The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Finding another way to separate rocks from dirt is my best consumer experience this week, while communication with a credit union disappoints

Locating a new tool to help with a difficult yard project cheers me up, while my credit union's new phone number causes me problems.

My best consumer experience: Buying a lettuce spinner to separate rocks from dirt

I’ve written before about my big yard project that went awry.

When I decided to replace weed fabric in my side yard, I raked the rocks into the dirt and weeds next to the rotting fabric. A big mistake. The rocks got mixed with dirt and bits of weeds, moss, and straw. It’s a big mess.

Buying a leaf blower helped. I used chicken wire to separate out the bigger rocks, then blew the dirt off. However, this method put a fine layer of dust on my raspberries and some of the smaller rocks spun out of the wheel barrel or bucket. Then, it’s raining now, and I’m not sure about using the blower when everything is wet.

The idea of buying a lettuce spinner jumped in my mind. I tried it yesterday. The results were pretty good.

The rocks were too heavy to spin. But, when I put them in the basket and shook it, almost all of the rocks stayed in the basket. And, when I rubbed them against the basket, all the small dirt clots broke up.

In a few hours, I cleaned up about three to four buckets of rocks.

However, my daughter’s advice is sounding good – buy some new rocks.

The only problem. The lettuce spinner cost $35 at Target. It was a lot to pay for a plastic lettuce spinner, but I didn’t want to take the time to do comparison shopping. It’s getting colder and raining more every day. And, I still have other fall yard work to do to get ready for winter.

My worst consumer experience: Trying to figure how to communicate with my credit union

One of the few numbers I’ve memorized belongs to my credit union. Therefore, it was disappoint to learn that it’s been changed to a 1-800 number.

After dialing the 1-800 number given, I knew something was wrong when the person who answered didn’t ask me for my code word. He said he didn’t have it, and he asked for other information instead.

I asked him where he was located. He said Chicago. I got upset, thinking my local credit union had fired its staff and outsourced its telephone service to another state.

I called back and asked the woman who answered to connect me with my credit union so I could make a complaint about this.

She spent a minute or two looking for the number. Then, she gave me the 1-800 number I’d just called. I was furious.

I asked to talk with her supervisor. Finally, she found a number, which I called.

The woman who answered was from the credit union, but her office was in a different county. She told me when call volumes are high, the calls are rolled over to this company in Chicago. That’s why the computer didn’t have as much information about me.

The credit union employee gave me a phone number I could call when I need to contact my local credit union or have a complaint.

The experience was irritating. If the people in Chicago had told me that they were a backup service, I wouldn’t have been concerned.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Getting your yard ready for winter

Fall is quickly flashing by, and winter will be with us soon.

I’m caught up in a complicated yard project – ripping up old, rotten weed fabric and replacing it with new on my side yard next to my raised bed garden.

However, I made a mistake and raked the rocks off the old fabric into the dirt and weeds. I thought it would be easy to get a screen and separate the mess. Not so.

Not only am I behind in fall yard work, I haven’t even finished raking up the rhododendron prunings I created in the spring. And, worst of all, weeds in the rest of my yard are growing and getting big.

I also need to wash my metal roof. I’m waiting for the rain in the next few days to get some of the dirt off.

What do you need to do to get your yard ready for winter? Here are some suggestions:

• Aerate and feed your lawn.

• Store garden chemicals. Read the label for information on correct storage or find a guide on the Internet.

• Drain hoses well.

• Winterize lawn mowers and other power equipment.

• Clean and lightly oil hand shovels, clippers, trimmers, and other hand tools.

• Move woody plants.

• Plant trees or shrubs.

• Rake leaves each week.

• Clean up dying foliage from perennial plants and your garden.

• Pull up any annuals and add to compost.

• Pull up weeds and edge flowerbeds. Discard weeds that have seeds in the garbage.

• Plant spring bulbs.

• Apply winter mulch after the ground freezes.

Best wishes with your fall yard work. I hope you’re not as far behind in your yard work as I am.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Figuring out how to sift rocks is my best consumer experience this week, while trouble with a doctor bill disappoints

By Rita R. Robison

When I figured out how to make progress with a tough yard project, I was happy. However, I’ve been working to resolve a doctor’s bill for months.

My best consumer experience: Finding a way to separate rocks from dirt and weeds

Since the weeds in my yard got away from me this spring, I decided I was going to do some work so I wouldn’t have to weed areas in my yard over and over.

However, one project I took on has turned out to be very difficult.

About five years ago, I put down weed fabric with rocks on top on each side of my house.

A lot of weeds were growing on one side of the house because an inch or two of dirt had blown in among the rocks. I decided to replace the black plastic weed fabric.

To get started, I raked the rocks into the dirt and weeds next to the black plastic. A big mistake. The rocks got mixed with dirt and bits of weeds, moss, and straw. It’s a big mess.

I thought it would be easy to get a screen and separate the rocks from the dirt. Not so.

I bought a piece screen used in screen doors. The holes were too small.

Next, I tried chicken wire. The holes were too big. A lot of the smaller rocks fell through, and I spent a lot of picking the bits of stuff out of the bigger rocks.

I got my hairdryer out and tried blowing the dirt and debris out of the rocks. It improved things, but wasn’t strong enough.

Next, I tried a paint screen I bought. It worked fairly well.

The pile of rocks on the left in the photo above doesn’t have as much debris in it as the pile on the right. But, again, the small rocks, dirt, and weeks fell through.

I spent a lot of time picking out the weeds, moss, and straw by hand, almost a garbage bag full.

Friday, I decided to buy a leaf blower. I put three shovels of dirt on the chicken wire, then use the blower. It’s working much better.

Today, I was able to sift about 10 buckets of rocks, probably as much I’ve done all together using other methods.

I’m getting near the end of my project, thank goodness. When it rains and makes mud, things are going to be a big mess.

I wish my kids and their spouses lived closer. I’d beg them to come and help me. Bending over the wheel barrel to remove bits of stuff and moving bags of rocks are giving me back pain.

My worst consumer experience: Trying to get a doctor’s bill settled.

Since I have osteoarthritis in my hands and elsewhere, my general practitioner referred me to a rheumatologist when I had some unusual numbing in my hands in the middle of the night and had to call 911 twice.

The rheumatologist told me there was nothing that could have been done to keep me from getting arthritis, and there was nothing he could for me. He said he couldn’t rule out the possibility that the numbness in my hand that day was caused by something else.

I had hoped for a more insightful visit, but have learned in my consumer work that you pay your medical bill regardless of the outcome.

What was strange was trying to get my bill paid. I have two insurances, and I couldn’t get the doctor’s office to send the bill to the second one.

When I called, the receptionist said Monday was the only day the billing clerk came to the office. I called five times. I wrote a note on the bill and sent it back.

When I received a bill highlighted in orange that I was going to be sent to collection if I didn’t pay the $82 in 10 days, I was exasperated.

I called the receptionist and told her I’d never had a problem like this with a doctor bill. I was willing to pay the bill, if it was the correct amount.

Finally, a message was left on my answering machine saying my bill had been “taken care of awhile back.”

If so, I wonder why they sent a bill early this month saying I was going to be turned over to collection.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Winning a $25 gift certificate to a winery is my best consumer experience this week, while lawn edging from Home Depot disappoints

By Rita R. Robison

This week, I loved winning a gift certificate, while I struggled with lawn edging from Home Depot.

My best consumer experience: Winning a $25 gift certificate at a local winery

I won a $25 gift certificate to winery of my choice on South Sound Wine Trail. I won it in a weekly drawing of the Olympia - Lacey - Tumwater Visitor and Convention Bureau.

I didn’t know we had any wineries locally. I look forward to learning about one, tasting its wines, and selecting a bottle or two of wine.

One of the wineries, Madsen Family Cellars, writes in a blog post about crushing grapes for this season's wines.

My worst consumer experience: Lawn edging from Home Depot

Since I went on a vacation this spring, the weeds in my yard got ahead of me.

At Home Depot, I asked which lawn edging would be the best to keep the lawn from growing into my beds and around my raised bed garden.

The sales associate recommended a fiberglass product and a green plastic one with sharp scallop-shaped points. He said the one with the sharp points could be pounded into the ground. No so. It didn’t work. However, I dug a trench and was able to use it that way.

On the other hand, the fiberglass edging was a total disaster. The package warned it was compressed and to watch out when you opened it. So, at least, I didn’t injure myself when I cut off the binders, and it sprang out with a lot of force into a bigger circle.

The problem I had was there wasn’t any way to cut it. It was a 20-foot piece. I needed 12 feet on one side of my raised bed garden and 6 feet on the other side.

I took the fiberglass edging back and bought the typical black plastic type.

I wish the sales associate had told me you couldn’t cut the fiberglass edging. I wasted a lot of time trying to get it to work.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Scotts Miracle-Gro to pay $12.5 million in fines and penalties for violating federal pesticide laws

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co., a producer of pesticides for commercial and consumer uses, was sentenced yesterday in federal court to pay a $4 million fine and perform community service for 11 criminal violations of the federal pesticide laws.

Scotts pleaded guilty in February to:

• Illegally applying insecticides to its wild bird food products that are toxic to birds.

• Falsifying pesticide registration documents.

• Distributing pesticides with misleading and unapproved labels.

• Distributing unregistered pesticides.

This is the largest criminal penalty ever levied under federal pesticide laws, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement.

In addition, in a civil agreement with the EPA, Scotts agreed to pay more than $6 million in penalties and spend $2 million on environmental projects to resolve civil pesticide violations. The violations include distributing or selling unregistered, canceled, or misbranded pesticides, including products with inadequate warnings or cautions. This is the largest civil settlement under federal pesticide laws.

In the plea agreement, Scotts admitted that:

• It applied the pesticides Actellic 5E and Storcide II to its bird food products even though the EPA had prohibited this use. Scotts said it had applied the pesticide to protect its bird foods from insect infestation during storage.

• It didn’t follow EPA directives when using these pesticides and ignored the warning label on Storicide II containers, which states, “Storcide II is extremely toxic to fish and toxic to birds and other wildlife.”

Scotts sold illegally treated bird food for two years after it began marketing its bird food line and for six months after employees warned Scotts management of the dangers of these pesticides, the EPA said. By the time it voluntarily recalled these products in March 2008, Scotts had sold more than 70 million units of bird food illegally treated with pesticide that is toxic to birds.

Scotts also pleaded guilty to:

• Submitting false documents to the EPA and to state agencies in an effort to deceive them into believing that pesticides were registered with the EPA when they weren’t.

• Selling the unregistered pesticides illegally.

• Marketing pesticides with labels containing false and misleading claims not approved by the EPA.

In addition to the $4 million criminal fine, Scotts will contribute $500,000 to organizations that protect bird habitat, including $100,000 each to the Ohio Audubon’s Important Bird Area Program, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Urban Forestry Program, the Columbus Metro-Parks Bird Habitat Enhancement Program, the Cornell University Ornithology Laboratory, and The Nature Conservancy of Ohio. The money will support the protection of birds and habitats through conservation, research, and education.

At the time the criminal violations were discovered, the EPA also began a civil investigation that uncovered civil violations that occurred for five years. Scotts’ civil violations included the nationwide distribution or sale of unregistered, canceled, or misbranded pesticides, including products with inadequate warnings or cautions. As a result, the EPA issued more than 40 “Stop Sale, Use, or Removal Orders” to Scotts to address more than 100 pesticide products.

In addition to the $6 million civil penalty, Scotts will complete environmental projects, valued at $2 million, to acquire, restore, and protect 300 acres of land to prevent runoff of agricultural chemicals into nearby waterways. 

Click here for more information about the civil settlement and recalled products.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Blogging Boomer Carnival #274 offers tips on vegetables, finances, marriage, and food waste

By Rita R. Robison

This week, I’m the host for Blogging Boomer Carnival #274.

The carnival is a collection of like-minded blogs cooperating to share their best stories of interest to the Baby Boomer Generation.

What topics are boomer bloggers writing about as summer winds down and Labor Day approaches?

For the Accidental Locavore, it’s stuffed vegetables. Anne Maxfield shares a recipe for eggplants stuffed with lamb and pine nuts. It's an easy way to take advantage of great summer produce.

The Midlife Crisis Queen is reading up on how the Baby Boomer generation compares to their parents. Laura Lee Carter just read a new Pew Research Center report on the demise of the American middle class. She’d also like to share her take on how divorce can turn into a golden opportunity for personal change.

Tom Sightings, of Sightings from 60, is taking advantage of this last weekend before Labor Day and heading off to the country for corn on the cob, home-grown tomatoes … and one last great gasp of summer.

On Silver & Grace, Eliza Fayle asks, “When you’re out of balance, what messages do you receive from your body?” Fayle started paying attention to this and discovered, “When I’m in a tizzy, I get dizzy.”

So Baby Boomer asks, "Is Your Marriage Graying?" On John Agno’s blog, Jody Gastfriend, of Care Management, writes about what keeps her marriage vital and exciting as she and her husband get older. Gastfriend said she’s one of those boomer women that barely, no pun intended, got through book No. 1 of “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

On my blog, I wrote about food waste and what consumers, governments, and businesses can do to reduce it. Tips for consumers: Learning when food goes bad, buying imperfect produce, and cooking food with an eye to reducing waste.

Look for Blogging Boomer Carnival #275 next week for more information for the Boomer Nation.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Great garden produce is my best consumer experience this week, while another power outage is upsetting

By Rita R. Robison

Luckily my power is back on, so I can cook garden vegetables.

My best consumer experience: Potatoes and kale from my garden

Last year, I tried to grow kohlrabi. The bugs attacked with a vengeance. The year before that, I planted cabbage. Also, a bug disaster.

This year, I decided to try potatoes. They’re doing well. In one hill, I could see potatoes sticking out of the ground, so I harvested some.

I’m going to make shredded potatoes and fried eggs. Yum, yum.

I’ve also cooked up kale several times and enjoyed a big pot of green beans. I’m also eating cherry tomatoes when I go out to do yard work.

My worst consumer experience: Another power outage

My electrical utility is Puget Sound Energy.

Last night, I experienced my third power outage in about six weeks.

In addition to the big snowstorm in January when my power was out for four days, I also had an outage on March 30.

When I called to report the outage, I had to enter my phone number or account number before I could talk to anyone. A recorded message told me twice that the computer couldn’t find my information.

When I finally reached a real person, he said that PSE was doing work on its accounts, so that was probably why the computer couldn’t find me.

The PSE employee had no idea when the power would be back on. He seemed unconcerned that I had no power. When I asked when I should call back, he said if my power wasn’t back on in two hours, I could call again. PSE might know something by then.

When I called back, a recorded message said four homes were without power and PSE would be fixing the problem.

Before I went to bed at 1 a.m., I looked outside. No PSE trucks had come to fix the problem.

This time, the power was out for six hours.

It looks like the new management at PSE isn’t able to provide reliable electrical service.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Food from my garden is this week’s best consumer experience, while dinner out disappoints

By Rita R. Robison

My garden makes me happy, but I had more bad consumer experiences this week than I would have liked.

My best consumer experience: My garden is beginning to produce

Although I planted my garden in June, I’m getting produce already.

When I returned from a week’s vacation, I found:

A few more raspberries.

Cherry tomatoes ready to eat.

Great looking kale.

A new wild strawberry plant in my backyard.

Unfortunately, I bought and planted pole beans instead of bush beans like I’d planned. I need to figure out how to stake them up.

My worst consumer experience: Dinner out at a Mexican restaurant

Since I was working on a photo project with a friend, I missed out on meeting my daughter, her family, and a friend for dinner. So, I had dinner while they went to the Wallingford Center to have cupcakes.

After checking with the waiter on whether a dish with chicken, mushrooms, and bell peppers wasn’t spicy, I ordered it. The dinner came with rice and tortillas.

The chicken dish was too spicy, as was the rice. The food made my mouth “burn.” I asked the waiter to bring me some less spicy food.

Right after I made my complaint, the waiter walked to another table across the room and asked the customers if they thought the rice was spicy. What a rude thing to do.

My daughter and her kids and friend came to join me. I ate part of my plain chicken and rice replacement dinner, then asked for my bill.

When I went to pay, the waitress asked me if I wanted any change. Normally, I would have said no, but the meal and service were so awful, I said yes. I knew I would be leaving a tip of some sort, but I thought the waitress was brazen to assume I would give a tip when the service was poor and the waiter was insulting.

The bill was about $17.50. I gave her a $20 bill.  

I was shocked when she got out a large white purse, took out some bills, and counted out $2 for me. Then she dumped out the tip jar and gave me about 50 cents from it.

I couldn’t believe it. I went to the table, put the $2 on the table, and left.

I think this restaurant should be nominated for a makeover from “Restaurant Impossible” on the Food Network.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Raspberries from my garden are my best consumer experience this week while bad pineapples disappoint

By Rita R. Robison

Fresh raspberries are wonderful this time of year, but returning two pineapples to Costco wasn’t much fun.

My best consumer experience: Fresh raspberries from my garden

When I returned from Sacramento, I found a lot of raspberries on the vines in my garden. They are wonderful – fresh, sweet, and organic.

I even made a pie.

My worst consumer experience: Rotten pineapples from Costco

After telling a friend I would bring fresh pineapple for a political party we were hosting, I bought two at Costco. I looked through many boxes trying to find the best looking ones.

They were terrible. The bottoms looked brown, and when I cut them open, they didn’t look right or taste good. When I’ve purchased overripe pineapples at Safeway, I could cut the bad parts off and the remaining parts would taste O.K.

The Costco pineapples looked and tasted like they never ripened properly. Then they were in the process of rotting.

I rushed to Safeway, bought two pineapples, and arrived at the party on time.

The next day, I returned the pineapples to Costco. I told the customer service representative that Costco needs to do a better job of providing pineapples for their customers that are fit to eat. Just because it has cheaper prices on many items and sells jumbo packages, doesn’t mean it can sell terrible food.

The man behind me in line said he had also purchased two pineapples, and they were totally rotten. He said he threw them away.

When I went to Costco recently, I looked at the pineapples. They looked the same as the bad ones I purchased – beginning to rot on the bottoms.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Planting my garden is this week’s best consumer experience, while packaging for checkbooks disappoints

By Rita R. Robison

During several sun breaks this week, I had fun planting my garden. However, I wasn’t pleased yesterday when my credit union sent me my checks in a folder.

My best consumer experience: Planting my vegetable garden

This year, I’m trying cherry tomatoes instead of Early Girl or other big, plump, red tomatoes. That’s because I seldom get any red tomatoes.

I also planted carrots, beans, cucumbers, zucchini, parsley, potatoes, and kale.

I hope the beans, carrots, and kale come up soon. The weather’s been cloudy with showers.

My worst consumer experience: Getting my checks packaged in a folder instead of a box

When my credit union sent my checks in a flat, plastic, green package, I was surprised.

But I was shocked to see what was in the package; a CheckFolio. It has three checkbooks glued down to each side of the folder.

The credit union said:

We talked to account holders to learn more about what they want and need from their check products. The result is an innovative new check packaging system called CheckFolio.

CheckFolio is supposed to help me:

• Stay organized by having all the “components” neatly organized.

• By providing a tamper-evident package that protects my identity.

• By protecting the environment because the efficient design uses less material and creates less waste – plus the Check-Folio is recyclable.

I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone. The six checkbooks are glued to the folder, except, woops, one has already come loose.

The directions say to use the checkbooks one at a time or carry the folder around with you. They tell you to use light pressure if you write on them when they’re in the folder to prevent transferring the copy to other checks.

It’s crazy. Usually, my checkbooks come in two boxes. I recycle the outer box and put the copies of the checks back in the box when I’ve written all the checks in the checkbook. I keep the copies for a few years, and then shred them.

I can’t imagine what the credit union and checkbook company were thinking.

The plastic package isn’t recyclable, so the new system is less eco-friendly. It isn’t more secure because if someone is going to steal your checks, they can take a green plastic package and open it just as easily as checkbooks packaged in two paper boxes.

My credit unions usually provide good customer service. With the change, I feel like this is one of those TV ads, which is trying to convince me that something that’s questionable or false is true.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist