New Location..?

I am going to keep this short & sweet, since I am posting from work, and don't have my Live Writer, and stuffs. I have been toying with the idea of moving my blog to Wordpress, as it seems to have some cool features not available here. Well, I did. The new address for this blog is www.dawtch.wordpress.com
I have exported all of my posts and comments from here to there - or at least that's what the thingy said it was going to do - but have yet to move my links & widgets, so bear with me while I get things arranged - and probably re-arranged, if I know me, lol.
I am also pretty well over the Puzzle challenge, as the thrill of competition kinda dulls when there are no competitiors....I am positive I will continue to DO the puzzles, but probably will not continue to post the results. I am also going to make a concerted effort to post on a more regular basis - and yes, I am fully aware I have left you all (all 2 of you...) hanging on the HH Gregg stuffs...I haven't forgotten, just haven't been able to do it lately. Sorry.
Any ways, I will try - no guarantees. I really like getting comments. It lets me know I'm not talking to myself...or writing to myself (?). I know you don't HAVe to post comments, but encouragement is, well...encouraging. I'm just saying...
Ok gotta go for now, just about done. Lemme know whatcha think of the new template & location. I'm considering moving my other blog, too, but I really, really, really like the template, and unless I can find it in wordpress format, I may keep it where it is for the time being (in plain english..? Until I get tired of that theme...but I don't see that happening soon
:( )
See ya laterzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention...I found a cool new blog surfing site called Condron - it's essentially a slide show of blogs that you can start and stop at whim...go check it out, it's pretty cool!
*grin*

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Sharks in the Water
Puzzle Date: March 21, 2009
Elapsed Time: 10:17
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Joining the Band
Puzzle Date: March 20, 2009
Elapsed Time: 9:22
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Spy Game
Puzzle Date: March 19, 2009
Elapsed Time: 10:09
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Give Me A Ring
Puzzle Date: March 20,  2009
Elapsed Time: 8:16
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Home Furnishings
Puzzle Date: March 17, 2009
Elapsed Time: 10:56
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Money To Burn
Puzzle Date: March 16, 2009
Elapsed Time: 8:12
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

50 Random Things

Shamelessly stolen from The Vinyl Villager *grin*

 

1) Favorite object in your room?
My room..? I haven’t had “a room” since I moved out of my parents' house too many years ago to admit to…the favorite in my home – it’s a toss up between the dragon lamp on my desk and the “creepy” (as Hunny calls it) statue that to me is a representation of the Goddess (I’ll try to up a pic soon…)

2) Do you smoke?
I’ve been known to.

3) Do you own guns?
I used to

4) What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?
Never been there

5) Do you get nervous at the doctors?
No, should I..?

6) What do you think of when you hear hot dogs?
What are they saying..?.

7) Favorite song?
Can’t pick just one…

8.) What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Prefer..? what is there besides Coffee?

9) Can you do push ups?
Probably.

10) Can you do a chin up?
Probably

11) What’s your favorite piece of jewelry?
My wedding ring

12) Your pet peeves are?
We don’t really have all day do we? But I tend to agree with Villager - I guess my biggest one is people who drive in the left lane for miles even when they are being passed on the right….oblivious to the fact that they ought to move over.

13) Ever been in a car wreck?
Yes

14) Do you like to work on your Birthday?
Like to..? No. Do I..? Usually

15) What’s one trait that you hate about yourself?
Hate takes entirely too much energy to maintain…

16) Are you named after anyone?
Not that I know of

17) Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment.
Tired
Know I won’t sleep well :(
Tomorrow it all begins again

19) Name 3 drinks you drink regularly
water, coffee, and Coke

20)What’s your job?
Listening to stoopid people whine about problems that are entirely of their own making – and occasionally helping someone who truly has a legitimate problem not of their own making

21) Current hate right now?
See answer 15

23) Do your friend’s love you?
I think so

23) How did you bring in the New Year?
I’m pretty sure I was asleep – I had to be at work at 9 New Year’s Day

24) Where would you like to be right now?
Right where I am :)

25) Name three people who will complete this.
No idea.

26) Are you one of those people that thinks and talks about their life being unfair?
Nope! I am where I am because of the choices I made – just like everyone else. Quit sniveling, you did it to yourself, so get over it and go on. I have NO PATIENCE for “poor me”s

27) What shirt are you wearing?
blue sleep tank

28) Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
No, they slide off. You slide off. The pillows slide off.

29) Can you whistle?
Yes I can

32) What songs do you sing in the shower?
I don’t sing in the shower.

33) Favorite girl’s name?
I don’t think I have a favorite girl…

34) Favorite boy’s name?
Well, I have several favorite boys – men…Hunny & my sons, so it’d be Tony, Mark & Shayne :)

35) What’s in your pocket?
no pockets in jammies

36) Last person that made you laugh?
Hunny

37) Best toy as a child?
The weeping willow in the front yard was pretty well even with the big oak on the side of the house, until we moved. Then it was the mulberry tree in the back yard

39) Do you love where you live?
Hmmmm, the house..? Pretty much, could be a little bigger. The location, better than the city, not as good as the boonies…

40) Do you give good advice?
I try.

41) Who is your loudest friend?
Ummmm, most of my “friends” are titty dancers – they’re all pretty loud

43) Does someone have a crush on you?
not that I’m aware of.

44) Favorite part about your weekend?
I work harder on the weekend than I do doing the week…

45) What are you gonna do for your next birthday?
Probably the same thing I did a month ago on my last one - SSDD

46) Favorite sports team?
I am sports challenged (by choice) and proud of it! Obviously, the person writing these questions didn’t know me.

48) Where is the next place you want to travel to?
Haven’t really given it any thought. No money for travel, and not much possibility of there being any anytime soon, so consideration of it is just depressing

49) What were you doing 12 AM this morning?
trying to sleep

50) What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
I can’t believe that boy isn’t up yet!

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: You Sound Different
Puzzle Date: March 15, 2009
Elapsed Time: 13:05
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: You Sound Different
Puzzle Date: March 15, 2009
Elapsed Time: 13:05
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Constellation Revelations
Puzzle Date: March 8, 2009
Elapsed Time: 11:38
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

My Blog – The Life & Times…….

Remembering my life. Chronicling it. That’s why I started this. How sad that the chronicle of my life has become a daily recitation of the puzzle I do each morning…Nothing about the temper tantrums my son has taken to having, and how tired I am of listening to him & Hunny go at each other constantly – tired to the point of tears. Nothing about the insecurities that have begun to surface as each day passes. No commentary on the struggle to get “the ends” at least within sight of each other – meeting not even an option at this point. The inability to sleep for more than an hour or two without waking up, therefore never really sleeping. The fear that the “other shoe is going to fall” because I know that despite how stressed I am, and what a struggle every day is, we still truly have it good. Trust me, I’ve had it bad, and this isn’t even close.When’s it going to happen, because it will. I’m not sure exactly what “it”  is, but I’m fairly certain it will be about as far from pleasant as white is from black.

I tell myself “People don’t want to read that crap – they have their own problems!” But really? I started this for me. For us. To have a way to go back and say “Oh yeah! That happened then ! Now I remember!” because my mind is becoming a sieve. It’s scary. For a person who has always been able to remember every little detail about everything, this is a whole new world.

Nothing about the progression, the ebb and flow, of the “magical, musical pain” as I call it. How stress makes it hurt more. How the hurt makes the stress more. I intended this to be a diary of sorts, a place where I could “let it all hang out,” so to speak. I’m the “strong” one – always have been. I don’t need your sympathy, your help, your comfort, your approval. For over 30 years that has been the me that everyone – and I do mean everyone knows. No time to call and say “hey”? So what! Too busy to go to the parent/teacher conference, good deal. Can’t be bothered to remember my birthday..? Who cares? I don’t need these things from you – no matter who you are. I actually own a t-shirt that says “Fuck You! I have enough friends.” I’ll put up a pic if I can find it… But I digress.

I created this “place” so I could not be that person. So I could be insecure, and afraid, and lonely, and even occasionally needy. A place where I could be the one getting comfort instead of giving. Crying instead of embracing with support. I also wanted to record important, and not important things as they happened, so in my busy world, they didn’t get thrown into that horrid “someday” file that seems to be infinite in size, yet inaccessible when there are a few free moments to review the contents within. Yet my world seems to have become “someday.” At least, everything important has. Someday we’ll go to the zoo. Someday we’ll take a vacation, Someday…And I’m so afraid someday will never come, for one reason or another. Yet how do I change it? I don’t see a way around doing each day the way I’m doing it -  I can’t not work, we barely make the bills as it is – feast or famine. I can’t even change my hours because I’m being held hostage by a school bus.

If I see my husband an hour a day, I consider myself lucky – seeing him sleep really doesn’t count as “seeing” him. My boy is asleep when I get home. In the mornings, he’s acting like a teenager in a 6 year old body. When your child is smart enough to find a loophole in every situation, and has the attitude of a teen, what do you do? I can’t really respond as I would to a teen – while he is intelligent he’s still a six year old emotionally, and he still follows six year old logic – he just uses college level words to do it…

Wow, I don’t even know what I’m doing here…apparently sleep deprivation tends to make one ramble – because anyone who is familiar with me knows I always stick right to my subject, and never wander from it….

Ok, going to go lay down and not sleep soundly. G’night!

See ya laterzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! And oh yeah – I haven’t forgotten HH Gregg – I will get there, eventually….:)

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Bit of Uncertainty
Puzzle Date: March 7, 2009
Elapsed Time: 18:17
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Travel Guide
Puzzle Date: March 6, 2009
Elapsed Time: 10:54
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Date Book
Puzzle Date: March 5, 2009
Elapsed Time: 9:12
Hints Used: 0 Letters, 0 Words   

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Two In The Kitchen
Puzzle Date: March 4, 2009
Elapsed Time: 7:05
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Ties That Bind
Puzzle Date: March 3, 2009
Elapsed Time: 12:03
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Pleasant Bouquet
Puzzle Date: March, 2, 2009
Elapsed Time: 12:26
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Bent Out Of Shape
Puzzle Date: March 1, 2009
Elapsed Time: 8:24
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Feeling Ill
Puzzle Date: February 28, 2009
Elapsed Time: 10:42
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Going, Going Gone
Puzzle Date: February 27, 2009
Elapsed Time: 8:18
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

In Praise of HH Gregg – Chapter 5

When last we checked in on our heroine, she was moving from the House of the Plants….LOL

Ok, We thought we had hit paydirt when we found the house we moved to. Nice neighborhood, out of Indy, good school district, close to friends, etc. And it was huge! 25600 sq. feet! What does a family of three need with 2600 sq feet? you ask. Well, somehow we have acquired a lot of “stuffs.” A lot. And you know, I’ve pared down with each move…

Oh wait – this is “In praise of HH Gregg” isn’t it? Remember I mentioned the dishwasher at the House of the Plants died..? Well after the first flood experience (I think we ended up with a total of 4 floods while there…) we decided that it would just be easier to use ours. It was new – well relatively new, we had bought it at the demon store (for you newcomers, that’s Best Buy) less than 2 months before we moved. So Hunny took the one that came with the house out to the huge shed, and put ours in. I was excited! I loaded ‘er up & turned ‘er on. 15 minutes later, I found water on the kitchen floor. A lot of it. (But not one of the aforementioned floods). The dishwasher was leaking. No biggie. Would be an inconvenience for a few days, maybe a week, but I had a warranty! 

I called the demon store, they referred me to the manufacturer. I called the manufacturer, they referred me to a repair company they use. I called the repair company & made a warranty appointment for someone to come look at/fix it. A week later the repair guy informs me the seal . is bad, no way to fix, will have to replace. Ok, so maybe it’ll be a little more inconvenient than I thought – but still not so bad…But here is where I had to go back to the demon store. I shouldn’t have had to, the repaid guy called his company, who called the manufacturer, who contacted the demon store to tell them to replace it. Per the manufacturer, all I had to do was call them to schedule a time for them to bring out & install the replacement. If only that had been the case.

Me: Hi, I was told by (mfg) to call and schedule a time for you to bring out a replacement dishwasher & hook it up.”
demon store employee:”Oh, ok, let me transfer you to the appliance dept. They would set that up.”
Me: “Ok.”

**sitting on ignore, listening to bad music & even worse ads.

Next demon store employee: “Appliance dept, can I help you?”
Me: Hi, I was told by (mfg) to call and schedule a time for you to bring out a replacement dishwasher & hook it up.”
Employee: ”Ok, I just need to look up your warranty info.”
Me: ? Ummmm, I don’t really need warranty service. I already had service, and it’s been determined that it needs replaced. By the manufacturer.”
Employee: “Well, store policy says I have to follow these steps…I need your name, the item in question and the date of purchase.”
Me: “Oooooookaaaay…” and gave the requested info.,
Employee: “I show that was a (mfg) dishwasher,(model), that was purchased at this store, on (date), and taken the same day. We didn’t deliver or install it.”
Me: “Yes…”
Employee: “When would you like to bring in the bad one and pick up the replacement?”
Me: “Ummmm, according to (mfg) you guys are supposed to be bringing me a new one and installing it…”
Employee: “Oh no, unless we delivered and installed the original, we don’t do that. You’ll have to bring us the other one & pick up the replacement here.”
Me: “But (mfg) has told me that they are replacing it, and told me to schedule a time for you to bring it & hook it up..”

Do you see where this is going..?

Employee: “I’m sorry if there was a misunderstanding…”
Me: “What misunderstanding? (Mfg) said to me - ‘Call the store where you purchased the dishwasher and schedule a time for them to bring you a new one & install it. We are truly sorry you’ve had an issue with this one, but our policy is to make it right :)’ I’m not sure which part of that was misunderstood by me..? It seems pretty straightforward..”
Employee: “We’ll be happy to bring it out and install it for you -
    Finally! Wait – that was too easy…
There is a $50 delivery/installation fee. Do you want to pay that now with a credit card?”
Me: “Ummm, is there a manager there?”
Employee: “I can check that for you..”

**Back on ignore for 10 minutes.

Demon store Manager: “Hi. My name is (name) and I’m a manager here at Best Buy (really?) I understand you have some questions about our warranty replacement policy?”
Me: “Ummm, no, I don’t have any questions. (Mfg) has determined that the dishwasher you sold me two months ago needs replaced. The seal around the door is bad and can’t be replaced. So they are replacing the whole unit. They have told me to call you & schedule the replacement. Delivery & install. Your employee wants me to pay for the delivery/install portion of that.”
Manager: “Hmmm,well let’s look at the original purchase…”

***clicking of computer keys
Manager: “Ok, I show that it was a (mfg) dishwasher,(model), that was purchased at this store, and taken the same day. We didn’t deliver or install it.”
Me: “Yes, we’ve already determined that…”
Manager: “ Oh well, I apologize, but our policy is unless we delivered and installed the original, we don’t do that. You’ll have to bring us the other one & pick up the replacement here.”
Me: “Ok, guess I’ll just go back to (mfg) and get this straightened out…”

I called the mfg back to clarify what I was contacting the demon store about. They said I needed to schedule delivery & installation, on them. I explained what I had been through. The little gal apologized profusely, and contacted the demon store while I held. She informed me it was “all straightened out” and I could schedule that service now.

Do you see where this is going..? It took two more weeks and I-don’t-know-how-many more phone calls to get this accomplished. On one call, the mfg did a conference call, I heard them tell the demon store manager that they were  replacing the dishwasher, at their expense, including delivery of new unit, installation and removal of old unit, The manager “noted” it & referred me to the appliance dept to schedule. I had a repeat of the above conversation…Finally the mfg called and scheduled it, and about 4 weeks after it broke, I got my dishwasher replaced.

You see..? I always buy the warranty – and for good reason.

Damm! I’m outta time again, and haven’t even gotten moved yet…LOL. Oh well, such is life, and patience is a virtue! Gotta go get ready for work, again! So…to be continued!

See ya laterzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!

         


  

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Capital Gains
Puzzle Date: February 26, 2009
Elapsed Time: 11:59
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Now Playing
Puzzle Date: February 25, 2009
Elapsed Time: 9:13
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Get Going
Puzzle Date: February 23, 2009
Elapsed Time: 6:50
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Snap To It
Puzzle Date: February 22, 2009
Elapsed Time: 7:53
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Completely Satisfied
Puzzle Date: February 21, 2009
Elapsed Time: 10:16
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Coming Out On Top
Puzzle Date: February 20, 2009
Elapsed Time: 9:03
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

In Praise of HH Gregg – Continuation

Wow! This is turning into a book…lol

Ok, the last post ended with us moving. We found a nice(we thought)house. It was quite a bit smaller, but it did have a garage (kinda – I could get my car in it, but could not get out of the car, no room to open the doors…) and a huge storage shed out back, along with a big back yard with a privacy fence around it. The yard needed some work, the grass being kinda scraggly, but no biggie. All the carpeting was different colors, but despite less room total, the rooms themselves (except kitchen & dining room) were larger. We moved in May 1st.

On May 10th, at 11:30pm, I had a flood. It was Saturday night, the boy visiting at Stacey’s for the night (Thank Goddess!) and Hunny was at the race track. And when I say flood, I mean FLOOD! One of the main water lines in the wall between the kitchen and laundry room (ok, laundry closet – room for washer, dryer, hot water heater. period) broke. I had 2” of water throughout the hallway, kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms, in a matter of about 3 minutes. I called the emergency number provided by the rental agency to get a recording directing me to call another number if I was calling about “an emergency.” I thought this qualified, so dialed the number. I was told by the nice lady(!) that answered that there wasn’t anyone available after 10 pm on weekends…

Me: “Ummm, I have a bit of a flood going on here.”
Her: “I’m sorry, we don’t have anyone available after 10pm on weekends.”  
Me: “Ummmm, when I called the maintenance line given to me by the rental agency, it referred me here for after hours emergencies. Was that not accurate?”
Her: “Who’s your rental company?”
Me: **gave company name**
Her: “Yes, we are the after hours emergency service for them.”
Me: “Well, I think this qualifies as an emergency! My house has 2” of water throughout it”
Her: “But we don’t have anyone after 10 pm on weekends.”
Me: “Are you kidding me..? My house has 2 inches of water in it already & guess what? It’s still pouring out of the wall, and I have no idea how to shut it off!”
Her: “Well, I can see where that would be a problem.”
Me: “!?” :Ya think..?”
Her: “But I don’t have anyone…”
Me: “Yes, yes – you don’t have anyone available after 10 on the weekend. Do you understand what I’m telling you? Do you realize that water is quickly filling this house? Carpet is being ruined, walls are being ruined. Are already ruined? And the water is still flowing rapidly into the house..?”
Her: “I’m sorry, I don’t…
Me: “Yanno what..? That’s ok, it’s not MY property that’s being destroyed, and it won’t be my expense to fix it. Anything of mine that IS ruined will be replaced by YOUR company. I suggest you find SOMEONE available after 10 pm on a weekend, or there will be some major expense incurred, and I’m fairly certain that not only your boss, but the rental agency will be extremely unhappy when they find –oh I dunno, by tomorrow..? A FOOT of water throughout this house, all of my personal possessions in need of replacement, and that I did call to report it & got a runaround. I understand that as a rule people calling with emergencies tend to be exaggerating a bit, and that you really don’t want to wake your boss at 11:30 at night just to find someone freaked out over nothing. That is not the situation here. I have water pouring out of my wall at a rate of about 2” every five minutes. It’s been doing it for approximately 20 minutes now, there is standing water in the rooms that have carpeting to absorb it – three bedrooms, the hallway, the dining area & working on the living room carpets are fully saturated! But that’s ok, you don’t have anyone available after 10 pm on a weekend night, and I’ll be sure to let everyone who needs to know just how diligent you were about performing your job & giving me that information!”
Her; *silence*
Me: “Thanks for nothing, have a great night.” and I hung up. What other option did I have..?

I knew the water meter outside could stop the water to the house, but it was 11:30 at night, and a new home. I had no idea where outside it might be, or even if I could get to it if I found it. Meanwhile, water was still pouring out of the wall. I called Hunny and wonder of wonders he was actually on his way home – only about 5 minutes out. HE got the water off & the flood stopped. I also got a phone call from the “no-one-available-after-10pm-on-a-weekend on call person. Although by the time he called Hunny had the water off & was shopvac-ing the house. They sent someone from a flood restoration company out the next morning, who set up these huge fans throughout the house. They ran 24/7 for about a week. Wanna talk about relaxing..? Not.

We ended up having several more floods, mold growing in one of the closets & behind the formica in the kitchen, the kitchen center area broken & the counter pulled away from the wall. Mold under the sink. And I can’t prove it, but I’d almost guarantee mold under the carpets. Yeah, they never replaced them after all the flooding. At least not while we were there. IN addition to that, the wiring was all jacked up. If you ran the microwave & dishwasher at the same time, it flipped the breaker every time. Oh yeah, and their dishwasher died about a week after moving in so we had to use ours. Trying to get stuff fixed was a nightmare.

Now I’m sure many of you are familiar with my propensity to go on, and occasionally exaggerate a bit (what? I’m human – mostly) So, here are some visual props, to lessen your understandable doubts…

The hallway

My computer room – luckily I had that plastic floor/chair mat I could put everything on to get it out of the wet

    

Laundry area & Closet

The kitchen wall the formica & behind it on the wall

The kitchen island area

And this, my friends, was the final straw – this picture was taken in our bedroom when we moved out – yes, you’re seeing properly – that plant was growing out from between the wall & the baseboard…

So you see, no exaggeration this time! And did I mention the air conditioner that froze up in mid-July 100 degree heat..? And that we got all of this for the low, low cost of $850 a month..? Oh yeah – one more pic, our breaker box…

                 

Well, it’s outta time I am again. The old demon work calls, and I must answer.

See ya laterzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!

           

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Me Two
Puzzle Date: February 19, 2009
Elapsed Time: 8:45
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

In Praise of HH Gregg - Continuation

Alrighty then We’ve gotten through the cars. Now I will move on to get you closer to where I was going with this. Closer – not necessarily there. I was going on about my luck with thing electronic & mechanical…while we’re on the subject, let’s not forget to include Sprint & the cell phone, ‘cuz, yanno, it’s electronical. . .I won’t go back over all the ugly details again, if you didn’t get em the first time, just click the links, they’ll take you to relevant posts.

So…last year, we moved right about tax time. Now I know houses aren’t mechanical, or electronic, but my “luck” apparently runs to them, too. I don’t think I’ve touched too much on that before, so I will do so now.

We lived in the same house for almost 7 years. We initially got it on a “rent-to-buy” type set up – the payments came outta Hunny’s check each week and were split between “principle” & “interest”. It was set up as a series of 6, five years leases, at the end of which we would “purchase” the home for $1. We also had the option to purchase at any point if finances allowed. After about 5 years, they did, so we went the mortgage route. Life was good. Our payment went from about $700 a month to about $500 a month. It was a fixed 30 year term. That’s supposed to mean your payment doesn’t change. Note I said supposed to.

But apparently, somewhere along the line, the taxes weren’t figured properly, so the amount we escrowed for them wasn’t right. By a whole bunch. On top of that, our mortgage was “sold” by the initial issuer – you know the one with human employees? That you could actually talk to..?It was bought by the Demon Store’s (Best Buy for you late-comers) big brother – The Demon Lender aka Wells Fargo.

I received a notice saying our payment was increasing by approximately (‘cuz I don’t remember the exact amount – I’ve slept since then) $200 a month. $200 a month! That’s a big jump on a “fixed rate mortgage.” I did what I could, and actually managed for a few months, but then I made a payment late. I freely fess up – I made the payment late. About 3 weeks so. And because I had jumped into that vicious cycle, each payment after that was about 3 weeks late. And the phone calls started. I tried to make arrangements with them, to send an initial amount, by a certain date,then add to each following payment, and I did so. But they claimed the payment arrived about four days later than it needed to, and hence, I “broke the agreement.” More phone calls.

I created a new agreement with “Haji” over the phone, and sent off more money on the date I agreed to. Again, it “arrived” late. WTF? I knew damn good & well I had sent it correctly. I‘m sure you can see the vicious cycle beginning here…? By this point, they want me to send them $800 “now” and $1000 a month to catch up. You see, every time I “broke” the agreement, there were additional fees…big surprise there, huh? For a minute, they almost convinced me I was the one fuc*ing up. Almost. I was very stressed, to say the least. But this time, I got smart. Rather than having my bank send it (something I rarely do, but it gave me an uninterested third party verification of when it was sent, so I had gone that way…) I decided I would send it Priority Mail, Signature Required. I got my receipt – with signature – back, and had verification that my payment had arrived two days before it needed to. But wonder of wonders, it didn’t post to my account until 5 days later. See where this is going..? Yep! Broke the agreement (and added hefty fees) again.This time they wanted another $1500  and $1200 a month…Not happening. My signature receipt..? Useless. As far as they were concerned, didn’t mean a thing. By this point, the combination of this & the fact that my car had burned to the ground was just too much for me. The stress was making me physically ill. Hunny and I decided we were done with them. But they had us screwed royally.

You see, they were reporting us 60 days out on the mortgage (we weren’t) and refused to revise it. On top of that, they were also the finance company on the Impala. The one that was now a burned out shell..? Now I know large companies tend to have large numbers of incompetent employees and poor communication, but what happened with the Impala borders on asinine. They were repoting us 90 days out on that car. The same car that my insurance company, and my GAP company had sent them payment in full for a month prior. (It gets better – a month after that they sent someone to our house to repo it!) Really!

What I was getting to was that not only were we screwed by them on our mortgage, we couldn’t refinance because we were screwed by them credit wise. Never mind every other account was reporting on time, consistent payments. Between the mortgage & car loan they were mis-reporting, no one would even look at a refinance…so we moved.

And I’m outta time :( So…..To Be Continued *grin*
See ya laterzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!         

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Animal Magnetism
Puzzle Date: February 18, 2009
Elapsed Time: 11:52
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words

Today’s Puzzle

Puzzle Title: Playing The Blues
Puzzle Date:February 17, 2009
Elapsed Time: 9:36
Hints Used: 0 letters, 0 words