Friday Night “Fun”

So we’re about to head to bed Friday night after preparing for the neighborhood garage sale. I head into my office to shut down my laptop when I smell something. Wanting to make sure it was or wasn’t just me, I asked Monica to take a whiff. Sure enough, she smelled it as well — a burning smell. After leaving the room, we come back in to try to see if we can pinpoint the origin. We agree that the smell’s coming from a certain corner.

Long story short..

After unplugging everything to make sure it wasn’t a monitor, tv, or something overheating, we look at the outlet. Sure enough, the damn thing is melting. We’re worried about electrical fire possibilities, so we cut power to my office from the breaker box.

Electrician comes out this afternoon to take look. Turns out a wire simply was loose — and had slowly gotten that way over time. The electrician said that more than likely this would not have caused a fire. So that’s a relief.

Pictures of the outlet:

Need

Need. A term we all use constantly.

For me though, it took on a whole new meaning this past weekend while walking on the March for Babies. All along the five mile route, there were these placards containing memorials for those lost and praise for those healed.

Now, I’m a sensitive guy. I have absolutely no problem admitting that. But those placards got to me and really got me thinking.

Team Katie Bug raised $420 for the March of Dimes as a result of some very generous, giving individuals.

Let’s dissect that on a large scale in a broad sense.

How often do you find yourself saying.. “I really need a new car.”? How often do you (okay, me..) find yourself saying.. “I really need a new laptop.”?

I’m as guilty as the next person here.. and I’ve realized that those are not needs; they’re wants.

The babies NEED to survive. Prematurity and birth defects are serious problems, and I’ll venture a guess that it has either affected you personally or someone close to you. It’s a problem that deserves attention.

Next time you’re considering dropping $20,000 on that kitchen remodel; $7000 on hardwood floors; $2800 on the plasma TV.. I implore you..

Consider the babies that NEED your generosity. You never know when “those babies” might just be your own child, grandchild, nephew, niece, cousin..

Eight Things About Me

Monica filled this out but didn’t tag me, but I thought it was interesting so I figured I’d do it anyways.

8 TV Shows I Watch
1. The Big Bang Theory
2. Lost
3. 24
4. Big Brother
5. CSI: Las Vegas
6. CSI: New York
7. Heroes
8. American Idol

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Boston Market
2. Chili’s
3. Texas Roadhouse
4. Braums
5. Jason’s Deli
6. Scotty P’s
7. Whataburger
8. Benaglios

8 Things That Happened Today
1. Clean Wrigley’s Ears
2. Site5
3. Ate lunch with my beautiful wife
4. Watched a new TV show during lunch
5. Woke up at 2:45am because my sick daughter was hungry
6. Updated iPhoto with latest pictures from cameras
7. Took out the recycling
8. Played a round of Tiger Woods golf on the Wii

8 Things I Look Forward To
1. Christmastime with family
2. Having more kids
3. Cotton Bowl
4. Katie Lynn walking
5. Our next trip to Lubbock
6. Ripping out our downstairs carpet
7. Redoing the kitchen
8. Going to the Bears vs Cowboys game in 2009

8 Things I Wish For
1. Continued happiness
2. Endless supply of money
3. World peace and to live together accepting our differences
4. Everyone would be in the Christmas cheer year-round
5. The good Lord to continue guiding me and watching over my family
6. A Chicago Cubs World Series win
7. Katie Lynn to start walking
8. Wrigley to get better

I’ve Been Tagged!

My lovely wife tagged me in a recent blog entry, so I figured I’d better follow through or face the wrath.

The object of the picture tag is to:

1. Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer
2. Select the 4th picture in the folder
3. Explain the picture
4. Tag 4 people to do the same

NO CHEATING! (cropping, editing, etc!)

This is a picture of Monica and our niece Madison from January 2006. Kim and Madison were visiting us in Lubbock, and this picture was taken during that weekend.

So now I get to tag four people to do this same thing: Kim, mjp, Ben, Amanda. Tag! You’re it.

The Most Hassle-Full “No Hassles” Credit Card

For various reasons, Monica and I decided to apply for a Capital One “No Hassles” credit card. Simple enough, right?

Of course not.

Online application process was quick and easy. Approved within minutes. Great!

But that’s when the fun started.

While waiting for the new credit card to arrive, I get a call from my mom. Capital One had called their house to verify information as part of their fraud prevention techniques. WHAT?! Why on earth would they call a phone number that:

1. Isn’t the one I provided on the application?
2. Isn’t my current residence?
3. Has not been a phone number I have used in thirteen years?

That is ridiculous. I do not appreciate Capital One calling a phone number that, while luckily ended up belonging to my parents, was not mine. They could have been talking to a complete stranger inquiring about my personal, private financial transaction.

Okay, I finally get ahold of someone knowledgeable at Capital One and get that cleared up. Finally received the cards and proceeded to make two purchases one of which was large. 

More troubles. I get an email from one of the places where I made a purchase saying they could not receive authorization for the purchase.

So I get back on the phone with Capital One who proceed to inform me that my account is restricted due to suspected fraud.

WHAT?!

Supposedly, this “no hassles” credit card indeed comes with some hassles.. such as requiring a phone call to Capital One when you’re going to make a purchase over a certain dollar amount. That’s not a hassle, right?

Okay, so I confirm the purchases and restriction removed. All clear, right?

Nope. Not on this “no hassles” credit card.

A few days ago I receive my PIN number in the mail. I proceed to check online for a place to change it to something I would remember. And what do I notice? The account is once again restricted!

So I again call up Capital One. Apparently, their fraud department once again flagged my account as potential fraud. In order to have the restriction removed, I will need to fax them my driver’s license, social security card, and a utility bill that isn’t a cell phone bill.

Wait.. huh?

Let me see if I get this straight. I apply for a credit card, I receive the credit card, I make purchases, I confirm purchases.. and my card is just now being flagged as potential fraud?!

So being the inquisitive person that I am, I ask the third representative I had been transfered to (since the previous two were obviously reading from a script) what would happen if I didn’t send the information they requested? It’s a legitimate question since there is no way I am faxing my social security card to them. He tells me I can go to my bank and have them call Capital One to perform a “visual verification”. Okay, fine. So I continue on with my inquisition by asking, “And if I don’t do that?” My account remains restricted. Okay, so what. Capital One just won’t receive any additional money from me. The representative says, “That’s your decision, but you will still be liable for the balance.” Of course I am.. I made the purchases; I am going to pay for them.

Fraud prevention and ID theft is big these days. I get that. I deal with it every day at work. I fully understand the need to be absolutely certain about these things. But Capital One has done everything backwards here: account approved, credit card mailed, purchases made, then restrict the account for fraud prevention? No. Fraud prevention means just that — being proactive in fraud prevention; not being reactive.

Luckily for Capital One this one case is not fraud. I cannot imagine the amount of money they have actually lost due to real fraud based on their backwards fraud prevention techniques.

My take – avoid Capital One at all costs. Their “no hassles” credit card is anything but free from hassles.

Perspectives on Time and Fatherhood

Each day has 24 hours and there’s a certain period during the day that I look forward to.

• Five o’clock end-of-workday whistle? No. I love my job.
• Bedtime? Nope. Although I do enjoy sleep.
• Cubs/Bears/Tech/Mavericks game on TV? Surprisingly no.

Monica leaves for work between 6:45 and 7:00 each morning, therefore; I have between 30 and 45 minutes with Katie Lynn. Just her and I. I feed Katie Lynn her morning fruit, get her dressed for daycare, and play with her in the living room. I have her undivided attention — unless Wrigley walks by, or she spots her favorite toy(s), or sees that one random piece of lint on the carpet. But that time is our time to bond. This special father-daughter time is invaluable. We “talk” to each other in the car as I drive her to daycare each morning.

I’ve always heard the phrase that babies are only “this” size once, and it’s so true. Before I know it, Katie Lynn is going to be feeding herself and dressing herself for school and riding with Monica. She won’t need us to do any of that for her.

On a somewhat related note, it’s amazing and refreshing to see fathers involved in raising kids. Each morning I see a good amount of fathers dropping kids off at Katie Lynn’s daycare. In Lubbock, I rarely saw any fathers at the daycare. Maybe that’s a geographic differentiation or something; I don’t know.

What I do know is that I value every minute I spend with my daughter, and the day just doesn’t seem to have enough time.

Edumacayshun?

Looks like the marquee operator-changer-person needs to go back to kindergarten to learn how to spell ‘kindergarten’..

Photo taken at Smith Elementary in Lubbock, TX

2008 Resolution

New Year’s Eve – time to make a resolution.

With everything that Katie Lynn has gone through, it’s only fitting that my 2008 resolution is to get more in touch spiritually. It states in the Bible that the husband/father should be the spiritual leader of the house:

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

My daughter (and any future children) will be raised in a Christian home, and I need to be a strong presence and advocate in that.

I want to get more involved in our church, and make a very conscious effort to attend church on a weekly basis. Monica and I have started praying together, and that is a huge step for me personally as I find praying aloud extremely difficult. It’s getting easier, but it’s a hurdle I will overcome.

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26