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Guest Jetsun Milarepa

Hi all!

Lovely wee Sheltie, he suits his angelic persona @Mizzletoe :D

Sorry to hear that the bank are messing you around @daveb, there's no doubt that if it were the other way round, they'd have sorted it out pronto!

It's an amazing planet...just when you think you'll never see the sun again.....bingo! They were celebrating Samhainn in Edinburgh recently, for the Celtic calendar, they looked like they had a lot of fun.

 

Here, I've been busy! The last minute rush of desperate medical stocking up has only gotten worse as the week goes on....I wonder what tomorrow afternoon will be like! I got paid for the temping week I did there, plus the other two weeks, so I'm solvent again (phew).

They really are kind here. although I've only been there a few weeks, I was entered in the secret Santa without my knowledge and I got a present of three Yankee candles and a nice festive holder for them, and I knew nothing about it!

So, getting ready to pack and go away Saturday morning. If I don't get back here for a week, I wish everyone a peaceful Christmas and a prosperous happy New Year!:D

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2 minutes ago, chandrakirti said:

So, getting ready to pack and go away Saturday morning. If I don't get back here for a week, I wish everyone a peaceful Christmas and a prosperous happy New Year!:D

I hope you have a good time! And happy Hogmanay (or Hogswatch, as the case may be)!

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8 hours ago, Muledeer said:

I really don't understand the concept of PAYE and I'm sure it is fairly straightforward.  On the surface, it sounds like if you don't earn money you don't have to make the payment.

The mortgage companies and banks require you to carry insurance on the properties they finance in the US.  Most of them also require an escrow account, to ensure the property taxes and insurance do indeed get paid.

PAYE is just a tiered tax system on income which is overseen by the government. It has nothing to do with mortgage payments which are a private contract between you and the bank or mortgage company, and which must be paid whether you are unemployed or not.

 

Mortgage companies and banks in Australia don't require you to carry insurance on the properties they finance, although it is encouraged and your mortgage rate can be cheaper when renegotiating if you have insurance. I have home and contents insruance (wouldn't consider not having it) and keep changing insurance companies to take advantage of lower premiums - there are always special deals to get you to join an insurance company, but almost no special deals to get you to stay.

 

We don't have escrow here and never have. It seems to be a peculiarly US way of dealing the with taxes and fees around property. Here we assume people will pay their council rates and most council make it easy for people to do so. Mine works out to be about $300 per month per quarter. As I live in my home and don't have an investment property that's the only 'tax' I pay on property.

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10 minutes ago, Kazbe said:

 Mine works out to be about $300 per month per quarter. As I live in my home and don't have an investment property that's the only 'tax' I pay on property.

Wow, $1,200 AUD a year would be low compared with U.S. rates. The average yearly property tax in the U.S. is more than $2,000 USD, and in my state it's about twice that much. Unfortunately, the new tax law just shrank the federal tax deduction one can take for state and local levies of this sort. :(

 

On the bright side, I got a raise at work today -- a welcome year-end present to counteract the above. :)

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3 hours ago, chandrakirti said:

 

So, getting ready to pack and go away Saturday morning. If I don't get back here for a week, I wish everyone a peaceful Christmas and a prosperous happy New Year!:D

I hope you enjoy your holiday, and have a lovely Christmas :D All the best for the New Year!

 

Congratulations on the raise, @Semisweet - great timing!

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3 hours ago, Semisweet said:

Unfortunately, the new tax law just shrank the federal tax deduction one can take for state and local levies of this sort. :(

 

On the bright side, I got a raise at work today -- a welcome year-end present to counteract the above. :)

Yeah, that's one of the many problems with the new tax bill. It hits some states harder than others (typically ones that vote Democratic, too, hmmm).

 

Congrats on the raise!

 

I prefer having escrow, since it means I have a single payment each month, rather than having to make sure I save money for larger tax and insurance payments separately every quarter or half year or whatever. To each their own. :)

 

Only a few more days until Christmas. As far as I know it's going to be a quiet day alone at home for me (cooking myself a Christmas dinner, which will also provide plenty of yummy leftovers for future meals). :D 

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Hiya all 

 

Here we have council tax to pay for local services, which is banded according to the value of the property. If you are a sole occupant it's discounted, but all the same, £100 per month is at the low end of payments. 

 

It's the mad rush in taxiland today and tomorrow, as Britain cannot cope with the concept of shops being shut for one whole day and are buying enough to survive a siege 

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I am used to, and have learned to enjoy, living alone now.  X-mas I see as a family festivity, so I’m feeling free to completely ignore it. These days I feel about it the same way I feel about Divali, the Hindu festival of light, something that people of another religion do.

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23 hours ago, Semisweet said:

Wow, $1,200 AUD a year would be low compared with U.S. rates

There would be council's in Sydney with more expensive rates - I live in a relatively cheap Sydney suburb!

 

Yay for the raise at work!

 

6 hours ago, Thea2 said:

X-mas I see as a family festivity, so I’m feeling free to completely ignore it. These days I feel about it the same way I feel about Divali, the Hindu festival of light, something that people of another religion do.

I also see Christmas as a family festivity, but this year a friend has insisted I spend it with her, her daughter, her bestie and and her bestie's husband, mainly because they know its been a tough year for me with two close friends dying, and unemployment for all but five months. It would have felt churlish to say no - and it will be at a beachside property, so  could be quite pleasant!

 

Most of IT in Australia is peopled by Indians - either residents or those working here for one of the big Indian Tech companies, so I get Diwali as well at Christmas at work. 

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I don't see the holiday as a family festivity. I see it as something to enjoy in my own way on my own if I want to. :P

But I get what you mean.

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Odd time for me with no close family.  A friend I usually go to at Christmas is away this year for family reasons.  I may pop over to see another friend, but she isn't very well, so it may not happen.  My car played up this morning but the AA have sorted it out, I hope, and I am about to find out.

 

The main thing for me is that Little Dog is recovering well and sees his surgeon at the end of next week for a check up.

 

Oh, and I have an AVEN meetup with @Tja next week too. :P

Edited by Mizzletoe
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I'm glad to know that Little Dog is doing well, @Mizzletoe :) I hope, however you end up spending the day, that you, Little Dog and Cat have a very happy Christmas!

 

12 hours ago, daveb said:

I don't see the holiday as a family festivity. I see it as something to enjoy in my own way on my own if I want to. :P

But I get what you mean.

I agree with you, @daveb Christmas should be what you want it to be, and what you make it  . . . I hope you have a peaceful and happy day!

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Just heard from the friend I might see at Christmas.  She is a great cat lover, with three rescue cats, and the youngest has just been run over and killed. :(  Not a great start to Christmas this year, and it is her birthday on Christmas Eve.

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3 hours ago, Mizzletoe said:

Just heard from the friend I might see at Christmas.  She is a great cat lover, with three rescue cats, and the youngest has just been run over and killed. :(  Not a great start to Christmas this year, and it is her birthday on Christmas Eve.

Oh, dear! That is so sad. :(

 

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4 hours ago, Mizzletoe said:

Just heard from the friend I might see at Christmas.  She is a great cat lover, with three rescue cats, and the youngest has just been run over and killed. :(  Not a great start to Christmas this year, and it is her birthday on Christmas Eve.

Such a shame. :(

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@Semisweet Congrats on the raise!

 

@Mizzletoe Sorry your friend’s cat was killed! So sad!

 

I haven’t been feeling well lately. Some times feel a little better and then get worse again. Blah!

 

On the bright side we are getting raises at work for the new year. We got a fleece jacket, cap, gloves and a scarf for our gift at work this year. I chose charcoal black for the jacket color and the rest of the items were black and gray. We did 12 Days of Christmas with a treat or activity each day and drawings to win prizes.

 

We got snow this week. Today is sunny and cold.

 

My brother’s family is coming tomorrow for our Christmas get together. Today I peeled potatoes and cut the summer sausage and cheese for part of our food.

 

Hope everyone will have an enjoyable holiday/Christmas and have a great and healthy new year!

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2 minutes ago, Gentle Giant said:

I haven’t been feeling well lately. Some times feel a little better and then get worse again. Blah!  

Hopefully it will improve soon.  🌸

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@Mizzletoe, so sorry to hear what happened to your friend's cat, especially right before Christmas and your friend's birthday. :(

 

On a cheerier note, I wish you and @Tja a delightful meetup next week.

 

@Gentle Giant, congrats on your raise, too! And enjoy your family's Christmas get-together. I hope you feel (and stay) better soon!

 

I'd intended to tackle a bunch of year-end paperwork today, but got too distracted regrouting my bathroom tile and working on a digital photo album. Maybe tonight.:lol:

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7 hours ago, Mizzletoe said:

She is a great cat lover, with three rescue cats, and the youngest has just been run over and killed. :(  Not a great start to Christmas this year, and it is her birthday on Christmas Eve

That is sad.

 

1 hour ago, Gentle Giant said:

I haven’t been feeling well lately.

Hope you feel better more permanently soon.

 

21 hours ago, daveb said:

I see it as something to enjoy in my own way on my own if I want to.

I used to feel that way - but nowadays I'd rather Christmas didn't exist at all! Not my favourite time of year. 

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9 hours ago, Mizzletoe said:

Just heard from the friend I might see at Christmas.  She is a great cat lover, with three rescue cats, and the youngest has just been run over and killed. :(  Not a great start to Christmas this year, and it is her birthday on Christmas Eve.

Our second beagle took off during the day that was my younger brother's second birthday (December 21) and got run over. I was four at the time. I think I was pretty upset when my father took her to the vet and didn't come home with her. Even though I don't really really remember her, looking at the pics of me when I was little playing with her is sad.

 

My father bought another beagle the following spring. We grew up with her and she died at the age of 13, when I was in Grade 12.

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I'm of mixed emotions over Christmas. Since my father died in 2010, I have a hard time getting excited about the holiday.

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Since it's only me, christmas is just another day.

If I could just hit that damn lottery, and start that Ace commune, it'd be christmas all year!!! :lol:

 

Hope you feel better, @Gentle Giant.

 

Thanks for the well wishes, @Semisweet!

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1 hour ago, will123 said:

I'm of mixed emotions over Christmas. Since my father died in 2010, I have a hard time getting excited about the holiday.

Will, I know what you mean about the loss of a parent. It'll be 18 years in January since i lost my mom, and this time of year can still be very rough. Sending good thoughts.

 

@Tja Too bad you haven't got the commune going - that sounds like it would be a pretty great way to spend the holidays! 

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Hi everyone! I wanted to stop by and wish everyone a great whatever-it-is-you-celebrate. 

 

I know I've been away for awhile, but I'm still a kindred spirit and will be back when time permits. My time has been consumed with job issues, mom fell and ended up in the hospital, then rehab, and me scheduled for knee replacement in January. And then there's this diet... I've lost 20# but it involves eating cardboard, er... I mean packaged powdered stuff. 

 

I hope to have some time in January to catch up with you all.

 

:cake: to everyone!

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5 minutes ago, Deja Vu said:

:cake: to everyone!

Heya! Happy Yule to you! Sorry about the troubles. I hope the new year is kinder to you. Good to see you are still around, if not kicking much. :)

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35 minutes ago, EricaB said:

Will, I know what you mean about the loss of a parent. It'll be 18 years in January since i lost my mom, and this time of year can still be very rough. Sending good thoughts.

 

 

Thank you very much and I hope you get thru the holidays too! :)

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Hiya all 

 

@Mizzletoe, sorry about your friend's  cat :(

 

@Deja Vu, glad to hear from you  again :cake::cake:

 

Oh lucky me, working on Christmas eve, mind it's almost funny seeing the look of bemusement on people's faces when they realise that it's Sunday trading, so shops can't open until 1000

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Welcome to the thread, @EricaB :cake: :cake: :cake: I hope you enjoy it here :)

 

Nice to see you back, @Deja Vu

 

@Mizzletoe, I'm sorry to hear about your friend's cat!

 

It's just past midnight here, so officially Christmas Day now. We've just got back from my older daughter's place, where we've had an early Christmas dinner and spent some time with my grandsons. It was a nice evening. Tomorrow will be a quiet day for us. One of our cats is at the vet's; we'll probably be able to bring her home in the morning, and hopefully they've managed to work out what's wrong with her.

 

Whether you celebrate Christmas or simply enjoy a holiday I hope everyone here has a happy day!

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