Thank you to all of our Veterans

The United States of America is the beacon of freedom to the world.  It is because of the dedication and sacrifice of our Veterans and their families.  A friend passed on this list to me, and I wanted to share it with you so you can share it with any Veterans you know.  Please pass it on.

Restaurants

Abuelo’s Mexican Food - Abuelo’s offerings vary by region, be sure to call ahead to see what the discounts or freebies are included.

Applebees - All veterans and active duty military eat free from a limited menu at Applebee’s on Veterans Day.

Chili’s — Veterans and active duty dine for free from a special limited six item menu on Veterans Day.

Golden Corral — Golden Corral Restaurants’ Military Appreciation Monday free dinner will be available on November 15, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Military retirees, veterans, active duty, National Guard and Reserves are all welcome.

Hooters — All Veterans and active duty eat free. The free entrees must be selected from a special Veterans Day menu.

Krispy Kreme – All active-duty, retirees & veterans get a free doughnut on Veterans Day. Be sure to call ahead to verify your local Krispy Kreme is par-ticipating.

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants — Participating McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants offer a complimentary entree to vets from a special menu on a space available basis, online reservations are highly recommended.

Outback Steakhouse — Veterans and active-duty military get a complimen-tary Bloomin’ Onion and non-alcoholic beverage on Veterans Day.

UNO Chicago Grill — UNO is offering a Buy One Get One free offer to Service members or Veterans with a military or veteran I.D. or in uniform or with a photo of themselves in uniform. The Veterans Day BOGO offer includes a free entree or individual pizza, with the purchase of an entree or pizza of equal or greater value.

Texas Roadhouse – Free meal from opening until 4pm. on Veterans Day. Call ahead to your local restaurant for more information.

T.G.I. Friday’s – Veterans and Service members Buy one get one free from Nov 11–14. Contact your nearest location for more details on their Veterans Day BOGO offer.

Retail

The Dollar General — Veterans, Service members (Active, Guard, and Reserve), and their immediate families will receive a 10-percent discount with a Veterans Day coupon. The coupon may be found in store circular ads or by asking a sales associate.

Home Depot — Offers a 10 percent discount to all Veterans during Veterans Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day.

Lowe’s — All veterans receive the 10-percent discount on Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. The offer is available in stores only and is limited to in-stock and special-order purchases of up to $5,000.

Sam’s Club — Sam’s give away 36,000 collapsible Hugo Canes on Veterans Day to military veterans in need of mobility assistance. Sam’s Club will require membership for this offer, but proof of service may be necessary.

Amazon.com – Free ―Veterans Day Honor‖ MP3 album download. The album includes 12 songs by The Bands and Ensembles of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Cabela’s Outdoor Store – Offers their employee discount to all veterans, active-duty military and reserves, law enforcement, fire and EMS personnel November 11-12. Discounts vary from 5% to 50%, depending on the item.

Build-a-Bear Workshop – Members of the armed services including the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Reserve Officer Training Corps, will receive a 20% discount November 11-15 on any one transaction at Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Fashion Bug – 20% off all plus-size and misses clothing purchases with a copy of military ID or spouse’s military ID.

Sports Clips Haircuts - The men’s hair salon chain is offering a free haircut to active military and veterans on Veterans Day.

Foot Locker — Veterans, Service members (Active, Guard, and Reserve), and their immediate families with a Foot Locker Veterans Advantage Card receive a 20 percent discount every day of the year. That offer is good both online and at any store location, including Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Footaction and Champs Sports — even on sale items.

It's almost time to put away your classic car!

Fall is a great time to get out and drive your classic car/hot rod.  The temparature are better for those without A/C!  For those classic car owners who live in more dramatic climates, it's almost time to put your cars to bed for the winter. We've put together some steps to help you do it right. Feel free to pass this information on to anyone who may benefit.

1. Top off your levels.

• Fill your gas tank and add a fuel preservative. The full tank keeps out moisture, and the preservative keeps the gas from breaking down. Take one last drive to circulate the preservative.
  
• Make sure your antifreeze is fresh and topped off.
• To avoid a nasty sludge in the spring, change the oil

2. Take preventative measures.

• Give your car a good wash and wax to protect the paint. Protect the chrome with wax or paint sealant.
• Over-inflate tires to avoid flat spotting, or jack up the car to take pressure off the tires.
• Put a battery manager on your car.
• To prevent rodents nesting in an engine compartment, try a rodent repellent under the hood. Just remember to remove it before starting up.
• Put down a few moisture pads on the upholstery to absorb moisture and prevent mildew.
• Cover the car with a breathable car cover to prevent corrosion and rust.
  

3. Re-circulate your oil.

• When a car sits, oil settles into the pan, leaving the engine without lubrication. Disconnect the coil wire and crank the engine

Child Passenger Safety Week

No parent would intentionally compromise the safety of his or her child. Unfortunately, when it comes to passenger safety, an innocent error can lead to tragedy.

In addition, many parents don't realize that children need the protection of a booster seat until they are at least eight years old. In NY the law is eight years old or under 100 pounds. 

With the National Highway Traffic Safety Authority's Child Passenger Safety Week being held September 18 - 24, 2011, it's the perfect time to think about having your child safety seat inspected. As part of Child Passenger Safety Week, the NHTSA is culminating the week with National Seat Check Saturday on September 24, 2011.

Car crashes are one of the leading causes of death and injury among children under eight in the United Sates. Despite very high levels of safety seat ownership and virtually universal access to safety belts, adults still take chances with children and do not use these safety systems on every ride. Such inconsistency has led to tragic outcomes, with adults confessing, "I didn't think it could happen to my child."

Irene Caused Widespread Flooding, here is what to do

If you need to file an insurance claim following floods and you have a policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), in many cases you can contact your private insurance company, such as Allstate Insurance Company, to help you begin the claims process.  Our clients can call us, and we will get you in touch with a flood adjuster.
Allstate policyholders who have purchased NFIP policies can file a claim by calling 800-54-STORM or by logging on to www.allstate.com or by contacting their local Allstate agent.
 
Here are some tips for starting your flood insurance claim: 

1. Gather all relevant policy information and numbers.
2. Call your insurance agent or company and make sure to mention that your damage is flood specific and you need to file a NFIP claim so your claim is processed appropriately.
3. Make sure your agent and claims adjuster know how to contact you. If you are in a shelter and not easily reached, provide the name of a designated relative or point-of-contact who can reach you. 
4. Remove water damaged items from the home as soon as possible. 
5. Take lots of photos. Take photos of any water in the house and damaged personal property. Your adjuster will need evidence of the damage and damaged items (i.e. cut swatches from carpeting, curtains, chairs) to prepare your estimate. 
6. Inventory your home for damaged or lost items before your adjuster arrives. This will help facilitate your claim process.

Obtaining a flood insurance policy is easy.

  

Since a flood policy does not take effect until 30 days after purchase, we encourage residents to consider their home's risk for flooding and call us well before the waters rise.  You never know when a storm will strike, and 30 days is a long time to wait, so act now, before it is too. late.  Flood insurance can be as low as $10 a day to protect your home.  That is a small price to pay, considering that flood claims cost tens of thousands of dollars. 

Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene has New York in her sites, so you need to be prepared for her before she hits.  Here are some important steps to take:


How to help protect yourself and your family in advance of a storm:

• Conduct a home inventory recording each of your possessions. It’s also helpful to keep track of model numbers and stores where items were purchased. Store your inventory, including photos and videos, in a safe place away from your home.

• Develop an evacuation plan that includes identification of safe areas, escape routes, meeting locations and plans for pets.

• Prepare an Emergency Supply Kit including a three-day supply of water, non-perishable food, radio and batteries, flashlight and first-aid kit.

• Remove any diseased and damaged limbs from trees to keep them from blowing around during a storm and causing property or automobile damage.

• Tie down any lawn furniture and toys that can become projectiles and damage your home, pool or cars.

• Purchase materials such as ¾-inch plywood that can be used to reinforce your windows, doors and garage doors. Install anchors and pre-drill holes for the plywood so you can install them quickly in the event of a storm.

• Install head and foot bolts in doors for extra protection.

Minimize your losses:

• Review your home insurance policy and coverage limits with an agent. Know what you are and are not covered for in the event of a hurricane.

• Find out if you have comprehensive auto coverage for damage to your car caused by falling objects or flood.

• Gather important documents such as insurance policies, birth certificates and identification. Make sure to place them in a waterproof container.

• Make sure you and your family are safe during and after the storm.

• Take steps to minimize further damage after a storm. Only use licensed professionals to take care of any damage.

Good Luck, and let's hope that Irene passes out to sea.  For more information, please visit my site: http://www.zabbiaagency.com/

Summer Safety Tips for your Pets

Most people who have pets treat them as part of the family. So we decided to pass along some expert tips to help you keep yours safe while on the go with you this summer.

 

On the Road: Sometimes what holds back a road trip with the dog is our furry friend's motion sickness. A fairly new drug, Cerenia, can alleviate it better than earlier ones that either didn't work well or put dogs to
sleep. When motion sickness isn't so profound, doggie ginger cookies also may ease queasiness. And for
pooches that just get stressed out by car rides, a Dog Appeasing Pheromone collar (like aromatherapy for dogs) or lavender hanging from the rear view mirror can help.

Here are some other pet travel tips to keep in mind:

• Dogs and cats should never travel on laps. Cats should be in carriers, and that's also a good idea for dogs accustomed to them. Small and mid-size dogs also can be strapped into a canine safety seat, available at pet supply stores. 
• Never let a dog ride in the back of a pickup truck, which - wisely - is banned in some places.  
• For an extra fee, many airlines will allow you to take pets on board a plane if they're small enough to fit in a carrier that will slide under the seat in front of you.  
• No matter where you travel or how you get there, your per should have an ID tag and an identification microchip, and you should bring proof of your pet's current rabies vaccination.

Bunking Together: Although there are more pet friendly hotels, motels, B&B's and campgrounds than ever, there's no guarantee you'll find one by chance. Some places require a pet security deposit, which is returned if the chairs aren't chewed up or the carpet piddled on. And some charge an extra non-refundable fee, while others offer pet perks, from dog walking to pet room service menus! Make sure you get specifics about hotel pet polices and fees before you book a room so there are no surprises. And it's always a good idea to get a written confirmation with all the pet policy details.

 

At the Vet's: Here's another reason to hate summer's mosquitoes - they carry heartworm to your pets! Dogs who get infected with heartworm usually get sick, and without treatment, they can die. Treatment success isn't guaranteed, and it's not cheap. The good news is heartworm can be prevented by administering monthly heartworm medications.

 

In the Heat: Plenty of shade and water can keep dogs cool on hot days. "Dogs don't sweat efficiently, so they can potentially overheat more easily than people." says veterinarian Gregg K. Takashima. Some dogs; just being dogs, will fetch until they drop. Look for signs of overheating, such as vomiting and excessive panting. If you think your pup is overheated, take him out of the sun, cool his pawpads with water and take him to the vet.

 

Without Fleas: Fleas and ticks are more pervasive than ever. Blame going to a warming trend that lets them survive longer in places where they usually would not. Fleas can hitch a ride on your shoes or on your pet. Laying up to 40 to 50 eggs daily, they can quickly invade your home and make your pet very uncomfortable. Thankfully, today's veterinary flea pills and products applied to the pet's skin really zap fleas, so the days of fitting flea collars and using toxic dips are over. If ticks occur where you live, your vet can suggest a product to deal with both fleas and ticks.

 

We hope these tips help make your summer more enjoyable with your pets.

 

Happy Flag Day!!!!

Flag Day is on June 14th every year, it is a day for all Americans to celebrate and show respect for our flag, its designers and makers. Our flag is representative of our independence and our unity as a nation.....one nation, under God, indivisible. Our flag has a proud and glorious history. It was at the lead of every battle fought by Americans. Many people have died protecting it. It even stands proudly on the surface of the moon.


As Americans, we have every right to be proud of our culture, our nation, and our flag. So raise the flag today and every day with pride!

Properly Display Our Flag

There is a right way and a wrong way to display the flag. The American flag should be held in the highest of regards. It represents our nation and the many people who gave their lives for our country and our flag. Here are the basics on displaying the American flag:

• The flag is normally flown from sunrise to sunset.  
• In the morning, raise the flag briskly. At sunset, lower it slowly. Always, raise and lower it ceremoniously.  
• The flag should not be flown at night without a light on it.  
• The flag should not be flown in the rain or inclement weather.  
• After a tragedy or death, the flag is flown at half staff for 30 days. It's called "half staff" on land, and "half mast" on a ship.  
• When flown vertically on a pole, the stars and blue field , or "union", is at the top and at the end of the pole (away from your house).  
• The American flag is always flown at the top of the pole. Your state flag and other flags fly below it.  
• The union is always on top. When displayed in print, the stars and blue field are always on the left.  
• Never let your flag touch the ground, never...period.  
• Fold your flag when storing. Don't just stuff it in a drawer or box.  
• When your flag is old and has seen better days, it is time to retire it. Old flags should be burned or buried. Please do not throw it in the trash.

Did you Know? There is a very special ceremony for retiring the flag by burning it. It is a ceremony everyone should see. Your local Boy Scout group knows the proper ceremony and performs it on a regular basis. If you have an old flag, give it to them. And, attend the ceremony.

   

Famous Flag People:

  

Betsy Ross was a seamstress who made clothes for George Washington. In June, 1776, Washington approached her to make the country's first flag and the rest is history.

  

Francis Scott Key inspired by the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, penned the lyrics to our national anthem as he witnessed the British rockets whiz through the air while our American Flag flew in the breeze

  

Did you Know? If you like to study flags, then you are a Vexillologist!

 

 

 

Wishing you the best,

 

 

 

Robert