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Make It Work
Fix it! Get that home up and running again. Everything home and garden.
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32 Places
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Jennifer’s 5-star review: Some years ago, Tran and his crew from Golden Years refinished my friend's and her sister's floors, and the results were beautiful at an extremely competitive price. When we needed to prepare our house to sell, we needed to refinish our original damaged hardwood floors. We got quotes from Tran and a couple of other floor companies. Both of the other quotes we got were way higher. One of the floor contractors was super gloom and doom about my floor, and said it was in such bad shape that I should just put in a new floor. That would've been way more expensive, and Golden Years proved him wrong! Tran had the best price, was extremely pleasant, could fit into our tight timeline to get the house ready for market, and did an amazing job. Prior to their work, our floors had gashes, water damage, holes, and nails in it from where we'd pulled up the carpet. Golden Years refinished what could be refinished and replaced sections of the floor that were too damaged to refinish. Having beautiful hardwood floors added to the value of our home and we were extremely happy with the work done by Golden Years. I recommend enthusiastically! -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: Trembley Carpet Cleaning was highly recommended by a neighbor and some local mothers' club moms. Trembley uses an eco-friendly quick-drying method to get carpets clean with about 20 years of experience. The experience shows. Jim Trembley gets all the stains out of our light-colored carpet. I don't know how he does it, but I'm thrilled that he does. He doesn't use any harsh chemicals, which is fantastic since I have a 2-year-old and a dog. He's a local family man and does the best job I've seen (our carpet gets filthy and looks almost new when he's done cleaning it!). He's passionate about getting carpets very, VERY clean! He's honest and I feel comfortable leaving him alone in my house (the last two times I took my son out while he cleaned the carpet). -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: We needed to sell our Belmont home after owning it for nearly 12 years, and like most people, wanted to get the best offer we could for it. We had 4 different realtors present to us, and all were impressive. So impressive that initially we tried working with a different realtor, who turned out not to be a match for us. Eventually we switched to Sherri Sunahara, who we'd known and been friendly with for years. We knew Sherri to be honest, ethical, savvy, and a hard worker. She is also nice and extremely pleasant to work with. Her calmness is quality I especially appreciate, since I got stressed and needed to be around someone who was a calming influence. Sherri sent me listings of rentals and actually showed me rentals, since she knew I was looking to vacate the house so we could fix it up and stage it to maximize the sale price. Sherri knew which areas we needed to address to beautify the property. Our bathroom had vintage salmon colored tile which likely would've turned off prospective buyers, so Sherri engaged a tile glazer for our bathroom, which ended up looking much more neutral and eye-pleasing. Sherri understands the market since she's been working with sellers and buyers for over a decade, and her recommendations were smart and showed sophiscation. Sherri took the burden off us, the homeowners, and made all the arrangements with the different workers: gardeners, hardwood floor refinishers, painters, window guys, handyman, and stagers. She took their bids and sent them to us in a spreadsheet so we could choose. A stager who was giving Sherri a bid told me that Sherri was a rare gem, a "full service" realtor who made all the contractor appointments and arrangements (I didn't have to be there, if I couldn't meet with painters, etc.), and that I was lucky to have her as my realtor. Sherri went above and beyond, giving our home and garden a lot of individualized attention to help it show well. She was also responsive to my questions and concerns. Our house showed so well that we we had 18 offers and sold quickly quite a bit over asking with a very clean offer. The real estate market is crazy now in Silicon Valley, and I give Sherri credit for helping us maximize the potential of a modest house. I wholeheartedly recommend Sherri as a realtor who has integrity, experience, and skill in handling real estate needs.
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Jennifer’s 5-star review: Yvette and her crew are very professional. Yvette helped my realtor select the paint color for the walls, and then they were off and running. In one day Let's Stage It transformed an empty house into a beautifully staged house. I believe that her staging increased the selling price of our home quite a bit. It looked amazing, and we received 18 offers on our home. I would love to engage Yvette to come to my apartment to help make it look beautiful. She's got a great eye for design and decorating. Thank you, Yvette. -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: I used to get a cold chill when my house required any plumbing work. When I showered, the toilet gurgled - yikes! I checked Yelp and found Wizard Plumbing and Drain with nearly two hundred reviews and 5-star average. It turned out we needed to replace our 50 year old tar pipes and install cleanouts. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wizard-plumbing-and-drain-san-carlos?select=Vq5EQQ4s3M8wsuFK8K8ZOg#y0Z6sqyimw3NZw7zIM-44g The Wizard plumbers are a small family business and are extremely courteous, reasonably priced, knowledgeable, and hard-working. I appreciated their honesty and kindness, and felt well taken care of. It's worth your time checking out their website if you need some plumbing work done. I now know why they're rated so highly, and I recommend them as well. Not that I hope for additional plumbing jobs, but I no longer get that cold chill when plumbing issues arise. -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: The clutter and disorganization in my house was driving me nuts. I apparently lack the "organizing" gene. When I couldn't take it anymore, I posted a request on the local mothers' club asking if anyone could recommend a professional organizer. Trish was recommended by more than one mom, and I emailed her to set up an appointment. We've had about 7 sessions so far, and I feel like I'm starting to like my home again. I've donated multiple bags of stuff that I don't need anymore and purged a lot junk (why did I keep all this crap?!), and found some valuable items that I was missing for months or even years. I'm most excited that Trish is helping me set up a system so that things won't (hopefully) get too unmanageable again. On Organized With Trish's website, it asks and answers: "Why should I hire a Professional Organizer?" * Saving money by not purchasing items you already have but can't find. * Saving time by knowing where to find your things. * Locating your items where they are used. * Reducing the overall stress in your home and life. All those points are true for me, and I can't recommend her highly enough. Trish is friendly and non-judgmental, which is helpful in this line of work. It's a pleasure to work with her and a huge relief to get a more peaceful and organized home. I hope she won't get too busy to work wtith me after I post this review - we still have the garage to tackle. I call dibs! -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: I recently downsized from a house with a garage (that had lots of storage) to a smaller apartment with a mere storage locker. My parents saw the terrible chaos in my apartment and gave me a housewarming gift of 8 hours with Stacy of At Your Service. It was the best gift they could've given me, as my apartment went from looking like a place that had been ransacked (and I couldn't find a thing) to a livable dwelling. Stacy has been organizing for my dad for years, but I never had met her until this month. I'm glad I did! I've engaged her for some additional hours, and soon we'll get the place feeling like home sweet home. Stacy works quickly, she's very pleasant and non-judgmental, and her rates are quite reasonable. She also brings organizer thingies like turntables so that you can see what is in your cabinets. I highly recommend. -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: We recently pulled up our old damaged carpets and underneath we have damaged wood floors. We decided for now to get some area rugs to throw over the floor and call it a day. I didn't have a lot to spend and shopped around a bit (Ikea, Cost Plus, Home Depot, Costco, online, etc.). I noticed handsome rugs at a friends home, and she said she got them at California Carpet. I hadn't even thought of this place. I stopped here and got an attractive 8x11 oriental style rug on clearance for $159. It isn't a high-end rug (it's synthetic and machine-made), but it looks nice and with a dog and kid, I didn't want something super fancy or expensive. I hadn't seen prices this reasonable anywhere else. I also bought two anti-skid rug pads (one for this rug and a cushier one for the living room rug I'd bought at Ikea a few weeks earlier). My shopping experience here: + quick service + friendly, not pushy sales + affordable prices + wide selection + they got this monstrous rug to fit in my sedan! They don't have AC, so you might not want to shop here on the hottest day of the year. I was joking with the sales guy, Jason, that he might need to start rocking the Dwight Schrute look (short sleeves button down shirt) - and he got my "Office" reference - nice! -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: I am not handy. My husband, "the weekend warrior" is, so I went in and did some reconnaissance at this beautiful, newly relocated shop. Store Manager Eric greeted me with warmth and enthusiasm and showed me around Woodcraft. They've got everything a carpenter/woodworker would want, from materials, to tools, to books, to classes on Shop Safety, Table Saw 101, Installing Crown Molding, to Making Boxes and more. They even have a section where my 4-year-old could be entertained with Lincoln Logs, a rocking horse, kids' books, and other toys. This is a spacious store with old-fashioned customer service that has a great feel to it. Eric's passion for woodworking is so infectious that I almost want to pick up a hammer. Maybe I'll just pick it up and hand it over to Mr. L. We could use some crown molding. -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: We had a 10x6 foot window replaced yesterday by East County Glass. All the staff was extremely professional, from salesman Justin Ryan, who I think of as "the closer," to the installers who completed the job in 5 hours yesterday. We weren't sure we were going to replace the window because our former window was only 10 years old, and being such a huge window, it was expensive to replace. It had been installed before we lived here (we didn't know by whom) incorrectly and was pulling away from the frame. As a result, we got a lot of heat and cold through the window, and would eventually get water damage. We compared three different window companies and chose East County Glass because Justin impressed us with his presentation. He had photo albums of what the actual windows looked like, he brought a window with him, plus a heat lamp, so we could see how energy efficient the Simonton window was compared to our current window. We also thought that he'd be a good choice because Justin had done two of our neighbors' windows, and our neighbors had excellent results. Justin suggested a wood frame to match our other window, which neither of the other glass companies did. It looks much nicer (more finished) now and wasn't overly expensive. Justin and the installers were extremely fastidious with the measurements and installation, and we feel happy with our choice to go with this company. The installers were polite and cleaned up after themselves. We'll be getting a tax rebate on this window, which doesn't hurt. Perhaps our living room won't get so hot in the summer and our heating bills will go down too - one can hope. -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: We wanted lower our monthly expenses and interest rates were down. I compared three different mortgage brokers, including Rita Lo, who I initially called because of the glowing reviews for her on Yelp. Rita was nice over the phone and asked some pertinent questions. I answered what I could and she quickly sent me an email in chart form of different options for our mortgage. I don't know about you, but Mr. L and I *really* like when things are organized cleanly in easy-to-read columns and emailed so we could look it over. The other mortgage brokers were not nearly as organized or efficient. One said he wasn't able to email us (whaaaa?!), so I had to take notes over the phone (FAIL!). He also didn't get me nearly as good rates and called repeatedly (MEGAFAIL - you lose, Wells Fargo!). Deciding to work with Rita was easy. We did most over our correspondence over email, even though her office is nearby. When we eventually met for the closing, she was extremely pleasant. I discovered then that her educational background was from UC Berkeley as an Electrical Engineer. No wonder she's so smart. Our monthly payments are lower, Rita made the process painless, and we were happy to have our mortgage done by a detail-oriented go-getter who likes doing mortgages. Go figure. -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: I & I painted the interior walls of our house before we put it on the market to sell. Wow, what a difference a professional paint job makes! Previously we painted the walls ourselves, and we'd never done a great job. They patiently applied primer, expertly applied paint, did a nice job, and worked within our timeline. They must've given us the most competitive bid (I've lost track by now!), since we chose them after several painters gave us bids. Thank you, I & I. -
Jennifer’s 4-star review: Our living room was sad. We had a broken curtain rod over our 10 x 6 foot picture window and some dreary old drapes that we couldn't easily open or close. Our wall color didn't suit the room and frankly I was embarrassed to have people over. I don't know anything about home decorating (not my thing) and felt like I needed to call in a professional. Like I often do, I turned to Yelp. I found Jony Schwartz Design. It took a while for us to go ahead with our project. First we met Jony, checked her references (beautiful homes!) and we refinanced so we'd have a little wiggle room for our project. Then we decided what our priorities were and came up with a budget (isn't that grown up?). So far we've done phase 1, and I'm really happy! Our house isn't sad anymore. It's still cluttered, so organizing is our next project. I didn't know how much difference a professional with exquisite taste can make as a mood elevator. Huge. Jony is a pleasure to work with, with the exception that sometimes we don't hear from her in a timely fashion. She doesn't get offended if I don't like something she's offered - she likes my decisiveness and is patient when I've been indecisive. Phase 2 and 3 are somewhere down the road, but for now, we're enjoying our new wall colors, window treatments, area rug, ottoman, chandelier, recessed lighting, sofa cushions, and hallway runner. Our house feels much more like a home now. -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: Carlmont Ace Hardware opened in 1977 and has stayed in the same family the entire time. I love the customer service in this neighborhood store. I often go here for keys and other random things. The employees give good advice, and I can't say the same for Home Depot. The store has a surprising amount of items for a neighborhood hardware store. Very convenient. I spaced when I made my keys and asked for them to make duplicates of the wrong keys. They were really nice and didn't charge me for the keys, even though the mistake was mine. For cheap a while back, I bought some real spare keys and a key chain as a toy for my son here. Now he has his own real key chain too, so I don't have to share mine. -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: Near the heart of downtown San Mateo is this great hardware store with free parking and a superb selection. This could be the largest and nicest Ace Hardware I've visited. It's got a huge variety from tools, to garden, to things for the kitchen, and more. We just shopped here and got my husband a new crescent wrench set, Ove-Gloves with non-slip Kevlar, and a cute decorative ceramic ladybug for our garden. I was eyeing a build-it-yourself bird house, which looks like a fun project. I'm actually more interested in a bat house, which I didn't see here. There were several birdfeeders though. It has a much more pleasant vibe than Home Depot, and the prices seem reasonable. It feels and looks the way a hardware store should, and I am a fan. -
Jennifer’s 4-star review: I painted walls for the first time yesterday. Mr. L and I are trying to make our home look nicer, and this time instead of guessing, we are working with a designer. She recommended we buy Benjamin Moore Aura paint from Gray's. So we did. The helpful sales guys gave me great advice. If you have a lot of paint, they will carry it out to your car for you. I wish I'd asked more questions when I initially bought the paint on Saturday, but as a novice painter, I didn't even know what to ask. Yesterday we ran out of one type of paint and were disappointed to discover that Gray's is closed on Sunday, making it impossible for us to finish our job that day. Gray's will likely be our go-to paint store from now on. Weekend warriors like us just need to remember to plan ahead so that we don't need anything on Sunday and experience "paintus interruptus," a very frustrating malady. -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: Hoot Judkins fits under the category of "How have I not reviewed this store yet?" Over the years, we've furnished our house with a variety of Hoot pieces, including dressers, a bed frame, TV cabinet, outside bench, bookshelf, chairs, and bedside tables. We have our eye on a stunning dining room table, but haven't taken the plunge. What's special about this store is that you can find high quality, well-crafted, solid wood furniture. The kind that will last for generations. We like that. -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: Thank you, Yelpers, for leading us to Craig! We needed our water heater replaced and we met four different plumbers to get estimates. Craig was the one we liked the best, trusted the most, and hired to do the work. Craig squeezed us in, which we really appreciated, since our water heater was leaking and needed to be replaced quickly. He did a great job, everything was top-quality parts and cleanly done. They cleaned up before they left, which was also nice. His bid was reasonably-priced and included the cost of city permits (which he arranged for us, including the inspection). We would definitely hire Craig again for our future plumbing needs. He has a ton of experience and really knows what he's doing. -
Jennifer’s 3-star review: Can one superstar employee single-handedly change my opinion of a store? Yes, John Cattarin from plumbing achieved what I thought was impossible today. John gets 5 stars. The rest of the employees I've encountered over the years get 1 star. John bumps up the rating to 3 stars; way to go, John! I've always hated shopping at Home Depot. The lack of customer service has caused me to leave empty-handed and frustrated more than once, and usually I avoid the store. I prefer OSH for their superior customer service, even if their prices are slightly higher. I didn't know that amazing service was attainable within the walls of Home Depot. John took me under his wing and even gave me a chair and invited me sit behind the desk with him while he called several other stores to see if they had what I was looking for. He asked to speak with an assistant manager at one store when he got the run-around when he asked to put something on hold for me. I don't think I'll ever look at Home Depot the same way, thanks to John. He multi-tasked (lots of customers came by to ask him questions), and didn't have an ounce of the apathy/ignorance/neglect I've come to associate with most Home Depot employees. If most of the employees were half as good as John, I'd shop there regularly. -
Jennifer’s 4-star review: I arrived looking for specific throw pillows and was helped immediately. The store is huge and had many decorative pillows from which to choose. Some were on sale, which was fantastic. The staff was extremely attentive and accommodating, which was a refreshing change from Pottery Barn I'd just visited. Among other items, the vases here are gorgeous and really caught my eye. I fancy a lot of the C & B merchandise, and was disappointed to discover that the San Mateo location closed. I'm not much of a shopper, so I have no idea when this occurred. The Palo Alto store is bigger and quite nice, so it is worth the drive if I need something for our home. -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: Kids grow fast, and as they do, clutter accumulates. They've outgrown some clothing and now you need that drawer or closet space for the stuff that fits. Perhaps you have a box of new diapers you never got to use. I found a place where you can bring all this stuff for a tax-deductible donation (totally convenient since the two Peninsula locations listed below are available for drop-off 24/7). I like that it's a non-religious organization, and everything goes directly to homeless families, in effort to support them to become self-sufficient again This is a great place to donate clothing (for men, women, and children), diapers, bedding, towels, toys, and other items: Drop-off locations: 325 Villa Terrace San Mateo, CA 94401 (650) 340-8814 1580 Maple St. Redwood City, CA 94063 (650) 364-1150 Office number: (650) 685-5880 They are especially excited to receive new diapers and wipes. I know we've got to go through our garage and make another run to this place. Time to clean out those closets!
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Jennifer’s 5-star review: Mr. L and I got married almost 10 years ago and our wedding pictures and ketubah languished in a box unframed. I wanted to take them somewhere I could trust, but I knew it would be an expensive endeavor. When I saw a Groupon for Studio Shop Annex and read that it was a highly rated framing shop, I seized the opportunity to get our photos and marriage contract professionally framed. Not only did they not disappoint, but they exceeded our expectations. Plus, they couldn't have been nicer or more professional. This is not a bargain framing store. This is a full-service place where they will frame art beautifully. And if you're on a budget, they have some gorgeous high quality premade frames that cost less and might just fit the size and look of your art. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/iXN3QatlV8GahchU0yIYAg?select=SRhgLZXsaZrBQ13U0HCHjA -
Jennifer’s 4-star review: This is probably our favorite nursery. They have great trees and plants, and offer helpful advice. We appreciated the organic fertilizer that they recommended because it's easy to use and good for the garden. They can get pretty busy, but we do better here than anywhere else. -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: How do I love thee, BB&B? Let me count the ways... 1. This is the BEST place for a wedding registry - they don't hassle you EVER when you need to bring something back (you can get cash back instead of credit - I'm talking to YOU, Macy's!). Sure, the website isn't as great as Crate & Barrel and the cookware isn't as deluxe as Williams Sonoma, but they know how to treat customers at this store! 2. 20% off coupons they mail you in abundance (you can use anytime, they ignore expiration dates). Save your coupons and use as many in one shopping trip as you have / one per item. Nice savings, and a way more pleasant shopping experience than Target or the other bargain (Home Depot, I can hardly stand to be in the same room as you!) stores where you can't find help! 3. If something doesn't work, they stand behind their products (bring it back, they'll replace or refund it). I contacted the blanket company when our electric blanket broke, and they were super slow. I finally just brought it in to BB&B, and blammo, they exchanged it right away, no prob (even though by then they carried a different brand). 4. I went there tonight and met Rudy, Window Treatment Super-Stud! Rudy shared his expertise with me (I know nothing about curtains, shades, etc. and am easily intimidated by home decorating - no Martha Stewart here!). Rudy walked me through Windows 101, and I just may get our windows covered without breaking the bank. 5. Around the holidays, they have Hannukah stuff too! How cool is that?! I feel all warm and fuzzy not to be left out. 6. A'Kilah was oohing and ahhing over her display of shower rings (who gets excited over that, right?!), so I figured I'd ask her which shower rings to get. Initially I gravitated toward some that were pretty, but on second thought, they didn't look all that functional. Good idea! I didn't know that choosing the right shower rings could make a difference, but they did. This employee who is strangely passionate about shower rings definitely hooked me up! -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: This is a great place if you're all grown up and ready to plunk down some money and invest in beautiful custom blinds for your windows. Jeffrey helped us out, and was fabulous (super nice, took time to show us many options, explained everything). Unfortunately, we don't have the budget for this kind of investment yet. A friend recommended this place to us. I'm not sure what we'll do to cover our big windows and insulate from the summer heat - I don't want to go to Home Depot (and get no help), that's for sure! -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: We've got two old, broken toilets that need replacing. My handy husband plans to do the work himself, so we were in Home Depot looking for replacements. In the checkout line, we happened to run into our plumber, so I asked him if we'd picked a decent toilet (what do we know?). We hadn't. Our plumber told us about a rebate program through BAWSCA through June 30, 2009 that we could get $150 back on qualifying high efficiency (HET) toilets. Here's the link for the list of qualifying toilets: http://www.bawsca.org/docs/UNAR_HET_April_2009.pdf. If we can turn a $150 toilet into a free toilet and save water, that's great. There are basically two conditions needed to qualify: * 1.28 gallons per flush or less * 500g or more MaP performance (how much waste it can remove in a single flush) If you want to take advantage of this particular rebate program, get thee to the hardware store! You've got two weeks to get your new toilet. BAWSCA has other rebates for washing machines and water-saving tips. The website is worth a visit. Now we need to figure out what to do with our old toilets.
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Jennifer’s 4-star review: We asked our friends for a recommendation, since they recently insulated their attic. They got 3 bids and went with SDI. Our friends said that SDI were the best value and used the same material as the other companies. We were lazy and didn't call anyone else, and just called SDI (used our friends' research). Our home has been a hot house in the summer and a drafty ice box in the winter. We hope that insulating will allow our house to heat slower on the roasting summer days and maintain heat better in the winter. PG&E rebates about 20% back for insulating. Joe of SDI was considerate and polite, as were the guys who came to blow the insulation in the attic. They cleaned up after themselves too. The only thing that wasn't 100% was the communication. It was occasionally a little confusing with Joe and the SDI office. Perhaps they have so many customers that it's hard for them to stay on top of special details. -
Jennifer’s 2-star review: I wasn't nearly as impressed with the customer service in this location of Bed Bath & Beyond as some others. They could learn a thing or two from the folks at San Mateo store. Does Colma suck the life out of them? I want to give them 3 stars, but I don't want to go back, so I just can't. -
Jennifer’s 2-star review: Patrick H's one star review reminded me of my similarly unpleasant experience when I visited Pottery Barn recently. We were working with an interior designer who suggested I check Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel for some throw pillows for our sofas. I browsed a bit, but got ZERO customer service. I got a poor impression of the store when the sales staff didn't acknowledge me at all. Not even a glance. I left and went to Crate and Barrel and bought several pillows. If I cared enough, I could've returned for an attempted "Pretty Woman" moment with my arms full of the other store's merchandise. The only problem is I couldn't say, "Do you remember me?" They wouldn't have remembered me, since they never bothered to make eye contact. No "Big mistake. Huge" moment for me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTtVVHg41kU Do they just not give a damn? Whatever the case, I got a bad vibe in the store and don't plan to return. Two stars is generous. Meh. -
Jennifer’s 5-star review: Until the end of April 2011, 50% off Japanese Maples! Tyler's Carlmont Nursery specializes in Japanese Maples, so you're bound to find a gorgeous tree you love. We finally got the Japanese Maple we've been coveting for years. After looking at many beautiful varieties and sizes, we settled on a 10 gallon Bloodgood Japanese Maple. It was originally $300, and we bought this huge majestic tree for $150. Many smaller and less expensive trees are available too. Darina gave us rockstar treatment, hauling out trees and answering all our questions until we found just the right tree for the empty spot between our bay windows. I couldn't have asked for better customer service. If you shop here after May 2011, check the Tyler Carlmont Nursery website for promotions (sometimes trees are 10-20%).
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