes to jail when found doing that) paying tax on any of the capital gain. Somewhere in there I began thinking that the amount was over $10,000. - which is in the neighbourhood of my charitable contributions of varios types for a couple of years. I'm surprised at myself at how long I went along thinking this - that, while I'd receive the charitable receipt for the full amount from the London Foundation, which was then to issue something like 20 cheques to the various charities, and I'd like two cheques to each, one for this year and one for next year, ... blah, blah, blah. Then - I remebered what the actual amount was - enough for regular contribution to about four of the charities that I regularly support - and that for only this year. Sort of brings one down to earth with a loud "smack". Fortunately, I've funded the account that I write most of the annual cheques from, so can proceed with the usual system, with slight alteration. You can all have a good laugh now, at Ed's (we hope temporary) stupidity!? Hope you all have a lovely, eventful weekend and preparation for the holiday. ole joyful

Curious about those of you with those deep cereal bowls similar to what mtn posted...do they fit well in your dishwasher? I've had the same cereal bowls for 17 years. They were part of a set we got when married...I think they are Pfaltzgraff. Just last week I noticed that somehow we are done to 5 bowls out of the original 12 though I don't remember losing/breaking seven of them! They are just a plain white bowl, however mine have a wider rim and aren't as deep. What I LOVE about them is that they fit perfectly in not only my first old Kenmore dishwasher but also in my newish Kitchenaid dishwasher. I can nestle them in the middle of my top rack and they fit perfectly inbetween the plastic divider things. None of my other bowls seem to fit so well, and when I looked recently at open stock cereal bowls, most seemed to be similar in shape to what mtn has. I know those will take u so much room in my dishwasher since they can't really be "stacked" like my other bowls (IOW, they go between the slots just like plates but in my upper rack). Not sure if I'm explaining myself well... I already run my dishwasher daily since I have four kids so two meals at home plus prep dishes etc makes the dishwasher fill up quickly. If I had to make more room for the bowls, I'd have way less room for other dishes, glasses, etc. Just wondering how you fit those deeper bowls into your DW. I'll see if I can take a picture - think my DW is running right now though as I forgot to turn it on this morning.