Single Parents Unite

Wordless Wednesday

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:51:21 PDT

Something to remember......

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:29:23 PDT

Live as simply as you can. "Want for nothing" is the phrase that comes to mind, meaning that what you truly need you already have. Everything else is just the making of man in the material world. If all must come completely undone, so be it. We will still be standing in the end. Love one another for love is indestructible as long as we have it in our hearts. Beyond that, what else matters? From love, all things we truly want will come.

Thanks for the inspiration Anna!!

Wordless Wednesday

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:32:12 PDT

It seems that all we hear about on the News these days is Michael Jackson. Lets not forgot our soldiers.

Nutrisystem works. I lost 55 pounds!!

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:47:20 PDT

Each one equals 1 lb of fat then multiply it by 55

I started Nutrisystems last October and had lost 48 pounds by April. I was getting burned out on the food so I decided to try things on my own. In 2 months I've lost an addition 7 pounds. To date, I am keeping it off. The scale hasnt gone down in a couple weeks but it's not going up either. To get a true concept of what 55 pounds of fat looks like, I surfed the net. I found a picture of 100 pounds of fat and I cut it in half. When you look at it sprawled on a table (that is 50 pounds in the picture above), it looks pretty massive. I remember Oprah losing a bunch of weight a few years back so I went on her site to see if there was a picture. Do you remember when she wheeled out a wagon full of the weight she had lost? It was 67 pounds. So I guess I have lost a little less than a wagon full, or 12 pounds less than whats in the wagon.

(Oprah in a size 10)

Many people will say Nutrisystems doesnt work, they hate the food, or the company is a rip off. I didnt have any bad experiences. The only adjustment was my will power and my portions. If you follow their plan, you WILL lose weight. Dont forget your water. Is the food gourmet? No. Isnt gourmet food what got me where I was to begin with? OK, maybe not gourmet but definitely fast food. We ate out quite a bit and I never drank water. I tend to be a stress eater so I was always munching. I had no one to blame but myself. I must confess, I was scared to go off the plan because I thought I would gain it all back. It appears, I actually learned something. In the 7 months I was on Nutrisystems I taught myself how to say no, to walk away from temptation, and to get daily exercise. I have substituted their food for lean cuisine. I still drink my water and get exercise at least 5 times a week.

It cost me $234 a month to be on the Nutrisystems flex plan. I ate their food during the week and was on my own during the weekend. I think thats what helped me stay on the plan, if I had to do it 7 days a week I would have quit. I went from a size 26 to a 14. I even have 1 size 12 pants so it can be done. I have finally lost the 54 pounds I gained with my first pregnancy 21 years ago. I feel great. My energy level is so high now, its actually funny. And another thing I noticed, I was always hot before. The fan on my desk at work was constantly running. Now, I never use my fan and I rarely get overheated. Its amazing how my life and attitude have changed.

Dont give up on yourself if you really want to lose weight. It can be done. For all those people that bad mouth Nutrisystems, I want you to know that I am their biggest fan.

Wordless "I can so relate" Wednesday

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:20:54 PDT

Michael Jackson Dies at the age of 50

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:18:43 PDT

1958-2009

Michael Jackson died today of cardiac arrest in a house he was renting outside of Los Angeles. It was reported that he was dead before he made it to the hospital. They tried to revive him for an hour with no luck.

Most people my age grew up listening to his music. I was once a big fan, then after the allegations of molestation, I quickly lost interest and respect. However, he was a very talented singer. While listening to his music on all the radio stations coming home from work today I realized how long he has been around. He was only 8 years older than I am. Life really is too short. Treasure what you have and be thankful on a daily basis. Im sorry that he didnt get the help he needed both physically and mentally. God bless his family and may he rest in peace.

Wordless Wednesday

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:10:04 PDT

<

I love this picture.....Someones else's beautiful baby!

Supportkids Complaints

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:40:35 PDT

As many people have read, Supportkids is out of business. Wait, or was it that they kept all the accounts that don't make money and gave the ones that do to RJBA?? How could that be possible? They were hurting for money to begin with and then defaulted on a loan. I believe that was the story we were told. My question is, if they couldn't keep the accounts that kept them afloat then how can they stay in business when they gave our cases away as collateral to RJBA? I'm not sure if we will ever know the true story. RJBA doesn't return calls or e-mails. Ive heard they are rude, nasty, and make threats to parents in search of their payments that have been received but not distributed. And Supportkids appears to have washed their hands. Nice job guys!

There is hope though. I sent a termination letter almost a month ago and had the account information thru the D.A. switched over to my own account. I did that at the state disbursement website. This particular website is for California only.To date, I have received two payments directly from the D.A. for the full amount. Alot of mothers have been working their butts off to stay on top of things and for some, it has paid off. You must be unrelenting and find out the laws in your state. Anyone can be a victim but Id like us all to be victorious in our fight. If you have any information to share regarding this situation, please keep me posted.

Wordless "its time to party" Wednesday

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:38:20 PDT

My sister getting me drunk at Brad's Grad party....OK, maybe I helped a little;)

Wordless "HE DID IT" Wednesday

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:40:21 PDT

For those of you who havent signed yet, please take a moment to sign the Supportkids petition..

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:08:28 PDT

We cant be heard if we dont speak out. Please, sign the petition whether you are a victim of Supportkids or just believe in the cause:

You can find the petition here!

Thank You...

UP 2009...what a great movie!!

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:12:24 PDT

Last weekend, DBF Michael and I went and saw the movie UP. Not to mention, we did the 3D version. Wow, what awesome graphics. The story started out a little dark so I wasn't sure where they were going to go from there. It didn't take long before I realized they were going straight up!! There were tons of laughs throughout the movie. Although, I wouldn't expect anything less from Pixar. I don't think I have heard Michael laugh that hard at a movie in a very long time. We went without children (well, I only have a 17 year old left at home so technically without my child) and I was surprised that the majority of the viewers were adults.

If you haven't seen the previews, here is a brief description of what the story is based on. By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn't alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip. They come across some funny and evil characters along the way. The way it all tied(no pun intended) together was perfect. I would definitely give this movie two thumbs up. This is one we will definitely add to our movie collection.

Wordless "still remodeling" Wednesday

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:37:55 PDT

BEFORE

AFTER

Supportkids is using our child support as collateral!!

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Sat, 30 May 2009 12:37:27 PDT

Supportkids transfers 20,000 of child-support collection cases after loan default
Austin-based company says it will serve remaining clients.

By Tim Eaton
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, May 28, 2009

As a result of a recent loan default, Austin-based Supportkids Inc. was forced to transfer a portion of its child-support collection cases to a New Hampshire-based law firm.

Supportkids CEO Byron Sehlke said Supportkids unloaded 20,000 cases to Richard J. Boudreau & Associates on May 14,

leaving Supportkids with 18,000 cases, many of which are nonpaying.

"This was not our decision," Sehlke said.

Boudreau & Associates didn't respond to a request for comment.

Supportkids, a for-profit company that collects money from parents who are behind on their child-

support payments, said in a letter to clients that the organization was unable to refinance a loan with an unnamed lender.

As a result, the lender handed over the cases, which Supportkids had used as collateral on the loan, to Boudreau & Associates.

Sehlke called the situation "a function of the credit crisis." He added that the company, which has laid off an undisclosed number of employees, remains in transition but will continue to serve its remaining clients and accept new ones.

Affected clients of Supportkids were told in the letter that Supportkids no longer has current information on their cases and that Boudreau & Associates has their case files and should be contacted with questions or for new information on their cases.

Supportkids had tried unsuccessfully to reach a cooperative agreement with the lender and Boudreau & Associates to arrange for a transition period, so the company was not able to notify clients in advance of their cases being transferred, the letter said.

Supportkids charges an initial $475 case development fee and takes a 34 percent commission on overdue child-support payments. When it accepts a case, it requires that the parent who is behind on the payments send the money to the company, which takes its cut and forwards the balance to the parent who is caring for the child or children. Sehlke said the company takes only the toughest cases.

teaton@statesman.com; 445-3631

Thank You Mr. Eaton for the low down on our situation. They cant use our child support as collateral against a loan default. Its against the law. Basically, they are using their 34% from our child support to pay their debt. And FYI Michelle, if they say that they will hold your money and refuse to pay you until their direct deposit form is signed, that's extortion.

RJBA and the Supportkids Out of Business Saga

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:31:08 PDT

This is what I received in the mail today. I have a few things to say. If the contract is legally binding, why do they need a conference call between me and the DA's office? Wouldn't they just send a copy of the contact to the DA's office rather than have me give the OK? If it is in fact legally binding. On the copy of the direct deposit form its states something very alarming to me:

By signing below, I hereby agree to have any child support arrearage payments deposited into my bank account with said number as shown on this form/check. I authorize Richard J. Boudreau & Associates, LLC and/or its agents or ASSIGNS TO RECOVER ANY FUNDS ERRONEOUSLY DEPOSITED INTO MY ACCOUNT THROUGH A DEBIT FROM MY ACCOUNT.

So, not only would you be giving them access to put money in, but take it out. Am I correct on this one? Recover funds Erroneously Deposited into my account? They plan on making errors on the deposits before they even have the job? RJBA claims to be an attorneys office. I think they are full of crap. They did not send a new contract for me to sign. What Im getting out of this is that by signing the direct deposit slip and having a conversation via conference call with RJBA and the DA, Im basically giving them access to my money. I dont think so. By the way, what happened to the one payment they got from the DA on 5/18 before I was able to change my disbursement? Where is my money?? I dont know about you guys, but this company does not sound right. Anyone else get one of these?

Wordless "OMG" Wednesday

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:36:59 PDT

Some people scare me.....it really makes you wonder!

God bless our Soldiers and their families on this Memorial Day..

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:47:19 PDT

RJBA - The Supportkids take over

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Mon, 25 May 2009 17:10:48 PDT

I logged into my Supportkids account today thanks to Redhatty giving me a heads up. This is what I found:

Your child support case is now being serviced by Richard J. Boudreau & Associates.

Richard J. Boudreau & Associates (RJBA) can be reached at:

Mail:	Richard J. Boudreau & Associates, LLC 5 Industrial Way Salem, NH 03079
Phone:	1-866-997-2449
Email:	childsupport@rjba.com

Supportkids, Inc. is no longer servicing you case. We wish you the best in your child support efforts.

The last statement is what really grabbed my attention. I thought maybe it was saying we were on our own now. No such luck. After thinking about what is being said, I have concluded its telling us good luck with RJBA. Got it!

Also, regarding RJBA. I have heard a number of complaints regarding a person that works there named "Pam". One of them really made me made. In Laurens words:

Pam, kept jabbing at me about how I chose to live my life etc, none of which is relevant to collecting my past due support. In our last verbal phone battle she actually told me 'she would have to think about how much more of HER company's money she was going to spend on this case, or if she was going to put this on the back burner'.

Excuse me?? How much more of HER companies money she is going to spend?? First of all, it is our child support that kept SK in business and would continue to do so for RJBA when our cases are forwarded to them. Second of all, who is she to talk to any of us that way? They are not a child support enforcement agency, they are a collection company. We dont owe them anything. Our debts are because of dead beat parents that refuse to pay child support. We didnt take out a loan and are refusing to make payments. The money comes to us from THEM secondary to the DA (for most cases) collecting on our behalf. It appears that PAM needs to get off of her soap box and remember who she is working for. Its just another reason why I wish they were in my state. Id love to see these people face to face. I guarantee they wouldnt be talking to any of us that way if we were upclose and personal. She hides behind a phone line and thinks that this gives her the right to treat people in that manner. Shame on you RJBA for hiring a person with such poor customer service skills. We are not the enemy, we are the victims (for lack of a better term). You are trying to collect money for us, not from us. It appears that PAM has never been in our situation. If she had, Im sure her attitude would be completely different. Although, I guess it all depends on the person. Where's the compassion?? I think that's what is missing from both of these companies.

Memorial Day

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Thu, 21 May 2009 19:36:32 PDT

I am lucky that my son made it home from Iraq. Some other families arent as fortunate. Lets not forget that. Pay your respects to our Military for risking their lives for our freedom.

Please sign this petition against Supportkids!!

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Thu, 21 May 2009 19:23:17 PDT

We cant be heard if we dont speak out. Please, sign the petition whether you are a victin of Supportkids or just believe in the cause:

You can find the petition here!

Thank You...

Supportkids...Yes, they're out of business!

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Thu, 21 May 2009 19:07:34 PDT

As many of you know, Supportkids have gone under. We have been instructed to call a new company, Richard J. Boudreau & Associates (RJBA) and they can be reached at 1-866-997-2449. So, how many of you have contacted this number? I left a message on Friday and still haven't heard anything back. They also gave an e-mail address of childsupport@rjba.com. Well, Ive tried to get a response that way as well with no luck. On Friday after I got the news, I contacted the DA's office. I would like to give a special shout out to the staff at the San Bernardino District Attorney, Child Support division. They have been nothing but helpful. I was instructed to write a letter stating I no longer wanted Supportkids handling my case, I took a copy of my ID, and faxed it over. I got a call today from "Barbara", who told me that Supportkids was having my money directly deposited into their account. Oh no, I thought, what now? I dont remember approving my money to be direct deposited into anyones account. The DA's office said that this is how it works when you sign their contract. Figures!! I was then instructed to log onto www.casdu.com (for California, your state will have its own site) and change my direct deposit information. The DA's office gave me my account number, which is something you will need. After you log in, go down to the bottom of the screen where it says "Set up Direct Deposit." Change the information in the state disbursement to your own account and you are set!!

Id also like to add something to this post. This is dedicated to all the people that don't think single parents deserve nice things. Why not? Just because the non custodial parent refused to pay on their own, does that mean I have to live my life in poverty? Am I really undeserving? Ive spent MANY years supporting 2 boys on my own. My oldest is now in the Navy and just returned from Iraq, my youngest is graduating from High School next month. For a very long time I robbed from Peter to pay Paul. My kids did without alot of things. They never knew the stresses I dealt with on a regular basis or the tears I shed for bills I could not pay. Now, I own a home of my own. I took a home improvement loan out so that I could make my house into something I was proud of. Then, I get these idiots making nasty remarks because I have nice things. I pay my mortgage like everyone else. Who are they to pass judgement on me? Supportkids kids doesn't pay me enough monthly to cover half of my mortgage yet these same people say that Supportkids paid for my pool?? Or my new stove?? What's wrong with this picture and why are these people so filled with hate? Dead beat Dad maybe? The $300 dollars a month I get from them (or should I say got from them) did not make or break me. However, alot of people depend on every penny of that court order for their survival and that of their children. I learned to live without it, I had to. That does not give any company the right to feed off of the desperate. I put information on this site to help other parents. This is not a chat room or a forum for people to lash out. This is my blog that I started 2 years ago to fight Supportkids. I don't have time or patience to deal with people that have nothing better to do that surf the Internet for a fight. If you don't like what I write, move on. If you dont have something helpful and pertinent to the discussion at hand, dont say it. Ive done a great job raising 2 men and I did it for 10 years without child support. I will tell you one thing, I know neither one of them will end up doing to their children what their father did to them.

Take the information I have and use it if you need to. If you are happy with the services provided to you by Supportkids or the company that will be replacing them, more power to you. Im not here to change your mind, Im here to help the people that need it. Unless you have walked a mile in any of our shoes, you dont know shit about this topic. And the bottom line on that one is, I could care less what you have to say and neither do the rest of us.

Wordless "the grad ticket experience" Wednesday

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:11:16 PDT

At my sons school, they dont just give you tickets for graduation, you have to wait for them...

When I got to the school at 5:30 AM, this is what I found....

Yep, you have to camp there to get Home Side seats...I guess I didnt get the memo on that one!!

You wait in line just to get a ticket to be in line. 4 1/2 hours later, I got tickets on the Visitor side of the field. They sold out of home side seats 20 people before me. Oh well, I cant lose site of why Im going there. Its not for the best seat in the house, its to see my baby graduate....Im glad I dont have to do THAT again!!!

Supportkids...out of business???

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:21:40 PDT

I started this blog to warn people about Supportkids. They are a company (or should I say WERE) that fed off of desperate single parents trying to get child support. I opened my case in 2002. Since then, they have taken over $25,000 dollars from my kids and I. Every time I tried to terminate my contract, I was denied. Several people have responded to my blog with horror stories of their own. We all had the same question, what can we do to stop them?? Well my friends, I think our ship has finally come in. Thanks to a fellow victim Redhatty, I was just informed Supportkids is no longer. Yes, thats right!! For those of you who have a case with them, log into the website and it will inform you that they are no longer handling your case. This is the information you will see on their website:

Your child support case is now being serviced by Richard J. Boudreau & Associates.

Richard J. Boudreau & Associates (RJBA) can be reached at:
Phone: 1-866-997-2449

Email:

childsupport@rjba.com

Mail: Richard J. Boudreau & Associates, LLC
5 Industrial Way
Salem, NH 03079

I hope that my blog and experience has had a hand in putting this company out of business. I cant tell you how relieved I am that the thousands of single parents struggling to make ends meet might finally get a break. They were allowed to do what they did for far too long. Its about time that someone stepped up to the plate and did something to put them out of business. I have contacted them (RJBA) via phone and e-mail regarding my case. This development is very recent as I just logged in on Tuesday and the information above was not posted. I suggest you get your information about your case to the above people ASAP so that you dont get lost in the system. I was instructed that a fedex package will be coming within the week with more information. WOOHOO!!!! We won!!!!! I will keep you posted.

Where have I been?

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Thu, 14 May 2009 19:26:41 PDT

As many of you have noticed, I haven't been posting like I use to. There are a couple reasons for that. 1st of all, I dissolved my contract with Divorce 360. I got tired of writing about relationship issues when I wasn't having any, and after 2 years, it just got old. Not to mention, I was constantly chasing them to get paid. It wasn't worth it to me anymore. Secondly, I have been remodeling my home. My stress level these days has been off the charts. Work is hard (especially lately) and home is complicated when you have to live your life around contractors so I havent had much rest. Although, last weekend for the first time in a long time, I relaxed. We have 3 contractors coming to the house on Monday to do 3 different things and it all starts again. It took me 6 weeks to get my kitchen back, now my bathroom is going to be gutted and new doors for the house are being installed. Not to mention, I have a son coming home from Iraq on June 8th and my youngest graduating on June 10th. Did I tell you Ive been planning a party as well? I cant wait to breathe. After this next stint with the contractors, I'm gonna give it a rest for a while and enjoy my oldest sons visit home. That includes a week off from work. Thank God! I need to find medium ground someplace so I can gather my thoughts. I don't even sit down to watch television for any length of time these days because there is so much to do. I know I will get thru this but right now, life is tough.

I would like to give you an update on my nutrisystem progress as well but that will come later. I may be stressed to the max but I look fabulous!!! I just have to remember thru all of this what my Mom tells me on a regular basis: "This too shall pass." I certainly hope so. However, I enjoy my pool when I can and I cant thank my jacuzzi enough for helping the tension leave my body **heavy sigh** I will keep you posted!

Wordless Wednesday

scorpqn1966@yahoo.com (Lori) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:34:37 PDT

While one son is having fun in the new pool, the other one is riding Camels in Iraq. Everyone needs some down time. Why not?