Arghhhhh!!!!!

Twice now in the last four months my Amazom.com Visa card has been compromised. Got a call yesterday from somone purporting to be from Pay Pal. They were seeking to verify the opening of a Pay Pal account. Someone apparently had used my name and my Amazon.com Visa card to open a Pay Pal account that day and then proceeded to buy two purses - one for $672.87 and the other for $774.00.

I informed them in no uncertain terms that I had NOT opened a Pay Pal Account and that I had not authorized anyone to use my Visa credit card. Pay Pal was going to close the Pay Pal account and reject the charges and suggested that I contact my Credit Card company.

So I called Chase Credit Services and after being connected to the Fraud Department, they review recent transactions/pending etc...and I told them what Pay Pal had said and that I had not authorizied any such charges and wanted the card cancelled immediately, which it was. Now I'll get a new one in a few days and have to go through the process of cancelling, notifying and restarting the autopay's that I had going to that card. I'll also be getting some affidavits to fill out to dispute the charges etc.

After I finish this I'm going to write down all that has occurred and watch things closely, though I do already. One wonders though, same card in four months compromised. Only thing that has changed is that what used to be Bank One has now become Chase Card Services (Bank One bought by Chase) - so much for security.

I mentioned all this to a friend last night and they asked if I shopped at Officemax as apparently in the news last week there was mention that Officemax's systems had been hacked. I do (Jan 2006 was the last time right after I got the new card - damn!), I did and this would have been the card I'd have used.

For all the aggravation this is causing me they should be strung up by their ....

Spring Cleaning #2

Well...so much for paperwork. I'd gone back to bed for awhile until around 8:30am and was just lying there reflecting on whether I should or shouldn't get up...dozing actually when I heard Rose's voice on the answering machine. So I got up and checked the messages - she wanted to borrow my small rake and well one thing lead to another and I ended up finishing the yardwork in Alba's backyard (about 3 1/2 hours). More raking, trimming and carting. Filled 8 lawn/leaf bags and have another pile of branches and tree limbs to take to the road around the 15th.

While I was doing that, the City work crew was working on the creek, cleaning it out from a winter's worth of debris etc. Something that I was contemplating doing myself as there was a bit of accumulated junk causing the water to back up a bit. Anyway I won't have to worry about that as now the water should run freer and clearer down to the grate at Slayton. Unlike last year when the creek filled up and almost overflowed...I and Mr. Carolin spent two or so hours in the rain raking and pulling assorted debris from the grate - plastic bags (the worst! as they let no water through), tree limbs, and assorted other junk that had washed down the creek and then dammed up the grate, before the water started to recede. At least this year, my mind has been relieved of that happening again.

Note to self: Get Back cellar window replaced - glass blocks more water tight and repair or replace basement doors - again make more water tight.

I also made it a point to go back to the fence and Thank the two guys who were doing the work, telling them how much I appreciated their efforts etc. They told me that the Apartment Complex up by Salina St. is a big culprit in all the junk thrown into the creek. Their dumpsters lie next to the creek and the tenants just throw their garbage over the dumpters when they are full and it lands in the creek, that plus the assorted mattresses, and other items they pulled from it. Some people have no respect for others property nor any idea how their actions could affect others. Plus I'm sure some of the kids throw things in the creek just to fool around as kids do...sighhh.

So, I never did do paperwork, instead after raking etc I showered had my lunch - pot roast ala' Alba along with muffins and then tried to take a nap, but a yappy dog across the creek wouldn't shut up so that went no where and I ended up doing dishes and baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies which I shared with the girls next door and then sat and visited.

Now today, I shall do that paperwork, since the lawns are done and it is raining outside right now. It's 54 with rain, yesterday it got to 79 and the upcoming week well be in the 40 - 50's till the end of the week when it should warm up some.