i'm me, really

Fixing the whole credit thing has been harder than I thought. I'm seriously considering just getting married already only to change my name. Let me explain . . .

A few years ago, I started working at Chase bank. I didn't have an account there when I started but since I was always there anyway, I thought I'd just get one. I did. When my co-worker was opening the account for me, of course he needed my ss#. I gave to him and he asked me to repeat it. I did. He asked if I was sure and he then told me that there were other accounts with my same number but a different name. I was shocked, mad . . .everything. Like I've said before, I had messed up my credit pretty badly in college but had since done a lot to repair it only to have someone else be using it. We were somehow able to open my account (really only because I worked there. If I'd been just a customer, they wouldn't have done it). I was lucky that I was working there, otherwise I would've just been told that they were not able to open my account but not told why. Working there, we were able to look up our own accounts as much as we wanted. We were only not allowed to make our own transactions. So, I looked up my ss# and found that the person had a mortgage, and a few more accounts with my credit. I was livid! I disputed it and that part has since been fixed. The catch was that I couldn't use company information. So, I couldn't say that I'd found it by monitoring my own account at work. I had to go through the credit check steps and all that.

Now . . . . . I recently checked my credit to make sure everything was ok. I check it around my birthday so that I won't forget (sidenote: if you don't know, you are entitled to a free credit report per year. You can go to annualcreditreport(dot)com for info) Anyway, everything seemed good except for two accounts that I didn't recognize. From the dates they were opened, I would've been 11 years old when I got those. It turns out that they're my mom's. Well, my dad's actually. He has some accounts on which my mom is an authorized user. He added her by name ( not ss#) and since I've had their same address before and my first name is the same, I'm screwed. I disputed those and was assured that it would be taken care of. Now I've been informed that isn't the case. In essence, I have to prove that I am me. I have to prove that I have a different name than my mom (middle initial) that I live in Arizona instead of Texas and that I am 31 instead of 51. Also, to find this out took HOURS of phone calls. I hate having to do all this. HATE it. Oh, also my credit score is going to lower after this because once my mom's accounts are removed, I'll have no credit card debt. That's right. Apparently you have to be paying on something to show you're not a bum. That sucks because I was trying to get my score as close to 830 as I possibly could so that we could refinance the house in a year. Now I'll probably have to open up a credit card. Suck. Now I'm going to have to search around for a super low interest card. Suggestions?
So, a word of advice . . . .first of all, be extremely careful with your social security number. I never did figure out how someone got a hold of it. Also, I've said this about a million times to lots of people, but it's best to not name your children your same name. I know some people love their spouse soooooo much that they want their child named after them but it is such a hassle. It sucked growing up and having our mail mixed up when we lived in the same home. It sucked when my brother filled in a change of address form and my dad's mail was all going to my brother's apartment. It sucked getting business type of phone calls that my mom thought were for her. (Especially when I was getting late payment calls in college) All of this was such an inconvenience that I still keep asking them why they named me this way. Also since I'm such a spinster, I still have the name last name. Ok, well time for more phone calls now . . . . -sigh-

feeling: aggravated
listening to: The Shins (New Slang)

boy cheese

A few weeks ago, my son asked me if he could have some "boy cheese". At first I thought I wasn't understanding what he was saying. I pretty much ignored it thinking he was asking for something else.
Yesterday right after school, Brianna asked me for a grilled cheese sandwich. Right after Alec said, "Yeah, and I want a boy cheese sandwich".
Oh!!!!!!!!!!!!! He thinks Brianna is saying "girl cheese" and that's why he asks for "boy cheese". Cute but uh, ewww. I explained and I hope he hasn't told his teacher that he likes boy cheese sandwiches.

feeling: cracking up at my son
listening to: that Diary of Jane song. I don't know who sings it

so excited . . . . then not

I was very excited about a concert that is happening in September. A local radio station has an annual fall festival and this year they're featuring Smashing Pumpkins. I was thrilled! I never got to see them in the 90's and they're one of those bands that I always wanted to see. They also said that there would be a special guest.
Now, last year they'd announced Avenged Sevenfold with a special guest. The special guest turned out to be Muse. In my mind, the special guest was even better than the first announced band. So I thought this year would be the same. I know Incubus will be in Phoenix one day before, so I thought they could come here again. I started making all sorts of combinations in my head. Smashing Pumpkins with Incubus, Smashing Pumpkins with The White Stripes, Smashing Pumpkins with any band I've ever wanted to see. Then I found out who the special guest will be. It's Cypress Hill. Eh. I felt so let down. Knowing that they'll be there cancelled out my excitement for seeing the Pumpkins. I seriously don't even want to go anymore. Forgive me if you're a Cypress Hill fan, but I have an image of their fans as sort of like thugs or something. I have no desire to attend a concert where fights are going to break out or I could potentially be shot.
So we're not going. Now I'm torn between Incubus in Phoenix (Sept 15) or The Cure in Los Angeles (Oct 14). Both? :p

feeling: it's so *%&#! hot here
listening to: Blaqk Audio (Stiff Kittens)

on the phone

You know where I've been these past few days? Here. On the phone. It seems that I've had a lot of things to take care of and the only way it can be done is by calling places. Then I'm left on hold for 75 hours straight. I wish I could say that I've been chit chatting and catching up with friends, but that it not the case.

- We have a package cable/internet/phone service. It's a good deal because it's less expensive that way. On the sucky side, it's always going down. That means all three things stop working at once. I have to call them on my cell phone and wait for them to tell me "It's not like we do it on purpose". Also, the service could be out for HOURS every day but as long as it is not in 24 consecutive hours, no credits are given. Nice.

- I haven't written about this, but I had credit issues for a LONG while. I did sooooo much to get good credit after ruining it in college only to have someone use my ss#. Somebody had used it to get a mortgage, some credit cards and a car loan. Unfortunately for that person, it was financed through the bank that I worked for. Duh! It took a while to get that all sorted. Everything is off my credit report now and instead I have a couple of my mom's accounts. The reason . . . we have the same name. I find it ridiculous first of all because I would've opened those accounts as a kid and secondly because they didn't ask for a ss#. I was on the phone with department store credit offices explaining that I am not my mom. I think it is all taken care of now. My credit score is now considered "EXCELLENT" but I know it'll be higher once this clears.

- When we got our alarm system, we were offered some really good promos and now they're not going into effect. We were offered three free months and a low fee and are now being charged (at one month) with a higher fee than we were quoted. We called. The salesman that made us this offer is no longer there so they keep passing the buck to see what they can do. We keep getting promised a return call but so far we've called about a million times and they've called us back zero times.

- The exterminators . . . ugh, this is a long story and deserves a post of it's own.

For now, I have to make a few more calls. At least these are more pleasant (school, dentist and such). -sigh- Am I the only one that hates being on the phone so much?

feeling: loving this rainy weather
listening to: some Noggin song "Beside the seaside"

the spoiler

I have a confession to make . . . I read THE spoiler. You all know what I'm talking about. Well, only the crucial parts, who dies and who kills them. At first I thought it might be a fake. I was curious and started digging around and found the exact same info in various websites. I don't think it ruined the book for me. In fact, I want to read it even more now. I would've gone to the end once I got the book anyway. I'm like that. I won't tell you all what happens unless you want me to. Also, I haven't written the name of the book or main character on here purposely. I don't want google searches turning up here (people like me). All I can say is that I was pretty sad at the outcome. Are any of you going to the midnight book celebrations?
What do you all think of the distributors who mailed out the copies early? Could they have been paid off? Are they really that dumb?

feeling: anxious
listening to: Travis (Sing)

my baby in school

Back when I started this blog Alec looked like this . . .




In fact, this picture was taken one day after I made my first post. Aww . . my baby! Today was his first day of school. He was so excited and I was a wreck. I got home and thought, "ok, now what?" It was so quiet and I had no idea what to do with myself. There was no one to feed, no one saying "mama, mama, mama", no one here except for me. He only goes for three hours two days a week, so I think I'm going to be doing quite a share of volunteering. Between his and Brianna's classroom, I should be pretty busy.
Here he is today in his new classroom looking through the dress-up clothes.





feeling: super duper old
listening to: U2 (Staring at The Sun)

back to school

Brianna went back to school today. She's now a 3rd grader and I am officially uncool. Last year we lived walking distance from her school. This year, she'll be riding the bus. I supposed technically, it's still walking distance, but come on, I live in Arizona. It would mean we'd practically get heat stroke by the time we get to school.
Anyway, I decided that I would take her today. I'd walk her to class and all that good stuff. We get there and there is not a single parking space anywhere near the school. Cars were parked for BLOCKS! I felt like parking at our old rental house and just walking from there. I was driving around thinking surely somebody must be leaving soon but people were busy video taping their kids getting out of the car. Uh-huh, PEOPLE WERE TAPING THEIR KIDS GETTING OUT OF THE CAR. And these weren't little kindergarten age kids like this is their first day of school ever. No, these were kids right about Brianna's age who were at this same school last year. I thought I was seeing wrong or maybe there was just one set of parents like this then I saw about five more video cameras. These parents were just smiling and filming their kids walking. Walking. Those poor kids looked so embarrassed.
Ok, so maybe I'm a bad mom. I only take pictures on the first day. I didn't film Brianna's first steps ever as a third grader. Next year I'm going to out-do all these people and have a freakin' press conference at the school. Paparazzi and helicopters flying over.
Tomorrow is the first day for the pre-k class Alec is in. There I can understand video cameras. I'll be the mom that'll only let go of her kid to take pictures in between sobs. I'll let you all know how that goes.

feeling: bored with my hair
listening to: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (Face Down)