Why would I keep checks? Why would an auditor look for something most banks don't return?

I've finally gotten the hang of roasting Brussels sprouts (our oven runs a little hot, I think, and the first time I made them, they were kind of...briquette-like). Now I feel like I need to make up for 42 years of Brussels sprout deprivation.

ok, shredding what I have in the files.

I don't get my checks back, and you can only get them free online for six months or something. This is not normally a problem, but apparently my mother is going to need some old checks from me for her Medicaid application, and the bank was going to charge me some ridiculous amount. I got them to agree to send them for free, and then didn't get them, and whatever, but in short: I think it's bullshit that they charge, when in olden days, I would have had them mailed back to me for free.

Happy Birthday, Suzi!

All the clean laundry is put away, the last load (towels) is still in the washer but if it doesn't finish drying tonight that is not a problem. I made ham & swiss mini muffins that are delicious and have some cheeseburger custards steaming that will bring my prepared meal count up to sufficient to get through the week. My kitchen is so far from clean it is ridiculous and the number of other things that probably should have been done today but were not is quite high. Probably best I don't open that can of worms.

Yay, good job!

So the SO just sent me a singing telegram for Valentine's while he was away on tour! Awww. They made me read the card first and I cried and cried and fortunately their camera was messing up and didn't catch that bit. It was my former guitar student and her family, more awww! They did Sixpence's Kiss Me in three part harmony.

That may be the sweetest thing I've ever heard.

So, Vortex, why would a company with roughly 5000 employees choose to self-insure? I guess it seems like a lot of risk with that number of employees.

Fully insured insurance is expensive (although my company is very reasonably priced ;) ), but often it is because the company wants to control the plan. I have worked with large national customers that have chosen to self insure. Seems like a pain in the butt, but I'm sure that their actuaries and underwriters have run the numbers. For a company like AOL with a fairly young, healthy employee base, it may be worth it.

I'm trying to upload the video...I'll link it if I'm successful. They literally drove like an hour to sing one song to me. I tried to give them hot cocoa and everything.

I actually thought they were going to be food. The SO texted me and was all, so hey, are you at home? And I'm all, no, I'm at RadioShack. And he says, "I don't want to spoil things, but I ordered you a Valentine's Day gift and it's going to be there at five and it can't sit outside even one minute." So I thought it was, like, those chocolate berries or something! And then their van rolled up and I was all, hmm, that's not FedEx, plus this is Sunday...and out pops my student.