escape yourself and gravity

It is REALLY embarrassing to have your sandwich all ordered and ready and get up to the cash register only to have your card declined. Knowing I have plenty of money in my checking account to cover a meal at Subway, I ask him to try again, and it's declined AGAIN. So I left. Didn't have any cash, or I would have been using it. Went to the ATM and it said my balance was $70 but wouldn't give me any money. So I call the bank, and she says that whatever I bought yesterday has a hold on the card instead of just deducting the money. So I'm welcome to drive the sixty miles to my nearest bank branch if I want money, but that's the only way I can get cash right now.

This is the second time in less than a week that I've had trouble with a card, AND that the money has been there. I'm done with this. Stupid fucking cards. I'll go back to carrying all cash.

I just spent $1200.

How depressing that I spent it on catching up my payments to Discover and Sallie Mae. However, this hopefully means that next month I will be entirely caught up to Sallie Mae, and I can actually apply to the FBI because I'm no longer worried about defaulting on my federal loan. >.>

Plus maybe Discover and Sallie Mae will stop, y'know, leaving me daily voice mails asking for money.

In other news...

I bought some new makeup today. It's just L'Oreal, nothing fancy, but I came home and put some of it on and felt happy.

Watched Monster this weekend. I wasn't impressed. The acting by Theron and Ricci was good. The movie itself, in my opinion, tells far too much of a poor-victimized-me, I'm going to take revenge angle on Aileen Wuornos' story. Despite the fact that she was a hooker, the facts just aren't there to indicate that every single one of her victims actually raped or attempted to rape her before she killed them. She even admitted that at one point, even if she recanted that story. And despite the director claiming they weren't trying to glamorize it, I still feel they gave Wuornos too much credit.

Worked forty-five minutes late last night. Which is probably not a big deal in a lot of companies, but in our culture where overtime is a four-letter word, it was crazy for C and G and me to all be there late (though for G it was only 15 minutes). We did get a thank-you from the VP of sales and the CFO, though, as well as our boss. Go us.

slightlyjillian, I know I owe you a phone call. :)

I know I'm spamming you all. Sorry. >.>

http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/17/news/economy/credit_cards_hearing/index.htm?eref=rss_topstories

Thursday's hearing, which marked the fourth time in the past year that House lawmakers tackled the issue, has become an issue that has taken on more relevance as Americans face rising unemployment, rising inflation and have had to increasingly rely on their credit cards to make ends meet.

Based on the most recent data from the Federal Reserve, the average American family carries an average of $2,200 in credit card debt.

Critics have charged that many credit card issuers engaged in "unfair" practices such as raising interest rates on debt even when consumers pay on time or imposing excessive fees.

It's about damn time somebody did something about this.

Lawmakers were captivated by the credit card horror stories presented by three individuals Thursday, including that of Susan Wones, a Denver woman who said the rates on her multiple credit cards spiraled higher even though she stayed below her credit limit.