Thursday, February 7, 2008

Thursday, February 7, 2008
Waxing Moon
Saturn Retrograde
Mercury Retrograde
Rainy and cool

Well, yesterday was just a waste. I took all my paperwork to the credit union; I filed all their paperwork. Great. We were all very cordial to each other; my money’s going to be replaced, but that’s pretty much all that happens. The string of incidents themselves are shrugged off.

I hiked out to the precinct in Queens; checked in with the desk; was told there was a specific clerk to take all the reports, and that my claim would consist of a lot of paperwork. I sat there for TWO HOURS because the chick didn’t feel like dealing with me. She sailed out to lunch; she wandered back in and chatted; she took reports from a guy who walked in well after I did because she knew him; and then she tells me that she’s going off shift and I have to wait for the next shift. The next shift didn’t want to deal with it either, and refused to take the report. According to her, she claimed to have spoken to a detective (but wouldn’t let me speak to one) who said it would be worth it to file if it was tens of thousands of dollars, but not a few hundred. Huh? Um, excuse me, the various hacking incidents over the months ADD UP to a good bit of money.

No wonder the hacks keep happening via ATMs in Queens – the thieves know the precinct doesn’t want to do the paperwork! And, they’re being savvy in the amounts of money they’re stealing – not enough to make overstretched law enforcement agencies do anything.

I left, but believe me, they have NOT heard the last of this. I have a few more options, and, while I’m not willing to give up any more writing days, I am filing the paperwork here and there remotely.

I understand that they’re understaffed, cop-wise; the cops were busting their asses and going full out the whole time I was there. But the clerk’s job is to do the paperwork, not pick and choose who gets to file a report, or spend the bulk of her time going to lunch and socializing. Several people came in to pick up copies of reports they’d filed weeks ago, and nothing was ready. Several people came in to file identity theft reports and were turned away. That’s just wrong. The paperwork reveals the pattern, with the pattern you can start putting together the pieces and stopping these thieves.

On the positive side, I got some reading done for an assignment and I certainly picked up a lot of atmosphere I’m going to use in future writing!

So my entire day was shot – I was out of the house before ten and didn’t get back until dinner time. Then I had a tenants’ meeting to decide on actions to deal with the building crap. Then I came home and collapsed.

Lost an entire writing day that, right now, I can’t afford to lose.

And, I’m out of town today, a trip to CT which will be fun, but also business; I have to pick up some materials I need for a project. But the break will do me good, and, hopefully, I can come back in the early afternoon, renewed and ready to tackle everything again. I’m working in the city most of the weekend, so tonight, tomorrow during the day, and Saturday have to be very, very productive.

Off to CT. Let’s hope THAT adventure is more productive than yesterday’s.

Devon

Devon’s Bookstore:

5 in 10: Create 5 Short Stories in Ten Weeks by Devon Ellington. This ebooklet takes you from inspiration to writing to revision to marketing. By the end of ten weeks, you will have either 5 short stories or a good chunk of a novella complete. And it’s only 50 cents, USD. Here.

Writing Rituals: Ideas to Support Creativity by Cerridwen Iris Shea. This ebooklet contains several rituals to help you start writing, get you through writer’s block, and help send your work on its way. It’s only 39 cents USD. (Note: Cerridwen Iris Shea is one of the six names under which I publish). Here.

Full Circle: An Ars Concordia Anthology. Edited by Colin Galbraith. This is a collection of short stories, poems, and other pieces by a writers’ group of which I am a member. My story is “Pauvre Bob”, set at Arlington Race Track in Illinois. You can download it free here: