Miscellaneous Updates and Ramblings...

Well, this is a totally random list of postings but here goes:

First, WE ARE MOVING BACK TO CIVILIZATION!! Woo-Hoo! We have the inspection on the house we are buying on Wednesday, so provided that everything goes well, we are moving the first of March. I can't wait!! We spent a little bit more than what we wanted to but in the end it's a good thing. I love the house and the neighborhood and that's important since my Boo has threatened to make me live there the next 75 years.

Along that same line, we actually got to meet the seller of our house this past weekend. I made the Boo drive me by since I realized I had not actually seen it in daylight hours! We were talking with some friends who already live in this hood and I noticed that people were at our house! I deceided to stroll down and introduce myself. Turns out, I got to meet the seller, Delores, her daughter Gwen (who had an Obama/Biden sticker on her car!) and the listing agent Geneva. Delores looks to be in her late seventies and is moving to an assisted living center in Kirby/59 area. She was a completely delightful person and she is the original owner of our house. She has lived there for over 30 years. She took us around the house and shared some of her memories from the house and her husband (who passed away about 18 years ago). She even remembers dealing with the builder when they were buying the house and what items were upgrades! She tried to sell us her dining room table and hutch! I'm tempted to buy them just so a little piece of her can stay in the house. Meeting her made me feel even better about our home choice. I enjoyed talking with her so much and I hope that she will be as happy in her new home and she was in the old one.

Second, I'm so ticked off about Allstate insurance. It's a long story but they have given me some completely ridiculous quotes for homeowners insurance and flood insurance for our house. I think the Insurance industry, second only to credit card companies, are the biggest scam artists in this country (and probably the world). You buy insurance for several reasons:
1. Because you have to.
2. To protect yourself, your family and posessions against different perils.
3. Because you have to.

Here's what you get in return:

1. A complete lack of customer service.
2. If you actually make a claim they either (a) drop you or (b) make your premiums so huge that you have no choice but to drop them. Damned if you do or damned if you don't!
3. Companies that make the rules up as they go along.
4. Make up rules to NOT pay claims as they see fit.
5. Use poor credit scores to hypothesize that you will make claims-completely ridiculous! They are completely credit score driven and give no thought whatsoever to the reason a person may have a low credit score. Our scores are very high and we're still getting the run around about high premiums!

It is a complete scam. Again, aside from credit card companies, the insurance industry desperately needs further regulation by the Federal government. Not State government, but we need new FEDERAL laws that put these jokers in line. State laws just mean they move to another state to abide by softer rules. Notice that these companies are not asking for bailout money! Know why? They don't have to! They are incredibly profitable. They are profit making machines! I have nothing against a company making a profit but when you do it at the expense of your insured policy holders, that's criminal. I hope this industry gets the major reforms it deserves right up the wahzoo!

Shalom Out!!