Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Press here to make me cry (Impossible tasks)

I've been crying a lot this morning.

I just heard that someone I loved died.

Ruth Grenoble.

She was 88 and lived a long wonderful life, but I am still bereaved.
I wish she could have been with us even longer, healthy and happy.

I cried because I got a letter from another elderly friend, the one
who sent the clipping about Ruth's death. A nice letter.

I cried becase it is raining--HARD. And raining. And raining. And
wet and grey.

And I cried becase oif the impossible tasks--I seem to have a number of them.

One is the address change business for my numerous small stocks. Each
held somewhere where it is impossible to get someone on the phone or
get their website to work. They are threatening to take my stoocks
away becase of "abandonment!" And they won't leet me change my
address--it's been what 3-4 years and I've been trying and trying.
Calling and talking to customer service people who say they can't take
address changes on the phone as they have no way to verify I'm truly
who I say I am.

None of these stocks are wrth much, but they are mine. It's the
principle of the thing!

I was literally stewing about it when the mail came and ONE of the
stock companies, BNY Mellon, finally changed my address and sent me a
check for $23 from all the dividends I haven't received due to the
address change hassles. I know, not a lot of money, but hey! I'm
unemployed and every little bit helps!

I cried--in relief. I know, I know, I was crying earlier in
frustration becase it's literally been years.

And no, I am NOT having my period--I'm 62 years old and don't have
periods any more.

The stock thing is not over, there is more to go. The multiple others.

And then there is the house inspection thing. We need to get this
house in spected, the Rolandale House. But I called and called and
called and called and let the phone ring five minutes, ten minutes,
etc--no answer. Over and over. I was just settling down for another
long wait when someone picked up the phone and kindly andswered my
questions. When I hung up, I cried and dcried. It's not over yet.
It's only one of a long series of hurdles.

Why do things seem to be getting harder and harder?

I guess, in part, because I don't sleep at night. I'm tired and it
makes everythings seem harder and more stressful.

But bureacracies do seem to be much worse--it's so much harder to get
to talk to a real person. And the recordings and choices and menus
NEVER solve my problems! WHY?

And do I get a piece of chocolate or a glass of wine to soothe my
shattered nerves? NO! I can't.

But hey, I wrote two new poems last night and this morning. :-) :-D

6 comments:

BerryBird said...

I'm so sorry. That all sounds so frustrating!!

a/k/a Nadine said...

Did I miss something? What house are you trying to get inspected? Sorry that it's all been such a pain for you.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

The Rolandale House--the guest house.

A long time ago, we put a purchase offer in on it and a while back, it was accepted, but it's just been one huge hassle after anther and now they want Keith to take an early retirement and their laying off people, so it may turn out to be a huge mistake.

It was the house that was going to be my office, studio and guest house--it's maybe two miles from where we live, in Detroit, near the hospital.

But if Keith gets laid off, we may have to just turn around and sell it again.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

We also had to go to a meeting at Graham's school with the guidance counselor, the principal, and his math teacher--he's failing three courses now. That doesn't add joy to our lives, either.

a/k/a Nadine said...

Oh. I had no idea you put an offer on it or that it had been accepted. I thought it was all just a big "what if..."

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Well, it still may be a big what IF! Aiee!

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin