Paid In Full

Posted on September 30, 2017 by cordeliasmom2012

It feels good to pay off that mortgage, doesn’t it?

I loved receiving that “paid in full” letter when I sold my previous home, and I loved seeing that 0 balance in my on-line mortgage account statement.

But I was a little confused when I went to on-line banking and discovered that my new mortgage – on which I had not yet made even the first payment – also showed as “paid in full” with a 0 balance.

Say what?  I didn’t make any payments – who did?  Could it be true?  The on-line banking system had never been wrong before.

Maybe I had a secret supporter – like maybe a former employer who felt guilty about closing up shop and leaving his people unemployed with no options?  Nah, wouldn’t happen. He considered that merely a business decision.

Maybe one of my readers was independently wealthy and took sympathy on me after learning why I had been on sabbatical for so long?  I wish – heck, we’d all wish for that, right?

Maybe I should just take it at face value and appreciate my good luck?  I could quit the Job From Hell!  Like right now!

But maybe I should check it out, just in case.  My luck is never that good.

So, I called my bank.  They were flummoxed.  Where had that payment come from?  They didn’t know, but the account definitely showed as having been closed.  (Maybe I can quit that job!)

The bank representative put me on hold while she did a little more research. After about 10 minutes, she came back to let me know she hadn’t forgotten me, but they were still looking into what was most likely a posting error.  She put me back on hold.

It was so tempting to simply hang up.  If it was the bank’s error, maybe I could force them to honor the payment?  Heck, they got my hopes up, let me dream about early retirement – they should be responsible, right?

But I stayed on the line.  Eventually, the customer service representative came back with the answer:  The loan had been sold, two weeks ago.  I should have received some notification from either the bank or the new lender, probably both.  As far as I knew, I had received nothing … well, there was that letter that came in from a lender whose name I didn’t recognize, but I thought it was just junk mail and threw it way.

Problem solved.  But now there was a new issue – I had just that day mailed my mortgage payment to the bank.  What was going to happen with that?

The bank representative gave me the number for the new lender, but it was the weekend and that lender didn’t have 24/7 customer service, so I couldn’t call.  I worried all weekend.  I had just enough money in my checking account to cover the check I had written for the mortgage payment.  I didn’t think I could make a second payment to the new lender, and the due date was coming up quickly.

On Monday, I succeeded in reaching the new lender.  Yes, they had the loan.  Yes, they had sent out a “welcome” letter (so it wasn’t junk mail, after all – lesson learned).  And yes, the payment I sent to my bank would be transferred to them, and there would be no late fees.

Whew.

It’s a relief to know my finances are back on track, but I must admit some disappointment that I don’t have a secret supporter who would allow me to quit my job.  Ah well.  Life goes on.

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I love to hear from my readers. You may comment on this post, comment on my Facebook or Twitter pages, or email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com

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Image by Cordelia’s Mom

Posted in That's Life | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

I lasted a day at my toughest job ever

Posted on September 24, 2017 by cordeliasmom2012

Who doesn’t remember their worst job ever ?! Enjoy Andy’s story, and the comments after.

(Comments are closed here – leave comments on Andy’s site.)

Andy's avatarNot That You Asked

My co-workers, especially the younger ones, have surely heard me tell them, likely multiple times, that they are doing great in life and at work and are much more poised for success than I was in my early to mid-20s, the age of a lot of our newer hires these days. I am so proud of each of them—more than they know.

Why do I say that? When I was their age, I was immature, only occasionally employed and didn’t even know what I wanted to do with myself. I was a hot mess.

Sure, I had just graduated from a good college—on time, with OK-ish grades—but I just wasn’t prepared for the real world. And I wasn’t sure if journalism, my major, was my path, either.

However, I knew I needed to do something. I was covering high school girls soccer and basketball (poorly) as a freelance…

View original post 567 more words

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Miss-Communication

Posted on September 23, 2017 by cordeliasmom2012

Everyone knows it’s seldom good when the phone rings at 2:00 am.  Most likely, it’s not going to be Publisher’s Clearing House telling you that, “Yes!  We finally have a winner! And it’s you!”

Other types of communication can also strike fear into one’s heart.  Thankfully, there are no longer telegrams from the War Department, but seeing a uniformed military officer together with a garbed priest coming up the walk while your son or daughter is in combat isn’t going to make you feel warm and fuzzy.

And then there are those types of communication that are simply annoying.  We’ve all experienced them – the dinner-time telemarketers, the overly friendly co-worker you managed to brush off during the workday.

Here’s a short list (in no particular order) of beginning sentences that are sure to get your heart rate up and your head pounding.  Feel free to add your own.

***

“Mo-om?  I just got in an accident.  Can you come?” (sounds of approaching sirens in the background)

“911.  Please hold.”

“Good evening.  This is Detective Smith from the Town Police Department.” (Do you know where all your kids are tonight?)

“Mrs. Peters?  This is Dr. Jones.  I just got your test results.”

“Good morning, this is Miz Jones from the Internal Revenue Service.”

“Hello, I’m calling about your loan application …” (seldom good when they need “just a little more information”).

“Hi, this is Tiffany’s room mother, calling about tomorrow’s bake sale …” (darn, got the note, ignored it)

“Hello, this is the School Administration Office” (oh lordy, what has she done now?)

“Hello, I’m calling about the warranty on your car ...” (said car being one you turned in approximately 10 years ago)

***

And let’s not forget communication by signage:

Detour Ahead

Open During Construction

We’ve Moved!  (If it’s on the door of the emergency vet clinic, that’s a very bad thing at 2:00 a.m.  Trust me, I know)

Exact Change Only (many people only carry credit cards)

ATM Out of Service (see above)

Open Other End (oops)

Produced With Genetic Engineering (Say what?  I just ate the whole thing!)

Best When Used By … (Wow, that was in the cupboard a really long time – does botulism trump genetic engineering?  [I just ate the whole thing!])

Do Not Enter (anyone else ever been tempted to try just to see what would happen?)

***

Jump right in, folks.  Terrifying or just annoying – I’m sure you all have a miss-communication to share.

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I love to hear from my readers. You may comment on this post, comment on my Facebook or Twitter pages, or email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com

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Image by Cordelia’s Mom

 

 

 

 

Posted in That's Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Cordelia’s Mom Is Back!

Posted on September 17, 2017 by cordeliasmom2012

Did that title give you a little thrill?

I sure hope so.  I’ve missed all of you, too.

So, you ask, what was the big deal that took me away from blogging for so long?

Well, folks, I just didn’t have time, or energy, for blogging.  I was busy with the full-time Job From Hell while trying to get my life settled again after ….

Buying a new home and selling my prior home!

The last day – both exciting and sad.

As usual, Cordelia’s Mom did everything backwards.  While most empty-nesters search for a senior apartment or a small ranch house with minimum maintenance, we opted to go from a 987 square foot, one-bath saltbox on 1/8 acre to a 1282 square foot, one-and-a-half bath colonial on 1/3 acre.

View from side of house

There are stories galore in that experience, and I’m seriously considering writing a book about my house-hunting adventure.  I’ve checked with a few, more experienced blogging friends, and they seem supportive of the idea.  I don’t know how long it will take to finalize the project, but you’ll see the finished product here first.  Are you excited?  I know I am!

Meanwhile, I intend to bore all of you with the ongoing household issues.  The house we bought was built in 1939, and we purchased from the original family (that’s right, we’re only the second family living in this house since 1939!).  The downstairs was never updated, and the upstairs dormer addition seems to have been built in the late 1950s/early 1960s.

The kitchen is so tiny that we had to buy apartment-size appliances and a small folding table.

We don’t cook much any more, so these are just fine.

The kitchen sink is in the original metal cabinet – it was all the rage back then, but not so much now.

Yup, this kitchen definitely will need updating!

Lots of work – but with a certain amount of cash and lots of elbow grease, we can make it beautiful.

It may be old, dirty and disgusting, but it has good bones, and definite possibilities (just look at that interior architecture!) – and it’s ours.

An arched doorway and built-in knickknack shelf. Who doesn’t love that?

Have you wondered the last few months why I was re-posting all those renovation stories about the old house?  Well, guess what – you’ll get to join me in doing it all over again in the new house – new windows, new bathroom, new paint.  And a new fence, so Puppy Cody – who’s used to running free in a fully fenced-in yard – can finally enjoy her new home.

View from upstairs window – I can’t wait until that baby is fenced in!

Puppy Cody and I are getting seriously tired of those walks on leash at 6:00 am every morning.  Puppy Cody definitely does NOT like walking on leash, and I think I may need rotator cuff surgery by the time we’re done, what with all the pulling and balking.

And you gotta know, based on how things generally go for me, that there will be lots of enthralling stories during the construction.

Stick with me, everyone.  It’s going to be another fun ride.

(BTW, I haven’t seen Not CM around in awhile.  I’m not sure she made the move to the new house with us … only time will tell.)

Love to every one of my loyal readers!

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I love to hear from my readers. You may comment on this post, comment on my Facebook or Twitter pages, or email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com

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Images by Cordelia’s Mom

Posted in Household Items, That's Life | Tagged , , , , , | 55 Comments