MittenKitten
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Post by MittenKitten on Feb 16, 2011 11:25:47 GMT -5
Honey: Thanks for the box. YUMMY! So looking forward to trying all the goodies. Worth the wait.
Sheila: WOW I need to hop back on the exercise wagon. It is just SO hard to be motivated right now. I WANNA BE OUTSIDE!!!!! Unfortunately it is just too messy and slippery with the snow melting then freezing to ice then melting again.
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Feb 16, 2011 11:26:08 GMT -5
shanendoah: Check out ikea hackers dot com. They have a bunch of hacks of ikea stuff and "raised dog dishes" are pretty popular. If you are looking for something affordable and attractive. Red: Good luck at the weigh in today Feeling good and motivated is half the battle Today will be a spend day. Picking up Miss Pants from daycare. It's our regular Noodles Night Haven't been able to line it up in a while but this week works out perfect. Her mom is in Texas for work and her dad has a day flight so we get to pick her up from daycare and hang out for a couple of hours. She had her dad tell us to practice because she was going to beat all of us at Wii bowling tonight. Sadly- we don't even let her win. That 4 year old pipsqueak legitimately beats us!
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MittenKitten
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Post by MittenKitten on Feb 16, 2011 11:26:27 GMT -5
3cats: I just did something then came back when the boards were having their problems. Seems to be okay for now....
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3catslady
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Post by 3catslady on Feb 16, 2011 12:22:53 GMT -5
MK; Yes, it is working now. I also had trouble signing in again from my internet. Sometimes I think DIL does something to the wireless router but then if she did, she couldn't get on her laptop, so I guess I am just paranoid. I don't think I have any reason for the paranoia. I filed my taxes and am waiting for the federal to accept my forms. State accepted them last night, but I don't owe them anything and they don 't owe me anything. I would have filed earlier but I had to wait until the 14th because I itemize my mortgage interest. I have to go get ready for work so I will talk to every one tonight. I work until 8. Did they drop the # of characters we can post? I thought it was 59000. Now it is down to 30000.
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singlemomky
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Post by singlemomky on Feb 16, 2011 14:12:14 GMT -5
Not really financial but I know that there are a lot of writers and bloggers on here so I was wondering who saw this article and their thoughts. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41618492/ns/us_news-life/?gt1=43001I personally think that it is crazy that she could be losing her job over a blog that was as anonymous as it could be.
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startsmart
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Post by startsmart on Feb 16, 2011 16:47:49 GMT -5
Well Wednesday just sucks right now. I'm approaching critical mass for overwhelm and have had some team members get really mean which is frustrating me to no end.
Then blue asked how many hours I'm working each week. 80-100. Clearly I'm doing a lot and the meanness doesn't help me at all. Doesn't make me want to dig in and make this better.
Sigh.
On the plus side, signed my 4th client today and the project will require minimal oversight from me personally.
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mizbear
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Stand back. I have a budget, and I know how to use it.
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Post by mizbear on Feb 16, 2011 18:21:01 GMT -5
Hugs to everyone. muttley- I feel you on bridesmaid dresses.
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redwagon
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Post by redwagon on Feb 16, 2011 20:52:37 GMT -5
smokey - everyone is still trying to figure out boundaries and such with stuff online. I don't think your personal blog should get you in trouble, unless you are making it easy to identify the kids you're speaking about. I hate when kids get in trouble at SCHOOL for photos of stuff they do outside school. That's just not fair. That said, I believe people could take more steps to preserve anonymity and privacy. I have my FB set pretty high so I don't think you can see my stuff at all unless we're friends (I know my boss checked applicants on FB, a lot do these days). It's uncharted territory. Hopefully people come to rational conclusions...
I lost 2 lbs this week! woohoo! Came home and immediately worked out. Go me!
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Feb 17, 2011 9:13:50 GMT -5
Red: I agree with you 100%. However, as a parent, I think parents need to have a little more control over what their kids are posting and saying on line (I'll use FB as an example). The Boy has a FB page and we check it from time to time to make sure he is behaving and so we have an understanding of what is going on in his world. OMG the things that these 12 and 13 year olds are posting would turn your hair gray. Extremely revealing photos, dirty updates. This is done outside of school but when the comments are discussed in school and the pictures passed around then it starts to become a school issue. I think with adults it's different. If I am legally old enough to drink then pics of me at a bar shouldn't effect my job. But if I am 15 and signed a "no drugs and alcohol" policy at my school and I am the star athlete than these photos should have repercussions.
Again- my opinion is based manly on having a kid in junior high and knowing what these kids are posting on fb.
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singlemomky
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Post by singlemomky on Feb 17, 2011 9:29:54 GMT -5
The issue I had with the whole situation is that she wasn't just posting about the kids and her job, that was just a part of her personal blog and according to reports, she did not use her full name, did not identify her school and did not identify any single student by name. I think the problem that some people are having is that she is telling the truth - and as the saying goes "the truth hurts".
The medium is the main problem here - no one has any idea of how to regulate the internet and what should or should not be regulated. Breaking it down - how is this any different than teachers of years ago sitting around the teacher's lounge or a summer barbecue telling stories? Except for the forum, nothing is different. Something tells me that these frustrations she was expressing have been expressed for many years!
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Feb 17, 2011 9:41:16 GMT -5
Smokey: reading the article I am torn between thinking- yeah it's free speech and thinking man if a teacher was talking trash about my kid and my parenting I'd be livid. Obviously if they kids figured out the blog was written by her and about them then it wasn't nearly as anonymous as she thought. How is she supposed to command respect from her students when she doesn't respect them? How is she supposed to tell Timmy he can't call Billy names when she is doing the same thing?
The forum is different but so is the permanency. When you sit around telling stories at a BBQ they are stories. When you post it on a blog for (potentially) the world to see it's out there written and becomes a permanent thing. You can't ever truly erase that which you put on the Internet. Now these kids have a written record of their educator slamming them, their intelligence, the parents, etc. How's that supposed to make the kids feel?
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Feb 17, 2011 9:44:50 GMT -5
FWIW I have met kids and parents just like those she complains about in her blog. I agree with her assessment but don't think she handled it right. I can't complain about work on fb because I have "friends" that are co-workers. I can't complain about family on fb because I have "friends" that are family. I work strictly under the don't say anything about someone that you wouldn't say to their face mentality. That's what I have taught the Boy too.
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dakota4600
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Post by dakota4600 on Feb 17, 2011 11:20:07 GMT -5
When it rains it pours last night I got home from work and popped some frozen enchiladas into the oven for dinner. My boys got home and we were hanging out, when the lights went out. They flickered on and off a couple times, then went off completely. Mini-D was pretty upset, I think it was the beeping from the smoke detectors and the box that controls the phone, internet and cable. DH thought it was funny he could get on-line with his laptop and post to facebook that we were without power, because the box runs on a battery for about 30 mins. The power was out for over an hour, so the enchiladas didn't get done before I had to leave for my grandma's. So Mini-D and I stopped at Arby's and grabbed some dinner.
Then my grandma is overwhelmed and very grouchy about the move, even though she is the one who wants to move. She keeps telling us that she'll figure it out later and we keep reminding her that it has to be done by 9am on Saturday when the movers show up. She just wants to pack it all and deal with it once she is over at her new place. But she is losing over 100 sq ft and doesn't have room for the stuff. I packed all the canned goods up to give to a food pantry last night. She kept telling me she didn't have much, but it wouldn't all fit in a paper box. She insisted that she didn't buy all the coffee in her cabinets, she told me it must have been there when I moved in. She did have some lock and lock storage containers that that she gave me, though they seem a lot flimsier closures than the ones I have.
Then this AM our fridge wasn't working. DH thought he had figured out what was causing the problem, but it still stopped working and he agreed it was time to get a new one. So we are going shopping tonight with the hopes of getting it delivered and the old one hauled away early on Saturday, because we have to go help with Grandma's move in the afternoon.
Smartstart- Take care of yourself. I know you are hiring minions, but it still sounds like you are overwhelmed.
Smky- I'm torn on this to being married to a teacher, I do occasionally hear stories about students antics. But when DH & coworkers get together they tend to not talk shop too terribly much. The teacher's lounge may be a different story. Though I think most teachers would whole heartedly agree with what she wrote.
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kcgal
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Post by kcgal on Feb 17, 2011 11:45:28 GMT -5
Red Wagon: Wow 2 pounds in one week! Impressive. WTG. Keep up the good work!
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mizbear
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Post by mizbear on Feb 17, 2011 17:24:44 GMT -5
OT- Do any of you with special needs kids or that work in the field know much about Asperger's Syndrome? This is the latest dx they are trying to put on my older niece- they always put a dx on her- but never try a treatment plan- and no one listens to me even though I spend more time with her than either parent!! GRRRRR Sorry. As long as I don't have to go buy more meds, I am in NS mode until the end of the month.
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startsmart
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Post by startsmart on Feb 17, 2011 18:57:33 GMT -5
work - my frustration level ebbs and flows. Right now it's just tricky because I'm training my co-workers and some of them are stubborn! The minions I hired are doing a great job! I'm increasing hours/responsibility as I can including the new client's project. The main thing is that I can't hire all the help I *want* yet because I don't have the company planned out enough to ensure I won't overextend myself.
I just have to remember it's a work in process, I'll get there!
blue eyes continues to be the brightest part of my day. We're working on a few projects together and having a blast. He's been talking a lot about how we first met (in an online group) - today he says "do you realize that if it wasnt for me being a dumbass with changing time from pacific to central, we probably wouldnt have met?" My response was "uh, thank you for being a dumbass? lol"
We're so weird.
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singlemomky
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Post by singlemomky on Feb 17, 2011 20:39:21 GMT -5
mizbear - my 20 year old nephew was just recently diagnosed with Asperger's; which really explains a lot of his actions/emotions growing up. He is not on medication and his counselor has been working with him on coping strategies. I can ask him more about it if you are interested.
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shanendoah
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Post by shanendoah on Feb 17, 2011 21:41:33 GMT -5
Spent last night, spent today. But today was definitely a MOAN. I bought a Groupon a while back for a trail ride. I have a good friend who one of her life's goals was to ride a horse. I had promised her years ago I would make that happen. Today I finally did. 90 minutes on a horse. I haven't been on horseback in close to 20 years. It was wonderful, but I expect to be sore tomorrow. I did take a hot bath with Epsom salts, so hope that will help. I'm off work today through Monday, so that will be nice.
I think I agree with Sheila on the teacher/blog thing. I know that everyone is still working out what is private speech and what isn't, and we have no real rules in this territory. My problem is that her blog was NOT anonymous. She may not have named her school, she may not have named her specific students, but there was enough information out there for her students to find the blog, know it was from that teacher, and report her. If it were truly meant for friends and family only, all of the blogging sites I have used have protections that allow you to limit the visibility of your blog. She didn't do that. She allowed the blog to be public and presented enough information to make herself identifiable. If I were to bad mouth my company in public, that would be grounds for discipline (if not firing). Being a good representative of my company and promoting it as a good place to work and receive care are both things on my yearly evaluation. (They are for all people manager level and above.) It doesn't mean my company is perfect or that I don't have the right to complain to co-workers or my family/friends about things at work, but it does mean I am careful about what I say about my company in public, on my blogs, etc. (And for the record, I do think its a good place to work and receive care.) I don't think its too much to ask out teachers to do their best to represent their district and school well. The teacher has every right to complain to her friends and family and co-workers about work, but just like I make sure a patient would never hear me bad mouth my company, she had a duty to make sure this attitude did not trickle down to her students. She chose to keep her blog public; she chose to leave enough information lying around to identify herself. In fact, this all feels very passive aggressive to me. I have known teachers that would have loved to say these things to their students and their parents, but kept their mouths shut. This teacher decided not to keep her mouth shut, but then tried to claim it was "anonymous" when the folks she wanted to hear her message heard it and fired back. When you become a public figure - and like it or not, teachers are government employees who have more in common with public figures than most of us in the private sector - you make a choice about what face you want to present to the world. You don't get to be Jeckyl and Hyde, claiming one "face" shouldn't be held responsible for the actions of the other "face". Maybe I'm being too harsh, but it really, really is easy to press a few buttons and keep your students from ever seeing your blog.
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mizbear
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Post by mizbear on Feb 17, 2011 22:03:57 GMT -5
single- Thank You! Knowing that working on coping strategies is part of the treatment is a big piece of the puzzle for me, because it's "here's the kid, see ya" and I become the biggest target for her outbursts because she and I have the most in common and therefore can be like oil and water sometimes. I am trying to stay out of this whole thing about the teacher. We had teachers we couldn't get rid of who broke major rules- like confidentiality when we were in school by hiding behind their tenures and now the decent teachers are in short supply thanks to all the mumbo jumbo about master's degrees- my niece's fourth grade teacher can't spell and teach math- but she has that master's degree!
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ses
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Post by ses on Feb 17, 2011 22:06:48 GMT -5
I just got my computer back after a very bad virus that froze everyhing. I couldn't even shut it down.
mizbear--Asberger's syndrome is something that is just starting to be addressed. It is more common in males and covers a a large range of behaviors. The most common problem is a lack of social skills and a reluctance or refusal to interact with others. Toward the end of my teaching career I had a very bright student with Asperger's. At the time it was frequently described as a high functioning from of autism. I tend to disagree. I think it falls into a crack between autism and OTC. I learned to not look my student in the eye when speaking and when things would get too stressful for him I would send him to a space by himself to do a jigsaw puzzle and later, as we began to understand one another better, sudoku and complex word searches. He would display odd little behaviors I learned to deal with. For example sudokus could only be worked with a short pencil stub and word searches only with a new pencil and they could only be done in sets of three. God forbid I would give him 2 of each kind, only sets of three. It was difficult for him to deal with many of the staff members so when he would be promoted to another class he would frequently come back to my class for study time for several weeks until he became comfortable in the new classroom. When it came time for his final exams for graduation the lady at the testing site got freaked out by him and refused to test him. One of his work supervisors who had figured out how to work with him took him to a different testing site with permission for him to test in isolation in a room with a window where he could look out and see his supervisor waiting for him. It was about a five hour testing sequence which he completed in record time with record high scores. I will admit the five staff members who had worked so intensively with him over the previous two years went to happy hour after that day--a very happy happy hour. These students frequently develop a passion for certain topics and develop amazing skills.
So my advice is just support her in what she can and will do, educate yourself and be very vary of anyone pushing drugs, they are frequently not needed.
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MittenKitten
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Post by MittenKitten on Feb 17, 2011 22:43:40 GMT -5
I posted on the blog about a possible itinerary that SES sent me. If you want the spreadsheet version e-mail me at mittenkittenwir@gmail.com and I will forward it to you.
mizbear: My 4 1/2 DS#2 has Autism and is VERY special needs. I know a fair amount about aspergers. The main difference between Straight out Autism and Aspergers is that kids with Aspergers meet most the normal milestones and learn to talk at the normal time. BUT like with Autism they have a hard time communicating and socializing. They can be very bright children but not be able to play with other kids. They can do things that are rude but don't see it that way. For example someone with Aspergers could go up to someone and tell them they are fat and have no idea what they did wrong and you can't really explain to them in a way they understand WHY you can't go up to someone and tell them that.
Autism and Aspergers are also very rigid in routines. Things need to be done in a certain order or you need to go a certain route or they can easily lose it. E-mail me if you want more details etc. I have a friend whose son was just diagnosed with Aspergers.
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redwagon
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Post by redwagon on Feb 18, 2011 9:26:53 GMT -5
Happy Friday ladies!!
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MittenKitten
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Post by MittenKitten on Feb 18, 2011 9:36:00 GMT -5
Happy Happy Friday! Bar is open and here is a Red Rose for 3cats!
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WholeLottaNothin
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Post by WholeLottaNothin on Feb 18, 2011 9:42:02 GMT -5
I am at 6 NSDsI have a little work rant - feel free to skip - I am getting sick of getting calls from telemarketers about our copy machine toner, for example the price is going up so you better get it while its hot, etc. Then they don't even know what kind of copier we have! They try to sell toner for a copier we haven't had for a couple of years! Dead giveaway there lady! We don't have caller ID here yet. Kind of in the stone ages, though we are a smallish company. End Rant So I have been slowly chipping away at my credit card debt, little amounts at a time. I'm not sure if I am going about this the correct way, but I'm sure you guys could give me some insight. I am trying to pay off this one card that is currently 0% but is scheduled to not be by the end of June. It will go up to 24% Eek! So that has been my focus. My other two are at 13% and 8%. It feels like it will be a VERY long process and I'm trying hard to remain positive about it. I got myself into this mess (or my lack of spine did) so its up to me to dig my way out. Hope everyone is doing well. Honey - Hope your situation with the Board works out for you
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Feb 18, 2011 9:56:41 GMT -5
nuttin: I am sure you know this- but be careful with those toner companies. They will try to get you to say what copier you have and then send you toner and a bill. I never say the words "yes" or "ok" when talking to them. And I use a fake name so then if they send something I know it isn't legit. Same this with those stupid "directories" I tell them all "we have a corporate policy prohibiting us from confirming or denying anything with regards to these directories. Take us off our your list". We had a directory claim that my sister ordered it and they played us a recording of her saying "Um yeah" to all of their questions. Things she never would have said yes to. And when/if they send you anything you have to return it unopened to the post office and tell them you "refuse" it. If it's unopened the po will send it back no problem. If it's open then you have to pay to send it back. Had to refuse 3 different "free, trial directories" in one day last month. We are a small company too- in one company it's just me in the office in the other there's 2 salesman, the gm and a dispatcher and me. This is all just stuff we have had to learn the hard way. Feel free to come up with your own fake name for those types of callers. That way when they call back and ask for Suzie Q she is conveniently never in the office
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constanz22
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Post by constanz22 on Feb 18, 2011 10:17:49 GMT -5
Ok, I have a question for all of you with doggies. What arrangements do you make for when you go on vacation? I am leaving in 3 weeks and am an absolute wreck about it. My guys are like my kids. They are little guys (10 and 15 lbs.) and total house/lap dogs. Every boarding facility that I have gone to look at, I have left there in tears. I can NOT send them there. They went for a day visit to one yesterday and it was awful...I can't do it. I do not have any family or friends locally that can help. I live in a pretty rural area, so, there really aren't many pet sitting options. I am almost considering having them stay at my house and having a neighbor come over a few times a day, but that also makes me really anxious because they'd be crated most of the time and I'm also pretty uncomfortable with them being alone overnight. This is heartwrenching and I don't know what to do....They used to go to a friends house but there were some issues there that I became uncomfortable with and I don't want them to go there. If you were in my shoes, what would you do? What have you done? There is no way I can even think about leaving and having a good time on my vacation, worrying about them like this...
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singlemomky
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Post by singlemomky on Feb 18, 2011 10:23:54 GMT -5
Constanz - I don't have dogs and I have no advice, I just wanted to send you *hugs*. I used to have a pet sitting business before Lil' Smokey and I really enjoyed all the different pets (and staying in different places) so I wish there were a pet sitting option near you.
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dakota4600
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Post by dakota4600 on Feb 18, 2011 10:37:30 GMT -5
Last night was a major spend. We bought a new fridge, bottom freezer, french doors. I looked it up on consumer reports it was a best buy with them. The manufacturer has gotten quality awards for fridges for 5 years. So I'm hoping it will last us a good long time. We decided against the ice & water in the door. We have it now, but rarely use it. Plus it really ate up the usable space in the fridge area. It does have an ice maker in the bottom.
Nuttin: I second what shelia said, never say yes or okay. Unless you own the copier usually your supplies are included in the lease agreement, so you don't purchase toner anyway. At a previous employer they talked to the receptionist and she supposedly agreed to switch long distance carriers. You could tell by the recording they had spliced it together.
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MittenKitten
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Post by MittenKitten on Feb 18, 2011 11:05:15 GMT -5
Don't you just hope those with unethical business practices have all that karma come back and bite them?
So can businesses opt out of all the carp? The one REALLY nice thing about not having a landline is we don't have to deal with nearly as many telemarketers.
Now if I could get TruGreen to stop stalking me...
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MittenKitten
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Post by MittenKitten on Feb 18, 2011 11:05:33 GMT -5
Okay gals I need this post to get to 50 so here we go...
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