Reset Forty-Eight, Day Sixty-Three
Apr. 27th, 2023 05:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rejectomorphOy, what a day. Tuesday night I finally got around to re-applying for online banking services, and then the first email I got Wednesday was from my bank declining my application again. I find the word "decline" annoying in this context, but even more annoying was the absence (yet again) of any reason for this refusal. I called their customer service number and spent some time on hold before the Indian guy claiming to be named Brian or some such thing got around to me. He informed me that I had been refused because I'd used the wrong email address. It was the address the person I talked to last time had assured me she had put into the system so I could indeed use it when I reapplied.
I got a bit huffy with Brian or whatever, though I knew it wasn't his fault, and to his credit he went to work on the problem and, in time, got it more or less straightened out, though along the way he did manage to misspell my name in the email address, so we had to go back and redo that again. After more than an hour of futzing (Internet was incredibly slow here all day, possibly due to the solar maximum thing) I finally got access to online banking, though there had been a goatload of security questions to get through, some of which were a bit unnerving. Some of them had to do with family members I had no idea the bank even knew I had, and before I was done I got the distinct impression that the bank knows more about my life and my family than I do. Creepy.
One other disappointment awaited me, though. I went to order new checks and discovered that the bank no longer gives them to me for free, and they are in fact now quite costly. The bank did change ownership (from a Dutch outfit to a Californian outfit) since the last time I'd ordered checks, so I guess it's not surprising. But since I get next to no interest on the money I lend them it was nice to at least get that one perk.
After that was all squared away I checked the supermarket ads, Safeway in particular since I had a reward that needs to be spent this month. At their site I discovered an offer for extra points (which can be cashed in for rewards) on gift cards for something called Wayfair. It turned out to be an housewares retailer, and the things they sell include lamps, and since I've been needing some new lighting in my bedroom I checked their web site and discovered two lamps that would be perfect in there. One is a torchier with a side lamp for reading, which is exactly what I need on one side of my bed, and it's on sale fairly cheap.
The other is a spiffy modern table lamp with three-way dimmer, and it can be operated by simply touching the frame (it's a boxy shape about eleven inches high and five inches square.) Plus it has a USB port in its base. I can charge my phone right next to my bed while I sleep, with no extra appliance taking up space. I think I'll get both of them. They will be less than a hundred bucks, and I really need them, and the Safeway rewards I get from buying a hundred bucks worth of Wayfair gift cards will get me about thirteen bucks of discounts on next month's groceries. Seems like a good deal.
There's other stuff I need to get done soon, but I suppose I'll get around to it. Getting the lighting situation dealt with will be nice, as was getting the online banking dealt with. There is some slim chance that getting that other stuff done will also be nice. I can't believe how optimistic I'm feeling. I guess some huge catastrophe is in the offing. Oh well, I'll be able to read about it in comfort with my new lamp.
I got a bit huffy with Brian or whatever, though I knew it wasn't his fault, and to his credit he went to work on the problem and, in time, got it more or less straightened out, though along the way he did manage to misspell my name in the email address, so we had to go back and redo that again. After more than an hour of futzing (Internet was incredibly slow here all day, possibly due to the solar maximum thing) I finally got access to online banking, though there had been a goatload of security questions to get through, some of which were a bit unnerving. Some of them had to do with family members I had no idea the bank even knew I had, and before I was done I got the distinct impression that the bank knows more about my life and my family than I do. Creepy.
One other disappointment awaited me, though. I went to order new checks and discovered that the bank no longer gives them to me for free, and they are in fact now quite costly. The bank did change ownership (from a Dutch outfit to a Californian outfit) since the last time I'd ordered checks, so I guess it's not surprising. But since I get next to no interest on the money I lend them it was nice to at least get that one perk.
After that was all squared away I checked the supermarket ads, Safeway in particular since I had a reward that needs to be spent this month. At their site I discovered an offer for extra points (which can be cashed in for rewards) on gift cards for something called Wayfair. It turned out to be an housewares retailer, and the things they sell include lamps, and since I've been needing some new lighting in my bedroom I checked their web site and discovered two lamps that would be perfect in there. One is a torchier with a side lamp for reading, which is exactly what I need on one side of my bed, and it's on sale fairly cheap.
The other is a spiffy modern table lamp with three-way dimmer, and it can be operated by simply touching the frame (it's a boxy shape about eleven inches high and five inches square.) Plus it has a USB port in its base. I can charge my phone right next to my bed while I sleep, with no extra appliance taking up space. I think I'll get both of them. They will be less than a hundred bucks, and I really need them, and the Safeway rewards I get from buying a hundred bucks worth of Wayfair gift cards will get me about thirteen bucks of discounts on next month's groceries. Seems like a good deal.
There's other stuff I need to get done soon, but I suppose I'll get around to it. Getting the lighting situation dealt with will be nice, as was getting the online banking dealt with. There is some slim chance that getting that other stuff done will also be nice. I can't believe how optimistic I'm feeling. I guess some huge catastrophe is in the offing. Oh well, I'll be able to read about it in comfort with my new lamp.
