Happy Halloween!

So, what is in your mailbox?

Beware of what is in your mailbox!

I’m extremely upset that I had to write not one but two letters to two different magazines that I did not subscribe to. I made a total of five (5) phone calls regarding “Why am I receiving your magazine if I have not requested it”. I checked with my family and friends and they confirmed that they did not send it to me as a gift. It also has been plastered all over the News about people receiving magazines that they did not order.

So, this rollercoaster ride exhausted a great deal of my time which is valuable as I certainly could have been doing something else. I requested on three occasions for this magazine to stop being delivered to my home since I did NOT order it. One lady from the company told me that it is already paid for so why not continue to receive it until February! I replied...NO, I don't want anything I did not order. She also stated that the person who paid for it will get a check in the amount of $2.50 for the balance of this subscription.

Guess who got a check in the mail last Saturday for $2.50. Me! Which leads me to believe that someone has access to some of my information. I don't plan on cashing this check.

I composed a letter and sent it out "Certified" demanding an explanation for all of this. I was quite surprised and would expect a high degree of judgment and integrity from a well known magazine that was filling up my mailbox every month. Then it started again with a different magazine! Yikes! futta, futta....what gives?

I requested that this situation be investigated, an apology be tendered and some guarantee and something in writing showing me who is taking my money for subscriptions to their magazine. I thoroughly went through all my credit card statements and bank statements and see nothing out of the norm.????? Then I thought perhaps researching online has some hidden little things that can be overlooked with a check mark?????

I also kindly asked for them to acknowledge receipt of my letters and a detailed explanation of this entire mess. Or I threatened to have them plastered all over the Channel Five News. I’m very angry. What are people thinking?

I want all monies owed back to me and also for the cost of postage for both these certified letters, the paper, ink and envelope and my valuable time to write the damn letter sent to resolve these issues the imbeciles on the phone was unable to handle the matter over the phone.

If anyone has experienced something similar to the above with magazines, please let me know and how did you resolve your issues. Thanks

Looking Back!

Before computers, I always maintained a Journal. I came across the Journal I had put away after I said my goodbye to my deceased husband.

In those days, I was writing to him personally on a daily basis and not just the events of the day like a teenager would write in her “Dear Diary”. The Bereavement Group I was a member of suggested to do this as a form of therapy to help survive the bereavement process. A lot has changed since 2001.

On one page, I wrote: “Outside the weather is still hot here in South Florida but inside the bills are higher and listening to the News every night on TV, it seems like all around us the world is getting crazier! Scary!” The cost of living is so much higher and more difficult to handle everyday maintenance and household bills.

“I’ve made some changes in the house too…..a few needed repairs, some of which I attempted to do myself to save the cost of labor. The shower head no longer leaks. The noisy toilet is also fixed. It is not easy without you.” Decided to take up some Work Shop Lessons in Home Depot. Well, my friend, Laurie and I only went to one workshop so far! LOL

I have had three dates since you passed away 8 years ago. By choice, I prefer to no longer accept a date. No one can shine your shoes. Yet, I won’t lie, it is very lonely in the evenings with the clicker in your hand. Yes, I’m on the computer more these days than ever.

I miss ballroom dancing. I miss laughing so hard until my stomach hurts with your quick wit and sense of humor.

I enjoy the company of my girlfriends which many are also Widows! Becoming uncoupled and the interdependence suddenly appear as individual flaws. From the beginning, we Widows and Widowers share the same emotional crisis. We equally are bereft, confused, lost and brokenhearted. It seems that…………..that part does not change, as much as we try to create a new life for ourselves. Being older has a lot to do with it I’m sure. Oh my, I received my “Medicare” card in the mail and I was delighted to see it. Thought I’d never say those words! The cost of medical coverage is outrageous! I still miss my family in New England!

I stopped smoking and gained some weight! The smoking part, I know would make you happy as we both attempted to quit that disgusting bad habit countless times in the past……gaining weight, I know would disappoint you, as you always noticed if I put on so much as one pound! LOL

Time to put the handwritten Journal away again in the big “Time Capsule”. I seemed to have grown a long way since then but I still miss you!
Oh, the tangled web we weave here on the World Wide Web! How wonderful it is to have my Internet Friends to listen when I’m worried, cheer me up when I’m down, encourage me when I’m scared and console me when I’m defeated and to keep me company in the middle of the night when I can't sleep. Thank you!