Ah yes, the ol’ Using My Blog As An Accountability Tool. Let’s do this.
1. MAKE THE PHONE CALL: One of our utilities recently changed how they process payments. The first month of the switchover, our payment got “stuck” – we could see it on the utility website as “processing” but it never came out of our bank account. I called and called but there was a learning curve: if I pressed the menu buttons for the things it sounded like I needed, I would get stuck in an automated system where I couldn’t get out. When I finally figured out how to get to customer service, the wait times were ridiculous. But I finally got through, and the person I spoke to said lots of people had been having the same issue and she could take a payment over the phone. Well. Part of the new payment system they adopted meant that they are now charging a fee for payments via credit card. I do not want to pay a credit card fee. We’d already decided to go the check route for this utility and I asked if we could pay by check and she said sure. I also asked what would happen to the “processing” payment; it would be erased once our check arrived. And we would not be charged a late fee, right? Since this was their fault, and everyone in their system was having the same problem? Of course. No late fee. I got off the phone, sent in the check, washed my hands of the situation.
You and I both already know that this is not the end of it. Our “processing” fee was released, so we now have a credit with the utility. Fine. But since the original fee was via credit card, they also charged us the new fee for using a credit card. AND they charged us a late fee. ARGH. So now I have to call and complain and see if they can refund us the (very minimal, I realize; it’s the principle of the thing) extra charges and figure out whether they will apply the credit to our upcoming bill. I do not want to make this call and have been not wanting to make this call for well over a week. Maybe two weeks. I am going to make the call today. I AM.
2. Walking Write Up: This is me posting about my daily walks as part of Elisabeth’s CBWC. I have been walking, daily (or nearly enough), and trying to get photographic evidence of said walks. It’s a gorgeous time to be outside, with lots of green grass and blooming flowers right beside fallen leaves and trees that are glowing with autumn colors. The other day, my husband – who dislikes walks – initiated a walk! We drove to a new-to-us hiking trail and walked through the woods and it was lovely. One day, I walked on the treadmill. But that counts and sometimes the treadmill is the best option. Please ignore my weird arm, which appears twice in the photos below.
3. Find a New Eye Doctor: I haven’t complained about my eyes lately; I guess I’ve had enough other complaints to fill up the complaining portion of my blog duties. But I guess I’ll mention the issue here so that when I eventually lose an eye to whatever is going on, I can pinpoint where it started.
I’ve been having a very odd reaction in my eyes for a couple of months now. They will – seemingly out of nowhere – get all burny and itchy and red and goopy. It’s gross and also uncomfortable. One morning it was so bad, I couldn’t drive. I had to take my kid to school several hours late because I was busy lying on my bed with a cold compress on my eyes, trying to calm them down enough that I could see. Fortunately, the reactions haven’t been quite so severe, but sometimes it does look like I have a raging case of pink eye. (It’s not pink eye.) But I cannot get in to see MY eye doctor to save my life. Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I enjoy the continuity of care that comes with having one doctor for multiple years. So it’s time to find a new eye doctor. I am going to look, today.
4. Laundry: I have had a clean basket of laundry in my bedroom since Saturday, and three piles of to-be-washed clothing on my bathroom floor since Tuesday. Today’s the day the piles become clean, folded, put away laundry.
5. Make Dinner: I have not, as promised, “shopped my freezer” this week. I think Monday night I made pumpkin curry with things on hand (though nothing frozen) and then the rest of the week I have made nothing. We’ve been subsisting on leftover chili (me) and takeout matzoh ball soup (my husband). Last night my dinner consisted of cheese and crackers, almonds and dried cranberries, sliced cucumbers and bell peppers and broccoli florets dipped in ranch dressing. Only Carla has been eating things from the freezer, as she is on a salmon kick and I buy salmon filets by the bag from Costco. I have also been to the grocery store TWICE since I posted about not wanting to go to the store, and bought four pork tenderloins (there was a BOGO situation) to add to the already bursting meat drawer in my freezer. So tonight I am going to make barbecue pork in the crockpot. Plot twist: my husband says our usual recipe is too wet, so I guess I need to find a recipe for barbecue pork that is not too “wet.”
Okay. As blog as my witness, I am going to accomplish these things today.