Search Results for: blog the uncle move

Does Uncle Sam Owe You Money?

Wouldn’t it be great if you found out that the US Government owed you hundreds or even thousands of dollars? Wow, that would be a great way to start the holiday season, wouldn’t it? Imagine getting a check that could cover all of your holiday expenses and then some. Sound too good to be true? Well, for 100,000 people, it is reality, and you could be one of them. That is because Uncle Sam owes all of those Americans a refund, to the tune of more than $153 million. That is right. It is all because of problems with mailing … Continue reading →

The Uncle Move

If you’ve been following this blog for a while now you’ll note that there has been one major change over the past number of years to have taken place that has massively altered my day to day fatherhood: moving closer to family. For a number of years my family was quite literally hours and hours away from any family that might want to visit. As a consequence there were no random drop-ins by our families. There were no unplanned visits (in fact, there were very few visits at all because of the distance). So what happened? Well, for one, our … Continue reading →

The Enigma of the Wi-Fi Allergy

Schools have started getting better about understanding allergies. Some schools have banned peanut butter in an effort to keep kids with peanut allergies safe. The Wi-Fi allergy, however, is still an enigma. What is an allergy? According to the Mayo Clinic, allergies occur when a person’s immune system reacts to a foreign substance (pollen, bee venom, peanuts) that doesn’t cause a reaction in most people. Symptoms of allergies can range from sneezing to hives to anaphylaxis. Allergies cannot be cured, but some can be managed. The best way to manage an allergy is for people to avoid the things that … Continue reading →

Young Adult Sues Parents for College Tuition

Caitlyn Ricci’s parents divorced in 1997 when she was four years old. It appears that she primarily lived with her mother but also was able to spend time with her father. In February of 2013, Caitlyn Ricci (who was now past the age of 18) left her mother’s home. Technically, she was an adult who was no longer living with her parents. Instead, she went to live with her grandparents (her father’s mom and dad). It is unclear exactly why Caitlyn Ricci decided to move. Her mother, Maura McGarvey, wrote about the situation on her blog. In short, Maura McGarvey … Continue reading →

The Gift of a Season Pass

Forget about racking your brain trying to find cousin Al the perfect holiday gift.  Never mind giving Uncle Jim and Aunt Irene the same fruitcake-of-the-month subscription for Christmas.  This year, give your hard-to-buy-for loved ones the gift of a season pass. It doesn’t matter if your gift recipient is a seasoned traveler or one who only hits the road twice a year, a season pass to a ski resort or amusement park is a practical present which can be used throughout the year. For decades, season passes were marketed exclusively to locals, but now the tide is changing.  Several popular … Continue reading →

Turn Tree Trimming Into a Learning Experience

Do you have your Christmas tree up? I know there are many people who set-up their trees on Black Friday, but I just can’t motivate myself to decorate a tree when I am still stuffing myself with Thanksgiving leftovers. A string of Christmas lights in one hand, a fork filled with pumpkin pie in the other.  I stink at being ambidextrous. That and I don’t think I would be able to keep a tree alive until Christmas if I were to put it up on November 23rd. Still, tree trimming is an exciting undertaking in our family.  My 8-year-old delights … Continue reading →

Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pills?

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has proposed a new idea. They say oral contraceptives should be made available over-the-counter without the need for a prescription. How would this affect your health insurance coverage? In August of 2011, the Affordable Care Act was expanded to include the coverage of women’s preventative health services. This means that all health insurance plans must cover the cost of those services, including all FDA approved forms of contraception, without charging a co-pay or deductible. All health plans, whether they are individual or an employer sponsored health plan, must cover birth control in this … Continue reading →

The Gift of Peace for Less

If being forced to listen to your uncle defend Donald Trump’s inane Twitter feed, watch your brother’s kids destroy your mom’s porcelain tchotchke collection, and sleep on your dad’s old recliner is not your idea of a pleasant Thanksgiving, then consider the following Turkey Day travel packages that will ensure a peaceful holiday. The sale-priced escapes provide all the comforts of home minus the dysfunction: South Carolina: You can save big on this Turkey Day Sampler package offered by the Wild Dunes Resort in Charleston. The property will do all of the Thanksgiving cooking while you enjoy luxurious accommodations and … Continue reading →

Why Your Ancestors Looked So Serious

Take a close look at the oldest family photos that you have. Or, walk into an antique store and browse through some really old photos. Why aren’t these people smiling? There are some really good reasons why they looked so serious in photos. Today, you can take your family to JC Penney, or Sears, or a number of other places, and have a family portrait taken. The photographer is going to encourage your family members to smile. You will probably be instructed to “Say cheese!” It is difficult to say the word “cheese” without smiling. It takes a second (or … Continue reading →

The Fire Truck Part III

The boys spent a good fifteen minutes exploring the different hoses on the fire truck. The tour, of sorts (for the boys anyway) was inside the fire truck. They got to see where the firemen sat on the way to a fire or emergency and were able to see some of the first aid supplies. Then came the time for the birthday boy to take his ride in the fire truck. Since there was only one other boy at the birthday party (our son) the firefighters asked if he would like to ride along with the birthday boy too! We … Continue reading →