Monday, June 6, 2022

Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown


And there they are- the mountain kids. Jessie said that they are already back to being a pack of wild dogs. In that picture, they were trying to sneak up on a groundhog. Isn't that the most beautiful place? The Great Smokey Mountains. And I hear it's cool. Like you-can-cuddle-cool. 
Meanwhile, this is the season in Florida to wonder why the hell we live here. 

I had a small breakdown today. I took a walk and that was bit of hell but I survived it. I got a package in the mail with two pairs of short overalls I'd ordered from Duluth Trading Company. I've always admired their overalls but they're really expensive so when these went on sale for half price I threw caution to the winds. As I told Jessie in a text, they are butt-ugly on me but they are comfortable, practical, and very well made. I am pleased. 
I also got my new debit card in the mail. It had expired at the end of May and the credit union we go to has merged with another credit union and they were actually closed for a few days to make the transition and have been swamped since the change-over and so I've put off actually dealing with the debit card issue for about a week. I was convinced that it wasn't going to show up at all so was very pleased when it did. I thought it would save me from making a trip to town to get a new one.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
I merrily called the activation number, as one does. The first call I made had such a bad connection that I could not possibly understand the person on the other end. So I hung up and called again. This time I got through the exercise in card activation up to the point where a real person had to verify my identity. I was to receive a text with my code on it. Unfortunately, the phone number they had on file for me is my landline WHICH YOU CANNOT SEND A TEXT TO! 
Duh.
The guy told me that he could not change my number and that I had to go to the credit union and get it activated there and have my number changed to my cell phone. He could not do that.
Are you with me? 
So. I take a shower and get dressed and drive to town and go to the credit union where one man is practically cussing out one of the ladies trying to help him and there are people waiting in line. After about twenty minutes of that, I got to talk to a woman who could indeed change the phone number on file for me but she could not activate my card despite what the man on the phone had said. I needed to call back the activation number. By this time, it was pouring rain so I ran to my car and not having been born yesterday, I called the number while still in the parking lot. I got another person who told me that my new number must not be in the system yet but no worries- I could verify by giving him the last four digits of my SSN. 
Okay. 
But no. 
I could not. Because they didn't HAVE my SSN on file. They had my husband's. Despite the fact that we have been married for thirty-seven years, I do not know that number. So. I called Mr. Moon, practically in tears. He used to have an office in that credit union from which he sold cars. 
"Talk to Rebecca," he said. "She will help you."
But, but, but...I wanted to do this by myself. Like a big girl. You know? I got his last four digits and called the activation line AGAIN. By this time, they had kicked me out of the system and I could not get through.
Big girl was crying at this point. I was so frustrated. 
I dried my eyes and ran back through the rain into the CU where more people were waiting. Rebecca has an office but I wasn't sure which one so I had to wait to ask. 
Which I did.
And when I finally got to that dear, wonderful woman, she figured it out and I am activated. I truly did well up with tears when I thanked her. 
I am BONE FIDE again! 

And that shit wore my ass out. 

Luckily, supper will be a breeze tonight. I made a very fine pot roast last night with potatoes, carrots, green beans, and onions from the garden. Tonight it will take a new form as vegetable soup with a few added peas, baby limas, and corn. I made up the dough for a loaf of sourdough last night and it is about ready to go into the oven and the soup is simmering. 
What more could anyone ask for? 

Here's a picture of Darla's three children taking a dirt bath. It's a terrible picture because they were lying in a band of shade and if I'd gotten any closer, they would have moved.



But you can sort of get the idea. They spread their feathers out and use their wings to scoop the dirt like we would splash in the water. There's a nice little article about that practice HERE if you have any interest. It is one of a chicken's true requirements and I feel so sorry for the birds in captivity who are not given the opportunity to enjoy that particular activity. The other day when it had rained, some of the chickens were on the kitchen porch and Mr. Moon and I watched as Liberace fluffed out his neck feathers to dry them and then began preening. He is such a handsome bird with his shining golden feathers. They actually gleam in the sunlight as if they had been oiled. 

I swear to you- tomorrow I am not leaving Lloyd unless Keith Richards invites me to join the band family in Liverpool next Thursday in which case I'll have to catch a plane. 
Here's a great Billboard article about how the Munich gig went last night. 

Oh, those old boys. Still, according to Billboard, delivering real magic.

Love...Ms. Moon







26 comments:

  1. Frustrating - I am the "give up" sort. Wait until another day sort. You are very grown up to have stuck with that nonsense! Well done! Everyone needs a Rebecca in their corner.
    Interesting about hens and dirt- no birds should be caged but that is the way of the world isn't it.
    The article about the "boys" is fabulous- of course it is noticeable that Mick struts less, uses his arms more- reserving energy. Keith just plays like the god that he is. Damned lucky we are to breathe the same air!

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    1. I HAD to get a debit card. Mine had expired and that was messing up my life in quite a few ways. I really didn't have much of a choice.
      It is the way of the world to cage chickens and I eat them so...But at least mine are happy.
      I've noticed that Mick has slowed down a bit. He can still move those hips.

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  2. That's actually a great photo of the chicks taking a dirt bath - I can see sparkles of air-borne dirt in the sunlight. Banking hassles are HORRIBLE! I feel your pain. Soon, perhaps not soon enough, you can lie down with the boys in that cool, lush green grass and just breath.

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    1. I swear, Wilma- I need a vacation. Whether to NC or the beach- I just need to be in a place where my work isn't.

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  3. I hate that kind of runaround with a fiery passion! I'm sorry you had to deal with that.

    Those boys are going to have so much fun in the mountains. How lucky for them to have these summers up their with the rest of their family. I wonder if they managed to sneak up on the groundhog? :)

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    1. The damn thing is, is that everyone had a different story and a different excuse as to why they could not activate my damn card! Until Rebecca. Bless her.
      I have no idea if the kids crept up on the groundhog but I sort of doubt it. What would they have done if they had?

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  4. Sounds like my morning! I spent an hour on the phone with a local hospital over their bill. Today I lost it because the last time I spent an hour, a month ago, I asked the person of that payment cleared my bill. He assured me it did. But no, today the slowest, most stupid billing specialist kept me another hour. Grrrrrrrrrr!

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    1. It's beyond frustrating. It's a type of hell. I am generally pretty good at remembering that we are all human, that we all make mistakes, we all have differing abilities and so forth but lately I have been so churlish that I just don't care. I want to scream at someone. This is not good.

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  5. It was bad enough having to read that ghastly card experience, much less live it. So glad you're now official.

    And the kids have started another summer to remember.

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    1. Yes! Another summer! Oh, the memories they will have of these years.

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  6. 37paddington: Love seeing those boys on that mountain. And good for you woman for sticking through the insane CU runaround. I have been trying to sign up for Medicare for more than a month, hitting a snag at a different stage every time. They insist the process is simple so what am I missing?

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    1. I remember my sister-in-law who basically earns her living by being technologically savvy, who worked with computers when they were kept in ice cold basements, saying that she was having a terrible time getting signed up online for Medicare. I sometimes think they make it as hard as possible on purpose.

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  7. So much fuss and bother with your card! Here, simply using the new card activates it, can you find out if that is also the case there? Then next time you won't have to do all that running around.
    The baby chicks are practically grown up now. I love the idea of the boys running wild in the mountains. Kids being kids, as they should be.

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    1. It is definitely NOT the case here. Every new card comes with a little sticker that gives you the number to call to activate it. I would not have had to go to the physical credit union if they could have just taken my phone number on the line but NO! I guess they're trying to prevent fraud but at the same time, they are encouraging insanity.
      Yes. The kids are being kids. Wild ones. I love that too!

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  8. My but companies love to overcomplicate things....I am sorry you had so much trouble. Those kids and your chickens are always fun to see. Maybe today you can relax and read...

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    1. Relax? I have forgotten how if I ever knew. I think it's how I deal with some sort of OCD or something. My anxiety. Whatever. This is why I need to get away.

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  9. I like that chicken picture! I also feel so sorry for chickens who live their lives in cages. I think if I had acreage I'd arrange to buy some hatchery chickens so I could rescue them. (Maybe in retirement?!)

    We can all identify with that excruciating process to activate your card. We've all been there at one time or another. It's so ridiculous how hard even the most minor tasks can be.

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    1. Adopting hatchery chickens sounds like a good idea. But there are SO many! Still, it would be a good thing to do, to give at least a few chickens a happy life after they are deemed too old for the factory.
      You're right- we can all relate to these situations. That should have been the easiest thing in the world to do but no. They had to text me with my four digits so that I could prove I was who I was. It all gets so Catch 22-ish.

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  10. I swear, I think there's a think tank somewhere whose purpose is to come up with ways to make simple things difficult. Great picture of the boys. They are so lucky.

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    1. I think you're right, Ellen.
      Isn't that a darling picture? I'm pretty sure that Jessie took it. Those are lucky boys.

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  11. Oh, that debit card debacle would have brought any sane person to tears! Glad you finally got help. So, Ellen Abbott said eating a duck egg made her sick, do you have experience with duck eggs? I have 4 in my fridge right now along with 8 fresh chicken eggs! Never had any fresh before!

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    1. Ellen is the only person I've ever heard from that got sick from eating a duck egg. I hear they are great in baked goods- maybe you could try that.

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  12. Sometimes the most simple of tasks turns into an all day affair and customer service is not very user friendly these days. I'm glad you soldiered on and got your card activated. sigh...... The littles are having a blast rolling around on the mountain, what bliss for them.

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    1. Customer service is not what it used to be but I think that everyone is just at the end of their ropes and we all feed off of each other's frustrations and worries. It's sad. And hard.
      I bet those boys are truly joyful.

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  13. Dealing with companies has made me so hostile to the computer. I've made a vow that, once my husband died (he does not share my antipathy) I am going to revert to 20th century business, with phones and envelopes and stamps.
    My biggest beef with the internet is sites that don't let me use my normal log-in name. I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT I'VE PUT WHERE!! The world has toddled along with everyone's names so far, what is so special about the internet?

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    1. I think that probably one of the problems is, is that the whole world of the internet and how we do business on it came up so quickly and progressed so rapidly that no one really had a plan in place to make things easy AND safe so it's all one huge megalith of patched together processes. Sigh. And I don't even know if you CAN get a debit card without a cell phone these days. Lord.

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