TD Bank Sucks.

I had mentioned in a previous post that I went to a friends house a week ago. He was kind enough to loan me some money. He gave me a check that I deposited in my bank on Sunday. The only good thing that I can say about TD bank is that they are open late, and on the weekend.

Trying to make a long story short, my friend's checking account, due to an oversight, had been closed by his bank. When I had gone to purchase some breakfast on Tuesday, which was the day that the check was to clear, my debit card did not work. I immediately called my bank and found out that the check was written from a closed account. After some time on the phone things seemed cleared up and that my payroll deposit would clear the next day.

Needless to say that did not happen the next day or I would not have much of a story to tell. The fraud/loss prevention department of TD bank froze my payroll deposit, and placed my account on a "limited" status. Basically it is a status where nothing goes in and nothing goes out, or a euphamism for a frozen account.

After many phone calls, and walking over to the branch in which I opened the account I was told that the "limited" status could be lifted if I provide a letter from my friends bank stipulating that the checking account was closed due to an error and that there was not fraud involved. By the middle of the afternoon the letter was faxed over to the branch manager at TD bank and the "limmited" status was lifted, and everything was fine.

Or so I thought. I took my lunch latter than usual because of this mess, and went to an ATM to take out cash for lunch and to pay the deli near my office that was kind enough to make me breakfast. The debit card did not work. I called the bank and they insisted that the card should work. I told them that it did not work, and that I felt that it was probably due to the "limited" status not being fully lifted. They told me that this was impossible and they could not explain why the card was not working.

In the end I had to trek over to the bank to take out cash for lunch. I tried to speak to a customer service agent about the card, but I was placed on a very long line despite the fact that I told them that I was dealing with this problem for the better part of a day and a half. I do not get angry quickly. In fact I rarely do, and I lose my temper even less frequently. However, this experience pushed me over the edge and I lit into the greeter at the bank door. I called him, and the bank every four letter word I knew. Since then I have apologized to the man as I was not angry at him, but at the bank he represents, and it was unfortunate that he had to endure the barrage of insults.I would up buying lunch and eating it at my desk as I worked as I was already late returning to work. Luckily, no one even said a peep about my being late.

After work I went over to the bank as my ATM card was still not working. In the end it turned out that since my card was blocked due to a suspicion of fraud it could not be unblocked in the same way a card can not be unblocked if you declare it lost or stolen. In fact that is what the fraud department did. They put my card in the lost/stolen category. I had to be issued a new card, and now every thing I have set for automatic payment has to be reprogrammed. What a pain in the a$# that will be!

Everything seems to be OK now, but it was long two days of aggravation to get to that point.

If I did not need a method to collect my direct deposit, and a way to purchase things online I would not bank with TD bank. They treated me like a criminal when in the end the whole mess was due to a simple mistake. Even if there was some sort of fraud involved it would have been on the part of the person who issued the check and not myslef. If anything I would have been the victim of fraud and not the guilty party. However, I was treated as if I was the guilty party, and that I did not take kindly to.

I hope they do not do this to other customers of theirs who unwittingly present a bad check.

I strongly advise people to bank elsewhere.

Some Lyrics Hit the Nail on the Head.

Cut my life into pieces
This is my last resort
Suffocation
No breathing
Don't give a fuck if I cut my own breathing

This is my last resort

Cut my life into pieces
I've reached my last resort
Suffocation
No breathing
Don't give a fuck if I cut my arm bleeding
Do you even care if I die bleeding
Would it be wrong
Would it be right
If I took my life tonight
Chances are dynamite
Mutilation outta sight
And I'm contemplating suicide

'cause I'm losing my sight
Losing my mind
Wish somebody would tell me I'm fine
Losing my sight
Losing my mind
Wish somebody would tell me I'm fine

I never realized I was spread too thin
Till it was too late
And I was empty within
Hungry
Feeding on chaos
And living in sin
Downward spiral where do I begin
It all started when I lost my mother
No love for myself
And no love for another
Searching to find a love up on a higher level
Finding nothing but questions and devils

'cause I'm losing my sight
Losing my mind
Wish somebody would tell me in fine
Losing my sight
Losing my mind
Wish somebody would tell me I'm fine
Nothing's alright
Nothing is fine
I'm running and I'm crying
I'm crying
I'm crying
I'm crying
I'm crying

I can't go on living this way

Cut my life into pieces
This is my last resort
Suffocation
No breathing
Don't give a fuck if I cut my arm bleeding
Would it be wrong
Would it be right
If I took my life tonight
Chances are that I might
Mutilation outta sight
And I'm contemplating suicide

'cause I'm losing my sight
Losing my mind
Wish somebody would tell me I'm fine
Losing my sight
Losing my mind
Wish somebody would tell me I'm fine
Nothing's alright
Nothing is fine
I'm running and I'm crying

I can't go on living this way
Can't go on
Living this way
Nothing's alright

Day 6

Tomorrow will be one week since I was transferred to the phone sales department. Things are going really well. I am still training, but I might start doing sales tomorrow. I have had a crash course in computers, networking, etc. It has been a great amount of information to absorb, but I am confident that I am up to the task,

I went to a friends house over Friday night. He is the only person within Islam who has kept in touch with me and made an attempt to be a support for me. I greatly appreciate his friendship. The Imams who I have been in contact with, and tried to keep in contact with have failed me. Phone calls are not returned, and emails ignored. When I do get in touch with them, they act disinterested. One thing that I have noticed about Islam is the lack of holidays. They have like two major holidays called Eid, and the month of Ramadan. If you are not part of a family within Islam you fall in the cracks and are alone. In all the times that I went to the Mosque for Eid, not once was I invited to spend the holiday with a family. I guess you might say that I miss the feeling of family I had in Judaism.

That is lost now, and can not be recovered.

I made my choices in life, and I need to live by the consequences. It is not a matter of blame per say, but rather of responsibility for one's own decisions. We are human and do not always make the right decisions. In fact we often make the wrong decisions if life. The quality of our life is determined by how we cope with the consequences of those decisions.

I will live with mine, and likely alone, but hey that is life is it not?

Day Three

This was my third day on the phones. Yesterday, I worked on the phones while a co-worker that was training me listened in on the conversation, and gave me pointers. It went very well.

Today I spent the day going through training modules on computers.

Tomorrow I have a Opthamologist appointment, a Voc Rehab appointment, and I am seeing the girls. Yay!

Next week, Big Girl will be off from school all Thursday. Little Girl may or may not have the day off. So at the very least I will have Big Girl all day! Double Yay!

New Job/Same Employer.

I got transferred from the sales floor at my job to the corporate offices where I will be selling on the phone. This will allow me to have the guide dog comforabaly lay down near me at my desk. It also means I do not have to move around as much as I would have to on the sales floor which means less bumping into things and people.

I am very excited.

First the guide dog, and now this!!

Post Deleted.

I decided to delete the last post. I came to the conclusion that it was contrary to the spirit that I want this blog to emulate. I wrote it with a lot of emotion after reading about the continued fighting in the Mid-East. I am fighting not to be a person led by my emotions, and taking down this blog is only one step toward achieving that goal.

This blog will not talk about politics, or religion anymore. I am sick of both of them.

When will we as a species grow up, and stop our childish bickering, and violence?

As for me, I want nothing of the whole game. I will talk about my life, work, children, and my visual impairment.

I want to thank all who have come to visit, and I hope that you continue to do so.

Guiding Eyes

I found out today that I was accepted for training for a Guide Dog. I will be attending the school in April. I am very excited and can not wait for the end of March to arrive!!

My girls also can not wait for the dog. They know that their Tatty will have a dog after Peasach.

This news made my day.

A Good Visit.

I had my girls yesterday. They are becoming very well adjusted to the cane, and travel well with me. We went to my house as it was very cold outside and spent time watching videos and eating Supper.

We watched this Jewish video that they love called Chani and Shani. There are two volumes and we had watched the first one where the two girls in the video get into a fight and stop talking to each other. The rest of the video is about the getting back together and forgiving each other. During the part when they exchange a gift and a letter, and become friends again cause me to swell up with tears. I do not know why I was teary eyed, and it caught me by surprise.

We took a car service home, and had a difficult parting as big girl wanted me to stay and not go home. She cried as I left which broke my heart.

I can not wait until I see them next week.

Israel Sends in the Troops.

I am becoming tired of reading news about the Israeli assault on Gaza.

The Arab Monarchs in the region are too full of themselves to do anything about the slaughter of the Palestinians. They would not dare do anything to risk losing their Sugar Daddy Uncle Sam. The U.S. would not cut financial support to Israel because of the American Jewish Influence on Congress.

The whole situation is f&#*ed up.

The U.S. should stop funding Israel, and the Arab Nations.

We could use that money to do some good here at home.

My Life Flashed Before my Eyes.

As I was walking home from the train today, I crossed the street to get to the other side of the block as I always do. I waited for the light to change then waited for the first car to pass. The first car turned onto my block, and the second car which seemed to be going forward cut a quick turn and nearly ran me over. It's back wheel ran over the tip of my cane. I am not sure how it did not break. It was a very scary experience.

On another note, I have the starts of a very bad cold. I worked today and got time and a half for working, but I think I will take tomorrow off. I only work like two hours on Fridays so, unless I feel much better in the morning, I think I will take Friday off. This way I will have all day Friday and Saturday to rest and get over this cold.

Happy New Year!!!

To everyone a happy new year! May the coming year be full of good occasions, prosperity, and may you fulfill all your resolutions.