AZDonna

In my last post, I teased a story about an eventful stop at the bank that Megan, Steven and I made while I was in Boise. All’s well that ends well, but the journey was quite frustrating.

It all started on Friday afternoon as the kids and I were out geocaching, and we wanted to stop and get some late lunch. I needed cash, and checked my iPhone for the closest Bank of America so I could access an ATM without incurring fees. We found one about two miles away, and swung into the drive up ATM lane. The car ahead of me pulled away, and I pulled up. I remembered I had a couple of small checks in my purse that needed to be deposited, so I made the deposit first, then selected “Another transaction. Withdraw cash. $100”. The machine whirred and clicked and a message appeared telling me to take my cash below. The only problem was, there was no cash below.

My card was returned and I pulled around to the parking lot and the kids and I went inside. Approaching the Welcome desk, I briefly explained what happened, and the teller told me I would have to speak to a “Personal Banker”. There were three, each with customers. So we waited. And waited. And waited. The kids played with apps on my iPhone, read books, and asked how much longer. I was in the process of downloading a bank app to my iPhone so I could check my balance and see if the $100 had gone out of my account when a PB opened up and invited me in.

I explained what happened, and he checked my account. He said the deposit showed up, and $100 did go out of my account. I would have to talk to the ATM Fraud department. He escorted me to a small customer conference room and dialed the number for me.

I had to enter my account number, my social security number, and another personal identifying tidbit, and then was transferred to a customer service rep. I explained what had happened, and she asked me for my account number, my social security number and another personal identifying tidbit. She verified that the $100 did go out of my account, and she would transfer me to the ATM Fraud department. When someone answered, I explained what had happened, and she asked me for my account number, my social security number and another personal identifying tidbit. She verified that there might be a problem with the ATM and she would transfer me to the ATM Claims department. That’s when my call got disconnected.

I started over, and you can reread the above paragraph to know what happened. Right before the third representative transferred my call, she gave me the direct line number to the claims department in case I got disconnected again. You guessed it; I got disconnected again. Meanwhile, the kids were asking how much longer. They were being SOOOO good!!!

The third time I called back, I was able to get directly to the Claims department, give her my account number, my social security number, and another personal identifying tidbit, and within two minutes she had credited the $100 back to my account. Whoo hoo!! We were on our way. But not before I got some cash, because remember, the ATM had failed to dispense it. I was ATM-shy by that time, and went to the teller and wrote a check.

We stopped for some pie later that afternoon, and I reached for my sweater. It was missing and I knew I had left it at the bank. We drove back down and guess what we found? Two repair trucks in the drive up lane tearing the ATM apart! I felt so vindicated.

Here’s a couple old videos. In the first one, Nathan was just beginning to walk. This was right around his first birthday.

In this one, Steven was one and a half, and he was quite the talker.

There’s not many things cuter than a baby who has just started to walk.

This is Andrew three weeks ago:

This is Andrew yesterday:

I had my first of 5-8 alcohol injections into my neuroma on Friday. I have to have them every 10 days until the toe is numb. The doctor guided the needle with an ultrasound to make sure he was hitting the nerve exactly right. He said this treatment has gotten much more effective with the advancement of the ultrasound. He used to do 3 or 4 neuroma surgeries a month; now he does 3 or 4 a year.

The injection didn’t hurt as much as the cortisone when he gave it (he freeze sprayed it first), but later in the evening, it was very, very sore. It’s better today. Hope it’s not that bad every time.

I’ll update my progress in the comments section over the next few weeks.

I got a new car! I had my last one (a 2000 Accord) for over 10 years. My previous car before that was a 1994 Civic, so I’ve been a Honda owner for many years. I don’t think you can go wrong with a Honda.

I’ve had my eye on the new Accords for several months. They changed the body style a bit, and it’s sleeker and longer than the “bubble” look of my last one. I feel like I have a lot of car under me. And it has all the bells and whistles I could possibly want. A built in navigation system, voice activated bluetooth, connection port for my iPod, 6 CD changer/player, leather interior, moonroof and remote ignition starter (for cooling it off before I get in during our hot summer months). It has some great safety features as well: front and side air bags, ABS brakes, Vehicle Stability Assist, Tire Pressure Monitoring.

I used the Costco Auto Program. They have pre-negotiated great rates for Costco members, and I got a really good deal without having to do the bargaining on my own. (I did get the salesman to give me a 27% discount on the remote starter, so I’ve still “got it” when it comes to persuasion capability!) For anyone looking to buy a new car, I recommend the Costco program.

Now I need to get used to all the toys and quit playing with them while I drive, before I have an accident. (just kidding … I’m careful!)