The Independent Foreclosure Review, driven by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, have persisted in their efforts to get homeowners to participate in this stab at virtue - a way to show the public, the victimized public and those empathetic enough to care about their plights, that they actually care that mortgage big shots, such as Chase, BOA, GMAC (now ALLY), Wells Fargo, et al., were clearly using underhanded, blatantly criminal methods of foreclosure to serve their own nefarious motives.

Still waiting. There’s nothing quite like rushing to meet a deadline when you don’t know what the deadline is. It’s not the end of the world or anything, just that moving can be stressful. In fact, moving is considered one of the most stressful life events. More stressful than that is losing a home to foreclosure, on some scales.

But, really, why does putting our stuff in boxes and turning our lives upside down for a few weeks create so much stress? For most people, they already know where they are moving to. I have no idea yet where I’ll wind up. However, every other time I’ve moved has been stressful, even when I’ve been excited about moving.

Good things are happening with this blog – I have joined Home Preservation Network as a blogger, and so many more eyes have read my words, thanks to Richard Zombeck, who is also a regular Huffington Post blogger. And, as an added benefit, his colleague, Martin Andelman of Mandelman Matters picked up one of my posts on his site, too. It is wonderful to make some connections out there who are really working hard to educate people and provide a voice for wronged homeowners and others adversely affected by the financial crisis. Thank you, Richard and Martin, for your support! And thanks to all the readers who have read, shared, and tweeted. It’s an amazing feeling to go from a readership of 20 to over 400!

Whew! Now that tax time is over, we have a little bit of time for reading…

I have a hole in my bathroom floor. Every morning, I step right on the edge, and my foot slips on the rug into the hole, and I almost crack my head on the counter. You’d think I’d know where to step after doing this for almost 3 years. The hole is there because there was a leak in the hot water line. When the carpet in the bedroom turned into a swamp overnight, I realized there was something major going on. It was so big, they had to cut a 2×5 foot hole through the slab to fix it. They did a rough patch, but I haven’t done a smooth patch and laid new tiles. We have stacked up cardboard and covered it with a rug, so we’re not stepping on bare concrete, but it’s not a good fix… obviously.

Have you heard the news that multiple organizations, led by Occupy, are calling for a general strike on May 1^st? This date was chosen because it has historical significance – 146 years ago (1886), thousands of Americans took to the streets, clamoring for an eight-hour workday. It has remained a symbolic day for strikes internationally. And today, we have those Americans to thank that we are not toiling away 12 hours or more a day. Well, most of us, anyways. This day of “inaction” is intended to show what happens when the 99% unite.

The biggest rallies will be taking place in large cities, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Boston, and Chicago. To find an action near you, search the web with "Occupy" "May Day" "General Strike". The basic request is to call out from work and/or school and to avoid making any financial transactions for the duration of the day.