I think I need to break up with my bank...

So last night, I got a new debit card in the mail from my bank. This was a bit confusing to me, because my debit card isn't set to expire until 2010. I chalked it up to a simple processing error. We're all human, right? I also noticed that it had actually been sent to my old address, but the post office had forwarded to my "new" address (I put "new" in quotes here because I've lived in my current apartment for a year now).

So I call up my bank this morning and get on the phone with a customer service rep, and apparently, the card had NOT been sent in error. Apparently what happened was that I WAS supposed to get a new debit card, and apparently a letter had been sent to me explaining that my card, along with others, may have been compromised through an unauthorized release of information from a vendor or a retailer (and I realized later today, I had used it at Marshall's a few weeks ago to buy coffee, and they are under major investigation for this, so that makes sense. So I'm never going THERE again!). I said that I had received no such letter. Upon further investigation, it had been sent to my old address. Now, I've been to my bank, more than once, and changed my address in person (you have to, they require a signature). While I cannot remember the exact date I went in there, I know that I did- and further proof is that my current checks have my current address on them. I had to physically go to the bank to order my checks; therefore, one can conclude that I needed to change my address in order to get checks with my updated address. Right? And I remembered filling out a form and everything. Well, the customer service rep didn't care. She told me that I needed to go to my closest branch and straighten it out. So I had to actually leave work and drive to my closest branch (which, luckily, is only about five minutes away from work).

It. Was. An. Ordeal. I asked to speak to a supervisor, because I was really upset about the fact that I never received this letter, and that mail was still going to my old address in the first place, despite coming into the bank and changing it in person. As a result, I never received an important piece of mail regarding my debit card and that a new card would be sent- what if the card itself had been sent to the wrong address (which technically, it was), and fallen into the wrong hands? I could have been so, so screwed. And I was really upset about it.

To call the supervisor "incompetent" is a compliment. She could not keep track of which was my old address and which was my new address. I had to correct her several times. She could not locate a change of address form and tried to imply that I never filled one out, but I showed her my checkbook and asked her how I could have gotten checks with my current address if I'd never filled one out, and she could not answer me. She prefilled a new Change of Address form for me on the computer, and spelled my street name wrong, and then she got my apartment number wrong. She said that there was no phone number for me on file, but I could see my cell phone number on my account on her computer. She didn't know today's date. The whole thing was maddening.

But this is, flat out, the worst part. This is the part where I officially had a mini-stroke. I asked to see my account transactions over the past month, just so I could review it and verify all of my transactions. I keep track of my bank account very closely, and hadn't noticed any unusual activity, so I wasn't too concerned (this had happened to me a few years back- I received an identical letter and a brand-new card, and my account hadn't been affected). So she printed it out and handed it to me, and I looked it over, and I didn't recognize any of the charges- $60 to a minimart, a check made out to someone named James Buchanan, an electronic overdraft fee because the account had a balance of -$11 at one point! I started to get really scared and I started to panic- I have never, ever been overdrawn a day in my life- I keep meticulous track of my finances. The supervisor takes the piece of paper from me, looks it over, and breezily says to me, completely unapologetically, "Oh, wait. This isn't your account. This is someone else's." I swear to God, my heart officially stopped beating for a minute. I was so pissed off.

And she had the NERVE to try and upsell additional banking services/products to me! I was like, are you effing kidding? You can't even keep track of the ones I have now! Why would I entrust you with even MORE responsibilities regarding my money???

And so, I think the time has come to break up with my bank. My local branch doesn't even have an ATM. I'm not kidding. I had to go to the Wawa to activate my card. What kind of a bank doesn't have an ATM?

At least everything is squared away for now. But I definitely intend to switch banks. This is ridiculous. I want to shop around and do some research first. If anyone has a bank to recommend, please let me know!

The rest of the day was relatively drama-free. In fact, I received a great compliment from a coworker. I was making fun of a news story involving two reality stars getting into a brawl at the airport over saving seats in the terminal, and she said to me, "I don't know how you do it, but you take the most mundane things and make them sound so funny." That totally brightened my day. Humor is the one thing I like to think I have going for me! Another coworker said that I was "prolific". I'm prolific, AND I find humor in mundane situations! In the same day! Yay me! 

I went to the gym after work and pedaled out my frustration and anxiety on the stationary bike, while I read an issue of Health magazine. And then I wanted to do some weights, and I waited around for a specific machine (I don't know what it's called, but it works your booty), and it was finally available, so I made a beeline for it, and some bitch cut me off to get there first. She KNEW I was going for that machine. Oh well. I didn't feel like waiting any longer, so I decided to call it a day and head home. The gym will still be there tomorrow! Then I stopped at the supermarket to pick up some items I was low on- coffee, half-and-half- and treated myself to two fun new products that aren't stocked at my precious Wegmans- Health Valley No-Salt-Added Vegetarian Chunky Chili, and another KIND bar in Banana and Oatbran flavor:

I am very excited to try both of these in the near future! (Not at the same time, though- I don't think they'd go well together.)

Now I'm at home, ready to heat up my leftover Lentil Rice Biryani with steamed frozen veggies (which I am so happy to have tonight, because I am drained and do not feel like doing any cooking beyond steaming vegetables and microwaving leftovers!!!), take a nice long hot shower, watch The Office , eat some ice cream, and read some more of Protect and Defend. Since I haven't gotten any further in the book, I have nothing new to report. The legal case is really interesting and controversial- about a fifteen-year-old girl who's pregnant past the point of abortion, but she wants to have one anyway, because she just had an ultrasound and found out that her baby never developed a brain, and so when he is born, he will die, and she needs an operation to have him because she's so young, she can't have him naturally, and the operation is risky and could affect her life, and her ability to have children. So she wants an abortion, but her parents are extremely pro-life and will not consent, plus it's past the point of termination anyway, so she's suing for emancipation, and it's going to go to the Supreme Court- that's where the political backstory will come in at some point (they haven't yet), because there is a newly elected President in office, and if that isn't stressful enough, he needs to appoint a new Supreme Justice ASAP, because one just died unexpectedly of a heart attack. And the new President has some skeletons in his closet, along with the woman that he is trying to appoint to the Supreme Court. I'm glad it's getting better... I was getting concerned that the first book of No Book Left Behind (technically the second) was going to be a huge disappointment... but I'm going to stick it out and see where it goes. It's definitely captivating my interest more. I'm interested to see where the story is going. 

All right, that's enough babbling for tonight. Sorry my posts are always so super-long. Chatterbox + Fast typist= very long posts!

Have a great evening!!!!