What a Day!

1) I had an extremely long shift at Sears today: 10:00 a.m. till 7:30 p.m. Ordinarily this would have been great. No opening, no closing. Just prime selling hours. Unfortunately, I've seen more action in an art museum. Fortunately, the Lord is providing for us and not my job. :) Who needs a big sales day?

2) The real reason for this post and the reason I wanted to blog tonight is because the superiority of the Canadian banking system to the American banking system was proven again today. Prior to our most recent trip to Nova Scotia, Natasha and I juggled numbers and set ourselves up with an emergency (tiny) line of credit (more for when we got back than for the trip itself). This was intended to protect us in case our balance dropped below "$0." (It was like overdraft protection.) I was approved on the 25th, so I signed the documents at the branch in town as we left for Canada. We were blessed with an amazing weekend (more to follow on this weekend on another day - or on MySpace). We spent money normally. We came back. I paid beaucoups bills! Natasha went to Subway with Rebeckah and had to bum money because our card was suddenly no good. You know, the card with which I withdrew $20 this morning (indicating my low balance). I was picked up from work and tried my card at the nearest branch of our US bank. "Invalid card," read the screen. So I called Jacqueline at our bank call center.

Jacqueline was very helpful. She said that the card was invalid because we would have a negative balance. She helped me realize that the bank that approved my emergency line of credit had no record of it anywhere else. After 15 minutes of my trying to explain that I really know what's going on in my banking world (and being on hold), her supervisor said that they could detect some traces of my banking history over the weekend. Still, they couldn't find an account number with my name on it anywhere - four days later! So, Jacqueline and I sat on the phone as she told me that she had no record that I had been approved, signed for, and spent into a line of credit. Yet I did all weekend up till today, from the moment I signed the papers in person at a branch less than 20 minutes away.

Here's the kicker. After further investigation Jacqueline told me the whole trouble started with my HOME branch. They put a hold on my account because they have no idea why we have spent so much money in the last several days. My home branch that literally said on the phone that I would have to go to town to sign because their branch would close too early for me to get there. My home branch that sent my information to the other branch so that I could complete the approval. My home branch that regularly calls and exchanges business with their sister branch in town. My home branch with whom I communicated that we would be traveling. Yes, my home branch. They put a hold on the card so that it will ring up "invalid" until I go personally and see them to explain why I think it's okay to spend beyond "$0." I think I'll remind them that they sent my information and approved me. (Oh, and I work days this week, so I can't go see them because they're open from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. daily.)

Believe me, this is more funny than it sounds. Even Jacqueline asked me why I wasn't angry. I'm not angry because the Holy Spirit is in control of my life. I'm also not angry because until now the American banking experience has been too smooth. :) I miss RBC!!!!

3) Natasha was blatantly hit on today. Bigtime. More on that on her blog....