Friday, September 12, 2014

Accounts closed :( , stuck in Albuquerque :( , and SORE toe :(

IT'S THE TRIFECTA - PLUS ONE 

ONE:  Well, the Social Security Administration has resurrected me, but most of the accounts I use haven't.  My checking account is inaccessible on-line (and it's a California bank - I'm in New Mexico), my bank debit card has been closed, I've sent them copies of many documents through the mail and their e-mail, and so far, still no access. After a long conversation with a very nice lady on Wednesday, she received all my docs, sent them to her "Proof Department" and promised to keep me in loop yesterday - Thursday.  When I didn't receive a call, I e-mailed her.  I just got a response that she has not heard from the Proof Department and will let me know as soon as she does.  (I love my bank, but I'm opening a BofA checking account tomorow - they are in each state and this would have been solved the first day if I didn't have a California only bank account.) 

All three credit bureau agencies are inaccessible on-line - they all still have me as deceased.

American Express sent me an e-mail, "To the Family of Barbara Dewell"  It was really a nice e-mail and would have been very much appreciated, except...  of course, I'm still alive.



I have the minimum amount of minutes on my Verizon phone plan - and you can imagine how much time I've spent on the phone.  I'm not going to raise the minutes to a new plan for a month, which Verizon is very nice about doing so people don't get charged for overages - then the next month you just call and change the plan back.  I'm grandfathered in for unlimited data on my plan, if I change it, I lose that, so I'm not changing my plan, of course, even for a month.  I'm trying to stay under my minute limit, but it's been hard.

One thing I can say, this has been really interesting.  I remember when I had open-heart surgery to sew up a hole in my heart.  I found all the tests and the whole experience so interesting.  My Mom thought I was crazy.  I'm finding this experience - of having the Social Security Administration report my death to all my accounts when they do their normal credit checking - interesting in a similar way.  Our institutions really are trying very hard to protect us.  But hopefully they will all remove that "deceased" flag from my accounts soon.  All they have to do is check with the SSA again, but unfortunately they don't do re-checks on dead people's accounts.  You have to send them all kinds of things first to prove you're alive, then (hopefully) as requested in the accompanying letter, they will again contact Social Security and find out I'm no longer deceased.  And re-activate my accounts.

I have no idea when this will end, my son offered to wire me some money and/or offered the use of any of his credit cards if I needed them.  Luckily I pay my motor home payment ahead, and pay off the two credit cards I use every month.  I can still use one card, my only source of cash right now, so I called them to make sure I could get a cash advance, and immediately went to a local bank and took some money out, just in case.  I have a full fridge/freezer and cupboards  so I'll be fine until this kerfuffle has been reversed and I can again access any of my accounts.  I'm assuming my SS deposit next week will not be available to me, and wanted to make sure I had some money,  just in case.

TWO:  Since I'm in Albuquerque - on my way from Storrie Lake to Elephant Butte State Park - I decided to head to Camping World, where the maker of my RV, Forrest River, suggested I go to have the broken Systems Monitor repaired or replaced.  They are the place to go for Forrest River  warranty work, so they have the diagnostic equipment and know how to take care of these rigs.


I called for an appointment last week, and couldn't get in until yesterday.  I went to Camping World Wednesday afternoon, just checking to see where they were, if they could take me early, and to verify my appointment.  They are easy to get to, right off the freeway, couldn't take me a day early, and said I could park outside their gates overnight.  I decided to do that and scoot in first in the morning.

Of course, as I'm waiting outside the door with Katie in her stroller at 7:45, two couples joined me.  When they opened the doors at 8:00, one of the men tried to scoot in front of me to be first.  OH, NO YOU DON'T.  I intercepted him with the stroller, "Sorry, I've been waiting here since yesterday afternoon."

They checked me in and immediately went out to check it out.  Katie and I went back to the "rear" waiting room, the one with all the tables and chairs, TV, free coffee, tea, hot chocolate, dog cookies, and breakfast pastries.  Super nice and comfortable waiting room, FOR SURE.

Katie is smelling the free FOOD - I did give her a piece of the large dog cookies they had on the counter.

Look at that little face peering over the table.  :)

Everyone was really nice.  A little while later the woman who checked me in came back and told me the unit was inoperable, and had to be replaced.  I had already been waiting seven days, at casino and Wal-Mart parking lots, and now it would be another 7 or 8 days for the part to arrive from Forrest River.  For the first time ever, I had them "expedite" the part, which would take around 3 days, and she said she would call me as soon as it was "walking in the door."

So Katie and I are hanging out in the Wal-Marts nearby - I tell you, there are a ton of them in Albuquerque, three in this area, which we will rotate through until we're called. 

and finally...

THREE:  I caught my toe on the edge of the table leg and OUCH, OUCH, OUCH.  Then I DID IT AGAIN!  OUCH FOUR TIMES @#!*!(!  


This time I was ready:  I wrapped my little toe and the next two toes together with my cloth wrapping stuff, then taped it around to keep it on.  The top of my foot over the toes was black and blue for a week, and is still swollen and really sore.  I wrapped my toes for a few days, and now I'm trying to wear shoes all the time inside The Palms so I don't hit it again.  Because, you know what?  You can still hit a swollen toe on something, even if it's wrapped.  Don't ask me how I know.  :(

So if you see a little old white haired lady limping along, walking her dog, in a Wal-Mart parking lot, come on over and say HI.  It'll be me, for sure.  :)

OH, YEAH. THE PLUS ONE:    Katie's been sick.   I won't go into detail, but she's not sleeping in MY bed for now.  She seems fine most of the time, then ...  well, I won't go into detail.

I'm keeping her on water and a little food and I just remembered I should make up some rice for her.  How do I not give Katie a treat when I see this face - such a big smile:

Other than the above, Katie and I are great.  Really.  All these things will be reversed, repaired and healed.  And all the good stuff continues, as usual.

What's new with you?  LOL

From Me and Katie, have a great Friday, everyone!  :)


40 comments:

  1. You really do handle things so much better than I do. I need to take lessons from you. We had sick puppies last month and I spent three days in a row at the laundromat. I had changed their food from the ground up style to the cuts in gravy type and their stomachs did not like at all. Sure hope you recover from being dead really quick.

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  2. What a great attitude for someone so recently deceased.

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  3. I give you credit... I could not do this as patiently as you..
    do you know how in the world... that Social Security got this
    information..... it's kind of scary that they would take the word of just anybody..
    Good luck with Camping World...

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    1. No I don't know how this happened. I pushed the woman on the phone at Experion to find out how they got the information, and when she came back, she said she was surprised they didn't have a Death Certificate. Anyone checking credit, which the credit bureaus, banks and credit card companies do on a regular basis, goes to the Social Security Administration and that's how it got out everywhere.

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  4. Wow!!! When it rains it really pours on you. So sorry for all the problems, but I am glad you are back from the dead, at least in a few places. . . (grin)

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  5. I am also curious. How did SS find out you had died?
    It will be interesting to see if you can convince them you are Lazarus. :-)
    Take care.

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    1. Either someone reported it, or it was an error on the part of the Social Security. When my ex-husband's info came in, of course his record was closed. Since I'm connected to him through getting half his SS benefit (while letting mine grow till I'm 70), someone must have mistakenly closed my account, too. That's the only thing I can think of.

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  6. Oh, my goodness, poor you... and you seem really upbeat about it all... how frustrating... take care.... and that little face peering over the table IS cute!!!

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  7. Holy Cow woman! What next? Famine and pestilence? Goodness and good for you for sticking up for yourself when the guy tried to cut in line... Some people... Geez... I would have punched him in the throat so it is a good thing it was you and not me... lol... At least I'm not presumed dead, I did break a toe a couple months or so ago by stubbing it and it still isn't healed so hang in there! I wonder if there is some kind of little doggie tummy flu going around. I just went through it with Rootie-Tootie. Hang in there! The gremlins have got to move on to someone else soon...

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    1. LOL here about punching the guy in the throat! We had a staff retreat the other day & I was waiting for a book to complete a project. The person using it assured me twice (mainly because I asked twice, having forgotten that I'd asked her the first time). Imagine my surprise when one of the young upstarts in the office snagged the book before me! I said (in my old lady, completely unfiltered way "I don't mean to be a huge asshole but I was waiting to use that book." People around me laughed & laughed but she gave me the book. I think I would've arm-wrestled her for it if I'd had to. Sometimes you just have to stand up for yourself!

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    2. Sheesh--she assured met twice that she would give me the book when she was done...

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    3. That's funny. I'm really easy going - but every once in a while I get pushed to the limit, and then watch out! :)

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    4. You go girl! I've driven big truck for over 30 years and of course dealing with all personalities of men... Most good and some really rotten. And yes... I have had to punch someone in the throat... Worked like a charm... You see a lot on the road in 30 years... Good thing I was raised an Idaho girl...

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  8. That must be such a weird feeling being told your deceased. What a mess sure hope all goes well by Monday if it didn't happen today. Good luck be careful. Wishing Katie well too.

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  9. I'd like to know how you died too! What a mess! That's even worse than one credit card being compromised. You've had everything compromisted.

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  10. Wow, what a mess. You are a trooper dealing with all of this. Do they tell you how this got reported? Hope things get better for you soon.

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  11. So sorry to hear about all this going on, Barbara. It baffles me that the SSA declared you dead--when my Dad died, Mom had to give them a copy of his death certificate to prove he'd had died. Weird... Well, you can only go up from here, right? Take good care & hey. Make sure you go to Blake's Lotaburger for the breakfast burrito--they make it for you fresh & with green sauce it's the best breakfast ever.

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  12. I found this article on CNN online. It's three years old, but still, sounds like you are not alone!! Hope that they resurrect you soon so you can get your accounts back up and running.

    http://money.cnn.com/2011/08/17/pf/social_security_deaths_mistakes/

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  13. I'm so sorry for this problem. It's very difficult to deal with stuff like this, trying to prove you are YOU. I had an issue once where they thought I owed for a car that wasn't even mine, in a state I had never been to. Fun stuff!

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  14. What a big pile-up of SNAFUs! If you're dead, then you must be ghost writing.

    Seriously, though, I truly hope you get this all sorted out quickly and back to life as you used to know it before you died. {{{ snort, giggle }}}

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  15. You know, I can handle all sorts of hiccups in Life, but it sure seems tougher to do so when our fur kids are ill. Hang in there and welcome back from the beyond! :)

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  16. About the table leg...I would tape some good foam around the leg to protect my toesies!
    I'm so glad to hear about the parts coming from Forest River!
    Drowning is too good for the "death sayers"!

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    1. It's not really the table leg's fault. We're kind of crowded here, since we're on the road with the stroller inside taking up a bunch of room. Makes me go around it. :) Just happened to go around toooo far! After that, I hit it again on two separate things - a swollen foot just seems to find things. :(

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  17. Wow, did you break a mirror or walk under a ladder? Hope your stuff gets sorted out soon, and your luck turns around. You sure are handling it well. Sorry that Katie isn't feeling well. I know what that's like with Riley.

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  18. OMG.....what a time you have been having. You certainly are calm, cool, and collected for all you have been through. Hope you have smooth flying soon. I'm not a supporter of Camping World because of all the bad experiences RVers have there but I am really surprised they didn't offer to hook you up and have you stay in their yard. That is usually one thing they do well.

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    1. The Albuquerque CW doesn't offer that, unfortunately. It does say in the on-line ad that they do, and also offer propane, water and a dumpsite. But that wasn't offered either. There is an RV park right next door where they have all those things, and I did use their dumpsite.

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  19. This must be your "heavenly" persona. Hang in there girl! OH.....We have found that BofA is not in every state! Has been a little inconvenient for us in the midwest.

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  20. It looks like Social Security should have to have a death certificate to declare someone dead and throw your life in a tizzy. My sister just called Social Security when our parents died and I don't think we had to send them anything. I just bet this is going to be an on going problem for you.

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    1. From the research I've done, I agree - this is probably going to be an on-going problem. The mistake can be caused so easily from what I've read. :(

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  21. Hi Barbara:
    I've not been good about reading or posting this summer; as I've spent much of the time with relatives and friends here in No.CA. Just read this post this morning - what a mess! Hope it gets straightened out and the rig all ship shaped really, really soon. I've been to that Camping World and am familiar with that back waiting room, where I, too, spent considerable hours. Good popcorn, though!
    when I read about your toe, I winced; I've done that to toes so often in my life that I now just tape toes together and WAIT for the pain, swelling and bruising to go away. I used to go to the doc but all they do is the very same thing. I guess the attitude is, "Who cares is a toe is a little more crooked than the others!"
    As for the "death certificate," yuck, that's a sorry state of affairs. My advice? Just keep breathing! That'll show them. I've been divesting myself of so much paper - RV life really lends itself to paperless living - that I'm pretty sure I couldn't produce documentation sufficient to PROVE I'm still alive and kicking if your bad experience were to happen to me. Wow!
    And, as for Katy's woes, I hope they're very temporary and she'll be back to her happy self in no time. Maybe a little beef or chicken-flavored rice several times a day - just not too much at one time. Poor baby.
    My best wishes for speedy recovery from all woes . . . mary-pat

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  22. Be careful of the dog food, for it can make them very ill. This recently happened to us twice. You can do a search on the Internet to see if other people are having trouble with a certain brand of food. We have two babies and both were so sick, required antibiotics and a visit to the vet. Hope things go better for you and Katie. I have been following every post, truly unbelievable!

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    1. Thanks for that info, Sheila - Katie eats only Royal Canin Dog Food for Chihuahuas. It's the only food I've found that works for her, so I don't think it's her food. Maybe a bug, or maybe she got something off the ground... She's slowly getting better. :)

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  23. Sorry about your SSI problem, I hope it works out well. It is one of those agencies that have had cutbacks at the same time there is a surge of citizens who need their services. And your toe, I hope it heals and that you develop the foot radar to miss obstructions on the floor. I have been concerned about the control panel since the problem developed, lets hope their troubleshooting accomplishes its purpose. You show great initiative so I know everything will work out.

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  24. I once died for no apparent reason and it was a real PITA (the live one). Like you, it showed up first with the finances but I was fortunate to have 2 major accounts, one of which was (still is) a credit union. It took several phone calls, a bit of information-gathering, and I was clear 9 hours later with the CU. The bank (a national bank but not sure that makes any difference) was not only suspicious-acting and very negative and indecisive in attitude but dawdled around for 32 days before the got things more-or-less straight and to this day (20 years later) they still cut me off if anyone sharing my last name (thankfully uncommon) has a glitch in their account. If you have eligibility in any credit union you might check them out. Turns out there's a big difference when the goal is to 'serve one's members' as opposed to 'make money for ourselves.

    And if you haven't yet, be sure your driver's license hasn't/won't be affected; that can cause havoc too and I found out the hard way, expensive. Some places really REALLY don't like to invalidate wrongly-issued tickets for driving without a license.

    As to Katie I think I would get her on some good canine probiotics if she's not already on them. Can't hurt and may be enough to do the trick (depending on cause) plus will put her into better shape for the future. I foster/rehab rescues and the first change I make with every incoming dog is to get the probiotics started....end of gut distress--better for them and for me. Not something you'd call a cheap fix but a fix it is, worth the cost.

    Sure hope it's all history soon....

    Sarah

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    1. Geez, Sarah, thanks for the info - I didn't even think about my driver's license. And I'm out of state, too. Keeping my fingers crossed that I NEVER get stopped.

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  25. Sorry to hear that you are still having SS problems.
    That CW sure has a nice waiting room.

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  26. Hi BBarbara,
    Just a quick note to let you know that I'm thinking of you & Katie & hope all is going well in your journey to resurrection. And oh my. I love the photo of Katie's cute little face peering over the table. Hope you're back among the living in no time--take good care.

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  27. Well Bless Your Heart! I’m just struggling trying to get my credit report and can’t imagine having to prove I’m not deceased! Eee Gads…I hope I’m not? I want to thank you for sharing your story and bringing this to our attention. We live in the digital/cyber age and it only takes a push of a button to ruin (or end…sorry) someone’s life and with the number of people affected it can no longer be called a mistake.
    On a lighter note…I can take a laptop apart and put it back together but this is my very first post EVER and I won’t know if it even works until I see it! Nonetheless, I have so many questions about going it alone in an RV then I stumbled on your post and absolutely love it! I must admit though, it was the Katie-isms that captured my attention. I am trying to find where women interested in this lifestyle go to ask questions and advice on things such as safety, RV’s, Boondocking, Wal-Mart parking lots – just everything! I used to have a TT permanently parked at a campground where you do meet people that are always willing to answer questions and lend a hand but if you or anyone knows if there’s a website for help, I would love to have any information. Thanks and heck with the RIP – you keep up the PMA (positive mental attitude)

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