Confessions of a One-Track Mind

Ran around today, to the library (got 11/22/63), to drop a little something off for ang5fam (Finally, right?!), and then to the optical department at WalMart. Highest price yet--apparently they think my prescription is so complex that the lenses can only be ground from genuine diamonds by an order of dedicated monks in Kathmandu.

I will not be purchasing my glasses at WalMart.

My church friend's looking possible, no pun intended. I called her office to ask about their price for polycarbonate; they didn't flinch when I read out my 'scrip and the lens price wasn't unreasonable---Mb and I will make a run up there tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed: This is really starting to stress me out.

My bank card wouldn't work at Publix today. Called my bank, and THEY won't discuss it over the phone. I'm seriously considering going back to my old bank. Grr. I did not need this shit.

Bright note in my day, I nipped into the post office and collected what they've been holding for me. 'Zines, yay! And a package from Estonia, complete with a cute padded envelope printed with poinsettias (of which I'm fond). Several cute things were inside: a black drawstring bag printed with a dragon, some sparkly hair do-dads, and a pair of zippered leopard print pouches.

I'm still waiting for season 2 of Justified to arrive, although I did go with economy shipping, so I'm not surprised it hasn't. Thirteen days til season 2!

I'm tired, frustrated and I have a headache. It gets better, right?

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Things went totally pear-shaped yesterday afternoon, so we returned last night. Being home was a relief; the tension was really stressful. It was good to be in my own bed, with my own bath a few steps away, and not have to worry about streaking at 3 AM....

This morning, I went over to J's bright and early and we caught each other up on dogs and Disney and everything. She had an appointment this afternoon, so I took off; we'll get together later for Gordon Ramsey. When I get a chance, I'll hook up my camera and the laptop and try to give you a few pix of some of the interesting stuff I've seen.

From there, I went and signed up at a new bank; my old one suddenly instituted a minimum monthly balance and fees for debit card transactions. The new bank has no minimum; the only fees are for writing checks, and I haven't done that in years. And? It's the same bank J's company uses, same that the C's use and it's in the same building as the bank my folks used when we moved here in 1974. (It isn't the same bank, but that's okay.)

Nice thing about the new bank, it's not far from the library, so I thought I'd drop by and check my email and get a net fix. Hi, guys. I've missed you.

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I woke up this morning at 11:37, and my first thought was, "Oh crap, the bank closes at noon!" I got vertical, got dressed, hit the mailbox---yes! Check!---and motored over to WalMart, where the closest branch of my bank is located. Squeaked in with 4 minutes to spare, so I got that deposited and enough cash money in hand to pay for lawn services tomorrow.

Since I was already AT WalMart, I breezed through and got a few things. I'm going to fix that beef and noodle alfredo thing again---that was tasty!---I got some wurst, bread, cheese, couldn't resist the seasonal temptation of some pumpkin ice cream!---and a gift for Dr Bizarre: a black tee-shirt, supposedly glow-in-the-dark, that says "Instant Pirate---Just Add Rum" which amused the heck out of me---but as I'm trying to reform, stylistically, it's better off with him---he'll get a kick out of it.

Back home, I watched "The End" again...one of the best SPN eps ever IMO, even if I AM still waiting for a good explanation of---oh, never mind. I don't feel like fussing with a cut-tag. I then did a little final tweaking on a "missing scene" fic I wrote for it and sent it off to be betaed. I had the idea a while ago, it just took me a while to figure out how to slot it into canon and sit down and write the thing.

I'm glad that my writing seems to be reviving. Since my termination, I'm showing up at the page more than I have been in quite a while. I know sooner or later I'll find another job, but next time, it's going to be something with reasonable hours that isn't on the dark side of the moon. Meanwhile, I'm going to savor the luxury of writing time where one eye isn't on the clock---when I'm really engrossed in a story, I can glance at the clock, and the next thing I know, it's two hours later. It's hard to reach that level of entrancement when "I have to be on the road by 2 o'clock" is blinking in neon on the sidelines.

I posted two stories in September. Here it is, October 3rd, and I've got another being betaed, I've got my "costume" ready for Come As You're Not (a month early, go me!) although that also needs to be betaed. I have stray bunnies and WIPs roaming around, and I'm giving serious thought to the Multi-fandom Crossover Exchange. Plus, Yuletide is sure to be kicking off any day now. And then there's NaNoWriMo. Okay, so I'm an optimist!

Speaking of which, I need to go snag a lottery ticket....

September at last! Which is that much closer to October, which is when we Floridians *may* expect some relief from the heat. Last year, it was noticable toward the end of September, although I wouldn't make book on it. But usually, yeah, October is discernably less oppressive, and by November, one may even be able to turn off the A/C.

Monday's events: Went to doctor visit with Kat this morning, got added to the full-disclosure list (Ah, the joys of HIPPA!), the PA filled her daily prescription box with Coumadin for the week---apparently that's a delicate balancing act. She was having a good day, but I haven't deluded myself into thinking the patch has made a big difference---unless the days get better and closer together.

Then she cashed a pension check at her bank---and she managed to misplace her bank card somewhere between the teller and the van. Not in with the money, not in her purse, and she said she hadn't stuck into pocket or bra. The teller said she didn't see it and no one had trned it in---I've cautioned GK to keep an eye on her bank transactions, just in case, but I suspect she squirreled it away somewhere and it'll turn up. (Made me think of karaokegal's adventures in banking.)

From there, we went and paid her mechanic for some work he did last week, paid the water bill and FPL. So we got quite a bit done, including lunch at Steak 'n' Shake...it's funny how she always says she's never hungry and has no appetite, but when you set food down in front of her, she will usually polish it off!

The status is quo otherwise. I picked up my scrip for my muscle relaxers, came home and lay down for an hour...not quite asleep, but definitely not awake, either. Tomorrow, I'm hoping to summon up enough energy to haul my cans in for recycling...or write something...or rework my resume. Something. (I really hope this mood of mine isn't PMS---I have too much other stuff coming up to deal with that nonsense now.)

I got a few things done today, preparing to be gone for a week: detrashified the bedroom, did dishes, burned a new CD for the commute.

Watched the Presidential News Conference with pleasure. Would LOVE to ask the Prez a few more questions about healthcare reform, particularly about reforming the insurance industry. For instance, about the difficulty of getting payments for third-party participants and the standardization of rejection letters.

This is a pet peeve from my medical billing days: There is ONE and only one correct universal health insurance claim form, it's what every single U.S. insurance company demands before they will even consider a claim---but the insurors are free to send back any damn incomprehensible answer they want. Ask missybrat, it's NOT English, it's some insane hybrid of legalese and bullshit. How about standardizing the goddamn answers. Something along the lines of, Yes, we will pay you---check enclosed. (Okay, that one we could usually figure out.)

But no? Say NO in English, people, and give us a coherent reason! Such as, No, this test isn't covered. No, we are not the patient's primary coverage. No, we need more information---and then clearly specify what it is!!! *deep breath* Sorry. *twitch*

Watched Criminal Minds afterward---a rerun, but I liked it the first time around, so why not? Then I hit the DVR for Leverage---which is *so* much smoother when you can zoom through the commercials. (Although now?! I have a craving for chicken fried steak. I'm just sayin'....)

Tomorrow, thank goodness, is Thursday, so I can float a check at Walgreens regardless of whether my fucking refund is back in my account or not. (Do I need any more fucking stress in my life right now?! Clearly, the evil Electronic Banking Gods think I do.)

In happier news, as I was wondering what GK's travel plans were for the rest of the summer, I got an email saying that she (and the Things) would be down around the end of August. It's nice to know my telepathy is still working.

Kat and I ran an errand at her bank and got lunch at Steak'n'Shake, then made our way back to her place where I scratched the surface of cleaning out my car. It started raining fish, so I settled down on her porch swing and enjoyed the coolth. More Wednesday. It's a mess.

The good news is, my new debit card came, so I gassed up on the way home. One less thing to worry about!

BC has a couple of sinks propped up on his front lawn, one single, one double, the kind that are all-in-one integrated into the countertop, and they have faucets. I was hoping to reuse the sink I have---I've already got a sheet of countertop---I just need new faucets---but this would be a lot less work. Either way, I need a new vanity and U-bend below. That's not a major priority, so I told him if anyone offered him a fistful of cash for it, to take it.

I asked him about moving the mattress, but his idea of suitable compensation was exactly double what I currently have available, so I may try to rally some of my more altruistic friends for the job. I've gotta do something; I don't know how much of it is a bad mattress, but I'm hurting a lot---neck, shoulders, lower back---and if I can get this done before I go off to house-sit, hopefully it will be easier to adjust to a new bed after spending a week and a half on other strange beds.

Tired....

It rained AGAIN: no swimming. However, otherwise it was a pretty good day. GK and I came to an agreement that there are a few things I will have dibs on if/when Kat goes, IE, the fridge. Meanwhile, I have had access to the Grandma Lode of fabric; got a length of lime green stuff that I want to make a simple skirt from---it'll go well with my black and green top. A funny thing---we were both wearing dark neutral pants and tops with black, white and an accent color---and when we compared notes, found both tops were from TJ Maxx.

GK kept me fed: We dropped of the first vanful of stuff at the Sharing Center, hit McD's---chicken sandwich for her, fish for me. Went back, took on another load, got Kat and took all that to Sharing Center, then went in and browsed. Due to the fact that I had a total budget of $14 for the day, I didn't get every piece of hammered aluminum I saw---just one, which was particularly choice.

I've been collecting for well over a decade, and have never seen a similar one. It's a rectangular tray. The long sides are bent up at 45-degree angles for about a half-inch. Straight aluminum rods span the short sides as handles. The design embossed in the center is a continuous length of chain---very celtic-looking. At first I thought it was Canterbury Arts, which specialized in that sort of thing, but it's Everlast, which usually did the more fruits-and-flowers type designs. It was all of $4, which is about a quarter of what I paid for the lone Canterbury Arts tray I have.

We stopped at Taco Bell on the way to Goodwill. It's right next to my bank, where I had to write a check to cash---more on adventures in banking later*---and scored a steak quesadilla. Goodwill---there my major score was a neat pair of kitten-heeled black shoes with big fauceted stones in lieu of bows. Leather uppers, size 11, and worn/broken in enough that they fit despite not being wide. (Oh, btw pwcorgigirl, GK was delighted with the boots. They fit her just right, and she says they'll be excellent with trousers come winter.)

Aside from the items mentioned, my net was two books and a leopard-print chiffon scarf---more orangey than most of the leopard prints I see. I still have $2 and change left, gee, wow....

GK wanted to print a copy of her boarding pass, so we zipped to the library. Kat and I stayed in the van. She napped and I read one of my new acquisitions. GK was a busy little bee---in addition to the boarding pass, she inquired of the staff as to what it would take to get me a library card again---I don't think I've ever gone into that saga here, but basically, they claimed I'd lost a new book and sent me to collections, charging me the cost of the book plus what they claim the collection agency charged them---$75. This all went down around '02; I've never had a spare $75, and anyway, I hadn't lost their fucking book, so...etc.

According to her, the staff looked in the system, which as apparently new since my time, and said I wasn't in there as delinquent or anything, so theoretically I can go in there with ID and they'll set me up with a new card, and all will be joy and skittles. (Or joy and Starbursts, whatever.)

As if that wasn't happiness enow, she got a stack of Little Ceasar's pizzas on the way home, including one for me. We detoured to the humane society---closed, but we dropped off some decrepit towels for their use. They won't mind!

I have watched last week's Harper's Island for, like, the fourth time. I am no closer to figuring out wtf is going on, but OMG the hurt/comfort/angst potential for Sheriff Mills has me flailing wildly. If, of course, he survives the next few eps. (Although I was right about who was going to die this week, though not necessarily why.)

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* The bank business is making me insane. If I ever got a new card, god only knows where it is. I called my bank, extremely not happy about the whole thing...remember the other day, I said they'd sent it registered mail? Oh no, that would be too freaking simple. I had two green "Come and get it" postcards---I *thought* that's what it was, but no, I got to the post office and it turns out that my mail carrier is a four-star, gold-plated idjit, because the whatever it was want for me, it's for the Asshats next door. And the bozo somehow managed to leave TWO notifications in my mailbox. Silly me, not looking to see who it was addressed to, since after all, it was in my mailbox and there were TWO of them. So I called the bank today, they are asking to have the card reissued, which will take 7-10 business days. I swear, if I ever get my hands on the dipstick that arbitrarily canceled my card, I'm going to knock him/her on his/her ass and stomp them to a pulp. Thank God for online banking.

GK is in town. I talked to her earlier and will give her a call Sunday after church about hooking up for lunch and Trek Reboot. Meanwhile, she's out and about with her mom and I asked her to keep an eye out for a sofa or loveseat for me, a solid-color earthtone neutral...no, thank you, I am NOT interested in Kat's tapestry-covered loveseat. *eyeroll* Was there some part of "solid-color" I need to repeat...?

I need to leave shortly---I have to detour by way of the post office. Found out what happened to that new bank card they were supposed to send me: The idjits sent it registered mail and apparently my mail carrier couldn't be bothered to shift his ass out of his truck, walk up the driveway and ring my freakin' bell. My tax dollars at work---not.

Me, grumpy? Maybe just a little. Because I'd rather be hanging out with my BFF instead of pretending I give a rat's ass about being nice to people who should not be allowed near a phone, much less the internet. Toodles!

I visited Kat and let her know GK will be bringing her a "new" phone to replace the dropped one, borrowed her sewing machine (not actually in the box, contrary to description, but still very nice), and went to WalMart.

I've been wanting to spruce the place up a little, so I went through the garden center and got a flat of begonias for $2.75 in the clearance section. It's got nine pots in it, which works out to roughly 30 cents a begonia. I'll wait this this evening, when it's cooled down some, then install them out front in the pots I painted last summer. Now if I can just remember to WATER them....

Was ticked when I got to check out and my card was declined, but *THAT* is why I bank right there. (Branch is IN WalMart literally 20 steps away from the register I was at.) Was told that I have been mailed a new card because the company thought the old one might have been compromised. *eyeroll* Swell. If I got it, God knows what I did with it. However, I had my checkbook with me, so it worked out for now.

Got an email from the husband of the gal at church who remodels...I produced a sketch and description of what I want done:



I await his response. Meanwhile, it dawns on me I haven't had breakfast, let alone lunch. Time to go do something about that.

I checked my bank balance online just now, and am on the verge of a massive *headdesk*. They have me as overdrawn by $17.12, PLUS I have an outstanding check for $20 that hasn't hit yet...it's all this damn medical stuff that's killing me. The $20 is for my scrips, the copay was $15---and I'm still trying to figure out where I missed the boat. Crap! So first thing Monday damn long holiday weekend Tuesday I get to run shrieking to my bank and beg them not to bounce that check and reassure them that it will be covered by my next direct deposit. Of course, there will be fees. Fuck! And I'm not getting paid for the two days I took off...whimper...I fail at finance.

Think happy thoughts...today is my Friday, it doesn't seem to be raining at the moment, the antibiotics are working, I'm not starving/going to starve to death (and there's still a little chocolate ice cream in the freezer), yesterday I made 12 sales and got several compliments on my violet-print top, I have cans I can turn in for cash---probably only a couple dollars but enough to put a few cups on gas in my tank, that new Goodwill on US1 has finally opened.

Re: the new Goodwill. The building used to be a furniture showroom, so it's BIG. It's in a GOOD neighborhood, so hopefully the merchandise will reflect that. They've been advertising "Coming Soon" since last October, and they're just now opening. I've been irked by the delay---I was starting to think it was a scam---and of course, now they've opened when I'm up to my ass in alligators and don't dare go shopping. Grrr!

Harper's Island has a fresh ep tonight!

There is a woman at my bank who deserves sainthood, or at least a nice box of chocolates for having to deal with me. I remembered, after a couple hours of glum contemplation, that in fact I got a grace period from the cable company: It was the power bill that I paid. So I called my bank for the third time today (First was for the balance, second to ask if cable payment had registered) and learned that yes, my payment to Florida Flash and Flicker HAS gone through and I DO still have money in the bank.

Now if I could just focus enough to write something....

Called my bank this morning to check my balance and was heartened by the total. Had A Thought a few minutes later and called them back. My payment to the cable company hasn't cleared yet. I'm screwed. *headdesk* And I've barely had the account for a month. Epic fail!

Thankfully, it won't be Friday the 13th again for months! Today wasn't terrible, but it was intense enough. I was waiting for Kat to come by before I could leave for Melbourne--she loaned me a few bucks because of the banking situation---then I bolted to work, where the guy who presides over the checks wasn't in his office. I sat, waiting, tapping my fingers and grumbling. He returned, I seized my check, zoomed two blocks down to the nearest branch of my brand-new bank, where I made my very first deposit. (It will be accessible in the morning.) Dashed over to the Publix (in the same parking lot), where I grabbed a sandwich for lunch and a few stray things like bread and diet cola, and made it to work with enough time to tinkle before I had to be on the phone.

The phones? I don't even want to go there. I think I had more orders fail than actually went through, and a few people I just wanted to slap---like the individual who called White Trash Queen trying to get a return label for something that they ordered in the wrong size---because we allegedly inverted the sizes on the website so that the bigger size was on top, and they "instinctively" ordered the uppermost selection. The verdict? Suck it up, we are not going to pay return postage because you're oblivious.

Funniest moment:
I was looking something up, and the caller asked if I was still there.
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Oh, I didn't hear you breathing."
"Well, ma'am, I try not to do a lot of heavy breathing on the phone, it isn't that kind of call center." Which apparently went right over her head, and hopefully won't land on mine....

I am running around half deranged---I don't know why I'm having such a hard time pulling myself together today, but I am. Yesterday wasn't much better---this week has been a nightmare!---although I *think* I've got the whole paycheck mess/banking crisis straightened out. I hope.

The downside is, because I'm opening a new account and depositing my check, I won't have access to the funds until the following business day, so right now, I'm down to loose change. (I picked a bank with Saturday hours, so I *can* get at it then.) Recycled another 11 pounds of cans yesterday, and am contemplating the rape of my piggy bank. Usually, I would've floated a check yesterday, but no can do this week....

One good thing, though---our corporate partners get to hear our calls to monitor our work, and the guy from Geezer Britches complimented me, saying I sounded "sooo smooth and controlled". Go, me!

And yeah, it's that time....