Friday, June 02, 2006
Warning: I'm A Risk!
I feel as if I should be walking around town with a big scarlet letter "R" tattooed somewhere on my body. The "R" standing for "(At) Risk" would be my walking silent disclaimer.
For one, technology really hasn't been on my side lately. It started with an issue with the internet service which is (so wonderfully) provided by Verizon. To be honest, my family has been a faithful Verizon customer probably since the 18th century. Okay maybe not that far back, but my family has known this company from back in the days when it was C&P Telephone Company, then it went some other name and another name. Just before it was Verizon it was Bell Atlantic. So here we are in 2006 with Verizon and things seem to be failing.
With a blinking DSL light on the modem, my time on the internet was basically pointless. I was only able to get hop on the internet for 45 minutes to an hour at a time. Sometimes, the timing was shorter than that. Nevertheless, because we have had this problem before (countless times), the last technican that came to the house advised that we have the DSL speed lowered. So I called to have the speed lowered and to make a long story short, we continued to have problems with intermittent internet service.
After fussing and pleading our case with Verizon, a technician came to the house earlier this week and finally service was restored. However, before we could jump for joy, our telephone service was disconnected. Since most of our household bills are paid online, by the time a payment was sent via online to Verizon for our telephone service, it was a bit late. The payment usually takes two days to clear and during the time the payment was made online the two days that it takes to clear everything was too late. So the household was without telephone and internet service for a few days. However, that didn't bother us, because we hardly use the house phone anymore and quite frankly, even though the internet is a bit vital for me in communicating, I get tired of sitting in front of a computer emailing, researching, and instant messaging. Nevertheless, Verizon is giving us a month of free service for the inconvenience.
While the internet and landline phone was down, when I did need to "reach out and touch someone" I tired my cell phone. What burns me about using my cell phone in the house or around my neighborhood is the fact that I don't believe there is enough fiber optics to support the reception. There are certain areas in my neighborhood that are just dead spots. In the house, I had to sit and lean in an uncomfortable position get a good reception. I guess I should note that I do not have Verizon Wireless as my service. However, I use to and I did love the fact that I could be anywhere, including underground in the subway stations and still pick up good reception... just not in my house or in my "hood." I don't know what is up with that. You would think being in DC, this whole city should be wired down with every network capability there is. Then again, the area of SE that I'm in is considered the original suburb of the city so there are a lot more trees and such that kind of interfere with things.
So if I dare use my cell phone in the house, I better say what I need to say in five seconds or less before I start to fade in and out and then the person on the other end is like "Hello?" Nine times out of ten it will be vice versa. They can hear me, but they will be going in and out on my phone and I will just roll my eyes and tell the person to call me later.
Just when things with technology couldn't get any worse, at work I suffered a somewhat major setback. Production with the June issue of the magazine is already behind schedule. Of course I'm not happy about this and neither is Mr. Yellow. While I have been busting my behind to check the status of this story and that from other writers, my own stories were incomplete. After conducting the last interviews I needed, I hauled ass this week to complete them. By Thursday, what I was going to send to the senior editor was lost. The file containing my articles was gone. I had to start from scratch and remember I had written. I was extremely upset, especially since one of the articles was the cover story! I did manage to have two of the four articles completed by today. I'm giving myself until Saturday evening to have the other two completed.
I will say, but Thursday morning I was ready to throw in the towel. I just knew it was some personal vengeance the real of technology had against me. Everything piece of technological equipment I touch lately just seems to go corrupt!
What shocked me is the fact that Mr. Yellow was somewhat understanding of it all. Just before I left for the day, Mr. Yellow called me to his office and we had a brief meeting. While he did express his disappointment in the lack of a firm schedule of some of the production matters, he realized some of it was beyond my control, but felt I could have done a better job of taking things under control. All in all, it seems like he is pleased with my performance thus far and he wants to give me a raise in a couple of weeks!!!! However, because my duties are split between doing some edits and research for the firm itself and performing editorial duties for the magazine, much of the money for the raise will be coming out of the money made from the magazine. Yet, he feels it's hard for him to make that call right now because the advertisements are not coming in for this issue like he had planned.
He's thinking about making some changes in that department, mainly thinking twice about having May handle the advertisement side of the publication. I would hate for anything to happen to May. Since I've gotten to know her a little better, I know she really knows her stuff when it comes to sales/advertising. However, I know that her heart really hasn't been into the magazine, especially since she is paid on commission only. She has been looking into a real estate venture that is actually looking up for her. She is now a licensed realtor and is working with a local realtor company.
After my meeting with Mr. Yellow, I had a weird feeling. I didn't feel "small" but a thought of still being a "youngin" came to me. I didn't take it in a bad way. I took the thought as this - the meeting with Mr. Yellow was just a reminder or a way for me to stay grounded. Not that I have been getting obnoxious or big headed about this job. I'm no where near that mark (Thank God!). I only allow cockiness in my dreams. I think sometimes when I get a moment to think or to day dream I see myself being something bigger. I keep thinking back to my father's sudden prediction of me being the "jewel" of the city. Sometimes it's a bit scary and overwhelming when you cannot only see your potential, but FEEL it as well. I'm well aware that I'm still in a growing phase and all of what is going on with the job is just that, another lesson.
Anyone reading this is probably wondering how I had all of this to say and still consider myself a risk? Well here's the real reason why I need the big "R" on my chest. After work today, I stopped by Bank of America to speak to the branch manager about the reason(s) why when I deposit my paycheck there is a hold placed on them for ten days. You see, I get paid weekly and the job doesn't offer direct deposit, which is something I was spoiled by when working with the Federal government. The first time I went to deposit my paycheck there was a hold placed for ten days. After that, I decided I was going to go to the bank that the checks are distributed under, M & T Banking, and cash them there and take the money to my bank.
Well I caught a lot of static with M&T about me trying to cash my checks. First I was upset about their hours on a Friday. Most banks have the convenience of staying open until at least 6 or 7 pm for their customers. Not M & T. I found one near my house that is open on Saturdays. Of course the standard procedure for cashing a check in a bank is to show two proofs of IDs. Well for me, that would be my driver's license and my student ID from Howard University. For three Saturdays in a row, I went into this M & T bank and cashed my checks with no problem. By the fourth week, they wanted to shake me down because they had issues with my student ID, since there really isn't no expiration date on it. Even when I went to another branch they had the same issue. I ended up going to a Western Union to cash the check.
So, when I talked with a Bank of America manager today, I was told the reason for the long holds on the funds is because several months ago my account was showing a negative balance for 30 plus days. Thus, putting me in an "at risk" category because "I didn't take care of my account." I'm guessing all of this went down during the fall when I had just resigned from my old job and was out of work for a month or two, before I took on the temp job. The manager's advice to me was to wait 90 days and the holds should be taken off the account and I should be able to deposit my paychecks with the funds being released within a day or two... that is if I stay off the negative side for a while. I don't think that should be a problem.
I will say what has helped my account to grow some is the tax refund I received. I haven't been spending. I've been holding funds mentally on the side as I know what I will need for my trip to Miami. I haven't purchased my new bed yet, but I'll probably do that when I return from Miami. I want to devote a couple of weekends to just tossing my old furniture and ditching a lot of old junk in order to redo my bedroom.
I'm actually looking forward to that task.
Posted by KomplexPhemale ::
10:02 PM ::
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