Day 2, Pirates Vs Ninjas

Today was pretty much a normal wednesday, minus the still constant beeping noise in the English department. In a moment of desperation, I pulled out an old used gift card and I tried to jimmy the door open in hopes that by doing so, I could figure out what was beeping...and then beat it with my foot until it stopped beeping. For heaven sake, the English department has started to sound like an Intesive Care Unit.

This was to no avail and all I ended up with was a bent up piece of plastic.

I was reminded of the beauty of childlike innocence today...twice actually. The first time came when Hannah picked me up from school after picking up Tavia from pre-school. When I got in the car, Tavia was hiding under her blanky. She wanted to surprise me. It was cute. She continued this several times even after I got in the car. The funniest time was when she told me to count. This was obviously her cue to me that we were now playing her favorite game, hide-and-go-seek. Hannah and I both laughed because we knew that Tavia believed that she was really hiding when she put the blanket over her. She really believes that she becomes invisible, like Harry Potter though she's never seen any of the movie. It's actually quite refreshing to see such innocence.

Again, this innocence sparked a memory that has been only a few weeks old. Oddly enough, it also involves our little white car. It was late one night and the kids and I were waiting in the car while Hannah ran inside the Grocery store to get some milk. While she was in the car, I played a little trick on the kids. I turned the light on in the car and then I proceeded to push the power windows button as if to shut the window BUT the window was already shut. This divergence of power caused the light to dim just a little bit. When I did this trick for the kids, I didn't show them what I was doing to make the light dim, I just told them that I could make the light dim with MY MIND!!! Du-du-duuuuuuuuu!

Sure, I may have been lying to the kids but they thought it was very entertaining and they believed every bit of it...so I'll justify it for now. I decided to give them all a little ego boost and so I asked them, one by one, to focus on the light really hard and picture the light getting dimmer. One by one, they each crunched their eyebrows together as if they were lifting a heavy weight and they stared...and I caused the light to dim. They were all amazed at their feat and were very excited to tell mommy what they could do. Sterling and Tavia have likely forgotten that night and their encounter with psychokinesis.

Well, yesterday Cameron reminded us that he could dim the light with his mind. He said it with this huge grin while his eyebrows bounce up and down excitedly, like he had just found out that he had the force (Cam Bam is a huge Star Wars Fan).

After school, I was in Walmart shopping for batteries when a debt collector called me. They were calling for a fee that I acquired last July when I bit into a burrito at Cafe Rio and had an allergic reaction that sent me to the emergency room. I'll spare all the fun details of that evening but to sum it up...I sat in the E.R. for three or so hours before a doctor even saw me while my throat was nearly closed up and I could barely breath. All the Doc did when he did see me was give me a shot in my ass of what was essentially benadryl and a few pills to help the swelling go down. This whole experience cost me 300 dollars and because I don't have insurance and I'm a poor student...I couldn't pay for it.

That was likely the most expensive bite of burrito I'll ever have. It was good, I'll give it that much.

Anyway, they sent me to collections. I paid the account in full last week but here I am in Walmart with some snappy little girl trying to collect money I've already paid. She said that they didn't show any payment on the account. To put it gently...I was not happy. I did manage to hang up the phone on the girl before making too much of a scene at Walmart.

When I get home and find the receipt for said payment, I call back. It turns out that I paid a different Collection Agency. So Timpanogoes Hospital sent me to two different collection agencies (hooray Timpanogoes Hospital for being relentlessly greedy to a man without insurance). I tell the lady at the aforementioned Collection office that I paid a different collection office, one that was much nicer to me, and she says that I have to fax her proof of said payment. This made me more angry. I told her that I already paid the bill and I shouldn't have to prove anything to them...if they want proof, they can call the hospital. She says they can't because of legal reasons. I know that this is false...and I ask to speak to her manager. The manager tells me that he'll contact the hospital and confirm that the account was paid. I thank him and hang up. I've learned from experience that debt collectors are liars. They will say whatever they can to get their commission.

There is actually a biblical holiday that was celebrated in the old testament called Jubilee. Some of the most strict Orthodox Jews still follow this tradition. It only happens something like every 58 years when they celebrate Jubilee. Jubilee consists of great feasts, feeding the poor, and a bunch of other things BUT the coolest thing of all is that they are to forgive and forget all debts.

So this is my economic stimulus package idea: lets forgive all debt that is in collections and put collection agencies out of business for a year. People who are far worse off than myself in the collections department would be able to breath again. This emergency room debt was the only thing I currently had in collections but I've had stuff in collections before and I know the drill and how stressful it can be when they call you 8 times a day leaving hollow lies on your answering machine like "I need this paid in full no later than tomorrow by noon." They make you feel like you're going to go to prison in an orange jumpsuit if you don't make that payment by noon. They'd say this every single day and nothing would happen BUT that didn't stop the stress, the constant worry and fear. So a jubilee year is in order. I know, I know...it's probably a stupid idea but seriously, the average American is drowning in debt. Imagine if that debt were erased even for a year and everyone got a fresh start...the economy would boom. People would likely go back into debt (because we're a debt minded society) but at least for a year we could live without the stress of avoiding soul-less collectors that are more concerned about getting their commission than whether or not you can afford to make a payment. We could have a year where you won't have some snappy girl threaten you by saying that your credit score will go down if you don't make a payment. A credit score?!!! A stupid three-digit number that somehow determines your worth in society?!!! Come on people. We're better than that (or are we?).

Anyway, I'm done ranting. I just watched the season Premiere of LOST and I my mind is racing and I'm not sure this ranting is helping at all.