Is software our helper or our dictator?

Its amazing what we take for granted! Because we have a flexible spending account through a Federal employer and the website is federal in name looking - but the clue should have been the “.com”. Once I established that they are a third party provider and NOT a federal agency, the willingness to help me out with informaiton was markedly cheerier!

I have been fighting with FSAFEDS.com for reimbursement off and on for the same amounts since October 2009. It is only March 22 2010 so I guess it is not as bad as it could be… But their argument is the same each time… you must provide this information in “THIS” format to qualify under the IRS guidelines… So I looked at the guidelines… http://www.irs.gov/publications/p969/ar02.html#en_US_publink1000204184 And of course there is no mention that the informaiton must be in THAT format, only that the information must be provided.

Three emails and two phone calls later, I finally get a customer service representative that understands my questions..

“Do you require that information in that format because it is the IRS Regulation and if so please provide the reference…?”

Me: ” No, i see your guidelines on your website, ….”
“Thanks, yes I see your rules on the claim form…”

What is the IRS regulation that requires you to demand that of me?

or please answer:

“Do you require the information in that format because that is the way your software is set up for data entry?”

Well, just so happens that finally she looked at the denied claims and saw that there was really no reason why the claims were not paid, and no reason why future claims should not be paid… and “We regret any inconvenience this may cause.”

At times like this, you have to love unlimited cell phone plans…..

Living in a small town you get the good with the bad, the small town feel, knowing the shop owners or at least the cashiers, people say hi in the street and let you know what your children are doing. but try and get a signature notorized after 5pm and you are all out of luck! The reliable UPS store, notary ill and not back until about Tuesday; Kellys supermarket, notary left at 5pm; Library, not allowed to notorize financial papers. So i headed to the Post Office and saw the FexEx truck pull out of the parking lot - so it is all over for tonight and the quest will begin again in the morning! This time I will begin my quest at the post office!

The Bus Ride

Two bowling teams, one of all Blondes and one of all Brunettes, charter a double-Decker bus for a weekend trip to Louisiana . The Brunette team rode on the bottom of the bus, and the Blonde team rode on the top level.

The Brunette team down below really whooped it up, having a great time, when one of them realized she hadn’t heard anything from the Blondes upstairs. She decided to go up and investigate.

When the Brunette reached the top, she found all the Blondes in fear, staring straight ahead at the road, clutching the seats in front of them with white knuckles. the brunette asked, “What the heck’s going on up here? We’re having a great time downstairs!”

One of the Blondes looked up at her, swallowed hard and whispered… “YEAH, BUT YOU’VE GOT A DRIVER!”

Smile, it will make your day go faster.

Author unknown as I received this as one of many emails…

Buying a home can be very streeful, looking, finding, sorting out the finances etc. Applying for oans, reading credit scores… I dont know about you but I hate getting my credit score. I somehow think that someone will steal my identity and run up debt in my name. Thank the Lord it hasn’t happened! But I digress…

We applied for the loan, filled out all the appropriate paperwork and had it notorized and was ready to send it back to the bank. I was so focused on getting the documents in on time to the FedEx pick up box that I called from the parking lot in front of the drop off to ensure the address I wrote down on the slip of paper was correct (it was on the docs!), and confirmed the acct no. Oops, I forgot to confirm the service - I then called back but now it was a few minutes after 5.

So then I slowly read the directions again before sealing it up correctly. I had to laugh at myself that i nearly drove off with the envelope! I jumped out of the car and dropped the envelope in the FedEx box. Satisfied with myself that i got it all done, I drove off heading for home.

Only to arrive at the next stop to find the bank documents for the FedEx packet still sitting in the console of the car!

Daddy all serious giving sage advice to his ‘height challenged’ son about hitting low and how to tackle a big guy. As the dad spoke his words of wisdom the son continued to attempt to interupt…. Dad….Dad?

Finally Dad with a look of expectation of understanding the finer points of tackling… answered “Yes son?”…

Hey, can we eat here after the game?

Dear Friends

Here is a link to a website that tells of a very special lady’s mission to Thailand. Krystle was our children’s nanny while she was attending her senior years in high school & summers when we lived in Colorado Springs.
She has since completed college and is working as a social worker for a foster & adoption agency. Krystle is like our own family and has a special place in our hearts.

Please consider if you can be involved in helping Krystle reach Thailand through prayer and support.

If you are in Colorado, check out here fundraising activities - you may want to join in for some fun times.

Don’t forget to check out (become a follower of) the blog at www.christssavinggrace.blogspot.com!

My son’s school is holding the annual International Music Festival splitting the grades performing over two mornings. It has been a much anticipated event with costumes made and food prepared to represent the countries included in the performances. Today was Grades K, 2, and 4. with my 2nd grader having the opportunity to sing and dance away to the rythmic sounds of Jamaica. The room was crowded with parents, flash bulbs popping, videos filmings…

First was the 4th graders with all encompassing song with an international brotherhood feeling while using sign language. It was a great start to the program. Then kindergarteners performed a medley of Italian songs, followed by the 1st graders with their medley. The 2nd graders are then on stage signing away to Jamaican medlodies- Not wanting to miss anything, I have my video camera following all the action on stage. Through the camera lense I even saw my son’s big finale of stretch and yawn before leaving the stage. Not big on signing, I am sure if asked my son would confess to having mouthed all the words anyway! I am thinking ‘Funniest Home Videos’ with this one!

Confidant that their performance was over and I had captured everything I needed to, I go to turn the video camera off only to find that I had not turned it on to record!

So I am now planning for the empty playground. I guess this is the first step in preparation for the empty nest. My youngst is off to kindergarten in August. I attended my first PTO meeting this week, we have kindergarten orientation on Friday and my daydreams are currently filled with “spare time activities”!

I have already been encouraged to be on the PTO team with friends who also feel they ’should’ do it. I opted for the least instructive position as the Vice President, hoping that it would not require consistent work such as the secretary or the treasurer.

Oops…. then i suggested that we did a website. Well, everyone else in the county has a website…we are so technologically disadvantaged! Well the PTO will be no more. The school with staff salary cut backs and all well that is another story all together… there goes the computer lab! But I digress.

I am now the responsible volunteer to get the PTO on the internet. So I was shopping around for a inexpensive (read ‘cheap’) site with easy templates because I know just enough about blogs and websites to be dangerous! I found WestHost and until the end of May they are running a special.

A friend pointed me in their direction and she is happy with their service and has only great things to say about their customer service. I shall keep you posted with the experience. I am sure there will be plenty of gaffs to post on this blog!! None shorter than, “I can’t believe I got myself involved!”

I grew up in the city of Melbourne and went off to college after high school to Monash University. The public transportation system was extensive so not too many of my friends had cars at the time. One friend lived outside the city limits and therefore could not get from home to Uni on the public system. Jenny was one of the fourtunate ones with a car, she had a little suzuki swift. It is little more than a motor bike wrapped in a metal shell but it was dry in winter and it was hers!

It wasn’t long after the school year started that she pulls up to the gas station, back when the pumps were manned, and told the attendant to ‘fill it up’, and added that she needed oil. The attendant of course asked what type of oil she wanted and she replied, “Oh I don’t know, just make the light on the dash go away!”

My 5 year old girl absolutely went nuts over Barbie this year. I had sheltered her from Barbie as best I could until the neighbor shared the delightful girlie experience EVERY afternoon. So I capitulated and got her Barbie for her birthday this year. Keeping her away from Barbie worked just as well as keeping my 2 boys away from guns, but that is another story. So what is up with Barbie’s hair?

Of course my little girl is not gentle with Barbie (and her hair) as she hikes through mud puddles, abseils down slides, and wards off evil creatures (her older brothers) - Barbie leads a very active life these days! You would think the makers of Scrabble would be smart enough to make hair that wasnt an instant mess - I see the slogan now… Just add child and instant mess. Five year olds dont understand ‘bad hair days.’

Of course Barbie dolls come pre-styled, just like mommy visiting the regular hair dressers. Instead of the hairstylist asking that nerve racking question, “How do you like it?” it should be, “Do you think you can recreate it?”

So Mattel, get your R&D team on a solution to the Barbie hair mess and solve my dilema of how to style Barbie’s hair once it has been ‘played’ with!