Sep. 15--Dear Greg: Since June we have been trying to get my wife's $250 stimulus check from Washington. I received mine in June. When a month passed and still no check for Wilma, we called Social Security. We were told that her check had been sent to U.S. Bank in Minnesota. We have not used that bank since moving to Florida 10 years ago. The gentleman at Social Security said U.S. Bank returned the check, and said Wilma would get hers in "a few weeks." I have written to my congressmen and both senators. No one has acknowledged my e-mails, and needless to say no check has arrived. Guess they think I don't need the money, but I could find a use for it.

DON WOLF of EUSTIS

Dear Don: I can't imagine why your congressmen and senators did not respond. Did they think you were crying Wolf? Sorry -- sheep shot. I skipped the wool gatherers on Capitol Hill and contacted the Social Security office in Atlanta where I found an official to shepherd some help your way. A check for $250 will soon be bleating a path to your door. Update: Even better, within hours the money was electronically deposited in Wilma's account.

Dear Greg: I hired Concrete Textures to resurface the courtyard/pool area of my home, including fixing cracks and staining the concrete. I showed the company owner Allen Kreuscher a picture from his Web site of the slate gray look I wanted. The day he started the job I expressed concern over the color stain he was using -- he called it "antique," to me it was reddish brown. He said he would rectify it and get more of the black and charcoal gray to create the slate gray I had expressly asked for. I was horrified by the result. The cracks he "fixed" had turned white and chalky, and he overlooked other cracks. His product is still all over my walls and doorways. The concrete, upon drying, was not at all what I requested, repeatedly asked for and showed him pictures of. It looks terrible, and I have to have it done again but cannot afford it.

PRISCILLA BAGLEY of WINTER PARK

Dear Priscilla: Oh, no! My least favorite thing -- an argument over color. Do I look like Sherwin Williams? Allen told me he used chocolate and black, and that you approved. "She was there the whole time," he said. "I would say, 'How do you like it so far?' And she would go, 'I absolutely love it!' Those were her exact words." I realize that you disagree, so I talked to Allen about a compromise. If you pay for new stain, he will supply the labor free to redo it, and clean up the other items as well. That sounds fair to me. I abstain from the color argument.

Dear Greg: Progress Energy was called to our residence due to a utility failure. I asked the workers to come to our front door if anything was needed. Without notifying me, they sawed branches off my two 12-foot Red Cypress trees. Repair estimates range from $1,090 to $1,450 to replace the mature trees. Progress Energy says it is not their problem.

CHRIS BARTOS of WINDERMERE

Dear Chris: They came, they sawed, they did not ponder. "The trees were growing into our easement surrounding our transformer," said a Progress spokesman. "To access the underground lines our crew had to trim the trees far enough to perform the necessary task." What was that about money not growing on trees?

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