Welcome to Caturday, Cutetropolitans! Time to lounge around after a busy work week, chat with friends, and listen to music. If only I could find my earbuds…
Weekend Open Thread
29 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread”
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Welcome to Caturday, Cutetropolitans! Time to lounge around after a busy work week, chat with friends, and listen to music. If only I could find my earbuds…
Comments are closed.
Happy Caturday! Found out yesterday that my credit card was compromised! Fun! I got a voice mail Wednesday night (but it was after 11pm by the time I saw it), and another on Thursday while I was at work, saying they were calling from Discover Customer Protection Services and to call them back and a phone number. No other info, so I was a tad skeptical (and googling the number it came from found me a lot of people saying it was a scammer and some saying it was legit, but the number they said to call seemed to be the real number for the Discover fraud department). Then later I got an email (from the same address as all my usual Discover emails) from them saying they need to talk to me. So after I got home I tried to log into my account online and got a message that I couldn’t log in and I needed to call [the same number the voice mail said to call].
So I called (the number on the card itself, not the one from the message) at lunch and turns out it was legit. They verified my last few purchases since Sunday and said they got a report that my number was found on “a suspect’s laptop” so they had to close the account and are sending me a new card. Doesn’t look like it was used, at least. Hopefully none of my automatic payments get processed in the meantime…(two of them went earlier in the month, but I think my electric bill will be soon). They’re quick, though…I got an email just about 3 hours after I talked to them that my card was shipped and should be here by noon today…I called them at 12:30 yesterday. Tracking says it’s at the Fed-Ex facility about half an hour from here (and it’s coming all the way from Salt Lake City, apparently!). When I got home I was able to log into my account (with limited functionality while they were still setting up the new account, but I could see my recent activity and there’s nothing fishy there), and just now I logged in and it says my account has been set up…just need the card to activate it.
So the moral of the story is [some] people suck, but it’s nice to know Discover is paying attention. My card has a Chihuahua on it; she asked if I wanted the Chihuahua again on the new card and I said yes, since they have lots of options and I don’t know what else I might want. Looks like it’s a different Chihuahua, though. That’s okay, this one might be cuter. 🙂
Aaannyway…hope everyone has a good weekend. I need to do some chores, get laundry out of the dryer from the other night (it’s just socks ‘n stuff), fold some towels, do some dishes…
First of all (and most importantly 🙂 ) my Discover card has a chihuahua on it too! And yes, the new card will be a different chihuahua but a chihuahua nonetheless.
I’m glad this worked out well for you. I’d have been just as skeptical of calling that phone number so it’s good that you did your research. It must’ve been 8 or 10 years ago when Discover called me and asked if I’d recently made some purchases in South Carolina (I live in New England) and when I said “no,” they said they’d take care of the problem and they did. They were right on top of things, which is incredibly reassuring.
The only other time they’ve called to check on a purchase was several years ago when I bought a computer, and then used it one or two other places for about $50 each within a few hours. They called shortly after the third purchase to make sure it was really me.
Okay, as I was writing this, I heard a light knock (would never have heard it if I wasn’t in the living room), and then heard my storm door close, and the envelope was in between the doors and the driver had already disappeared down the stairs.
Discover customer service is good, I’ve had good experiences with them.
Hope your socks and stuff did not get fragrant waiting in the dryer from the
other night. I’ve forgotten stuff in the dryer and regretted it.
They’re dry; I just never got around to taking them out. Well, except for the socks I wore yesterday. 😉
Credit card fraud and identity theft suck. My bio-dad went through that right at Christmas time, while he was dealing with chemo and other health issues. I had my identity stolen years ago, and the thief used my credit card to buy a VCR at Sears. I think it’s the last part that really burns–Sears?! Really?! You couldn’t at least go to Best Buy? Allein, I’m glad your situation got resolved quickly, without much inconvenience to you.
A tidbit from early in the week: I watched the Thor movie Ragnarok late last summer and loved it so much, I came up with a new joke that has spread around my workplace. When somebody does something great, we don’t say “You rock!” We say, “You ragnarok!” And now that Thor himself has taken selfies with a quokka, I’ve got a superlative form: “You ragnarokaquokka!” I’ve already gotten some mileage out of this one.
Adding the mosaic tile to my shower this weekend, if I can figure out what to do at the sides of the tub. It’s the original tub from 1949, and because the front has a pattern of graduated ridges, I don’t have nice straight lines where the front meets the adjoining walls. Tiling is so much easier when everything uses square cuts.
Hugs to you all. Soothing and celebratory kitty purrs are available as needed.
Okay. Ragnarokaquokka is my new favorite word!
If the low lifes involved in fraud would put half their time and energy into honest work they could make a living – without causing the rest of us such grief and misery.
We should all be so lucky to lounge around like kitty today but I’ve got a ton of stuff to do this weekend. Good news – the roofers will be here Monday! Bad news – the roofers will be here Monday and Tuesday .. and all the way to Friday at the very least, depending on how bad the roof is after they take off the shingles. So today, all pictures must come down so they don’t fall from the vibrations, everything on my patio needs to be moved to the back fence to get it out of the way of falling debris and the motorcycle and shelving in the garage have to covered in plastic. Thank god for friends coming over to help. Then hockey tonight against our arch rivals in a bid to keep our playoff hopes alive. Whew, sounds like a wild day already.
And Allein, I feel your pain about credit cards being compromised but I absolutely love Discover. They are on the ball and have contacted me in the past when I’ve done a little more shopping than I usually do. Plus I’m just thrilled that all their customer service reps are based in the USA. Another great bank that we deal with is Navy Federal, again all CSRs are in the USA and customer service is pretty good. I’m glad you’ve gotten it all straightened out and no one used your card. People who steal other peoples identity or credit card data just suck. One time, someone broke into my husband’s vehicle at a job site using a shim (kinda like what the cops use to open your car when you’ve locked your keys in it) and he didn’t notice right away. That so and so made off with a checkbook, and a debit card. That was fun trying to get it all sorted out.
The worst was my husband’s ex-wife. When he was in Navy, fighting during the Gulf War, she had power of attorney and used it to open various accounts then never made payments. She also used his social security number after the divorce at medical offices and again skipped paying. We found all this out when we decided to buy a house back in the late 90’s. Back then there wasn’t any of this free credit monitoring or ability to check your report. It took several months of mailing letters and sending off paystubs to get it cleared up. I had to actually explain to several companies that hey, he was getting combat pay which means he was not in the country so he couldn’t have opened this account. Glad that got fixed and for the ability now to keep an eye on your credit so it won’t happen again.
Try and have a good weekend everyone. Hope the weather has finally stopped being wintery and spring is busting out wherever you are.
We can guess why she is an ex, now. That was crummy.
I also found out that Hyundai erroneously reported something to the credit bureaus because of the fact that Discover puts your FICO score on your statement. It suddenly dropped 200+ points from my near-perfect score, so I checked my credit reports and discovered Hyundai reported my last lease payment, which was paid on time by the dealer when I leased my next car, as late (or unpaid, not sure). I called and they told me what to do to get it fixed, sent in the proof they needed, then heard nothing from them, except my next Discover bill showed my score back where it should be. So while I like the dealer, Hyundai Finance aren’t my favorite people.
I was thinking of opening a Discover online savings account and this might be the thing that convinces me. I have a Capital One account (was ING when I opened it) but I tend not to think about it much. Since I go to the Discover site every month, anyway, I was thinking I might be better off having an account there because it won’t be so “out of sight, out of mind” that way. (Also, at the moment at least, Discover is paying better interest.) My other savings account is at a credit union, so I can go there if needed but it’s inconvenient enough (closest branch is 15-20 minutes away and on their “late” day they’re only open until 6) that I can’t do it too easily, but they pay dividends, not interest, and it doesn’t make that much.
Ooh, can we share ex credit stories?! A few years back I wanted to consolidate my credit cards. Went to the bank, gave the loan officer my account numbers. She peered into her computer and asked what I wanted to do about the fourth card. “Which card is that?” I asked innocently. “The one with the $27,000 balance.” Me: “you mean $27,000 credit limit.” She: “No, $27,000 balance.”
And that, my friends, is how I found out that my soon-to-be ex-husband had taken a credit card I’d given him to pay off and ran it up to its credit limit. He managed to intercept the bills for FOUR YEARS and paid the minimum every month, then shredded the evidence.
He paid it all back except for the last $600, so I used a tax refund to cover it. But I will never get over the shock and betrayal.
That’s quite a story, and you told it well. The hair on the back of my neck stood up.
OMG that ex is one horrid person. Maybe Karma can bite him in the, well, you know…
Oh my goodness, I’m impressed that you got him to pay it back. That’s a lot of cheddar.
😱🤯😡🤬
Still in the thirties here, but plenty of nice warm sunshine to enjoy.
MyMike is finishing laundry, the sweetie. I do think I can give this
laundry job a shot; I’m feeling a little stronger every day. Standing for
more than a half hour makes my back hurt, so I have to be careful.
Just need one form from the state so I can finish my tax return. Yay!
Spring is here! Yes, even in Yorkshire! I’m sorely tempted to put my cold-weather clothes and footwear away until next autumn, but experience has taught me that doing so will cause a last-minute blast of arctic weather.
I’ve enjoyed a couple of nights out at my local theatre – adaptations of Angela Carter’s ‘Wise Children’ and Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘The Remains of the Day’, the former being more successful than the latter. Next week I’m going to see a repeat showing of the cinema relay of ‘An Ideal Husband’, probably the best production of an Oscar Wilde play I’ve ever seen, and a touring production of Mozart’s ‘Idomeneo’.
Wow, sounds like a lot has been happening here.
Allein, glad your credit card situation has been dealt with. We tend to put a lot of our trust in those little pieces of plastic. AJ, I’m thrilled that your roof is finally getting done.
Kitty, if I make you a more appropriately sized pair, could I have your slippers?
Peeps, right now I feel like I am holding my breath. Like waiting for the first raindrop to fall after eight weeks of hot dusty dry. And since I can’t really hold my breath right now, that makes it more interesting.
On Thursday, I saw the doctor who first diagnosed my lung condition. He listened to my breathing, and nodded. Normally, a nod would mean very little. But this was the first time he hadn’t shaken his head! Then he prodded around the eye that started this whole fiasco last June, and said that the lump was completely gone, and that, as far as he was concerned, I could come off the prednisone. Of course, he added, I had to check with the eye doctor who prescribed it. I told him I see said eye doctor on Monday.
It is entirely possible that, by this time next week, I could be completely off the prednisone! And then I can finally start losing the thirty five pounds that the blasted stuff packed on my frame. In anticipation of that, a friend is taking me shopping for sundress fabric today!
Then, hubby informed me yesterday that A) he had given notice at the one mall where they’ve been jerking him around, B) he had been asked to come back to his old landscaping job on Monday, and C) when he reported both of these to the mall job boss that he likes, she told him she was happy about the first and hoped he wouldn’t get comfortable about the second, because she wanted him full time at her mall!
So, for the first time in a long time, I am feeling a good deal better about being alive. Health hasn’t changed much. I’m still considered to be quite ill, and until remission has been declared, will stay that way. But the weight that seems to have been crushing me lately is easing.
My friend just found out she’s going to be a gramma again, so I have a baby blanket to make.
Our decks get power washed in two weeks, and then I can get my garden going.
I went for a short walk yesterday and didn’t crash.
Have a fantastic weekend, everyone.
Oh, and we got our tax refund, too!
Good news Duckie! I have my fingers crossed about Monday.
Hey Duckie I’m so very happy things are looking up for you!
Yippee!!! Like hearing good news Duckie.
Great news, Duckie! Happy for you all round – have a wonderful relaxing week end – you’ve earned it!
Interesting about the credit fraud – my husband just got a call from our bank – someone had bought something – “$500 worth – on his credit card and he had to get another one. Zcheesh, what is theater with some people??? If there’s one thing I wish they could check for and change in utero it would be sociopathy.
Super happy about your good news, Duckie!
First thing first, my 98 year old mother-in-law is doing well after having two toes amputated on her left foot because of gangrene due to poor circulation. She was operated Thursday under a spinal bloc because of her age they didn’t want to do a total general anesthesia. She’s still in the hospital and will be for a little while longer because they want to make sure that she starts healing.
Next week is my husbands last full week at work, starting the week after he’ll be working 3 days a week (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) and that will be to the next few months. After that he’ll decide if he stops completely or goes to 2 days a week for a while.
Good news all around!
Duckie waves wings around like Kermit the Frog.
Best wishes for your MIL’s continued good recovery!
It’s been a week of ups and downs. At least the weather has been nice enough to remind me what spring is like. Planted some pansies and primrose to prove it!