BP:  Anyone living in the United States has surely figured out by now, our borders MUST be secured – it’s an apparent truth, and stands on it’s own, without needing any falsehoods such as this email!

Exerpts from an email supposedly received from Tom O’Malley, who was purportedly a Director with S.W. BELL in Mexico City:

BP:  this email has been going around since before 2006 – basically not true – though portions may be almost accurate.

“I spent five years working in Mexico. I worked under a tourist Visa for three
months and could legally renew it for three more months. After that you were working illegally. I was technically illegal for three weeks waiting on the FM3 approval.
BP:  The company he was reportedly working for sure screwed up then.  All he needed was an FM3 with permit to work.

“During that six months our Mexican and U.S. attorneys were working to secure a permanent work visa called a ‘FM3′. It was in addition to my U.S. passport that I had to show each time I entered and left the country. Barbara’s was the same, except hers did not permit her to work.

BP:  This guy needed 6 months and Mexican and U.S. attorneys working to get his FM3??  You’ve got to be kidding.

“To apply for the FM3, I needed to submit the following notarized originals (not copies):
1. Birth certificate for wife Barbara and me.

2. Marriage certificate.

(BP:  Only if he was bring his wife in on his FM3, as a dependent.)

3. High school transcripts and proof of graduation.

(BP:  No way are these required.)

4. College transcripts for every college I attended and proof of graduation.

(BP:  Not true.)

5. Two letters of recommendation from supervisors I had worked for at least one year.

(BP:  Tic, Tac, Toe – three falsehoods in a row.)

6. A letter from the St. Louis Chief of Police indicating that I had no arrest record in the U.S. and no outstanding warrants and, was “a citizen in good standing”.

(BP:  half true – they don’t want someone with felony convictions, etc.)

7. “Finally, I had to write a letter about myself that clearly stated why there was no
Mexican citizen with my skills and why my skills were important to Mexico.  We called it our ‘I am the greatest person on Earth’ letter. It was fun to write.”

(BP:  About 1/3 true – The letter comes from the employer, stating why they want to hire this person, and how much he will be paid.  Now, if “Tom” were going to Mexico to start up his own personal business, he would have to write a letter stating so, and he would be applying for an FM3, with permission to start a business (permission to work).

“All of the above were in English that had to be translated into Spanish and be certified as legal translations, and our signatures notarized. It produced a folder about 1.5 inches thick with English on the left side & Spanish on the right.”

BP:  If you are filling out forms in any country – you usually need to use that language – duh!

“Once they were completed Barbara and I spent about five hours, accompanied by a Mexican attorney, touring Mexican government office locations and being photographed and fingerprinted at least three times at each location, and we remember at least four locations where we were instructed on Mexican tax, labor, housing, and criminal law and that we were required to obey their laws or face the consequences. We could not protest any of the government’s actions or we would be committing a felony. We paid out four thousand dollars in fees and bribes to complete the process. When this was done we could legally bring in our household goods that were held by U.S. Customs in Laredo, Texas. This meant we had rented furniture in Mexico while awaiting our goods. There were extensive fees involved here that the company paid.”

BP:  Oh my – so many more untruths.

“We could not buy a home and were required to rent at very high rates and under contract and compliance with Mexican law.”

BP:  Geez – wonder where “Tom” got his info – he sure didn’t read my site before taking this “job” in Mexico!

“We were required to get a Mexican driver’s license. This was an amazing process.
The company arranged for the licensing agency to come to our headquarters location with their photography and fingerprint equipment and the laminating machine.

BP:  Well, have no proof that this might not happen – but I cannot even imagine it happening.  First of all – your U.S. license is legal in Mexico.

“We showed our U.S. license, were photographed and fingerprinted again and issued the license instantly after paying out a six dollar fee. We did not take a written or driving test and never received instructions on the rules of the road. Our only instruction was to never give a policeman your license if stopped and asked. We were instructed to hold it against the inside window away from his grasp. If he got his hands on it you would have to pay ransom to get it back.

BP:  Some imagination this “Tom” has – really wonder why he decided to take this job in Mexico?

“We then had to pay and file Mexican income tax annually using the number of our FM3 as our ID number. The company’s Mexican accountants did this for us and we just signed what they prepared. It was about twenty legal size pages annually.”

BP:  Hum – 20 pages – well, this guy sure made more money and had more deductions than the Parks’ family ever did, I guess.

“The FM3 was good for three years and renewable for two more after paying more fees.”

BP:  This is actually getting boring – again – not true.  Articles on my site tell all about FM3’s.

“Leaving the country meant turning in the FM3 and certifying we were leaving no debts behind and no outstanding legal affairs (warrants, tickets or liens) before our household goods were released to customs.”

BP:  Have any of you traveled between Mexico and into the United States?  If you have your passport, U.S. admits you – Mexico doesn’t even say “good-bye” to you.  Oh – other than if you have the temporary car tags, and you’ve been there on a temporary visa, then the officials must take the tag off your car.  And you do have to find that bank who will know what $15 you are trying to pay.

“It was a real adventure and if any of our Senators or Congressmen went through it once they would have a different attitude toward Mexico.”

“The Mexican government uses its vast military and police forces to keep its citizens
intimidated and compliant. They never protest at their capitol or government offices, but do protest daily in front of the United States Embassy. The U.S. Embassy looks like
a strongly reinforced fortress and during most protests the Mexican military surrounds the block with their men standing shoulder to shoulder in full riot gear to protect the  embassy. These protests are never shown on U.S. or Mexican TV. There is a large public park across the street where they do their protesting. Anything can cause a protest such as proposed law changes in California or Texas.”

BP:  Just not true – they happen to have t.v. in Mexico, believe it or not, and protests are usually televised.

Please feel free to share this with everyone who thinks we are being hard on the illegals.

BP:  This part, I agree on – sort of – Mexico does have stipulations on whom they want to live tin their country.  It’s all on my sites www.retireinluxury.com and www.moneysavingmexico.com

Have a good day – and don’t believe all the Pinocchio’s that are around.  It still amazes me that people have the spare time to make up writings like this and then feel the need to pass them around…I just don’t understand.

BP:  Took a bit of research, but I finally found it:  Southwestern Bell International S.A. De C.V., Parque Via 190S,  06500 Ciudad De Mexico, Districto Federal, Mexico,   Telephone  01 55 5255 3530  – you can call and ask if they’ve ever even heard of this “Tom” fellow…they haven’t.

As far as Social Security, the nay-sayers and dooms-dayers say it won’t be there – but, even if is, (and I can’t imagine any politician who values their political life not working to keep it functioning) then it will be an added bonus!

Ways to do it:

If your employer offers retirement savings plans – take full advantage of them. Contributions are taken out of your pay before taxes – and the savings will earn interest, and you won’t be taxed until you – usually in retirement – take the distributions. And, believe me, in retirement, most of us have a lower income – ergo – lower tax ratio. Win-win – you saved, let it gain interest, and the taxes will be less when you receive the money. If your employer offers a matching plan – take full advantage of it! Contribute as much as is allowed. Same scenario as above paragraph, plus you double your savings!

Once you have a plan established, don’t borrow on it! You’ll find it’s almost impossible to replace the money you already saved – and you’ll be paying back interest too boot!  Keep your eyes open for penalties! If you take distributions before 59 ½, those withdrawals may have penalties!

So, try to wait until at least age 62 to retire – you’ll find health insurance can be a huge expense on your own – try to hang in there until 65. Medicare is wonderful! 

 Now, assuming you’re a bit nearer that golden year of retirement, and have already put the above plans into action, here are a few thoughts to ruminate:  Your retirement does not involve only yourself. Your spouse or partner is going to take that ride with you.

Sit downand have many discussions about your hopes, your expectations, your desires you have for the future years. Dick and I have always found a lot of easy conversation while driving and relaxing – find a comfortable setting and share.

Figure out just where your income is going to come from and how much you can plan on receiving – here, a financial advisor may come in handy. Most banks have that service offered for free, but we’ve found you can get a lot of information by just getting out pencil and paper and doing some figuring!

By now you should have a budget figured out – see where you can cut down, where you will be able to save. Use coupons and take full advantage of sales. You’ll probably find that during retirement, you’ll have more time than money, so make a game of coupons… and don’t forget to always ask for the good old “senior discount”! Dick and I would feel really bad if we were to pay full price for almost anything anymore! 

Just for the fun of it – go though last year’s financial records. Find out just what you actually spent for the year, and see where you can cut down. Even if you have unlimited funds, you should feel very proud not to just waste money.

And what a wonderful lesson to pass on to your children!

Now, you should be in full retirement mode – but – woops – what happens a little later…when the car needs a major repair, the roof starts to leak or the plumbing gives up the ghost and needs a major rework – or maybe your washer just stops in the middle of the spin cycle, never to spin again? All those savings you’ve been able to put away will be a life saver.

Expenses don’t stop just because you retire!

Logically, and sensibly, your choices should be based primarily on your finances. Do you want to do a lot of traveling? If you choose that lifestyle, then why would you start looking for a large home, with a lot of upkeep demanded?

You may decide to just stay put – perhaps near family – in the home you’ve been in for years.   Or, have they already scattered so you are free to move where you can really make the most of your retirement years, and just enjoy their visits ?

Some of our friends, retirees also, have felt they must have extra bedrooms and baths for the relatives who come to visit (usually once a year). Just contemplate… how much would it cost you to simply rent a motel room for them, compared to the upkeep and expense of having that extra space you’re going to pay for??

Think of the original cost of the extra room, the extra taxes, the heating and cooling, and just the upkeep!

You can pay for a lot of overnighters in a motel for what you will pay for that extra room that isn’t even used 95% of the time. And it’s usually a wonderful break – for everyone – to part at the end of the day for some private time and recuperation time!

Do you plan to do a lot of entertaining – either family or friends? Again – why get a humongous home you’ll be constantly cleaning and keeping up, when friends are just as comfortable in a more intimate setting.

Remember, you and your friends are getting older each year, and the wild parties of your 30’s and 40’s possibly are not the evenings you will be experiencing in retirement.

Keep your taxes low, keep your utility costs low, and enjoy a higher, more leisurely lifestyle like you can do if you move to Mexico.  We’ve fallen into the nicest concept…It’s called “pupu parties” … I guess it’s Hawaiian for hors d’oeuvres party. You just call a bunch of friends – they each bring a nice snack, your supply the drinks, and it’s a wonderful, easy, inexpensive and casual get together. Not too much work for anyone, and a great reason to get together with friends!

If you have a lot of equity in your home, (I always stress that hopefully by the time you are contemplating retirement, it is paid for) and you should decide to sell it, buy smaller, have less expenses, put the profit into an investment portfolio and enjoy the interest.

Then, you may decide to just stay put – in the home you’ve been in for years.  Just realize that air conditioners eventually will need replaced and the plumbing – possibly, etc.  And if you have a lot of equity in your home, if you sell it, buy smaller, and put the profit in the bank – voila!  Interest to help with expenses, or to grow for a long desired item!

Don’t overlook renting – an apartment or a condo – everything is secure when you take those trips, and you won’t have to own a lawnmower or snowblower anymore!

Your retirement maybe be just around the corner, or it may be along way off, but from this day forward it’s up to you – and no one else – to save enough money to live on happily after retirement.

As far as Social Security benefits, the nay-sayers and dooms-dayers say it won’t be there – but, if is, then it will be an added bonus!  But, long before your retirement date, you should contact your Social Security office, and get all the information you can – they can tell you when you can start drawing on Social Security, and how much you can expect to receive – invaluable information for planning your life!

Suggestions: If your employer offers retirement savings plans – take advantage of them – they are taken out of your pay before taxes – and the savings will earn interest, and you won’t be taxed until you – usually in retirement – take the distributions.  And, believe me, in retirement, most of us have a lower income – ergo – lower tax ratio.  Win-win – you saved, let it gain interest, and the taxes will be less.

If your employer offers a matching play – take full advantage of it!  Contribute as much as is allowed.  Same scenario as above paragraph, plus you double your savings!

Once you have a plan established, don’t borrow on it!  You’ll find it’s almost impossible to replace the money you already saved – and you’ll be paying back interest too boot!And you may be taxed twice – when it was earned and again when you withdraw it at retirement.  Keep your eyes open for Penalties!  If you take distributions before 59 ½, those withdrawals may have penalties!  So, try to wait until at least you qualify for Social Security and their insurance to retire – you’ll find health insurance can be a huge expense on your own.

Then, I realized there was a big info-gap I left you in. So, you might be interested in my opinion of what to check out before deciding on any used car.

So – here goes:  Usually you will want to choose a car between 3-5 years old, with low mileage, under 40,000 is a good number. That means it’s only been driven approximately 10,000 miles a year – pretty good rate.Now, before you even go to look at a car, check the approximate price at www.kbb.com – the good old Kelly Blue Book! At least it will give you a guideline and…. Hey! There’s another great freebie!!!

Okay – you’ve heard about a car or seen it advertised in the paper on online…Walk up to the car, stand at the rear and see it the tires line up front and back – if the vehicle looks like the tires are heading one way and the body of the vehicle is heading a bit left or right, it probably means the vehicle has been in an accident. Question the owner about that.

Check the tires – the old bit of putting a penny in the groove and not being able to see Lincoln’s hair is a pretty good way to judge how many miles are left on the tires before you’ll have to replace them. Physically run your hands around the tires – make sure there are no places where the “rubber” is gone and the threads are exposed.

Now – it’s time to look inside. First you’re going to check the back seat: Check the carpet – a car with 40,000 miles should be in good condition – if the owners took care of it. If they took care of that, perhaps they were considerate of the whole car. Check the seat condition and make sure the seat belts in the back seat work. Close the back doors – do they close securely without slamming?  Now, you actually get to go to the front seat! Just open the door, don’t get in yet – take a  visual appraisal at everything: How’s the upholstery on the driver’s side? Cigarette holes  – I’ve never found a way to fix those successfully. Is the upholstery excessively worn, especially on the driver’s side?

Then question the odometer reading. There is an Internet site you may want to use:  www.carfax.com that gives you a history of the car – but how often do we look at a car then take the time to go home,  run a check and then go back – by then, if the car was good, it’s probably already been sold – so – do what makes you comfortable.

How’s the brake pedal look? Just about worn through? Then, has this car been driven aggressively. How’s the gas pedal? Same thing – aggressive driving can be hard on the engine and the whole system. Check the headliner – that’s the material that goes over you head – is it secure? No excessive staining? Does the top interior light work? Both sunshades secure?  Check the front seat – finally, you should get in and sit down.

Ask for the owner for the key. Do a visual check – if the key is really worn off, again question how carefully the owners treated the car and question the mileage. Insert the key, make sure the brake is on, and start the car. See if any warning lights come on – it’s normal for the oil to light up and then instantly go out, as may some of the other warning lights – it’s normal to light for a moment, but then they should all go out. Pay attention to the sound – with low mileage, it should still pretty much sound like a new car – quiet. If it is equipped with a motorized seat, does it work? Is it big enough for you to comfortably enter and to drive? Alternatively, is it small enough? Does the passenger seat have adjustments? Long rides and comfort go hand in hand.

Now, your partner needs to help for this – turn on the lights – headlights, parking lights, brake lights, and all four signal lights – make sure they perform.Check the interior lights – the ceiling light – maybe the glove compartment light. Take your time – don’t get flustered. All of this is important.

Probably long before this, the owner is trying to get your attention on the pretty color – tell them yes and proceed with your inspection. If the windows are automatic, make sure they all work – one motor in one door for the window can be quite expensive – this is from experience. In hot climate, are the windows tinted? Is that in good condition? Are the door handles secure? Check the door locks – make sure they all work.  Check the seat belts – looking sturdy still? Do they lock properly? Are they secured at the proper points or have they been altered?

You still have the car running – it should not have died. Now, with the motor running,  and the car in park, and the brake on, carefully exit the car – make sure to leave the door open so it doesn’t accidentally lock (how embarrassing) and again check under the hood. Everything looking and sounding good? Great!

So, back in the car for a test drive. Turn the car off, then turn it back on. Try to do a test on city streets for the brake testing (when you use the brake, it shouldn’t feel mushy – it should give you a bit of resistance as you push it in) and turning performance and then on a more open road to check pickup speed, quiet ride, whether the steering wheel feels correct and doesn’t shimmy, and the car holds the road (doesn’t pull to one side or the other) and the motor doesn’t stutter. Make sure the windshield wipers work. If there’s a radio, check it out.Air conditioning working properly? You should also turn the heater on – make sure the fan/blower works well. After slowing down – foot off the gas, step on the gas – you shouldn’t see a big cloud of smoke come out of the back – a small one is acceptable, very small.

When you return the car, leave it idling – it should run smoothly. Get out – leave the door open remember – and go to the back – check for smoke again.  Walk to the front – no terrible odors coming from under the hood – like smoke? OK. Get back in and with the brake on, shift through all the options – reverse, 2nd, drive, etc – make sure they all take and there is no clunking noise as you change. In fact, while you are still driving, the gears should change pretty much noiselessly – no clunking accepted.

Presuming the car by now has been sitting in the driveway for several minutes, do a visual under the car. See any oil leaks? The dripping from the air conditioningcondensation is normal. But anything other than water that’s dripping needs checked.Well, now I think I’ve pretty well covered the gamut of checking out a car. Of course, you can ask the seller if you can take the car to a qualified mechanic to have it checked over. That may cost a few bucks, but may be worth it. If you’re lucky, the seller may have all the repair records for you to see. Those may bring up other questions.

So, after going through all of this, if you like the looks of the car and will be satisfied with it, made the seller an offer. Try starting with at least a 15% reduction from what it’s being offered for. You can usually settle with a 10% cut. Of course, if there are obvious faults that you are willing to live with or get fixed, negotiate even further. Just remember – there’s another used car coming up for sale tomorrow.

Well, I’m sure I’ve missed some things, but, this is a good base to start with when you go to look for a used car that you want to last a while. Hope this helps you in saving those pennies!

SEEMS AS THOUGH MY LIFE HAS BEEN A SONG

I sing a lot…no, no, not in front of anyone – I’m typical I think… I sing in the shower – I sing in the car – I basically sing when no one (other than Dick) is around. Thank goodness, Dick is very tolerant! (And I think he has a fabulous voice, the few times I can get him to join along!)

My Uncle Paul was in W.W. II. He and Aunt Alice had two children – right around my sister’s and my age, so we, (my sister Bonnie and I) were closest to those two cousins. I knew there was a war – I remember at two years of age, the day the U.S. joined in – and I knew that the war was major – but, I mainly remember the songs -“There’ll Be Blue Birds Over the White cliffs of Dover”. I remember singing that when I was probably 3 or 4.

I can remember singing with my older sister, Bonnie, when we washed and dried the dishes together years ago.  “Rock of Ages”, helped the time pass doing chores we weren’t fond of doing. We sang “Blue Bird on My Shoulder” from Uncle Remus – we sang church songs – we sang “Jingle Bells” – we sang every song we heard.

We often visited my maternal grandparents “out in the country”… and down the lane.  On one visit, my cousins and I discovered an ancient “Victrola” in my Grandpa Huntsman’s barn. It actually worked after a few cranks and the dusty records stacked there sounded just great – we  thought. Mostly country western songs – neat – Gene Autry and Roy Rodgers among some others.

Some where in my memory is the fact that my sister and I actually made a record – seems like we were in a big town – maybe Columbus, Ohio – maybe it was at a fair…and there was a small building you went into, put coins into a slot, and you could perform and some how be recorded. Of course, we thought we’d be wonderful – however, after about 4 words of the song we picked to have immortalized, we forgot the words – darn. We had that record for years and years – just a lot of “You sing!”, “No! You sing!”. Wonder what ever happened to that?…

Do you remember the song, “Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy, a kid will eat ivy too, wouldn’t you?” We always sang it as “marseydoats and doeseydoats and little lamsey divey, a kiddle de divey doo, wouldn’t you?” Words and meaning were pretty unimportant at that age – just the rhythm and tune were good enough to enjoy.

When I was about seven years old, for some reason, my parents decided we were going to move to California – from Ohio.  We did the Route-40 trip across the country in a red Willys Jeep (all metal inside if I remember correctly, other than the seats which were a tan naugahyde) , pulling a trailer – our living quarters for the trip. Across the country – no air conditioning of course, so Daddy bought big blocks of ice, put it right on the floor of the jeep and somehow we managed to drive across the desert.

My Daddy, Bob Ogle, worked for the local Kroger grocery store when we moved back to Ohio. We luckily had a movie theater in town, that my sister and I loved to go to on weekends. In 1950, Disney created the wonderful movie “Cinderella” and we went to see it. Well, being a girly-girl, I fell in love with the beauty of the movie. I remember swinging under the trees at home, on our home-made swing, and since it was fall, the leaves swirled around as I swang back and forth – I felt as though I was Cinderella with the magic dust flying around and I sang Bibbidy Bobbity Boo, at the top of my lungs, for hours on end.

Apparently, Mother and Daddy liked California when we got there, because we ended up living in San Diego for a while – until the Christmas season came. I guess they got homesick – because we moved back to Ohio – and there we stayed. Oh, the songs that goes with that memory?  “Detour, there’s a muddy road ahead, detour…” and of course, “California, Here We Come”. I have a picture of my Daddy working on the roof of our San Diego house, on Boundary Street, and you can see our trailer was parked in back – guess they were keeping a way back to Ohio, just in case.  So, we moved back to Ohio.

Daddy built a one-story, 2-bedroom cement-block home (Including a “John” down the path) for us out in the country, very near (walking distance) to where my Aunt Alice and Uncle Paul had built and lived with my two cousins, and just a couple of miles from Grandma and Grandpa Huntsman, where the Victrola was.

Jump ahead years and years and that little girl grew up – and then, I met Dick, the wonderful man I’ve been married to for 50 years (that never ceases to amaze me – just the length of time – where have the years gone?) “Sunrise, Sunset…”
When we were dating, one night Dick took me to see Nat King Cole. The crooner sang “They try to tell Us We’re Too Young” and it seemed as though he was directing it to us – but, we knew “Our Love Was Here to Stay”, and, only 19 months after we were married, I was singing “Rock-a-bye Baby” to a beautiful, dark haired, healthy miniature of Dick.
 

Now, the time really starts to fly – “Chiao, Chiao Bambino” turned into “Here Comes Santa Clause”, and then another beautiful little boy, this one tow-headed and the songs continue: “I Love You a Bushel and a Peck”, “The Bear Went Over the Mountain”, “Two and Two Are Four, Four and Four are Eight”……, “On Top of Spaghetti All Covered With Sauce”…, and then the birth of another beautiful little boy, with dark curly hair…and the tunes continue… “I’m Hen-er-ry the Eighth I Am”.

And the eldest is in high school, the middle is in junior high and the youngest is starting school, and we’re singing “ The Razor’s Edge is Cold and It Stings” and “Someone Left the Cake Out In the Rain”, (whatever those songs were about) and Johnny Cash songs, and “Here Comes Santa Clause”, and “Two and Two are Four”, and “On top of Spaghetti”, and “The Bear Went Over the Mountain”…

And then, the Parks Family decides to follow the route of Grandpa and Grandma, just for a vacation. A rare three-week vacation – a once in a life time event! We decide to follow the route my Mother and Daddy had taken years ago, see the same sights – show out kids all the wonders of America – Mount Rushmore, the Corn Palace, the wheat fields, the Arch, the oil fields, the sand dunes, the Petrified Forest, Pikes Peak, Las Vegas, and the Golden Gate… and so we slide into “California Here We Come”… and “Detour”, the second time around…

Then, somehow, we got through high school graduations, beginning college, college diplomas, new jobs, kids moving away, moving to Kentucky, learning of Blue Grass and cloggers, barbeque and burgoo, then moving on to Louisiana with their Zydeco and Cajun, and the fabulous food of that area.  Then, on to discover the beauty of Mexico and Spanish music and the exciting Flamenco!

“The Falling Leaves Drift by My Window”…Now, in retirement, it seems as though we’ve come full circle. In our home, oldie-moldies play most of the day – the car plays our favorite oldie-moldies- Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Gene Autry, Roy Rodgers -we sing to them all. When we drive in our car to visit the tow-head, who now lives in California – yep – we sing.

I did something dumb.

I wore sandals when we took our last air trip…

Seemed like a pretty good idea – easy to get off for your “inspection”. Right?

But, standing in line and watching all the other passengers removing their shoes and realizing I was going to have to walk there — in my bare feet — where thousands and thousands of people have already walked.

Yes… in my bare feet.

So if you’re thinking about flying (anywhere)  I don’t recommend sandals. Or flip flops. I suggest wearing slip-ons with socks  instead. Or, stick a little pair of sox in your pocket you can slip on.

One thing is for certain… I will never wear just sandals again when traveling by air – no matter how comfortable!

(Yep, now you know – I am a neat freak – I carry my little anti-bacterial squeeze bottle in my purse.)

The way I became aware of it was just opening the mail one evening. There was a bank statement, an internet bill, and a bunch of junk mail. The junk mail went into the shredder. Then I opened Quicken on my computer and quickly paid my internet bill, then opened the bank statement.

We happen to have two accounts at this particular bank — a “senior” checking account, and a bank account that we’ve had for a few years that just sits there with $1,385 in it (a little emergency cash, just in case), month in, month out never a charge, never any interest.

So, of course, I expected to open the envelope, glance at it and put it in it’s proper file. But — hey — wait — $850 balance??? Hum??????

OK — “Hey, Dick” I yell through the house. “Have you, by any chance, been to Hungry Howie’s Pizza without me and spent $62???”

“What in the world are you talking about, Barbie?” came back his response.

By now, I had glanced down the page at the rest of the charges — Hungry Howie’s 6 times???

Dick and I had never even heard of the place. Also a charge to an Internetcompany. And a couple of other strange items…Like the Wild Bronco’s Hideaway.

Like I mentioned, this was evening — our bank is closed. It’s a rough night in the Parks household.

Early the next morning, we head to the bank. Luckily the manager was there and took us directly into his office. After calming our fears with an assurance that the bank would stand behind us, he entered some information into his computer. An immediate fraud report went out attached to our account.

But, even with that quick action, as we were sitting there, the computer flashed an alert — over $500 spent at a computer store — oh boy — whoever was doing this was planning to have a fun weekend!

An interesting point — this was just a bank account — the cards that were issued to us were never taken out of the envelope they came to us in and that envelope has lived from the first day in my file. Never taken out, never used. From what the Bank Manager told us, hackers can just buy some sort of a gadget from a store, connect that up to their computer and it starts sending out random numbers to companies trying to charge an amount of $1, and when a charge hits an actual number,it “takes”. Your account is then at the mercy of the thief. Scary Huh?

So, even though they, the thieves, had no social security number, no I.D. number, nothing, your identity can be stolen. Even if you have no computer!

Dick and I felt very lucky our bank stood behind us. It was less than two weeks, and we were reimbursed.

However, this costs the bank — so we’re all losers. The banks have to cover their loses some way.

Well, anyway — if this happens to you – contact your bank, credit card company, etc, immediately – don’t wait one second. And make sure you always check the charges on all of your statements.

When you place an order over the Internet, it’s easy to make sure it’s a secure transaction. When you start the paying process, you should make sure the address line has an added “s” immediately after the http – meaning “secure connection”.

So watch out, be careful, and monitor your statements! Identity theft can happen to anyone.

I recently replaced my modem (the thing that lets you connect to the outside world) and my router (enables networking (more than one computer) in your home.) 

Believe it or not, computer components actually do wear out – they get old – and when that happens, they become less efficient and slower…and more aggravating.

Add the normal aging process to power surges, outages, and power drops and you may have a computer on the brink.  Each of those little surges can damage the sensitive parts of your computer, again shortening their lifespan and efficiency.   And those surge protectors wear out too, becoming almost useless so even those need to be replaced eventually.

The computer world has its own Capone’s.  I’ll never understand just what those people feel they accomplish, but they get great joy, apparently, by sending out viruses – deadly bombs – to your computer.  The outcome can be as minor as items appearing at inopportune times on your desktop, to having your entire hard drive destroyed.  It’s up to you to make sure you put the proper defenses on your computer to protect yourself from such intrusions.  A really good virus program is mandatory these days.

Then, there are the spies (spyware) that infiltrate your computer.  They come from companies and/or individuals – hackers who develop programs that enable them to receive all types of information they find on your computer.  The information they might receive from your computer ranges from your dog’s name to your birth date to your social security number – unless you have up-to-date protection!

A spam filter is just as mandatory as electricity is to your computer.  Spam is basically anything you don’t really want to come to your computer, but is sent out by companies and entities to advertise their products – unwanted promotions, information, and/or entertainment. Spam usually appears in the form of email – all those hundreds that you delete daily – what a pest.  The danger here lies in the fact that those email can hold viruses, worms, all sorts of major problems.  So, get a powerful spam filter installed on your machine.

Firewall protection is a major concern too.  One trouble I’ve found is that if you happen to activate two, they may not be compatible…so, while they are another important defensive wall, be careful not to double up on them – that could make your computer unstable.  Do make sure you do at least a weekly update on your computer and your firewall should be effective.

And now, you have the Barbie version of taking care of computers – oh, make sure you dust them – constantly – they are truly dust magnets…and dust doesn’t make anything work very well.

Depending on what is important to you, you may find the following destinations to be some of the worst places to retire or you may not! (My opinions are in the parenthese.) Keep in mind everyone has different wants and needs and expectations.

Clearwater City, Florida:  Large senior citizen population (Personally I see nothing wrong with that!)

Austin, Texas: Hard Time Getting a Doctor who Takes Medicare (I don’t know why.)

Anchorage, Alaska: Fewest Fellow Seniors (Brrrrr!!)

Bridgeport, Connecticut: Highest Taxes.

Wisconsin: The 2005 Bloomberg Wealth Manager rated Wisconsin the worst state for retirees, saying they pay on average $17,528 in property, income and sales taxes. (Yikes! There goes a huge amount of our income for the year!)

New Jersey:  Llocal property taxes average $1,871 (ranks low for retirees.)

Washington, DC: Most poor Seniors (and high cost of living!!! – great place to visit – but live there??? Especially in retirement??? Nope! Sort of like New Orleans – for Dick and I, as I report in my book, Retire In Luxury, we loved living there where the job checks were coming in, and we love visiting there now, but live there? No, No…)

Rhode Island: Least Older Men (Here, I am reminded of the “Casserole Brigade” in one retirement community. Dick was talking to a recently widowed gentleman at a gathering we were at and he was filling Dick in on the phenomenon that happens upon a wife’s death – the casserole brigade appears delivering casseroles in droves. This particular gentleman had no interest in “things in a dish that were unrecognizable”…and kept his trash full and the dishwasher busy just disposing of the “food”. Gals – take note…maybe an invitation for lunch at a nearby restaurant would be appropriate.)

Provo, Utah: Most Youthful Population (Dick and I recently spent some time in Utah – a unique state – full of wonderful, breathtaking scenery.)

Queens, New York: Violence and the Boulevard of Death (Oh dear…well, so much for New York! Think taxes may be a bit high there too!)

Your Kid’s House: (Well, as a last resort, maybe.)

It seems like everything is getting more and more expensive, faster and faster. Sigh.

Just a few months ago, I was diligently working on getting all of almost 50 years of photographs, cards, newspaper clippings, and memorabilia into albums.  I had thoughts that when Dick and I, more than likely, the boxes of photographs would be tossed – that’s what has happened many more times than once, our friends and acquaintances tell us, when they are faced with a household of “old stuff” – everything but the silver goes out to the dumpster…

So, I was making an effort to ensure that our boys would at least look at the albums before they go into the dumpster, and maybe they would save a picture or two if they want.  Anyway, made me feel so good when the chore was done – even though it was work, and took me a few months to accomplish.  Now, I’ve even transferred all the video tape into CD’s – made copies and have given each boy a set.  The next two jobs are going to be transferring 8 mm movies to cd’s and our slides also onto cd’s. 

Anyway, as usual I digress, so back to the subject at hand. While going through our stuff, a little receipt fell out.  It was from the motel that my husband, Dick, and I spent our first married night in – the Maple Motel – heading toward Niagara Falls, of course – we are so conventional.  And the cost?  $7.  Yep – seven dollars – and there were no roaches. LOL  We were traveling with two young sons when the Motel 6 started – it was actually only $6.00 a night.

And, here I go about bargains again – the chart I found on the internet above lists milk as 97 cents a gallon in 1957.  I know that our eldest was born 16 months after we were married, so, that means we’re looking at around 1959 when I started buying milk in large quantities.  There was more than one store in the little town we lived in, in Ohio, where we got 3 – yep, three gallons for $1.00!  

Years later, when we moved to  Pennsylvania, I can remember buying gas.  Yes, it was the cheapest in town, but at a little gas station tucked into the side a mountain – I pumped gas into our 1957 Ford for $.19 cents a gallon.

Our first home we bought was in Ohio, in 1962,  we paid $12,000 for it.  Two bedrooms, new neighborhood, one bath, full basement, where we added another bath right away (it had already been plumbed for it – and a car port and all.)  When we bought it, we borrowed $1,000 from my parents, and paid that off completely to them within one year – at the wages we were making – and we still didn’t want for anything.   (Now homes are 20X’s that – just doesn’t make sense!)  Of course, we hadn’t gotten trapped by the advertisements that make people want to pay $8.00 for a cup of coffee, just because it makes them feel important to be seen there.

So, I think the chart above represents the very highest prices of the time – at least according to what Dick and I were paying for items.Another price that will never escape my memory – because I “demonstrated” certain foods in the local Kroger store where my Daddy managed is the price of ham. Ham sold for $.29 cents for the shank end(big bone), $.39 cents a pound for the butt end(more meat than bone).  Bread was 10 for $1.00.  And I’m talking about 1958 and 1959.

So, how have we come to where we are now??? 

Inflation is not a very good thing as far as I’m concerned – just makes the dollar worth less and less. Between 1957 and 1969, home prices doubled.  And median income doubled – seems as though the only people who come out on top with inflation are the people selling the products needed to print more money to our government.

I’m going to talk about toilet repair.

Dick just replaced the insides of one of our toilets, so I carefully watched, took notes, and this is how I would do it – hope this helps you.

Commodes are made of ceramic or porcelian, and there really is no part of a commode that “wears-out”. Unless it has become cracked, a commode – toilet – will last forever.

1. Turn off the water to the toilet. Usually a little handle that is to the left and under the water tank of your toilet…turn clockwise to shut off. If you don’t have a turn off here, you may want to have a plumber come in and put one there for you. This will cost you – and while handy, isn’t necessary, however, once the plumber is there, have him install the new “guts”. We haven’t had a plumber in one of our houses – almost forever…because Dick and I try to do everything ourselves. A good way to find a reliable plumber is to ask a friend. Now – back to doing it your self – another way to turn the water off is at the main supply source, outside. You may need a tool called a key – most hardware stores carry then, and they’re cheap. 

2. So, once you have turned the water off, you’re ready to go. Flush the toilet. Lift the lid of the water tank. When it’s emptied out, soak the rest of the water that is standing with a bath towel. Place a bowl under the water tank, where the water comes out of the wall and goes into the water tank. And now, you will reach under the tank and unscrew the plastic nut (clockwise) that is holding the water line to the tank. You’ll probably get a few drips, that’s why you need that bowl.

3. The water line, leading from the wall to the water tank, hopefully is flexible. If it’s a solid pipe, again, unless you’re familiar with cutting and gluing pipe, a plumber may be in order.

4. Now, look inside the water tank again. Lift the whole inside contraption – the thingy that holds the other thingy that raises and lowers with the water level – You’re going to take the whole thing – the water control unit – out of the tank.

5. There’s a little hose that’s connected to a standing water pipe (overflow) so disconnect that – usually connected with a little metal clip.

6. Place the new water control unit into the hole at the bottom of the tank – it will be adjustable, so check for water level. You can usually tell how high that should be from some hard water line on your tank. There will be some way to adjust the “control unit” to match that water line – sometimes you just push and twist – it’s easy. So, you’ve matched the water line that will be marked on the thingy to the water line that you can see in the tank. Place the thingy into the hole at the bottom again, and tighten the nut under the tank to secure the new unit.

7. Now, you need to connect the water supply line (underneath) that comes in from the wall to the tank. There will be a rubber washer on the line, and so you just push the supply up into the tank, slide the washer up to the tank opening and slide the washer up to that and tighten. Make sure you put it in straight, so you don’t strip the threads.

8. Inside the tank again, connect the little flexible tube to the standing water pipe with the little metal (usually) clip. You may have to cut the tube a little shorter, but don’t over do it. The little metal clip just slides over the standing water pipe. 

9. Underneath, now turn the water back on from underneath and cross your fingers, and if you’ve done it well, you’ll have no leaks. We always place a clean paper towel under the toilet, and if there are any drips, you’ll see them. Then, you may have to tighten the nut.

And – all of this should probably take you less than half an hour!

That is *not* a lot of money to live on in this day and age.

So if you’re even contemplating retirement – get all your finances under control.

That means pay off all credit card debts and keep them paid in full monthly. Get your home paid for, even if that means moving to a smaller –more modest home. Save every penny you can… believe me, worry-free retirement is worth every penny you’ll squeeze. And remember, your money can go a lot further in Mexico.

I found these statistics so interesting, and they confirm my theory: before you retire, clear up all your debts and your dollars will go so much farther.

• Age 50+ Head of household (still working): Gross income $56,281, and their discretionary income is $19,828.
• Compared to a RETIRED Head of household: Gross income $32,411, and their discretionary income is almost the same as the worker at $14,065!
• The working individual is bringing in over $24,000 more a year, but only has $5,500 more discretionary income than the Retiree! (When you work, you just naturally have more expenses.)
• There are 6.6 million people aged 50+ who own second homes.

This also confirms my thoughts about both people working in a household unless it’s truly necessary. By the time you pay for extra clothes, possibly help with the housework, going out to eat a lot more, needing two automobiles, the extra cost of that, from upkeep to insurance – then, if you have kids – and pay for daycare???

Don’t think the end result helps the family that much.

Oh well – my  theory.

Being from Ohio – those long cold winter seasons – there was a lot of game playing that got us through the dull days.  Board games, dice games, card games, the whole gamet.

Don’t remember exactly how I got started on bridge – though my Mother claimed to play bridge, so I must have picked up her version of the game as a kid.  I do remember long ago, thinking I could play bridge.

I was probably only 22 or so, had been married for 5 years, had two kids, and Dick was CEO of a Chamber of Commerce.  Well, I was invited by some more mature ladies to sit in on a bridge game.  I had no idea what was going on all evening – how embarrassing.   There seemed to actually be some rules and guidelines for this game of cards.  This was not my Mother’s bridge.  Think that was when I decided to find out just what the game was really about.

So, a few bridge lessons, some objective subbing in a few friendly games, and it soon began to make sense.  Hey, if you like numbers, bridge could be your game!

So, for years, bridge has been one of my comfortable and enjoyable social outlets. Dick, on the other hand, even though he had also grown up in Ohio, had absolutely no interest in sitting down, playing a game and “putting in time”. 

As soon as the sun was up when he was young, he was out, playing hard, working in a garden, gathering the produce he had grown to sell, cutting yards, working on cars, yes, and even working at the circus when they came to town, and keeping extremely physically busy.  A true waste of energy and time as far as he was concerned to sit down to play any game.  If he couldn’t see some positive outcome for the family – usually meaning monetary gain – he was just not interested…he had other fish to fry.

So, after we were married, other than playing cards with friends (usually with kids the same ages as ours), for the social contact, there was no real interest displayed by Dick in cards or other games.  While I still enjoyed and played the game.

Another memory comes through – very soon after we had moved to a rather small town in Western Kentucky, I was phoned one day and asked if I would be interested in playing bridge – I kept my cool, and responded “Yes, I would love to”.  I was then given the explanation that the foursome would consist of Nita, the caller, one of her good friends in the community, and Nita’s mother – “she’s 82, but still enjoys a good game of bridge.”

So, if I wouldn’t mind playing with someone that “old”, she’d love to meet me and have a game of bridge.  I gladly accepted, and was privileged to meet the neatest, sharpest southern lady I will probably ever have the chance to meet.  I was accepted into that town’s society of bridge and continued to play bridge with that daughter and Mother until she died, I think at  93 years of age.

Fast forward to retirement:   One of the agreements Dick and I made about retirement was that I would not ever expect nor ask him to play bridge again — I agreed… and come to think of it, there was something that he was not to ask me to do again…shoot… I don’t even remember what it was…oh well.

So, when we moved to our present home in retirement, Dick joined the world of woodworking – something he had always loved, and some volunteering and  various hobbies and activities.  We both love remodeling our home, which was ready for some loving care, and I delved into ceramics, silver crafting, and of course, set out to find some bridge buddies.

I had gotten a bridge game to play on the computer too, and one day, I saw Dick playing bridge on his computer – hum – interesting.  Yet, I was truly shocked when one day he said “You know, maybe I’d play some bridge if you want to have some friends over for a game”.  I cautiously said sure – maybe later.

Well, it seems that since playing on the computer has given him practice and experience, he’s actually “getting into” the game of bridge!

We played with friends last night – and what do you know!!!…we actually got high score.  (We only play friendly bridge) So, while we still have our separate interests and lots of interests we share, its seems it’s never too late for an old dog to learn new tricks! 

Keep the faith friends, miracles do happen! ;)

We watched the sun slide slowly into the ocean and again I strained, searching for the elusive green blip, we watched the gracefully gliding pelicans head to the island for the night. 

Nothing…no green blip greets my eyes, though all around me I hear “Oh!”, “Ahhh”, and “How Beautiful”, “Amazing”! 

Apparently, the instant the sun disappears below the ocean, there is an instant when you can see …the Green Blip…like a green flash…that’s what I’ve been told – but I haven’t seen it yet.  

Since then, I have heard that the green blip can be seen anyplace the sun sinks into water. 

So, I’ll just have to keep on trying to see this phenomenon…Maybe I’m trying too hard – don’t want to be left out of anything.  But, I still have never truly seen it….darn.

One email suggested I give up the Margarita’s and try to catch that flash then.  They claim to have seen it many times.  I replied to them that I guessed it was probably time to admit that my Margaritas are usually virgin – hey – maybe I’ll try a regular one next time!

Do you remember, years ago, whenever the talk got around to an elderly person, the phrase always came up -  “and the time drags by so slowly for them”?  Boy!  What a change today!

Dick and I finished putting the last of the Christmas decorations away yesterday…seems as though we just put them up.  And if things follow as they always have, I’ll be finding little decorations here and there for the next month or so that Dick will have to try to wedge into the already stored boxes  – that’s the way it goes.  

We have had a wonderful Holiday Season.  The whole family was together for Christmas, and we feel so fortunate for that.  Middle son, Steve, and I made baklava together (one of our favorites), and we all drank rich thick eggnog, exchanged gifts, ate and ate, and had a wonderful visit.  And, yes, we played Christmas music constantly.

The weather has been temperate – not too cold, not hot.  Actually we turned the heating system from “cool” to “heat” – feels so good and really helps to take the chill off.  Dick and I enjoy the short winter because summer will be here before we know it! 

Try to remember – the new year, when you write your checks.  You may want to flip through your checkbook and fill in the year slot on several checks, until you get used to writing it. 

Happy New Year  to you all!