Identity Theft...

The subject of the day: Identity theft...How did I, Joy, come up with this one you may be asking yourself...well, that would be an interesting story...I have had one of those months that I can't wait to be over with! You see I got this letter in the mail yesterday from some credit card company. So, I figured it was just an offer for a new card...and I opened it so that I could put it in the shredder...and it was a BILL!!! Well, it was addressed to me...from a company that I have never heard of...so, I call there and find out that this card has been opened in my name for two months already...and to top it off the bill was behind in payments...so, now I have to clear all that up. Well, the address is correct, as is the social security number, but not the phone numbers (home, work, or cell) or mothers' maiden name. So, it seems that you can get a credit card with a lot of falsified info these days. So, needless to say I am not paying the bill. And then the company actually asked me if I was willing to file a police report. Umm, Hello, Yeah. I, in turn, asked her if I should go to the police chiefs house then and do, or wait until today to do it...well, they told me that there fraud investigation team will work on it...but of they need anything can they ask the police to cooperate...I am pretty positive that the police here in town will cooperate...I know them that well...
So, now tonight I have been surfing all the information that I can find out about identity theft and what else I can do to clear this up...On the average a person does not find out for 14 months! Well, I hope that this person (whomever it may be) has not had this card for that long! I don't think so...but you never know...It seems that whomever it was should have had some common sense and had the bills delivered to another address and not to my home address...but you know some people are not exactly the brightest people...all the better for me...I now know early on...and have learned a lot from surfing the 'net tonight on how to protect myself from ever being the victim again...and I think that I will post some tips here for all of you readers...so, here are some that I have found:

File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one). However, here is what is perhaps most important of all
Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit. There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves’ purchases.

1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2.)Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
3.)TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
4.)Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

When you call one of the three major credit bureaus they are required, by law, to notify the other two, and put a fraud alert on your credit report. There are also two types of Fraud alerts: 90 days and 7 years...so, as the consumer you will need to request the later of the two or you could become a victim again...and some companies will not even honor the advisory.

In my case though, I am not sure as to where the credit card was opened at, so filing a police report is kind of a sticky situation...since it is a whoile juridiction issue right now...but I did go talk to the police chief to put him on alert about it. (Well, ok in reality I sniveled and pouted my way through it...and told him that the sooner that I got out of here the better...)

What I also learned is that many states DO NOT PROSECUTE the thief. The companies feel that it is not worth their time or money to prosecute the criminal...well, I find that to be repulsive! But I am not even going to go their right now! I am still angry and tired to top it all off now...all this searching has made me even madder now...well, I hope that it helps the next person...and that you are not that person...but if you are...remember that there is help out there! I know...I have found it...
Take care...
Love ya...
One very tired girl,
~Joy~

Sidenote: The flag is still up for the month of June...and will remain up until my last post for the month of June...and guess what...it is getting so much easier to post it now! Since the month is almost over with right! LOL...
Well, Good Night...Work calls early...as do many more phone calls...oh yeah...

Happy Week to you all...

It shall be one for me...NOT! Even though I love to travel...for pleasure that is...but when I have to go away for anything other than that...I hate it! And this will be about the 4th time that I will be going away this month alone...Is June over with yet????? Is it time to go to school yet??? I know that I am being sarcastic now...since when school gets into full swing I will (probably) want out fast!
Hope that you all had a good weekend...Mine wasn't all that bad...relaxing I must say...and there was no alcohol involved! I was thinking about it...BUT the off sale place got robbed on Friday night! Yeah in my town of 10,000 people and you rob the alcohol store! Of course the banks were targeted already the summer of '04 and the Dollar Store was targeted in the winter of '04 so I guess that we should have expected this one coming! I was wondering why they were closed so early that night when I was out running errands but never gave it a second thought as to what may have happened! O-well I am soon to be outta here...
But, hey, it's late and the morning is coming soon! Until we meet again...Take care and see ya soon! I know where and when my vacation is...Over New Year's...To New York...I have been there twice...but always wanted to go over New Year's...and now with some friends moving to New Jersey I have the opportunity...BUT...Yeah there is always a BUT in a sentence...they may be coming home...and if that is the case I am STILL GOING THERE!!! No one can stop me!!! So, that is my final decision...Who is with me??? I may need some companionship while I am there! lol
See ya...
and luv ya...until later...Get well soon Marc...Take good care of him you 2...I won't name you either...but you know who you are :)
~Joy~

Another week is almost completed!!!

A little slow this week...I just realized that tomorrow is Friday already!!!! I am excited...but not ready for next week to come yet...see, I have to travel again (at least I think) and it seems that when I travel I never sleep...last week when I travelled 2 times (Tuesday and Thursday) I don't think that I slept Monday or Wednesday night at all...so, I am not looking forward to this one coming up...but to think that in 2 months school starts again!
I have no plans for the weekend...except to sit around and do nothing all weekend! My family is all going away without me for the weekend...and, as you may tell, I am incredibly sad about this! :) See ya on Sunday...well, actually it is Monday they are coming back...and not until late! Have the house to myself...and with nothing to do...gonna be nice!
And no I am not going to party all weekend...I did that enough this week...I can't even think about that right now. With having their going away parties this week I am going to recuperate this weekend...And I also need to kinda psych myself up for next weekend...the weekend of the 4th...I am going to go out to the family reunion on my dad's side...my mom and I are going...
So, I am off now!!! Talk to you all later...and I hope that you have a great weekend...in case I don't return by then...it may be a possibility ya know!!! Between packing and working...and laundry...registering...and all that fun stuff...I think that I may go crazy soon! Anyone wanna help me??? lol Just kidding! Take care...
Love ya...
and here is a big hug from me -2- you

Running...

I did decide tonight that running is EVIL!!!! I ran tonight 6.6 miles and I am hot and need a shower really bad now! But to find the energy to go do that is the problem...well, last night was fun...we had a going away party for a friend (she and another are moving to New Jersey in about a week and half) so, anyways, remember that it is a Tuesday...and in our small town (10,000) there is not a whole lot of action going on...we ended up playing pool (my 4th time ever!) and I have to say I had a lot of fun...then after that we went back to my co-workers house and just sat and talked about the whole her moving half way across the country...and the fact that I am also leaving in 2 short months! But remember that 2 years is sooo short and then I want to get the heck out of this state! I am aiming at either the East Coast or the West Coast...any suggestions? hehehehehehe
I am changing the colors of each entry...since I LOVE rainbows! I guess that I am just into changing colors...Makes it unique...So, I think that I am off to shower now! It was an incredibly long day today...Never do that again (I said that last time also...so, no one qoute me on it please!)
Until later! Love ya...and I think that I shall return...hehehehehehe...O-yeah...and I am going on vacation in December now!!! Over New Year's that is...and I am excited...because it is New Year's Eve while I am there! More to come though!
Love ya...
Love,
~Joy~

Late...but Happy Fathers Day...

I know that yesterday was Fathers' Day and all...well, as many of you know, my father passed away many years ago already...and that over the years I have had little to no communication with two of his siblings.
I do miss my father dearly...Over the years I have grown up and become the person that I am. Mostly due to the influence that my mother had on me. So, I remember the last day that I spent with you...like it was yesterday...That day will live in my memory forever...because if I had known then what I know now I would have spent those last few hours with you and not worrying about leaving on vacation the next day. I remember that you told me that I had better behave this time while I was with them (my aunt and uncle)....and that you told me that you loved me and that you would see me when I got back in August...then off I went...Thinking that I would see you in a month...Not knowing...
I remember the phone call at 2 in the morning...She comes into my room...tells me to hurry and get up...we need to go back to North Dakota right away...but she won't tell me why...probably for the best...I watch as the scenery passes by me...all the way back to Grandma's. Then I think that something has happened to Grandma...still not knowing and by now it has been almost 12 hours...There sits mom...crying...and Paul...Uncle Gary...Grandma...Uncle Tim...also all crying...I know then that it's bad...after the news is told I remember that I went outside...what I was looking for I am not sure...I just needed to not be in there...I remember that I was thinking that it was all a bad dream...and that sooner or later I would wake up...Still waiting for that to happen though...
Facing everyone in Grand Forks again was hard...I am still in denial...and when I went back home again I find out that pretty much everyone already knew...In fact someone's parents knew while the EMT's were still in the house trying to revive you...they saw the ambulance...but could not get to the house to see if I was there or not...but they were relieved to find out that I had already left...but knew that now they would be explaining what had happened...and why I was home already...
If I thought that was hard...that was a breeze compared to what was coming still though...Just remember that I love you no matter what...and the next couple of days were hard...but then comes time for the funeral...and I remember leaving for that...out in your hometown...and although at the time everyone made me feel welcome...I felt only loneliness and heartache...because I had just buried my father...and I am only 13...
Now is the time that I remember you the most though...for it is coming upon the anniversary of your death...and this is the time of the year that makes me the most emotional and sad...This year will be no exception to that either...In fact this year may be even harder...for I have not talked to any of your siblings in many years now...And the last communication that I had with one was distant and I hung up the phone in tears...well, recently I received a birthday card from your sister...and they are having a family reunion this summer...around the "anniversary" and I have decided to attend...not because I am interested in communication with the "uncle" that I last talked to...but, so that I can get the remaining pictures that "aunt" still has and also the paperwork from being discharged...so, I shall get that stuff...then I feel that maybe there will be closure on that part of my life...but never from you...For you will always live in my heart and soul...I am after all a piece of you...

I was successful!

In changing the layout of this blog I was successful! I was getting kind of tired of the same old thing...so, occassionally you may find that I play a little and change this...o-well! Ok, now I am off to bed! Work calls early...but here's to (hopefully) a weekend that will be WAY better than the last was! It can't get any worse though!

Take care and always remember that I...

Love ya!

Updates: June 14,2006...A huge thanks to Marc of Voyeur Nation...he added the links on the side so that I have immediate access to his site...How he does that I have no idea...some day I may remember HTML just not yet! Then now I have another problem...and, well, that one requires my time and thoughts...all that time that I have spent telling others about long distance relationships aren't that hard...well, now, I am having a harder time trying to convince myself on that! I have accepted addmission to a school that is about 3 hours away and just when I am trying to get something started going with this guy! Ok, now what do I do? That has been running through my freaking brain all day! But, well, I know that in the end it will all work out! I am off now...Talk to ya all laterz!
9 P.M. Oh yeah...It hurts!!!! (Had an ear appointment and, well, I won't go into the details but I am still waiting for the pain killers to start working and they won't...So, I do still have full feeling of the nerves in my left ear...and I don't want to feel it!!!) Until later~
Midnight...Still waiting!!! How long do these things take??? I am going to kill someone soon!!!

Challenge

This week is the ultimate in testing my patience...BUT I wanted to partake in this little "challenge" that came from one of Marc's blog, although it started on someone else's originally...But long day and now I am off...
Until tomorrow night...See ya then everyone...and hopefully without the grumpiness and crabbiness right????
Here's to (almost) lovin life again!!!

Love ya!

~Joy~

Warning...

DISLCLAIMER: The following is about the weekend...and it was not a pretty weekend...so, I may whine and I will apologize profusely right away and get that part over with...now on to the weekend from HELL!

Friday I left work a later than usual...got busy with stuff going on...well, ok that's usual you know sometimes...SO, anyways I was pretty psyched because there was a dance that night...and I wanted to go with a certain friend of mine...and I had finally gained the momentum to ask him. Knowing that we both were off by 7 that night also may have had something to do with it! :) Ok, so there I go, to find out that the guy that was supposed to come in at 7 for him was a no-show and now he has to stay until midnight! Ok, so there shoots that night...and since it only took a year for either one of us to ask the other out it may never happen again! Than later that night I ended up taking my aunt to the ER and we were there until 3 A.M.

Saturday started pretty good...cleaned out my car and then just thought about what to do that night...so, I made plans and then they all fell through anyways! But then I decided to go to my friends place over in Breck...and join a few other peeps that are there...well, this guy and I have been friends for over 2 years...never anything more...(at least to me that is...I still like someone else more) Well, he decides that we can only be friends and he doesn't want to talk to me anymore for right now! Nice way to end a good day huh?

But here is what takes the ultimate: Yesterday (well, late last night actually) I was on the way to the ER with my aunt again (every 6 hours all weekend for IV antibiotics) and all the sudden my car starts to drive really funny...So, I turn around thinking that maybe I have a flat tire or something...and then all the sudden it starts to make a clunking noise...well, I then pull over...and get out...thinking that maybe it is a broken axle or something. Ok, so what is that all about? So I think nothing of it, have it brought to the shop and leave it there so that my mechanic can look at it this morning right away (which I knew he would also!) and I stopped there on the way to work to talk to him...well, the good news is that it was only about a $30 repair job...here's the bad news (at least in my opinion that is!)...see the problem was...that 4 out of my 5 lug nuts on my tire were missing...At first we were both thinking that it was a complete and total fluke...which he said it could have been if there was something wrong with my car...but then he started looking and found nothing wrong...SO, the point here is that someone did it deliberately! Well, on the way home of course I called the local Police and started to file the report...so, they sent someone over and I talked to him for a while. (Well, I already knew him since his daughter and my sister play hockey together along with the chief's daughter also...ok, I know twisted right). But now I am over paranoid and my mechanic said that I can bring back in my car anytime and he will keep checking it to make sure that all is good with it! I am forever grateful to him right now! So, what else am I supposed to do? I have never been in this situation before...I am thankful that I have a mechanic who is willing to help me to maybe someday feel safe again...Well, do I win any kind of award for having the world's worst weekend?

Here's to being thankful that the weekend is finally OVER with and that the week is here AGAIN! (I know not many people can say that can they)
Well, I am off now...sorry about the ultimate whine-fest but the week can't get bad compared to the weekend! Take care and the next post will be much better I promise!

Love ya!

How do ya do links on here?????????????????????? Anyone????????????