Category: Post computer crash

Memorial Day (long weekend)

My long awaited phone call with a Social Security clerk came at a little after 2 pm on Monday. I sent a note to friend Dot, who visited the DeKalb County court house to get the certificate of marriage.
That note follows.

I had my phone call with Victor of the Yakima office of the Social Security Administration on Monday afternoon. I either had to drive to Yakima (100 miles round trip) or mail the certificate of marriage.
I have no other reason – just now – to go there, so I mailed it on Wednesday.
The talk was as expected, except he asked if I could read small print. Maybe if I said no I’d get a large print version of whatever he will send to me.
It is also odd that a surviving spouse or child may receive a special lump-sum death payment of $255. This payment has bedeviled congress and the SSA since the beginning.
The amount of $255 was set in 1954, but with price increases since then the amount today would be $2,532.
I will ponder the use of my $255 as I await its arrival in my bank account.
I’m slowly making credit card and other changes as I figure them out.
A tangled web, as you know.

The last line is a reference to the things that followed the death of Dot’s husband Bill over a year ago.
– – – –
SATURDAY
Five of Nancy’s friends and I spent hours sorting and packaging stuff, mostly clothes, from a bedroom, including from on the queen sized bed, from closets, dressers, floor, and hanging on doors. Mid-morning Sunday two of the kind folks will be back for more of the same.
I’m too exhausted to write more tonight.
I should have spent more time over the past few weeks doing some of this, but not being in that frame of mind – and knowing help was coming, I didn’t do much.
A further distraction this past week was serious work on the last major project of the house remodel. Namely, concrete and joists for the deck were 95% completed. Photo #1 below. Photo #2 is the nearly finished entrance sign. This pulled the workers away from the deck; my choice.
However, the entrance structure and sign have been a goal of mine, and I wanted it to be there to greet some long-time friends.

The Nordic horse is a symbol of welcome (Välkommen, Swedish, or Velkommen, Norwegian). This one was painted 35 years ago in Troy ID.
On this Memorial Day (long weekend) spend a few moments remembering those who served.

I’ll put flags out Sunday and Monday.

John
from the Naneum Fan

Cold here this week . . .

. . . and not a lot going on.

I did find out something about credit cards.
I was trying to respond to a Chase credit card notice, but did not see a card with that name. Finally found them.

The card(s) [one in Nancy’s wallet, one in mine] were hiding in plain sight.
The card is, in fact, the Amazon Prime card with that name and VISA (big white letters) on the front. The Chase name is on the back. I discovered this Thursday, but still wanted to do an on-line access of the account.

I didn’t know what user name Nancy used nor the password; although she had a note on her computer, it was no longer valid. I tried to do things on-line by trying to type into the form, but that didn’t work – because I was using the number keypad and it was inactive because I had hit the “num lock” key, turning off numbers and turning on other functions {up, down, side-wise, etc.}.That revelation came just as I had gotten to a person and was explaining my problem.
Having solved that issue, but also having explained about Nancy and why I was trying to access the account – – I was transferred to another person who promptly canceled the account. I was not the “owner” of the account; I was just a tag-along on Nancy’s. The support tech was able to confirm Nancy’s death from some data base, maybe SS.
However, there is (or was) an auto-pay from our bank to that account scheduled for next week. Oops! The pay date is extended 60 days upon the owner’s death, or some such thing.
The local Chase branch is in the Fred Meyer (Kroger) store so I can go down there and give them a check.
I was directed to a Chase web page where I signed up for my very own Amazon card. That seems to provided immediate use on Amazon’s site and a credit limit of $5,000. A hard card is to arrive in 10 days, or so.

Other stuff:
Early in the week I bruised my left heel. Having much to do, it was not a fun week. Seems to be a bit better now.

Saturday morning, Walter the contractor arrived with the “french door” for the south side of the house. He brought the main posts and beams a week ago. A trench is dug, for a critter barrier and post support wall. Concrete pour to come next week – I think.

I’ve got 97% of the work done on a long anticipated sign for the entry near the county road. Blue letters on a rough cut plank. Photo next week when it is complete. It says

From the Naneum Fan
John