Freaky February

Freaky, it's month end already! One sixth a year is gone by if I put the perspective mathematically for you. February has been a pretty horrible month. I see myself not having a life anytime after June.

When your life is bound by unreasonable demands, it is miserable. Do I want this for life? I'm sure a normal person to shake my head. Car has been ready for a week, and I have no time to pick up. Insurance shopping is headachy, and so are few other things ...

What brings me today is the story of a coworker leaving the company. The coworker is leaving officially today and will embark her new career of one-year vacationing! My first reaction was, "You won a lottery?"

She is of my age, probably a few years older. She didn't bother taking the leave-of-absence offered by the company. She simply resigns and starts some serious traveling with her husband. I see she prepares quite a bit before taking off, like moving out, selling her car and finding a new home for her kitty.... so if you want one, let me know.

One-year traveling (or even just a few months) has not crossed my mind before. I think I prefer the comfort of my own home. Although I do love the experience of losing my luggage and getting paid for ... the thrill of missing a flight ... encountering a few pilots ... and finding ways to wear out my newly bought items ... to make sure no one knows .. :-)

That's what I call good traveling. Apparently you see which part I love the most. But what I truely enjoy are the good movie channels available in some hotels. Hey! not those. After all these talking, I want a vacation just now.

3 hours at bank

All I needed to accomplish on Saturday was to prepare a bank draft (for my car). I was patiently waiting in line for service. A young lady in front was screaming her boyfriend, "Can't you just check?"

The drama made me take a quick look. The guy held his stance and refused to check. I thought, good for him, not bending to her evilness.

She was rude. I would never be like that. Just before I finished my thought, who knew I could be one difficult person too?

I stepped to the counter for my turn. I smilingly requested for a bank draft, thinking the process should take no more than 15 minutes. After a brief moment of checking on computer, the teller commented that my home branch is not with them. I agreed, and wondered if that would be any problem?

T = Bank Teller ; B= Me

T: Sorry, I would need a signature card from your home branch
B: Why?
T: Any request over $20 000 would require a signature card
B: What a signature card?
T: To prove your identification, and that you have an account with them
B: I have a few identifications with me. Isn't that good enough?
T: No, we would need that from your home branch
B: What if I have the form that I initially opened the account with them?
T: Yes, that would do.

(in between, the teller discussed with the branch manager)

So I sped home. How could any customer keep a paper form this long? It was a gleam of hope for me to find the form of years ago.

To my suprirse, I found it.

It didn't even take me too long to find it. It was probaby my freaky Saturday super power. Wonder if being a regular Google user actually helps the search. :-)

As I was getting ready to charge out of the house to the bank again, Mom remarked on how abnormal a person (like me) to keep things this long. I was little disbelieved, but I think the constant reminders in the upbringing made me keep important things for record. However I do prefer paperless billing and recording whenever possible these days.

The bank got a little suprised when I returned. "I got this" showing the branch manager the form. "No, " she said, "We would still need the signature card from your home branch." My voice went up an octave, "What?" Then why your teller saying the form be equally good ? Urgh.

I started to feel the teller never expecting me to return with the form. She only said to make me disappeared. I was getting mad and their Saturday could only get better if I could leave with what I wanted.

The branch manager was not being too helpful as I tried to be constructive. The manager asked if I could wait til Monday for my Waterloo home branch. Monday was the best they could do.

"I need it today." She started to inquire what the money was for and tried to mind my business for ways to leverage her end. As seeing how this story goes, the story could only go better with escalation.

"Sorry. I need to escalate this." I said. They opened a ticket as if something they do everyday. They felt there was no way to help me other than getting the signature card on Monday.

The teller read to me the complaint message she wrote. I helped her with a few words, "Your system is not centralized as the problem."

The money is mine and the money is there. If your system is not centralized, why do you put such a difficult process for employees to follow?

Closing the account came across my mind. But she explained that could only be done with the signature card. So getting your money out does not seem as easy as closing your account.

What's with this whole signature card thing?

What gets you to open an account in the first place? A few photo identifications which should all do. Why are they so stubborn in not taking my identifications as the alternative?

After two hours of dealing with them, I suggested if I could open an account with them today. They said yes. And that would allow me to transfer the money from my home branch to the new account, for getting my bank draft.

Thank you. After 3 hours, the Saturday stupidity had finally come to an end. I later shared my story with a banker. His comment, was that TDs are smarter!

At the end, I got ..

• my bank draft, and $6 fees waived
• a new account
• I got smarter, so did they (I hope!)
• oh .. and I got to blog about this too

Bugger

There's this bugger visiting me every now and then during busy work hours. I tried to be polite but couldn't afford that anymore. I was annoyed, simply. I already put on a mean face in trying to make him realize. It was a face that could almost roared. I thought, he's going on my block list no matter what. But it's really no purpose, since he never bugs me virtually. Really never! Just that he loves visiting me in person. I'm not the type of person in blocking people unless you're ultraly annoying, ugly and humor deficient. You must possess this deadly triple combo in order to make it in. A perfect solution was crafted through chatting to a connection. Having good connections is a good thing. All I can say is that, someone will have more quality time fixing defects than making visits. Hah, don't mess with me. Although my mean face may not work, do not underestimate the resort I have. Happy Tuesday!

Dreams

Early this month, a school friend from work has decided to take a one-year personal leave of absence and start her own venture, which is to have a clothing line. A design label of her own. She left the company already, probably designing and sewing right now. It's not bad to have a dream. How many people would actually do something to realize their dreams? Making steps to realize them is a great one, regardless the end result would be a big success or just a life lesson. Dreams are meant for us to imagine better places to escape to, or better things we think we love to do. Dreams that fail or unexecuted are neither bad. Dreams are dreams. Do I have one right now? Maybe a tiny one but I want a real one before anything. Good night!

After a good January

After having a pretty good January and some wonderful winter weather (8 to 10 degrees in Toronto, the warmest January since 19xx), things are pretty crazy at work and outside work. I got my jumping eyelids for the longest time. More than a week. I am not sure what got it so excited. This only means one thing. I need rest. Perphaps I should pick up a sport to vent out the bad stress or whatever that is inside. If time allows, I want to pick up squash and tennis. Oh, I won't mind a sparring partner to train with. Well, not exactly for squash or tennis. But someone who could take my kicks and punches. One-way sparring partner would be neat, meaning my partner cannot hit back. Someone soft preferably. Someone ugly is excellent, so the target could motivate me to throw harder punches, utlimately for better arms. :-) I can't help to say that I am a meanie sometimes. Harsh but still lovable. I love me!

Pretty good January

I have a pretty good January, truely! I have never felt that cheery for a long time. It was lots of little things that added up together for the month. Should I even mention here? If I don't write it down, would I remember? See, that's the problem with online blog. I want to remember the stories while I still wish to have a level of privacy. My happiness is probably not a good writing topic, since I don't want my friends to think too highly of themselves after having my recognition. Okay no words, use pictures instead! {insert drumroll} The 2006 January golden make-me-happy awards go to ......


( etc, ... a few more that I haven't found the gifs )

Sorry recipients, since no words accompany the pictures. You would have to guess if you received the awards or not. You can inquire within.

Also I like to extend one more award to the "Friendster" call for the-funniest-of- the-month story. If anyone is interested to know, you can remind me to tell you next time. Of course, I am kind enough to keep the name anonymous.