Raymour and Flanigan/Wells Fargo

I need to be careful here, it’s a slippery slope that I am treading, but I wanted to give everyone a heads up with just facts. We bought some furniture on a no interest situation from the above named purveyor. Raymour and Flanigan sells their loans to Wells Fargo, as I understand it. I only found this out because I have been a few days late paying on at least two occasions. The Wells Fargo collections department is abusive, harassing and unprofessional, in my opinion. Let me tell you why, and then you judge.

I made a payment on 9-26 that was overdue, but the payment was for two months. On Sunday at dinner time, I got the call. I told him I had made a payment, but he insisted I tell him how much and when. I explained I was dining with my kids, was on a long distance call, and that he would be paid. He again insisted I tell him how much I had paid. I honestly didn’t know since my wife pays the bills and we pay them online. Apparently this wasn’t satisfactory as I received another call on Monday at 8:15 PM while I was trying to put my daughter to bed.

This time it was Don. I explained to Don that I was singing a song to my daughter and that I hat explained to the previously caller that a payment had been made. Don did not care; he wanted to know how much had been paid. I asked Don to speak to a Supervisor and he told me none were available. I hung up, sang my daughter to sleep and called back.

I immediately asked for a Supervisor and I got Craig. He was wheezy, stuffy and obnoxious; explaining to me that I had control of the phone calls, all I needed to do was pay my bill. I again explained that I had paid my bill, and he insisted on knowing how much I had paid. He threatened me that the calls would continue until I was willing to share what I had paid. I asked him to analyze my account for the likelihood of default - $5000 borrowed, balance of $3200, regular payments. He told me that he saw I had two purchases of $500 on a particular date. I promptly offered to pay them off. Then he told me my payoff was over $3000. I asked him how this number differed from his statement of “two purchases of $500.” Was he lying or did he not have the information?

Craig became more aggressive at this point, talking over me and accusing me of not paying my bills. I think I might never pay them again. My credit is bulletproof; I own my home and pay cash for everything now. Let him come and get the couches.

Asshole!

Bottom line – don’t ever do business with either Raymour and Flanigan or Wells Fargo!

Spike

Making a Living

As glamorous as writing is for some, the reality is that we are only as good as our last sentence is and we are always striving to improve that last sentence. The majority of writers do not have the luxury of agonizing over that sentence and turning it inside out two or three times - we need to make a living. Whether that living is writing, selling, teaching, healing or accounting, we all have to pay the bills. I am no different.

So, I have a day job, which is really an all day job, but it is cool because it is a cool job, one that lets me be a dad, lets me be a writer, and lets me be me. I realize that this is a blessing, that most do not have the gig that I have. This gig comes with sacrifices, but none are important enough to stress over, so I don’t.

Name the writers you admire, and then list the jobs they held before becoming successful at writing. Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Roth, Grisham and many others come to mind. They all had gigs before fame. If you want to write, realize it is a lonely pursuit.

I am reading a new book that I find fascinating. It is a book on craft and mythological structure. It is motivating me to go back and finish my YA novel that is lonely, disowned and weeping on my hard drive, begging me to pay attention. “Spike, please love me, please complete me, I am worthy.” And it is. I wrote it as part of my MA Thesis and it’s okay. It needs polishing and finishing, but I am in love with it, especially because I have interest from publishers and it is ripe for a prequel and a sequel, cha ching.

See, now I have bad karma because I mentioned money. I have been sentenced to two more years of obscurity. Whatever. I can deal.

So, that’s my deal Neal.

Shallow Thoughts

By the anti Jack Handy. I did watch the Republican National Convention and came away with the feeling that McCain actually as a sense of humor, albeit twisted. His choice of Palin as a running mate has forced us all to confront our xenophobic tendencies; a black President or a woman Vice President. How prejudiced are you?

I am admittedly Republican with respect to fiscal issues, but moderate in social issues. I have problems reconciling my fiscal conservativeness with my social desire to improve the quality of life of all. I am not sure who will get my vote, if I vote. I feel if I vote, that candidate has my mandate and that mandate precludes my criticism of their actions - is that naïve or just stoopid?

My writing has been limited to modeling for my students. I was a bit envious to find out my publisher is now going to print and my two shorts probably won’t be a part of the first printing due to their length. I’ve always dreamed of being in print, and it may happen yet, but not this time around.

On the upside, I have gotten into the flow at the new venue and am really loving it. Smart kids, supportive administration – it’s all good.

See ya soon!

Spike!