The Vent

[Autumnchik 6]

You Canadian meanies My feet are just fine and not at all hobbitlike nor cheesy

I fully support the shoes off in the house thing and went out and bought big baskets to put our shoes in, right next to the door. Hubby did it for awhile, but unfortunately now has forgotten how to place his shoes in the basket. Instead, he leaves them right where he took them off, IN THE DOORWAY FOR ME TO TRIP OVER!

[MrsCat 6]

You Canadian meanies My feet are just fine and not at all hobbitlike nor cheesy

I fully support the shoes off in the house thing and went out and bought big baskets to put our shoes in, right next to the door. Hubby did it for awhile, but unfortunately now has forgotten how to place his shoes in the basket. Instead, he leaves them right where he took them off, IN THE DOORWAY FOR ME TO TRIP OVER!

my husband claims my feet smell like nachos. I guess that constitutes cheesy feet in fact.

[Lili 3]

My fiancé is making me angry. He's got to replace his car because he drove his 200X (I think 2003?) Chev Impala into the ground. He got it from his mother when it was only a couple years old. He didn't do the correct upkeep on it. He didn't take care of it. He drove it into things and didn't pay attention, ended up breaking off mirrors, he's cracked the exhaust, etc. Yes, he's young and he was a young driver for much of the time he's had the car. (I think he got it when he turned 16, which means he's had it a bit over 3 years) I got my first truck at 17, it was a cute little truck and I checked its fluids every Sunday afternoon, had its oil changed exactly when it was supposed to be, kept it clean... That truck would still be on the road if it wasn't for some idiot that I crashed into (idiot parked IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD with no flashers on a country road, right over the crest of a hill where no one could see him until they were about 20 feet behind him. Fun of it was that it counts as a "rear end accident" so I automatically got a careless driving conviction, still bitter about that, considering the idiot wanted to hop out to talk to friends and just left his car there!).

I don't see how he couldn't take somewhat better care of the Impala. They're not terrible cars.

So he started the process of selling the bloody Impala. We're getting a whole 800 bucks for it. Largely because he doesn't barter or haggle. Had I been there, we'd be getting over a grand for it. I know cars and I've been haggling for them at my grandfather's knee since I was little. (Grandpa's a mechanic) I dealt with the fact that Kori doesn't haggle. It's okay. 800 bucks is better than nothing.

So we go looking at cars through Auto Trader so I can have some say in what he's looking for. We're planning on having kids in 5 or 6 years, so I wanted a four door (I've put kids into carseats in a two door. NOT happening again). I asked for fuel efficient. We don't need to pay a lot of money or ridiculous insurance (he's 19, so his insurance is high to begin with), so I wanted something sensible, with a few extra miles and a couple extra years. With proper upkeep, those extra miles and years will hardly matter. I looked at model and make reviews and picked out a few makes that were known to stand up well to abuse for decent prices and asked him to look seriously at those makes. I was kind of pushing him towards Mazda (decent price, decent quality and I've driven Mazdas since I was a kid, never had a break down) and VW (known for dependability, decent prices).

He picked a Mazda all right. A Mazdaspeed 6. The ONLY thing it has in common with what I asked is that it's a four door. It's a standard. He doesn't drive standard. He has to learn before he can drive this thing. It's got a leather interior. Which will be RIDICULOUSLY hot under the Texas sun, because I GUARANTEE he'll forget to put up a sun shade. It's got a Turbo. It's 5000 dollars more than we budgeted. It DOUBLES his insurance to 300 dollars a month.

We can't afford this car. We can't afford the insurance. We don't need this car. It's a toy. It has several other features he doesn't need to be paying for, such as a GPS, considering he HAS a GPS already that we decided he could buy. It's got a premium sound system. I could build him a better system AND install it for less than half the price they've likely tacked on for this "premium" sound system. The default Mazda sound system has always been excellent. Why do you need "premium?" It's got a sun roof. Those things always bloody leak after a few years.

He's buying it, apparently. I found virtually the same car, one year older with about 50 k more miles, automatic transmission, cloth interior and without some of the bells and whistles (like the GPS, premium system and sun roof) for 4000 dollars less. No go. It HAS to be this one. He doesn't even want to LOOK at other ones.

I told him we can't afford it. He said he's gonna get 5 year financing instead of 3 year. Because it's CHEAPER. I explained interest rates and how it will be much, much, much more expensive if he buys this car on a 5 year as opposed to a 3 year. Nope. Doesn't matter. He's getting the car. I had said I'd be willing to talk about it if he could achieve some impossible feats--finding someone to teach him to drive manual, since no one we know drives manual was top of that list. He achieved them. Somehow. Teaches me a lesson, I suppose. Just put my foot down and say no. Don't agree to talk about it. Because now? He won't talk about it. He feels that he's heard all my objections and he's in the right.

I disagree. Strongly. My mum pays 300 a month in car payments for a similarly priced car on a five year. So even if he pays 250 for car payments, 300 for insurance and keeps gas down to 150 a month (given the amount he drives, unlikely), we're looking at 700 dollars a month on his car? I don't think so! He's living with his parents right now in order to SAVE MONEY for the visa process and so we can eventually get a nice place. He's going to have to move out of his parents' house because his work is moving, in a few weeks. He hasn't found a place yet. He doesn't know what property costs in the new town he's moving to.

He doesn't normally even CARE about cars and he knows nothing about them! Why does he need this stupid bloody car? WHY?

You seem more mature than him. You need to insist. Is this the kind of relationship and future you want? I see you are planning to apply in April. Maybe tell him that with a cheaper car, he might be able to have you come over quicker. He needs to figure out his priorities.

[Ontarkie 14,133]

wow Tay that sucks

[Ontarkie 14,133]

You Canadian meanies My feet are just fine and not at all hobbitlike nor cheesy

I fully support the shoes off in the house thing and went out and bought big baskets to put our shoes in, right next to the door. Hubby did it for awhile, but unfortunately now has forgotten how to place his shoes in the basket. Instead, he leaves them right where he took them off, IN THE DOORWAY FOR ME TO TRIP OVER!

I'm trying not to be mean but I dont know how much more i can handle, I even have a nice shoe rack at the door with all our shoes on it but they seem to totaly ignore it. It doesnt faze em even when they know i just scrubbed the floors and vacuumed.

[Carlawarla 1]

When Gene came back to the US after his first visit to Canada, he told everyone a story about the no "shoes in the house". That and the incessant wind. He likes to tell the story of his first day in Canada. It was raining slightly, and the folks at my work had a "Welcome to Canada Gene" party. By the front door was a pile of shoes, probably about 30 pair. Of course they were all jumbled up. He looked at the pile, and then proceeded to walk into my friend's house. I whispered, "take off your shoes". He complied of course. At the end of the evening when he was trying to go through the jumble to find his shoes. As we got in the car to go back to my place, he said, "that was horrible!" What is that all about, those shoes in a pile by the door?? I said, it's what we do. He had the most priceless look on his face! Of course he told everyone when he got back to the US, and everyone was entralled at this process.

When I got down here, of course I took off my shoes, and continue to do so. I went to a neighbours house for a "home party", and thought no one had arrived yet, as there was no shoes at the door. I took mine off, and went to the living room, and there was like 15 women there, all with their shoes on! There was a light dusting of snow on the ground. I had white socks on. My feet were damp during the evening, and when I got home, my socks were BLACK!! Gross! I told my neighbour about this thing we Canadian's have with taking off our shoes, and she just laughed at me! I'll never understand it.

I googled it once, and it appears that the US is the only place where this weird custom occurs.

[Emancipation 2]

I told US friends of mine about "boot rooms" in elem. schools Canada where you have indoor and outdoor shoes and you take your outdoor ones off when you go to school in the boot room. Remember? She gave me one of these... and she's a school teacher here in CT!!!

Edited December 10, 2008 by Emancipation

[trailmix 77]

I have been looking at houses for sale since we got here pretty much. A realtor sends me all the new listings in this area and surrounding areas. The thing that really bothers me though is the taxes.

The property tax here is about triple what it is in Calgary for a similar sized property.

As an example I compared these two houses:

Lake Mary - around 1400 sq ft and is priced at $170,000.

Taxes last year were $3,442.00 and there is also a HOA fee of $98 quarterly (although why you would need a fee that high when you are paying almost $3500 a year in taxes, I have no idea).

This brings the cost for a year, for the two fees to $3834.00 or 320.00 a month.

On the flip side, a 1600 square foot house - priced at around $400, 000 - in a nice neighbourhood in Calgary, with similar features, would have taxes of say around $1600 $1700 per year or approx $133.00 a month (and no HOA!)

I do not understand why taxes would be so much higher here than in Calgary. Granted Lake Mary is a small place, but it is Orlando - really. Possibly it is because they feel the need to chop these places up in to so many little counties and cities and then need the administration to handle that.

So the question I keep asking is, do we really want to live in a place with such high taxes - which then makes me ask, should we be moving somewhere else.

Edited December 10, 2008 by trailmix

[Carlawarla 1]

Exactly trailmix! You should move to St. Louis!

[trailmix 77]

Exactly trailmix! You should move to St. Louis!

There is snow there

My Sister and Nephew will be in St. Louis at the end of January (just for the day) to visit an orthopedic surgeon - I told her, that is where this really nice person Carla lives!

Edited December 10, 2008 by trailmix

[Carlawarla 1]

Exactly trailmix! You should move to St. Louis!

There is snow there

My Sister and Nephew will be in St. Louis at the end of January (just for the day) to visit an orthopedic surgeon - I told her, that is where this really nice person Carla lives!

Awww, that's so sweet of you to say! She should phone me, and I could meet them at the hospital for a coffee.

We have very little snow in fact. We had like 3 snowfalls last winter I think. I shovelled once, I don't know why since it was only about 2 inches and it all melted by lunchtime. I couldn't figure out why no one was out shovelling. They know better.

[trailmix 77]

Exactly trailmix! You should move to St. Louis!

There is snow there

My Sister and Nephew will be in St. Louis at the end of January (just for the day) to visit an orthopedic surgeon - I told her, that is where this really nice person Carla lives!

Awww, that's so sweet of you to say! She should phone me, and I could meet them at the hospital for a coffee.

We have very little snow in fact. We had like 3 snowfalls last winter I think. I shovelled once, I don't know why since it was only about 2 inches and it all melted by lunchtime. I couldn't figure out why no one was out shovelling. They know better.

Prob wearing their shoes in the house afterwards

I will give her your number! and give you details closer to the date

[JillA 2]

You Canadian meanies My feet are just fine and not at all hobbitlike nor cheesy

I fully support the shoes off in the house thing and went out and bought big baskets to put our shoes in, right next to the door. Hubby did it for awhile, but unfortunately now has forgotten how to place his shoes in the basket. Instead, he leaves them right where he took them off, IN THE DOORWAY FOR ME TO TRIP OVER!

I'm trying not to be mean but I dont know how much more i can handle, I even have a nice shoe rack at the door with all our shoes on it but they seem to totaly ignore it. It doesnt faze em even when they know i just scrubbed the floors and vacuumed.

I have a shoe rack at the door too! How much more of a HINT do people need!!??

I told US friends of mine about "boot rooms" in elem. schools Canada where you have indoor and outdoor shoes and you take your outdoor ones off when you go to school in the boot room. Remember? She gave me one of these... and she's a school teacher here in CT!!!

I remember those!! We hung up our snowpants in the boot rooms as well!

[SpiritAlight 1]

No outdoor shoes in the house!

[Necrotica 0]

Exactly trailmix! You should move to St. Louis!

I miss living in St. Louis.