Got a phone call a day ago from someone who asked me if I was the holder of a Visa card ending in, and he gave the last 4 numbers of one of my cards. Yes, I said cautiously. He then went into a monologue, rapid fire, about something I was entitled to and I said, “Whoa, slow down, I can’t understand you.” And he hung up. He had, somehow, been alerted to the fact I wasn’t immediately ga-ga over getting free stuff and wanted to actually understand what he was saying before, perhaps, giving out vital information (that I wasn’t going to do anyway – I was just playing along), and he wasn’t ready to deal with that.

I am appalled to think that many people on hit lists are so gullible that the mere mention of something for nothing disconnects them from any kind of sense and they go for it and give out private information.

I used the star-69 function to get the number and recognized it as being in New Jersey. I then tried to get a name to go with the no. but the search engines wouldn’t yield more information without charging me, so I decided to turn it over to a fraud hotline, which I did.

Incidentally, I am really annoyed that stuff that is free from city directories is being charged for if you try for it on-line. Yet, I can still get some data. It isn’t consistent. This new system has taken hold only in the last several years. Before that, you could get tons of info just by typing it into Yahoo or Switchboard. Intelius will offer to give you the info if you register and will only charge you $1.50 or less, but by registering you set yourself up for monthly billing afterward (unless you cancel and don’t we have enough to remember anyway?) so I never go for that. I’d have to really want the info. So far my urge to find people has been whimsical rather than critical.

During our errand running yesterday, we also stopped at A.C. Moore, an arts and crafts store a half hour away, to buy acrylics and some brushes for my art class and the bill was almost $80. I had sticker shock. Now I’m afraid to open the package for fear that the price will retroactively jump to $100 just because I touched the stuff.

I also got Ed to take me to Wal-Mart (he hates Wal-Mart) so I could get a watch battery but they have a feud with Seiko and wouldn’t change the battery. It was Sunday, so the alternative, a jewelry store, wasn’t going to work. For a while I will be timeless.

What was particularly annoying was the explanation: “We had trouble with people coming in to have us replace the battery, then saying we had damaged the watch and they wanted a new one.” But they will replace batteries on other brands -- it leaves one thinking: “Wow, people who have Seiko watches are just waiting for a chance to defraud Wal-Mart.” Oh, lame, lame.

The trouble with this area is that most anything you need to do, outside of buying groceries, is 15-30 miles away and public transportation is almost nonexistent. My b.i.l., who likes to dump on NYC, has often tilted at me saying this area has “everything NY has.” Well, one of everything some of the time. In the New York phone book, one borough only, you will get hundreds of choices.

Radio Shack, which was open, would sell me a watch battery, but wouldn’t replace it for me. Seiko watches don’t have screws on the back panel – you have to have a tool to pry it off. So I am waiting for Ed to drive me (he discourages me from driving far off the island) to a jewelry store. Today is not good. We have a monsoon going on (the cats are stir crazy and are blaming me for not being able to go on the pool deck). Our tires are old enough to maybe skid in the rain. BJ’s is having a discount on Michelin tires, but not a big enough discount. Life is complicated.
If I continue I will start snarling. (Oh, you think I am already snarling?)

xx, Timeless Teal