ApRil FOols JoKe....

Weeellll, not exactly. The following story is true. Only the names have been obscured to protect our dignity!

I was cruzin' the net when my cell went off. The programmed ring told me it was hubby. So I pick up expecting a rather nice conversation and instead got a frantic man on the other end. It seems that hubby got up early, went to the bank, grabbed some moola for his business trip to Reno and headed out for a 45 minute commute to pick up his partner. They rode the free way for another 3 hours and needed to stop for fuel. YIKES! This is where hubby realizes that he has left his card in the ATM machine like 4.5 hours ago. He is having a minor coronary as he is pleading with me to give him the 800 number for canceling your cards. I am fumbling to open the PDA and grab said companion card and HOPING that the numbers are still there. You see, my signature and all the other important info on my card INCLUDING the raised numbers imprinted on it have all been flattened or erased from a lot of use! I find the numbers and give them to him and within 5 minutes a return call tells me that indeed the card has been canceled!

Now, I didn't have the guts to ask him how I was going to pay for my trip back to SoCAL with a canceled card... but there you go.

This reminds me of when we applied for and received a credit card to be exclusively used for our son's wedding. The card arrived in January and was activated in anticipation of buying frenzies. Somewhere in the last weeks of May I actually began purchasing flowers, food, tuxedos and other things. The first couple of purchases (the $200.00 + tuxedo rentals, and a trip to Michael's ) went fine. But when I went to (stupid - I HATE this store) WalMart to pick up $16.00 worth of ribbon, the card was denied. "Too much activity on the card" and they thought it had been stolen!

In fairness to the clerk at WalMart she was gracious and handled the situation nicely. I can't say that about the gal behind me in line who -not realizing she was in a WALMART -hello- threw a hissy fit and ranted about the wait and my inability to pay for $16.00 of ribbon. I finally told the clerk to never mind her, she was just upset that a house had been dropped on her sister yesterday; (and that really sent her up!)

The problem was eventually fixed; although there were a few more times when the card company helpline was involved!

Is it any wonder I never use those cards unless I have to?