I'm a deadbeat

At least in the eyes of credit card companies, because I pay the entire balance each month, thus depriving them of their immoral interest rates.

I also refuse to pay for the priviledge of carrying a given card.

Given all that perhaps I should not have been shocked when American Express notified us yesterday, in a very confusing (misleading?) notice that at a date in the future there will be an annual fee of $450!

Some time ago American Express split off their credit card company and their investment side which is now called Ameriprise. My theory is they took all the coke addicted VP's and sent them to the credit card company. WTF are they thinking? If they charged $10 I would cancel the card. Anyway, we're going on a spending binge of our rewards points, and when they are sufficiently depleted ADIOS American Express!

So if you get an innocent looking envelope from American Express, DO read it. And I recommend calling and clarifying the date when this fee is to begin, because you could not determine from the letter or your existing expiration date for your card, when it takes effect.

All this was after seeing a matinee showing of "No Country For Old Men" . This is not an uplifting movie. I think it may be a movie that in a few years reflects the outlook of our culture during these times, much as the old sci fi movies may have been an expression of fear about nuclear (nucular for any Texans reading this) war. Anyway, no sweet dreams last night for sure.

After pics

Still to come, a "sofa table", a new fireplace screen, window treatments and some sort of desk. Oh, and a new barometer

Those with a discerning eye or no life might notice the lack of a light on one picture. This is due to the bulb failing the 8' drop test.

Ahh, memories

Looking at the picture in the previous post for awhile brought back some memories. This was obviously a certificate presentation of some sort, and there wasn't a lot of outside training going on in those days. I was the only EMT that I know of in the dept, although any others might have kept their mouths shut since that seemed to be cause for suspicion. The certs might have been for going through the Navy's shipboard firefighting school which was based on Treasure Island.

The young lad to the left of locker #3 was a captain, and one of the few people with Fire Science degrees which caused ENORMOUS amounts of suspicion and jealousy. He went on to fame and fortune with a large fire dept in the Silicon Valley.

He was also quite the prankster.

At the shipboard firefighting school we were divided into several groups which got out of classes at slightly different times for lunch. One day we were all out except for Danny, so we left without him, leaving him to walk about 4 blocks back to the fire house. As we were fixing lunch, the phone rang alerting us to a helo landing in 5 minutes. One of our duties was to "standby" for "Helo Ops" so we all loaded onto the rigs and drove down to the Helo Pad and waited. We're sitting there shooting the bull for awhile and I look around and there are no security vehicles. We call security, they don't know anything about incoming helos.

We get back to the station and there is a smiling Danny enjoying his lunch.

Oops

Heard a fun story today from a friend and former supervisor. First, without his permission, but WITH editing, is his story.

"Somehow the engineer's mic got stuck in transmit mode without any buttons being pushed. We didn't know this and by the time someone called us on our cell phone, "Benny" had already dropped the "Motherf...r" bomb three times. Fortunately he wasn't talking about anyone. I think almost every station called the cell to express their "shock". PJ was our chief that day and by the time he got through, he simply said, 'I guess I don't have to tell you anything.' "

My story is from over 25 years ago when I was working for the Treasure Island Naval Station fire department as an engineer. We were driving somewhere and the captain hung his hat on the engine microphone which pushed the transmit key. His most famous utterance was "Geez I'm bored, maybe we oughta go START a fire!"

I'm the good looking one...

remodel pictures coming soon!