But first, let’s talk about a “fun” thing that just happened.
First, the setup : This has been a very aggravating afternoon.
It started when I decided I was sick of buying a new one of these PayPower secured VISA cards every month and I wanted to make my latest one reloadable.
This has been possible for the whole time I have been using these frigging things, but I had tried to hook myself up with it before and had been stymied by a demand for my bank account’s PAC.
What the fuck is a PAC?
Whatever it was, I didn’t have it, and getting it would mean calling the bank (oh sorry, ‘credit union’) and I assumed that would end up being a huge hassle so I put it off.
Well man, was I right. It was a MEGA huge hassle. The very nice lady on the phone did not know what the hell a PAC was either.
My gut says it is something they used to use ages ago, before the modern era of online banking, and the people at Power Pay haven’t updated their bank interface layer for Van City in way too long a time.
Anyhow, what followed was two hours on the phone resetting my online banking password because that was the closest thing we could think of to this PAC thing.
It took that long because of how (justifiably) paranoid banks are about security these days. So I had to answer a lot of questions.
But then came two-factor authentication. And my blood ran cold! My lack of cell phone has made that impossible for me before.
That’s the whole reason I haven’t been on Facebook in two years!
Luckily, they had an option to do it by landline.
So that got squared away, even though I doubt it will solve the original problem. Then the nice lady on the phone starts telling me about Vancity’s “secured VISA” program, where I give them a deposit of $500 and after that I can use it like a normal VISA.
Sounds faboo. Especially once I get direct deposit going. Would be way better than buyi a new Power Pay card every month.
She almost had me totally sold on the thing when she casually mentioned that they would be holding on to that $500 for TEN FREAKING MONTHS before giving it back ot letting me spend it.
I can’t do that! I can’t tie up $500 of my money for most of a year!
And what the fuck is the point of that, anyhow? What do they think might happen in those ten months? Are they waiting to see if my money hatches?
So that ended that. Then it was time for my groceries to arrive.
The guy calls like they always do presumably to say he will be here in 5 mins.
I say “presumably” because his voice was so faint I could barely tell he was saying anything, let alone what he was saying.
Ten minutes later the phone rings, and it’s the delivery dude, telling me that the intercom phone ain’t working.
Highly plausible. That thing is an atrocious piece of crap.
So then I have to send Julian down to get my stuff. He did, and it turns out they didn’t have any of the pop I ordered, and subbed a few other things.
Great. This day just gets better and better.
Then, at like 5:30 pm, I am finally free to have “lunch”.
That’s what kind of day it’s been. Not managing to have lunch until suppertime.
I go and get my food together, and come back, and then the “fun” thing happens.
I put down my drink and by some bizarre neurological magic that signals my knee to buckle under me and boom down on my butt I go once again.
At least I got to put the drink down first!
More after the break.
Million dollar app idea : an app that lets you “slam” your cellphone.
It would simulate the sound of an old-school landline call being ended via a firm slamming of the handset down into the receiver cradle.
And then pump that through the cellphone, natch.
Probably an obsolete idea though. Who makes actual calls any more?
On my sudden collapse
That incident where I put my drink down and my knees gave out, almost as if I had set my cup down on the power switch for me legs, has me freaked out.
Because that came out of nowhere. Sure, my legs were sore from having been on my feet, but not exceptionally so. In fact, I felt if anything a little better than usual.
Then bang, down on my butt then onto the floor. And I lay there a way and not just because my legs are always weak after one of these incidents.
To the point that it was a struggle just go get from the floor to the bed, and that’s not exactly a long trip.
No, I was also pondering my fate.
Because now I feel like it could happen at any time.
Which means it’s not safe to walk ever. So far I have been overcoming this shit by being wary when I walk and carefully spending as little time on my feet as possible.
It’s very unpleasant, and times hideously painful, but it’s still manageable.
But if at any second I could go down like I’d been shot, there’s nothing I can do about that and yet, until I get those crutches, I have no choice but to keep walking.
So I dunno. It’s up to fate whether I die from a fall or not, I guess.
At least I am talking to Doctor Chao on the phone tomorrow at 1 pm. Hopefully that will at least move things forward re : what de fug is wrong with my legs.
I am holding the option ofjust going to the ER in reserve. Or Urgent Care, maybe, but this is a pretty serious fucking problem.
If only Doctor Chao saw it that way.
Not that I’m bitter.
I will talk to you nice people again tomorrow.