Good Day, Good Day - I hadn't realized that it had been so long since I last updated my blog. Wow - I know I say it
all the time but Holy Cow - where does the time go!!
Here are my Rants & Raves and Catch-ups
Wednesday [RAVE](Oct 31): HAPPY HALLOWEEN. 
We had our best year EVER! 22 little "Trick-or-Treaters" came knocking on our door. We were so excited! They were all so cute. Of note - we had a Buzz Lightyear, Spiderman, several Pirates, a Princess, and a Mr. Incredible. Adorable!
And to the north it looks like we had a Happy Cowgirl & her little pardner "Cowboy Max", Mr. Football head, A Loveable Witch , Bee-utiful Bumblebee & a cute little Pumpkin - humm... I need help because I am not sure what/who Bella is ??? Is she a Yummy ... Sweet Brownie - An Adorable Brown Dragon? ....
Looks like Ava is gonna have pumpkin for din
ner! She is soooo Cute - what a beautiful smile!!
Oh and look - here comes Scooby the "Transformer's #1 Police dog. He's off to rescue some Halloween candy with his partner - Transformer, " Optimas Primus" right behind him!!! Halloween is just toooo much fun!!
Thursday [RAVE] (Nov 1): I love a day engaged in almost nothing but reading. I finished up the novel, "Ishmael". I am still cogitating about the book - it is a book with many "layers" - environmentalism, religion, humanity & the role of the individual, anthropology, mythology etc. I loved the book and will now send it over to Jen to read. She was only one who took me up on my offer to receive a "free" copy of the book. Enjoy the book Jen & let me know what you think of it! I would love to chat about it.
Friday [RANT] (Nov 2): Yuck! Did nothing productive today and felt like a sloth! I didn't sleep all night and finally went to bed about 5:30 but then woke up at 7am TIRED - I hate waking up tired!! I don't even know what I was up all night "thinkin about".... Everything and nothing - all at the same time.
Moving Vs. not moving. Living in HOA Vs. not. New Board Vs. Old Board. Volunteer or not. Going back to school or not. Voting yes to Transportation package in upcoming election or not. Flu shots, Dog grooming, leak in backyard fountain. Sell house or not. Trouble in Pakistan, trouble in Iran, trouble in Iraq and trouble in "Little China" ... oh wait that's a movie!! Katy going to South Africa this summer to do an internship - dangerous or not. The super-bug - MERSA. Global Warming. Habitat Destruction... etc.
Anyways - I have decided to "Officially" resign as GMU (General Manager of the Universe) because I feel I am no longer effective at the job. Let's face it ... I'm getting old (I'm starting to accept the fact that a half century old "Hen" is no longer a "Spring Chicken"). I need sleep and the job needs some new blood. It's a big job that keeps you up at night but I knew that when I took it... anyways .... if you know anyone who is looking for a job - pass their name along because it's theirs if 
they want it....
Saturday [RAVE] (Nov 3): Spend the day playing my new game "Quiox". It is a fun, simple strategy game - a cross between X's & O's
and Othello maybe. It only takes about 10 minutes to play a round and I like that aspect of it. Fun Game!
Sunday [RAVE] (Nov 4): Today we went to "Movie Madness" with 
some people who live at our complex. We go together once a month to see a movie and then all go out to dinner & discuss the movie. This time we went to see, "American Gangster" - I really enjoyed the movie but Mike was thought it was boring and slow moving. It was a fairly slow-moving and predictable storyline based on a true story but that is one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much.
Denzel Washington & is outstanding and gives a strong performance and is very convincing in this role whereas Russell Crowe is also very good but it's a role he has played before and seems familiar in. Overall - it is a great movie which tells a very interesting story.
Monday [RAVE] (Nov 5): Therese & I went on our Monday Morning About today (OK - I should quit calling it a Morning Walkabout because that is a complete lie - we haven't finished our walk, coffee & chat before 4pm
yet!). We went to the "Frog Pond" again (aka Shadow Lake Bog) because we enjoyed it so much last time. It is an amazing place and the mushrooms are still everywhere!
Tuesday [RANT] (Nov 6): Okay - the weirdest thing happened today. Mike didn't seem to think it was as bizarre as I did. So let me know what you think - is it me - or them!!
BIG GIANT RANT (better get a cup of coffee - this will take awhile) :)
Okay - I got a new credit card last week - it is a MaryKay Visa card so I can keep all my business purchases separate and together. I have 2 other Visa cards - had them for years! So when I got the new card a couple of weeks ago (it's so cute - pink with lipstick on it) I called the number on the sticky and activated the card account. Yesterday - I was out shopping and used the card twice for some small purchases I was making and then went to make another one and the lady at the store told me my card had been put on "HOLD" and I could not use it. Hummm... Strange! No big deal - paid cash and went home.
Here is where the "strange" starts...
When I get home there is a message on my machine from the Visa-Fraud department asking me to call them. I did and they said,
Them: "What can we help you with". 
ME: "well, you called me - my card was put on "hold" today it probably has something to do with that".
THEM: "First I need you to verify yourself before we can continue"
ME: "okay" and I start to give my name, rank & serial number ...
THEM: he interrupts and says, "no - I need you to answer a series of questions that have been designed to verify that "you are who you say you are"
ME: "Okay"
THEM: "if you lived in zip code 98011 would you be residing in Chehalis County, Snohomish County or blah
blah blah County?"
ME: "What"
THEM: He repeats the question again.
ME: "I'm not sure what are you talking about. I don't live in any of those counties and I barely know my own zip code half the time!" "What is this about".
THEM: "So you are unable to answer the question. Okay - Ma'am we will go onto question two. Have you ever own, worked for, or been associated with any or all of the following companies, Blah,Blah Construction, Joy's Monitoring, or Blah Blah (can't remember the exact names)?"
ME: What are you talking about and what has this got to do with my Visa card - Can you please explain what is the problem with my visa? Why was it blocked after the first time I used it?
THEM: I can't answer your question Ma'am until I finish "verifying your person". He repeats the question again.
Again, I say: "What the Heck (I might have said something stronger than heck) is this all about. Listen, I'm sorry but I am very confused. What do these question have to do with anything! Can you just tell me what the problem is with my Visa. These questions are making no sense to me.
THEM: So are you refusing to answer the questions and complete the survey Ma'am. (Ever notice how the word Ma'am can become very irritating when used in certain situations - this being one of them!).
ME: Okay - listen ... this is frickin insane - I don't understand what you are trying to get at. I thought I'd verified myself to the machine at the beginning of this conversation before you even got on the phone. I gave it my the last 4 digits of my soc, zip code, address and account number.
THEM: Ma'am, (totally ignoring my above statement) can you verify for me if you have ever lived at, rented, or owned the following residence... and he spews out some random address & town I have never even heard of!!
ME: Okay - Listen, I am starting to feel like I am in a Twilight Zone episode - what the %$#&(* are you talking about! 
We have been having this INSANE (caps indicate that I am getting VERY mad) conversation for over 10 minutes now and I still don't even understand what you want. I need to speak with your supervisor please!" (note the word ... Please - it was added more in desperation than politness).
THEM: Okay Ma'am, (Again - am I speaking ancient Hebrew - can he not hear me - maybe the problem is that he is speaking Visa-ese or Credit-ese and it's in code.) I am going to mark you down as being unable to "verify your person" (Yikes - sounds bad, huh). Is there anything else I can do for you?
Well, by this point we have been on the phone for about 15 minutes and I say,
ME: Are you fickin kidding me - WHERE IS YOUR SUPERVISOR - I NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE ELSE!
THEM: beep, beep, beep ... "for faster service please enter your complete card number followed by the pound sign .... then ... enter the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number followed by the pound sign ... etc.
ME: ARGGGGG: OMG - He put me back on hold to send me to another Customer Service Rep.
This time it's a she - she gets on the phone and SERIOUSLY we have the exact same conversation as above - except that it ends with her telling me ... "I see in your file that you have previously refused to "verify your person" (she means 5 seconds ago when I was chatting with the other person) therefore we are unable to help you at this time.
Okay - I admit I was screaming at this point ... I tell her something about feeling like I'd lost my mind - "how in the heck** does my confirming which country in Washington state had the zip code 98011 possibly "verify my person"??????" I ask - "huh"?
Finally I just said -- in a very calm voice - could you please pass me over to the Account department because I want to cancel this account. There is obviously something "NOT RIGHT" going on with this card and I just want to cancel it. I don't need this card and seriously - I am no longer (not sure I ever was) in the mood for this bu@!sh#t. I just want to cancel the card and cut it up.
THEM: Ma'am - there is no need to do that - we can get this sorted out right now if you would just complete the survey to "verify your person" (does she work for Visa or Homeland Security).
ME: thinking.... thinking.... (to self: stay calm) ... after a few moments I say - Listen, how about you give me your First, Middle & Last name, Social Security Number, Home Address, the Visa
Address where you work and your Supervisors work phone number so I can "Verify your Person" because I am being to doubt you even work for Visa. Once I have "Verified your person" we can continue on....
THEM: Ma'am I am only authorized to give you my first name ... Fawn.
ME: Okay Fawn - it's like this .... just pass me over to the Accounts Dept. so I can cancel ALLLLLLLLL of my Visa accounts.
THEM: I understand your fustration Ma'am (NO - I don't think she does) and since you are having so much difficulty with the nature of our survey I will verify your account for you if you can just give me the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number, the Zip Code of the billing address and your birth date.
By now - I need some Rograin & a Martini. I am quivering - and not with excitement...
Bu
t ...
I seem to have no "free-will" left at this point. I start to realize I have been brainwashed! (Why - I doubt I'll ever know) I have now begun to spew out my information and I think to myself (with the last of my grey matter - didn't I give this information to the machine at the beginning of all this).
The Universe is swirling - I have lost control ... I surrender to Big Brother, the Machine and Corporate American.
I eventually learned (after "verifying my person" the old fashioned way) that my brand new account had been blocked after my first 2 uses because they had phoned me, at home, after the first use to "verify my person" and ensure that it was, in fact, the card owner (aka ME) who was using the card - but I wasn't home and so they had to block further use of it!! I was still confused ... I asked her, if I was OUT SHOPPING (they called a few minutes after my first purchase) - using my card - how could I answer the phone at home!!!
Again, I asked her again about the bizarre questions and she finally told me that they were randomly generated questions based on public information (so my privacy would not be compromised????) but could be used to "verify that I was indeed - who I claimed I was"!!
But, I say to her- couldn't my neighbor steal my card and also know ... which country had the zip code 98011? And, doesn't a thief also have a 50-50 chance at guessing whether or not I ever lived, owned or rented a home at some random address? She never responded and ended the conversation by telling me she had removed the block and I could use the card again!
I still say this was a truly bizarre conversation. All Mike said was- yah it sounds a "little" weird. "LITTLE" - are you kidding me!
It was a down-right "Twilight Zone" Episode ... "you are about to discover what lies beyond the fifth dimension... beyond the deepest, darkest corner of the imagination... in the Tower of Terror." - R. Sterling -
Have a great day!
- N -
PS: In my last post I had mixed on of Livy's 6 month photo's in with Max's and only Jenny caught it. I thought that the 2 of them looked so much alike - looks like they fooled you guys too!
