Three tickets to St. Louis for under $1000. Keep in mind I live on the coast. Also bought expensive pair of shoes, although they were fifty percent off. They are handmade Italian shoes, and when given only two choices of the "every woman is an 8B in a population of 300 million for $49.99" and "these shoes are guaranteed to fit, never to pinch or cause blisters at the heel or crush your small toe for $224" I guess I would choose the latter. Pain is not my good friend. I am not Imelda Marcos, mind. I have rain boots, motorcycle boots, slip-ons from the maternity days, cheap Doc Martens, slippers, trainers/runners/sneakers and these new shoes.

Haircut was 20% reduced from last year. I felt so hostile and bitter yesterday I couldn't face goijg with my stylist of late because he's just over the top with the feng shui waterfall, foot massager, and oasis-feel. I wanted someone no-nonsense and sleep-deprived who wasn't afraid to verbally slap me if my hormones urged me to get out of line. Fortunately that didn't happen: I suppsoe if one is self-aware to recognize one's at high-tide, one's going to be more restrained and withdrawn.

Gardening: planted carrots, beets, leeks, parsley, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, mint, strawberries, marjoram, dill, tomatoes, anaheim peppers, thyme, oregano. I wanted radishes! We have lots of kale. My son even bought a strawberry plant, and helped me add compost and scratched in tomato/vegetable food with a trowel and watered them with some extra plant food liquid.

It's odd, because someone when taking my deposit there tried to do a hard sell on me. Yet Chase's notification of changes, which includes fees for deposits in excess of $5000, has me considering taking the not-for-profit corporation's assets elsewhere, upon board and membership approval of course!

Are there really so many people who are fine to be nickel-and-dimed this way? Why are banks making credit unions out to be bleeding obvious choices for consumers?

We installed a new door today. Maybe I'll even get around to making the fireplace more efficient. I hate that I can't reduce my gas bill without sacrificing comfort in my home or spending $50K finishing the basement and adding insulated siding. I think it is time to move.

I have received yet another amendment to terms and conditions from Yank of America. Transaction Fee is to be raised to 4%. Now, my credit score is above 760, and I haven't used the card since August 2004 precisely because BoA can't see its way to being as competitive as my credit union. A big corporation like that, failing to be competitive. Why, butter my buns and call me a biscuit! [rolling eyes]
Maybe this is Yank of America's style of "wealth redistribution": make terms and conditions onerous so no literate, numerate cardholders will want to give it money, or prey upon those who can qualify only for that one card to give "bailouts" to the company.

Is it because of greed and innumerate ignorami that Bank of America has so many customers? Maybe if it lost customers it could be more competitive? Let the tyrant fall, I say. It doesn't seem to want to give me 25-day grace periods, or return the fees and billing cycle structure to what it was when I first got the card and my credit score was lower.

I spoke with Ka(y)cee at Bank of America, and I could only rule that it is because of BoA's fiscal mismanagement that it cannot reward or provide incentives to credit cardholders. It doesn't negotiate.