Another Hole In My Life

Sometimes, I really wish I had my mom to talk to.

Like today, when I wanted to roast the collective a$$es of the staff at the credit union where I have the boys' college money safely saved. It used to be the credit union of my dad, a loyal worker for Southwestern Bell Telephone. Yeah. That's before it got deregulated even before air traffic controllers, and millions upon millions of baby Bells sprang up, much like babies off a spider's back when it falls with a soft PLOP onto your box of Puffs With Lotion at midnight in your dark basement lair and nobody can hear you scream.

Anyhoo, now that credit union says it is for the community, don't you know, and we loyally kept our money there, some in CDs, some in savings accounts, because it's a hometown credit union and has been around for nigh on 50 years, even though they changed the name of it once. My mom had a special friend who works there, who cried right along with my sister the ex-mayor's wife and I when we went in to settle up Mom's accounts. I called today and asked for her, but I was informed that she was with a member.

"Okay. You can probably help me. I want to take the money out of my son's CD, and put part of it in his savings account so it's available for his college expenses, and put the rest into another CD."

"Is it mature?"

I resisted the urge to snicker, thinking of that Cheez It cheese that is definitely not mature.

"Yes. Today. The date on it is October 1."

"All right. I'll cash out that one, put the money in the account, and then take out the amount you specified to start a new CD. Do you want everything the same on that CD as on the old one?"

"Yes."

"Should we mail the paperwork, or do you want to stop by?"

"I'll stop by between 3:30 and 4:00."

"All right. We'll have it ready."

You know they didn't have it ready, right? I got there, and the window lady went back to get another lady, who told me that she didn't get there until after noon, and that when I was there (wrong) this morning, that CD hadn't matured yet. Are you freakin' kidding me? Is not October 1st the same as October 1st? How could it not be mature in the morning, but it WAS mature in the afternoon? Money drawing interest of about 0.000001 % sure is tricky, isn't it?

Anyhoo, she said she had called me and left a message to call her. Huh. At my house. When I was at work. And then when I got home, I saw that the message was at 3:20 anyway, and how would I have gotten from home to their office by 4:00 when they close even if I had gotten that message? She had me sign two receipt thingies, and I said I would stop by tomorrow to pick up the paperwork.

That's why I wish I had Mom to talk to. She really disliked this one worker there. Not that she ever dwelt on it, but every time she had a transaction with her, it came out wrong. AND my mom was on the board of that credit union, too.

I really miss having Mom to complain to. Misery (AKA Mrs. Hillbilly Mom) loves company.