Autumn... again..... and time to 'fall back' with our clocks.

This fellow joined the family last year. Seems to be holding up pretty well considering his 'adoption fee' was only somewhere around $5!!! ...and he sits on the front porch - the windy side of the house.

I had to move him this morning though. Last night the wind came in from the west with a big PUSH and knocked him over on his bench, along with the two chairs that managed to stay put pretty much all year until now. I don't think you can see him from the road anymore but he should stay safely upright.

Life moves forward. As usual, life is full of contradictions. I spent a day with my mom this week while Nat & her hubby did yard work for me (her mom) at my house. It was the best day for yard work (no rain for a change) and mom had a doctor appointment as well as multiple errands...

More of those contradictions:

• Social security payments will not increase because the cost of living this year did not increase...
• But... my auto insurance premium increased, even though i'm at the top of their 'insurance rating' system and after comparison with other 'bargains' found my company is still the best bargain.
• Pay on line didn't work because insurance company doesn't accept the one credit card company...
• ...and the other card company refused to pay that insurance company!???!
• After 45 minutes of automatic phone instructions a girl in India told me she would instantly 'take the block off' that payment so i could pay online. (She said they sometimes block payment for no apparent reason?????) ...and tell me again why is Michigan unemployment above 10%?
• I talked with agency in Michigan and they posted my payment... while i wrote a check and mailed it directly to them!
• On a whim i checked 'current activity' on the 'good' credit card the insurance company doesn't accept and found a payment to a company i never heard of for $16.95! Girl i finally talked with sounded American... but not from Michigan..... and told me it's better to try directly with the disputed company first. Meanwhile she formally accepted the charge as disputed...
• ...while the girl at the company... (Indian? or British???)... would not tell me what the charge was for (to protect the customer's privacy)... only that it was for a 'membership' for which i would be charged monthly (!!!) ...and i thought I was the customer!???
• She then told me she would immediately remove that and all future charges.
• FYI: here is the disputed info - 10/25/09 PRO*VAC PASSPORT MONTH 877-349-4840 MN 100546863 1 $16.95 Services (Notice the State is a phone number?) I suggest you read your charges each month... how many times do these thieves get away with it?

We shall see. God bless America!!! We need all the help we can get!