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All these people driving 2WD trucks are all rear wheel drive and they get around just fine. They amaze me. Good tires, weight in the back and smart driving is the key. Even with a 4WD truck I rarely put it in 4WD. Every fall I put about 200lbs of bagged sand over the rear axel. Some people like to put in bags of salt.
I'm amazed at how people here in Ohio are so clueless about how to drive in the winter. They think that having an SUV with tires the size of a house makes them immortal and allows them to drive as aggressively as they want. After each snow- or ice-storm, the TV news shows vehicles - mainly SUVs - littering the highway median. It's almost funny.
I'm amazed at how people here in Ohio are so clueless about how to drive in the winter. They think that having an SUV with tires the size of a house makes them immortal and allows them to drive as aggressively as they want. After each snow- or ice-storm, the TV news shows vehicles - mainly SUVs - littering the highway median. It's almost funny.
It's not just Ohio, it's pretty much everywhere although who am I to disagree with you in bashing your home state.
I bought a futon today. The mattress and the sofa/bed frame. I will use it for a while, while I research real beds, after which I will use it as a guest bed. I bought it at the Mattress Outlet in West Brattleboro. As I was paying, I realized I could have avoided the sales tax if I had bought it in New Hampshire.
I really would have preferred an organic futon, with natural latex and organic cotton, but that would have cost 3 times as much, and I would have had to buy it online, without first trying it out.
To check out the Comfortaire mattress and also the similar Sleep Number mattress, I need to drive to Holyoke, MA. At the Mattress Outlet, I liked the Vera Wang mattress, but I tried it again today and didn't like it as much.
The Tempurpedic gives great support to my lower back, but changing positions is difficult. It's like accepting help from a control freak and then setting limits on the person's controlling behavior.
The new thing is latex. They had an inexpensive latex bed at Mattress Outlet, but it was thin and, if I remember correctly, overly firm.
The guy at the store said he dislikes the air mattresses. But both my chiropractor in New York and my chiropractor up here recommend them.
According to family legend, my Uncle Irving once said his dream job would be to work as a mattress tester.
Everyone has an Uncle Irving. If you're Italian, you have an Uncle Sal, which is the Italian version.
I'm having fun shopping, but it is also a pain in the you-know-what. When I moved up here, I slept at a friend's house until I got my own place. When I moved in, I sent my old Brooklyn mattress and box spring to the dump. My friend loaned me a bed, but she had to take it back when relatives visited, after which I had to sleep on my couch. I've been fine on the couch, pretty much, although I sometimes wake up with jaw and/or back pain. But I really need to have a normal bed.
I've been slow in getting things done. My sick cat took most of my time and energy from the time I brought him up here until, sadly, the time he passed away. Then the weather changed and my house got very cold. Seems the control box on the furnace was not working properly, and the furnace would not stay on. Apparently, the furnace had been malfunctioning since I moved in, but the weather was relatively warm then, so the problem wasn't obvious. Fortunately, I learned to start the furnace manually, after which it stayed on long enough to heat the water. So I could shower. But beyond that, the house was becoming uninhabitable.
My landlord brought over a space heater, which helped. The cats loved it. I kept it in the office, where I spend a lot of my time when I am at home.
I bought a 20 degree sleeping bag at Sam's, on Main Street. A rectangular camp bag, with synthetic insulation. I had to use it to stay warm at night until the furnace was fixed. I also bundled up in lots of layers. One night I wore long johns, 3 sets of leggings and leg warmers on the bottom. On top I wore thermals, a turtleneck, a sweatshirt, a fleece jacket and a lined cotton sweat jacket with a hood. In my sleeping bag I was nice and warm, even though it was below freezing outside. I used the hood to keep my head warm. The last cold day I thought to wear my down vest over my clothes while I waited for the repairman.
When the repairman came, he fixed everything very quickly. All he had to do was replace the control box. It took a few hours for the house to warm up, but the crisis was over.
The repairman had a Vermont accent. Really. The accent where single vowels become dipthongs. But, I just realized, he didn't say "Ayup". I heard a lot of ayups when I was in White River Junction, but I don't think I've heard many, or even any, down here in Brattleboro.
I'm thankful that I didn't have to deal with both the broken furnace and the sick cat at the same time. The cold would have compounded poor Sammy's suffering. I would have had to move him to a warmer place. That would have been very stressful for both of us, and it would also have been very expensive. The other cats seemed to take things in stride, but then they loved the space heater, which indicated that they were cold.
Your Vermont adventures have begun! I'm glad you and your cats are warm.
The absolute best bed we've ever had for comfort and back health is the Cashmere waterbed (http://www.bedexpress.com/products.php?cat=18 - broken link). It has a thick pillowtop, uses regular sheets, looks like a regular bed. No bouncing or "waves" at all. Far less water in it than conventional beds. No need to buy the temperature controls because the pillowtop keeps the water temperature from having any effect on those in the bed. The bed's firmness is adjustable by how much water you put in it. Our catsitters who stay here when we're away rave about it and don't want to go home to their own beds. Of course, the cats love it, too. :-)
We bought it at Vermont Bedrooms, which will deliver and set up free within a 100-mile radius. We're lucky Vermont Bedrooms is in Rutland, but their service is so great that we'd buy from them wherever we lived in Vermont.
We looked at the new Latex beds. There is variety in firmness and thickness. Vermont Bedrooms had several models (http://www.bedexpress.com/products.php?cat=35 - broken link) of Latex beds that we checked out. In the end, we could not imagine giving up our pillowtop waterbed, because why tamper with perfection?
However, we did go with the Perfect Pillow from Natura, the company that manufactures the Latex beds. This pillow really lives up to it's name! Vermont Bedroom sells the Perfect Pillow, too. It's worth every penny.
Thanks for the tip about Vermont Bedrooms. I checked out their dite and started researching Natura mattresses.
The closest dealer to me is in Bennington. Thre's a dealer in new Hampshire (no sales tax!) but that dealer doesn't sell what I want.
I like avoiding sales taxes by shopping in New Hampshire, but I also want to support the local economy. It is a troubling dilemma.
Buying a car in New Hampshire wouldn't save me the sales tax, though. Vermont will charge it when I register the car. When I registered my car here, I had to prove that I had already paid sales tax on it in New York. If I hadn't been able do that, I would have had to pay sales tax on it in Vermont. I showed the handwritten bill, from 2 years ago, with the tax written in. Thankfully, I still had it and was able to find it. It satisfied the office here, although the clerk initally balked and had to speak to another employee.
It amazes me how Vermont nickles and dimes you. Why should it matter whether I paid sales tax in New York or not? It's my car and I was transfering my registration from one state to another. Why should I pay Vermont sales tax on something bought two years ago in another state? Of course, reason and fairness are not the issues. Generating money is.
What other creative taxes can the state think up? A pet tax. A toilet flush tax. That would create a health issue, because people would go and then not flush. A plant watering tax. A shower tax. A burp tax. A refirigerator-opening tax. A scratch-an-itch tax. A nail-biting tax. A look-out-the-window tax. ( I think Vermont already has higher property taxes for homes with a nice view.) A tooth-brushing tax. I've thought of some others things the state could tax, but they already are taxed, even if indirectly.
Whatever. Rant over.
So right now I'm researching a new car and a new bed. I'm spending the day researching online. It is snowing and I procrastinated on getting new tires. My current tires have proven themselves inadequate for roads with a light snow cover. Bummer. I'm snowed in with less than half an inch of snow outside. A fine Vermonter I am today.
It amazes me how Vermont nickles and dimes you...
What other creative taxes can the state think up? A pet tax. A toilet flush tax. That would create a health issue, because people would go and then not flush. A plant watering tax. A shower tax. A burp tax. A refirigerator-opening tax. A scratch-an-itch tax. A nail-biting tax. A look-out-the-window tax. ( I think Vermont already has higher property taxes for homes with a nice view.) A tooth-brushing tax. I've thought of some others things the state could tax, but they already are taxed, even if indirectly.
This should be s sticky at the top with a title to the effect of"So you want to be a Vermonter and don't care about higher COL"
Arel--
Yes, NY may be the welfare state but in VT you get nickeled and dimed for sure.
Your repairman showed up AND spoke more then 'mumble, mumble' (outrageous!!!)
I remember when we moved up here a lot of people seemed to be mumbling to each other and we were like "what are they saying??"
Yes, you have to remember what my British husband calls 'sod's law'--or 'it figures.." Take too long to get the tires on and it snows..he was going to go on Monday (he was on vacation all week) but put it off till Wednesday...we've had a few squalls this week (today a bit more).
Shopping here can be annoying. I find getting stuff for my dog (toys/food) highly annoying and expensive. Particularly I miss chains stores like Petco where they'd have toys on sale once in awhile or you'd earn points. (like the supermarket where you'd get turkey or ham or whatever points). Here you get jack squat...but you have to deal with it....(think spring...summer no humidity like in Brooklyn or Long Island...()
Like they told me last year, I will be an old expert this year.
Buying a car in New Hampshire wouldn't save me the sales tax, though. Vermont will charge it when I register the car. When I registered my car here, I had to prove that I had already paid sales tax on it in New York. If I hadn't been able do that, I would have had to pay sales tax on it in Vermont. I showed the handwritten bill, from 2 years ago, with the tax written in. Thankfully, I still had it and was able to find it. It satisfied the office here, although the clerk initally balked and had to speak to another employee.
Arel, we had to pay sales tax on a twenty year old Volvo! My husband just came in to tell me that we paid $98.00 in sales tax when we bought a computer today at Best Buy in Burlington. Even though we live on the western border of VT, it would have been the same distance to go to NH and save the 7% sales tax. We were going to purchase a flat screen TV but decided now is not the time. I am happy we waited because we are going to shop for major items in NH from now on.
"Arel--
Yes, NY may be the welfare state but in VT you get nickeled and dimed for sure.
Your repairman showed up AND spoke more then 'mumble, mumble' (outrageous!!!)
I remember when we moved up here a lot of people seemed to be mumbling to each other and we were like "what are they saying??"
Yes, you have to remember what my British husband calls 'sod's law'--or 'it figures.." Take too long to get the tires on and it snows..he was going to go on Monday (he was on vacation all week) but put it off till Wednesday...we've had a few squalls this week (today a bit more).
Shopping here can be annoying. I find getting stuff for my dog (toys/food) highly annoying and expensive. Particularly I miss chains stores like Petco where they'd have toys on sale once in awhile or you'd earn points. (like the supermarket where you'd get turkey or ham or whatever points). Here you get jack squat...but you have to deal with it....(think spring...summer no humidity like in Brooklyn or Long Island...()
Like they told me last year, I will be an old expert this year.
Now if I can only get a job..."
I should have used the quote feature when I wrote my post.
Here in Brattleboro, there is a large pet supply store, not a chain one, where I got nice toys for about a dollar each. The cats love them. They also have the overpriced, packaged toys on display, but this was a display with bins of loose toys. Some I rejected because they had parts that can come off, and/or they did not flatten if stepped on (I don't want to trip or have a guest trip), but some were nice. The store is called One Stop Pet Supplies or something like that. I just know the "One Stop" name. It's on Putney Road.
Shopping is not inconvenient in Brattleboro, but the prices are very high. And it is always possible to shop in New Hampshire and avoid the sales tax. I forgot all about that when I bought a futon yesterday. I paid about $50 in sales tax. But I am getting a free delivery, although it cost me $25 to have the bed built in the house.
I do want to support the local economy, though, and the state needs its tax money to provide needed services. But Ireally dislike being nickeld and dimed.
It's a dilemma.
You might find you like Brattleboro if you come and visit. I plan to come up your way ASAP. I want to go to the LLBean Store in, I think, Lebanon.
I loved your area when I spent time there in the 1980's. Very beautiful. I was up there almost 2 months ago, in early October. But I was there only for a day-long meeting, which was held in a senior center.
I'm sorry you are having such a hard time in the work and finance departments.
I've had a hard time in the cat department, and then in the heat department. Both crises are gone now, as is, sadly, the cat.
My job challenges haven't started yet. The best case scenario is that I work at the Brattleboro Retreat, which is within walking distance of my house, that I like it there and, at the same time, that I start growing a private practice. The worst case scenario is that I can't find a job, and/or hate a job and can't leave, and/or can't build a practice. A lesser bad outcome is that I have to commute to Keene or even further to Northampton or the Upper Valley. I don't want to have to travel 2 hours a day just to get to and from work. But people do it. It amazes me, sometimes, what people have to go through to support themselves and their families. Two hours a day of commuting is nothing compared to what a lot of people have to go through.
But if I have to commute, that will be a good reason to get a great new car that I love to drive and that will be safe to drive every day in winter conditions!
Arel, we had to pay sales tax on a twenty year old Volvo! My husband just came in to tell me that we paid $98.00 in sales tax when we bought a computer today at Best Buy in Burlington. Even though we live on the western border of VT, it would have been the same distance to go to NH and save the 7% sales tax. We were going to purchase a flat screen TV but decided now is not the time. I am happy we waited because we are going to shop for major items in NH from now on.
I plan to make big purchases in New Hampshire as well. It's too late for the futon, and it won't work for the car, but when I buy a real bed, and a new TV and whatever else I need to buy that is expensive, I want to do it in New Hampshire.
And I feel terrible saying that. I want to support the local economy here in Vermont. But I don't want to be financially burdened any more than is necessary, especially in this difficult economy.
I feel bad for local merchangts who lose business to New Hampshire competitors for this reason.
And I do buy things locally a lot of the time.
I wonder how many New Hampshire businesses, particularly those near the Vermont border, inflate their prices to take advantage of Vermont shoppers.
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