Useless Facts/Chit Chat Thread

[PolynesianPixie]

Morning all!

Woo-hoo, our pool opens up this weekend too.

Shannone, I'm glad to hear the concert went well! Did you send pics to your mom??


This is the last week of school for us. Things are so crazy around here. I'm doing lots of stuff for the end of year party, work is CRAZY right now, I"m trying to wash and pack for Disney, trying to find a dog sitter...and dd2 and dd3 are keeping me on my toes this week! I'm going to be so exhasted by the time we leave early Sunday morning for the Fort! But it'll all we worth it once we are there!

It has been crazy! The schools try to cram all the parties and field trips into that last week! I've been baking up a storm here! Plus, I'm trying to pack for DD11 and I to go to Europe and DD7 & 9 to go to Grandads and be single mom this week.....I'll be happy to get on that airplane! Oh and I need one more hotel in Paris....some things switched around and now we have an extra night....it's freakin hard to find a hotel last minute...at least one I'm comfortable sleeping in

 

[auntie]

I'm here.. you're right Ami, doesn't take long to sum up. I was away for a bit over the weekend. We have as seasonal campsite in an upstate NY campground. Had to open the trailer up. Didn't even want to go..weather was cold and rainy..but it had to be done. I don't think we will be heading back for the Memorial Day weekend though. The gas was $4.10 here on the island before we left. We took the car..but next trip we will have to take the truck . Can only IMAGINE what that will cost! Need to bring our golf cart up. Think we will just wait until June. I usually don't like the crowds that are there for holiday weekends anyway.

My younger son plays Lacrosse...he is in 10th grade. Yesterday he got the "good" news?..I'm not sure...but they are moving him up to Varsity play for the rest of the season. He plays defense..long pole. Honestly he loves to play, but things are winding down with school. He has about another 3 weeks of regular classes and then it's finals and NYS Regents exams. He's so exhausted. Leaves the house at 7 a.m. and doesn't get back home until around 6:30-7:00 pm. It's a LONG day. When he gets home he hits the shower, and eats dinner. It's a struggle to get him to open up the books and keep up with his homework. He had a pretty good school year. Made honor roll two quarters. He knew this last quarter was going to be rough. There just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day for the kid. He is asleep by 9:00. They really work them out. Now, with moving up to varsity...it's going to be even tougher. While he's happy, and we're proud of him. I secretly wish he was just one of the other kids, whose season has ended already. Is it a bad thing to hope they don't go into the finals?
Oh..and he's in chorus also. Spring Concert this week. He'll barely have time to shower, let alone eat dinner. That will probably be in the car on the way there. Not an option to not go...it's part of his grade for the quarter. Attendance is mandatory. So many of the kids involved in sports weren't showing up for the concerts. I hate the end of the school year..it's just crazy. No matter how you think next year will be different..it's always the same madness.

 

[Gatordad]

It has been crazy! The schools try to cram all the parties and field trips into that last week! I've been baking up a storm here! Plus, I'm trying to pack for DD11 and I to go to Europe and DD7 & 9 to go to Grandads and be single mom this week.....I'll be happy to get on that airplane! Oh and I need one more hotel in Paris....some things switched around and now we have an extra night....it's freakin hard to find a hotel last minute...at least one I'm comfortable sleeping in

where are you staying there. We stayed in the Concord St. Lazarre. Nice hotel, not sure of the price.

 

[Us3]

You guys are right about schools trying to cram everything into this last week! Lot's of fun stuff happening for the kids, but that means more work for the parents, ha!

 

[PolynesianPixie]

where are you staying there. We stayed in the Concord St. Lazarre. Nice hotel, not sure of the price.

Meija and I are staying at the Kyriad near Disney, then when Scott meets up with us we are going to the Hotel Du Quai-Voltaire. We have one more night. I was trying to get us a place with an Eiffel view, but those are hard to come by this late in the game. I found a place that I LOVE called Residence Foch.....nothing. Now I'm trying to add a night at the Voltaire. What were you close to?

 

[des1954]

That works out to $4-$5, if that!

I use Turbo Tax and there was no problem depositing to my account. That sounds fishy. As long as the IRS has your transit number and account number there should be absolutely no problem. Interesting.

it doesn't matter if you used turbo tax or not, they only direct deposit if you electronically file.

From the Turbo-Tax Web Site

IMPORTANT -- How you paid your tax preparation or filing fees could determine when you get your rebate
Even if you have received or will receive your tax refund by direct deposit to your bank account using Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, the IRS will not do the same for your tax rebate. It will mail your rebate instead.
This situation applies only if you chose, at the time you filed your tax return, to pay your tax preparation or filing fees by having them deducted from your expected refund. The payment arrangement with the bank, which carries an additional fee, offers an alternative to paying with a credit card.

Why can't I have my rebate direct deposited just like my tax refund?
When TurboTax customers decided to pay their tax preparation or filing fees with their refunds, they authorized a bank to set up temporary accounts to be used only to receive their 2007 income tax refunds from the IRS. The temporary bank-account information was transmitted to the IRS along with each tax return.
The IRS sent the refund to the temporary account and the bank then transmitted the tax refund (minus the tax preparation fees) directly to the customer's actual bank account.
Because the IRS does not receive a taxpayer's bank-account number, under this payment method, it cannot match a taxpayer with that taxpayer's regular bank account.
That's why the IRS decided that taxpayers who entered into financial transactions with third parties, such as SBB&T, would get rebates by mail. This applies to all third-party transactions offered by tax software companies, including "refund anticipation loans" or RALs (loans made to tax filers against their expected refunds). TurboTax does not offer RALs.

 

[PolynesianPixie]

You guys are right about schools trying to cram everything into this last week! Lot's of fun stuff happening for the kids, but that means more work for the parents, ha!

I have it a little easier this year, I think. The Concerts and recitals are already done. With the trip coming up, plus with the baby here, I have allowed myself to say "no" to some of the chaperoning and cooking. I'm so proud of myself.....that use to be a word not in my vocabulary!

 

[Gatordad]

I don't know what I was near, other t han St. Lazarre and the opera house.

 

[auntie]

When do you all end school? Here in NY we are in session until the end of June. I personally think it just stinks. Such a waste. I wish they would have cut out this last vacation..which was the end of April..and just ended our school year earlier. While my son is in high school, his last full day session is more the middle of June, however the elementary kids are in class until the
27th of June. The last week, simply being 2 hr. and 1 hour days...just trying to meet the official 180 days of mandatory class time. They actually bring games to class, to pass the time.


__________

 

[Us3]

Here in the Atlanta area most of us are out at the end of this week. My family in the Dallas area still have an additional week to go! But then again, we go back earlier here too...usually the 2nd full week of Aug!

And you're right about filling the hours! DD9 took a blanket and a book to school today. Today is "Read outside" day! geez, just let the kids out of school!

 

[BigDaddyRog]

My 11 yr old was late this morning and the wife was running around and yelling and acting like the kid was missing out on something important...like the grades arent already written on the report cards!!!! They have their awards day ceremony today...but it didnt start till 10.....other than that they are just gonna do everything they can to get a kid to stay in the classrooms instead of running around the halls singing Alice Cooper's "Schools Out"....wait, they probably dont even KNOW that song!!! Ok...they'll be singing "Its Summertime" from the HSMusical Soundtrack!!!

 

[MomofPirate&Mickey]

For anyone who cares... They're also launching a new attraction at MGM/HS. Toy Story Mania...

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/mgm/st-toy-story-mania.htm

Which is AWESOME (direct quote from both my FIL & 4.5yo son)!!! Actually it is really cool & will spoil you from EVER going on the Buzz Lightyear's Spin ride again! Themeing is great. My 2yo decided that it was his personal playground in one part & got down & went into the areas between the corrals to go under some "cards." HE thought it was hilarious!

 

[Us3]

Which is AWESOME (direct quote from both my FIL & 4.5yo son)!!! Actually it is really cool & will spoil you from EVER going on the Buzz Lightyear's Spin ride again! Themeing is great. My 2yo decided that it was his personal playground in one part & got down & went into the areas between the corrals to go under some "cards." HE thought it was hilarious!

We're really excited about this new attraction too! I hope it opens on time...we hope to check it out on May 31st. Oh, and hopefully fast pass will be running for it too!

 

[MomofPirate&Mickey]

We love the Indiana Jones movies. I bought the box set on Valentines for dh. It was the first time dd9 had seen them, now she loves them too...very cool!

We love them too. When we were at the Studios on 5/11, DH got picked to go down & be an extra for the stunt show. Ben wasn't too excited about the show at first, then daddy got picked (which kind of freaked Leo out a little bit). Now Ben & Leo both love Indy too!! So they've watched Raiders, & Ben keeps bugging us to watch the other 2. My mom is coming down for Leo's birthday on Friday, so we'll probably get her to watch them so we can go see the new movie.

Last night the boys were playing at being Indy, it was too cute!! Oh lives the traditions!!

 

[AuburnJen92]

Has anyone heard from John lately?

 

[Gatordad]

rvusa john? maybe he's busy.

 

[Shannone1]

Our kids are out of school on June 6th this year and we always go back the day after Labor Day. I can't wait for summer break so I can concentrate on moving and getting settled into the new place. We have our middle dd's last choir concert tonight and then 4 more weeks of evening softball/baseball games.

We went over to the new place for a walk through with the owners. Everything is looking really good. I took some measurements and most of my furniture will fit where I wanted it to. There are a couple of things I'll have to figure out once we are there.

 

[VACAMPER]

Has anyone heard from John lately?

I had been wondering the same thing. I wouldn't think much about it but he had been having alot of pain. Hope he's ok and just busy.

 

[Donna]

OH. That makes sense.

we did not electronically file (paper filed) but our check is always direct deposited, as was the stimulus check. we were disappointed, we did not get the full $1,500. what an odd amount to receive...$1,078. something to do with the child tax credit. i saw on the budget board, this happened alot to people. maybe do the calculation on the irs.gov website to be sure you know what to expect and when.

 

[ntsammy5]

Yeah, it also gets reduced for incomes over $150,000 IIRC