Just so you know - I love to be told that I have been wronged. I very much enjoy righteous indignation. I also get secret pleasure out of friends who are willing to take up a battle on my behalf out of their sheer disgust over whatever the 'situation' may be. And I will gladly accept all of these things now -- if -- you still wish to give them after I fully disclose to you that my current situation is mostly my fault.
Today was going to be a great, great Mommy day. And I mean GREAT.
I was looking forward to taking an adventure with my children. That statement alone is monumental.
I had a note from a bloggyfriend who said she was going to go letterboxing with her family later today. *plink* this wild hair popped right up on my head! I have been considering doing this activity with my children for a long time and today I was going to actually take the leap! AND I was going to let the 15 year old drive us around. *bows* So, we get loaded into the car (she's driving); we stop at the Dollar General for a personal item that we need at home later, gave her cash and sent her in on her own *bows*. Then we head south. We stop at the Dollar Tree so each child can choose a rubber stamp and a journal, and so we can get some carmex for the 12 year old girl's nose cause she has rubbed it raw due to a cold. We are still in a great mood. Excitement is building. I even found a little holder that matches my purse to hold my cell phone. Yay! We even each picked a mystery grab bag.(who even does that? That's right. ME.today.) Get to the check out and ask if I can use my debit card and get cash back. The cashier says, "of course". We go through all the steps; yes, 50 back should do it, pin number, etc etc...
Then the cashier says, "It's denied" "Eh hem. Denied?" I am totally calm at this point. I have seen this happen to many a people (and myself too) - computer is down, pin got entered wrong; all sorts of possibilities except for the possibility that there is no money in my account. That's just lame. So, we try it again. denied. That's weird. Let's try it just as a credit. denied. And you know the other people in line are annoyed and judging you and now your kids are starting to wonder too. Okay, can I write a check? Yes. Done. Can I just point out the irony that I was denied at the DOLLAR STORE people? THE DOLLAR STORE!
So, we load back in the car and I tell the daughter wait just a minute so I can call the bank and see what is up. Bank people say, "Yes, I see where the transaction was denied for lack of funds." "Huh?" "Yes, I see that this morning a transaction went through in the amount of $1265.00 and now your account is actually in the negative." "Eh hem, would you care to explain this TWELVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIVE DOLLAR transaction to me, miss telephone teller, as the only stores I have been to today have the word DOLLAR in them?" As she is examining the situation she says it does seem odd, let me check with my supervisor, please hold....So, I say to my daughter - drive us over to the Sonic. So, I am like, well - we'll use my personal checking account to order lunch - but that's all I have room for there because I just mailed the deposit check for our LADIES VACATION RENTAL HOME IN AMISH COUNTRY PENNSYLVANIA. All caps, cause, HELLO, I get to go to Amish Country with my Chicas! But, I digress....she drives around the entire sonic because it's kind of populated at this time of day and she is still very unsure about parking. She did some sort of origami with the car that got us into a predicament in the sonic slot. The right side of the car was about 1 1/2 inches from the menu board thingy on the right side. There was no way I could help her at that point so I told her to just put it in park, I will have to address this later. As the driver of the vehicle, you are responsible for giving drive-thru orders, handling the payment, etc etc. So I told her to go ahead and make the order as I am still trying to sort stuff out with the bank account that matters to this family. And I couldn't fully pay attention to what she was doing, but she is old enough to be in control of a motor vehicle, so she is old enough to stick the card in the slot and push the credit button. It was denied. OH, I might die. I cannot possibly even think how to fix this because I am trying to fix this other one. Then the food comes and my daughter explains to the lady that the card transaction didn't work and the lady suggests trying another card. Why not? I am on planet humiliation already, let's just open up my wallet and see if we can put it to the Lowe's card shall we? Or how about, this walmart gift card? will that work?
WHATever. Now I am behaving badly because I am trying to talk to 3 people at the same time, feed my family, and not cry because the moment of mommy greatness is gushing away at monumental speeds. So, I handed those people the only other financial option there was at this point. The credit card. And try to get back to the telephone teller who, by the way, has transferred me to two other people by now. The credit card worked, the food entered the car, and the kids had to worry about sorting it out and distributing it.
All right - through the series of people I talked with, I was able to piece together the full story. Here is what happened.....Back in Nov. there was a false charge on our account. The bank noticed it immediately, called us, we disputed it, they removed it. They canceled our debit cards. I was just so thoroughly thrilled with how our bank caught it so quickly and took care of it with no pain on our end whatsoever. Hubby deployed. They issued us new bank cards and sent us some paperwork to fill out regarding the incident. I called the people and explained that my husband was unavailable to sign said paperwork at this time. That's fine, note that on the paperwork, you sign it and fax it in. Okay great. thanks.
About a week ago I had a message from the bank, please call us at this number and ext. there is a transaction we need to discuss. So I call the main number of the bank, she says, I don't see anything here that looks suspicious, don't know what they're talking about, but the number you were given is our valid phone number. Okay, but there was no option for me to enter an extension number. She transferred me to that dept and I left a voice mail. Now we're playing phone tag. A couple days later, a message was on my phone with the same number. I call again and listen to EVERY option - there is no option to enter an extension number. Grr. Okay. That was yesterday. I am so irritated that I decide I will call on Monday and see if I can resolve this. It's not urgent.
We're back to today. The 3rd person I spoke with in trying to figure out what on earth was going on listens to the details that I know thus far, and I share with him about how I have been using the new debit card with no trouble to this point, etc etc. He reads through the whole file and says, yes, I see where this transaction was entered and removed, I see the new cards were issued on such and such date and that there were two affidavits sent to you and that neither were returned and so the transaction was reinstated this morning.
Jesus does not love my foul mouth or my foul mind, so He left me the Holy Spirit to help me with self-control. Thank You Jesus.
It all became clear. I did not return the affidavit. I did not return the affidavit. I did not return the affidavit. They have done what is within their right to do and
stolenfoodmoneyfromchildren'smouths reinstated the transaction which has left my account in the negative and NO money available for food, gas, nothing.
So, I say to the man. Okay. You can tell me how wrong I am, how this is fully my responsibility, berate me for not taking care of the situation, but can you please help me fix this for right now because I can't even buy gas right now?
Sorry. I don't have the authority to help you with that. The department you need to speak with is a Monday-Friday department. You'll have to call back then.
That's it. I cannot risk leaving town without money. We're done. We have to go home. But first, I am going to eat my lunch. Then we are going to switch drivers because there is no way that my daughter is going to be able to get us back out of the origami without doing damage to something, whether it be our car or the sonic menu board.
Of course, the kids are asking if I am okay, are we broke, are we poor, etc etc. I say, no, it's a mix-up and it is my fault because I did not take care of my responsibilities, but we are fine. We have food at home. And 3/4 tank of gas. But I cannot fix the situation until Monday, so we need to conserve. We'll have to cancel letterboxing and go home.
Sadly, it seems that Facing The Music is going to be a series of posts for me.
spell check is still not working.
I LOST it. The irritated, frightening, frustrated figure exploded out of its box and let loose. "WILL. YOU. STOP!!!?? What on EARTH is the matter with you people?? Why can't you JUST. STOP. SINGING?? And why can't YOU just PUT. SOME. HEADPHONES. ON??" "DO YOU REALIZE THAT YOU ARE NOT ONLY BEING NASTY TO EACH OTHER BUT THAT YOU ARE CAUSING ME TO SUFFER BECAUSE I HAVE TO LISTEN TO IT TOO!? "You need to work on being LESS SELFISH!!"
*sigh* My son..... Did the very thing (without being told) that I should have done when I felt the spring tightening. He went to God's Word for guidance and correction. And then he quietly, without even attempting to make his case, brought what he had learned to me. *sigh*