Slick

I just got off the phone with my credit card company. We have it for emergencies, Tivo :), airline tickets, and the like. And we used it to buy groceries and gas before we bought the house, in order to beef up our credit even more (since we're both young and don't have a terribly long credit history). Anyway, I noticed a "fraud dectector" charge on the statement. I distinctly recall the phone conversation I had with the telemarketor proffering that particular service. I very distinctly remember telling him no--repeatedly. So, imagine my surprise when I see the charge for it on our statement. Grrrrrrr.

I called said credit card company this afternoon, and they were oh-so-helpful (they even finally changed my name for me). They cancelled the fraud detector and they are crediting the charge. Here's the extra slick-and-sneaky part... after they say they'll take it off, their script says (I imagine, it sounded like it was memorized/read from a script), "You know, fraud is a 50 bizillion dollar problem in the United States affecting 20 million zillion people. We do protect you against anything under your SSN and up to $25,000. Now that I have told you about fraud, are you sure you want to cancel the fraud detector?" The sometimes-cynical part of me wonders if they sign you up on purpose so they can give you their spiel AGAIN and prove to you how easily someone can make an unauthorized charge on your account. If the company pulls anything like that again, I'm gone. I will cancel the account. I know I'm only one person, and I'm certainly not a significant one person--I don't make a million dollars or charge cars or anything very big to my credit card. But I will not have my own credit card company making unauthorized charges on my account!

Secondly, the funny FL voting story. We had a local election here recently. I wondered what the voting process was like down here, after the whole 2004 Presidential election issue in Florida. I found out some precincts DO still us the punch cards! Several people I work with said they had used those. Even "backwards" Knoxville has computerized voting!!!!! Gator fans should not accuse Knoxvillians of being hillbillys if THEY are still hand punching their ballot cards. :) Secondly, someone mentioned she could tell her husband hadn't voted yet when she went, because his name was not crossed off. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm not sure about the reliability of "crossing names off a list" to keep track of who's already voted. And I certainly don't want the aforementioned list visible to a person waiting in line--voting is a wonderful privilege we should take advantage of--but whether or not you have voted yet is no one's business but your own. Yikes. May I vote by absentee ballot, please?

My day was fine--it FLEW by between a morning assembly and science lab. Then I invited my class for a "lunch bunch" in my class for the positive report I received from the sub yesterday. After that was resource (special areas), and then packing up to go home! Whew! Two days until the weekend. :) And tonight we're finishing off a restaurant gift card for dinner and finding a new printer (hopefully)!! Sounds fun to me. :)

We hope you're having a good week! There's a HINT of FALL in the air here--I was so excited that I took Sammy for walk. I would not have DREAMED of taking her for a walk this early in the day a week ago--it would have still been around 90 degrees. Kim, I'm glad you're enjoying your year round summer a little further south, but this Tennessee girl lives for Autumn. And I praise the Lord it does come to Gainesville. Even though our leaves often don't turn until late November and don't fall off until Christmas time (or January). It'll be worth the wait!

Love,
Becca