Frank Notes

Welp, I absolutely cannot believe I fell for it, but I’ve been SCAMMED!

Long story short: we are  moving out of our house (long, sad story) in the next few months and are looking for a rental.  I’ve been searching Craigslist for potential leads and found one that was (dare I say it?!) too good to be true (Note to self: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!  DOH!)

$1695 / 3br – EXTRA-ROOMY3 BEDROOM ~ A STEAL! (Santa Monica)

# – 3 BR AND 2.5 BA
# – HUGE BATHROOM W/ WHIRLPOOL BATH
# – BIG WALKIN CLOSETS
# – COMPLETELY FURNISHED WITH PRISTINE FURNITURE
# – PRISTINE SMOOTH WOOD FLOORS
# – MODERN DOORS & BIG WINDOWS
# – FULL-SIZE WASHER AND DRYER
# – NICE MARBLE COUNTER TOPS
# – BRAND NEW SILVER KITCHEN APPLIANCES
# – TALL CEILING
# – PACKAGED AIR CONDITIONER / HEAT
# – A LOT OF UNIQUE DETAILS
# – SECURE GATED PROPERTY
# – FRIENDLY LOCAL SHOPPING AND RESTAURANTS CLOSED BY
# – EMAIL TO SET UP A VISIT FOR THIS PLACE

I got an email back telling me the rental requirements and that we needed to provide a credit report no more than 7 days old when we met her to see the place and providing a link to a site to get a free report.

Stupid me clicked on the link which went to an apparently legit credit monitoring service that offered a 7-day trial period and a free credit report for signing up for it.  So I figured I’d sign up, get the report, then cancel.

So I enter ALL.OF.MY.PERSONAL.FINANCIAL.INFORMATION and get my report.

Then I emailed the supposed landlord (whose email address I did check out and it appeared to be legit) and told her we were interested and wanted to see the property right away.  Then I waited…

And waited…

And waited…

It’s been more than two days and haven’t heard back.  The entire time I’ve had a feeling that something wasn’t right but have been wondering what was the purpose of it all.

Then tonight it hit me!  The link she sent wasn’t the address I finally landed on, it redirected me to another, legitimate site.  Where I entered my information.  Which was probably phished, which basically means that as I was entering my information, it was being recorded.  DOH!

HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO STUPID?!

According to the FTC, this information is then usually sold to a third party who then uses it to open credit accounts, mobile phone accounts, etc.  Sigh…

HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO STUPID?!

So after freaking out and trying to find out information, I put a Fraud Alert on my credit account, meaning that before any new credit can be extended, the creditor has to speak to me at the phone number provided on my account and ask for positive ID.  Unfortunately this is only a 3-month fix (which can be extended one time), so I’m a bit nervous about what happens 6 months from now.

HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO STUPID?!

While listening to my 80s Station on Pandora (btw, I ❤ Pandora!), I heard a “new” song from Pet Shop Boys that I flipped for.  When I clicked for more information, it turned out it wasn’t a song from the 80s, but rather a song from there new album, Yes.

I listened to a few of the tracks on the album and quickly bought it (via Amazon MP3 store), and haven’t stopped listening.  Mostly to the first track, Love, Etc.

I ❤❤❤❤❤❤ this song!  (And actually I’m rather smitten with the whole album!)

Listen for yourself!  (Not such a fan of the video, but I still ❤ the song!)

*Yes, I’m aware this contradicts my subtitle.  But at this moment, it’s how I feel!

We just had our second earthquake in as many days (actually, according to the US Geological Survey, there have been about 15 earthquakes in the last two days in this area!)!  This time it was 4.1 and I definitely felt it…  But more about that in moment.

So we’re all tight right?  Like tight enough that I can tell you an embarrassing story?

Several years ago I participated in the AIDS Lifecycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles (I didn’t ride, I volunteered with the traffice crew (with my Mom!)).  We were a day or two from Los Angeles, somewhere in Podunk.  I was sitting in a porta-potty when it starts to rock back and forth.  My first thought was that someone was messing around with me.  Then I heard someone in another porta-potty down the line from me yell, “OMG, an earthquake!”  I had no clue as I had never experienced an earthquake before!

That’s when I started to freak out.  The only thing I remember is thinking, “Dear god, don’t let me die in a porta potty!”

Flash forward to today:  (Those of you quick enough will have guessed where I’m going with this!) I was sitting on the toilet when I felt the building twist and turn!

My first thought this time was, “Should I cut this short?”

My second thought was, “Oh my god, please don’t let me die on this toilet!”

So I’m driving to work this morning, a couple of miles from home, when I have to stop at a red light.  I’m sitting there, sunroof open (it helps my spirit when I’m driving to work), looking around, when I notice smoke.  I immediately think, “Man would that suck” and start looking around to see whose car is smoking.  Don’t see anything; the light changes; I drive off.

At the next light a few miles down, I notice smoke again!

But this time, being the observant person I am, I see it roiling up from underneath the hood of MY CAR!

I look at the thermostat thingie and it doesn’t show the car running hot.  Hmmm…  Maybe it was a bug?

So I proceed gingerly down the road and the smoke clears (DUH!  Wind!), so I keep going.  Stop at the next light, more smoke.  And the smell of HOT antifreeze (a very distinctive smell if you’ve never smelled it!).

Thankfully there’s a gas station on the corner so I pull over (yah, finally…  I don’t need much persuading…) by the water thingie (that you have to pay 75 cents to use, by the by!).  I open the hood and everything looks normal.  No smoke.

On closer inspection I see a liquid bubbling out of the end of a hose near the coolant resevoir.  The liquid was bubbling onto the (insert technical name here) which looked VERY hot, and hence the smoke.  I felt a little bit better that I knew what was making the smoke and that there wasn’t anyting gushing out or anything.

So I continued my drive to work (by then I was only a couple miles away) and got my service center on the phone to make an appointment for tomorrow morning.  At first the service agent was a little shocked that I was still driving, but after I explained what I saw and that I was going to top the coolant off with water after the car cooled off, he agreed that it could wait until then.

Now, I would like to take this opportunity to officially apologize to all the owners of new cars that I’ve seen sitting on the side of the road.  I realize now that laughing at that fact that you were stalled on the side of the road in your new car probably wasn’t funny.  I also realize it didn’t likely have anything to do with the make or model of your car and that these things can happen to any of us.  Mea culpa.  I apologize.

I’ve decided to just sit back and wait to see what happens with my life.  Clearly any energy or effort I exert isn’t going to make a bit of difference.

While mulling it over for the last couple of days and taking into consideration all the great comments and advice, I had decided that I should take advantage of the opportunity and apply for that open position with my district.

This was when I thought I knew which position it was and who currently filled that position.  I could totally see myself doing the job that that person does.

Then I found out it wasn’t the position I thought it was, but rather someone else’s position.  A person I admire and who works WAY too hard and has decided to go back into the classroom.  (Warning, Warning Will Robinson!)

Despite this, I spent a bit of time talking with my principal breaking down the job description into meaningful tasks, all of which I either felt I was equipped to handle or could handle with some training.

But I was still on the fence about the position.  I have come to terms with going back into the classroom and am actually looking forward to some aspects of it (including having more contact with students and teaching Yearbook).  In addition, I like most of the people I work with and am comfortable here.

Then at lunch I got a call from a friend who runs an online fabric store basically asking for my help and offering me a partnership in the company in exchange for help with the labor (cutting and shipping fabric).  In addition we talked about ideas for future expansion, etc.

So that sealed the deal for me!  I’m not applying for that other position and will be going back into the classroom next year.  Yes this will require taking classes to clear my credential and all that, but it’s not the end of the world.  And I will have time to work on our shared fabric venture which may help me get to where I want to be (a small business owner).

That is, that’s what’s happening as of today.  Who knows what that darned Universe is going to throw at me between now and August!

Based upon a recommendation from someone in my comments (can’t remember who it was!), I picked up a couple of Barbara Sher’s books (have I ever mentioned that I might be a self-help book junkie?!) from the library.

(Did I ever mention that my friend Kaye is the person who first turned me on to checking out books from the library?  When we were in college, we’d go to the library and wander aimlessly down the aisles looking for interesting titles and would return with a stack of books each.  This is even easier now with the power of the internet and my ability to order books from ANY of the SEVENTY-TWO branches of the Los Angeles Public Library and have it delivered to the branch that’s right on my way home.  Needless to say, there are always a stack of books waiting for my attention! Thanks for this habit Kaye!)

Anyway, I started by reading Sher’s “I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was” last night and have been devouring it!  I have found so many helpful insights in the first half of the book I’ve read so far.

For example, Sher talks about “job haters” and how they imagine that what they need is freedom (meaning not a job) to pursue their dreams then give examples of people who got exactly that (“free” time due to job loss, etc.) and then were entirely unproductive.

This is EXACTLY what happensto me when I have large chunks of time (like this last Spring Break!): I ended up not accomplishing anything I “wanted” to do because I had so much time and ended up doing stuff I “needed” to do (both clearly self-defined).

Sher instead argues that most people need structure and that by knowing there are limits on our time, we can actually be more productive than if we were living our dream full-time.  She writes, “When you quit blaming your job you can get started right away taking real steps that will clear things up for you” (p. 57).  BINGO!

Almost every night I go home and Hubby (or last night Hubby and Marie) will ask, “How was your day?”  And I’ll answer, “The usual” or “It sucked” or “It was work, what’s to talk about.”

Part of my problem as of late is that I’ve checked out of work because I (mostly) know that I won’t be returning to this position next year.  I’ve been dreading the idea of going back into the classroom and have generally felt like this job is a ball and chain that’s weighting me down from feeling happy and fulfilled and doing what I really want to do (even though I’m not quite sure what that is!).

After reading part of Sher’s book (there’s still more in this book AND three other books at home, so imagine what I’ll look like when I’m done!), I’ve realized that there are lots of benefits to my job (whether as a counselor or as a teacher):

• It gets me out of the house and adds structure to my days, weeks, and years;
• It puts me in contact with amazing people including students, teachers, and staff;
• It helps me to put a roof over our heads, clothes on our back, and food on the table (no small thing in this economy);
• When I’m not hating on it, it actually puts laughter, smiles, and a sense of accomplishment into my life;
• I work 192 days (as a counselor, 183 as a teacher) and GET PAID even when I don’t work!;
• It provides my family and me with amazing healthcare that we likely would be hard-pressed to afford otherwise;
• And finally, I have time here and there to do personal stuff that I wouldn’t necessarily have time to do at home (right now I have an hour-long lunch which allows me to get grocery shopping done, run errands, go to the post office, etc.).

So I’ve just realized that working (in general) and my job (specifically) aren’t nearly as bad as I was making it out to be.

That change in thinking is a freaking miracle as far as I’m concerned and makes the book worth its weight in gold.

But there’s more!

I also learned that I’m not “a jack of all trades, but master of none” but rather “a scanner”!

If you’re a scanner, you have extraordinarily special and valuable skills.  You love what is new, and you don’t suffer from fear and indecisiveness.  You’re highly adaptable to new cultures; you’re so flexible you can turn on a dime. You’re a lightning-fast learner, curious about anything you don’t already understand; you like and respect all kinds of thinking.  Although you may be unwilling to dedicate yourself to one path, you don’t lack discipline or have a low IQ. (I swear, I didn’t add that!)  On the contrary, you’re dedicated to learning all that you can, and you’re intelligent enough to delight in all that you learn (pp. 102-103)

Pardon me while I applaud Barbara Sher! (pretend there’s an applause smiley here!)

This is the first time in my life I haven’t felt badly for not “sticking” with something (whether it be crafts or careers) and for enjoying learning different things.

Definitely some valuable lessons learned today!