Attention Alert important information

I made an inadvertent mistake. I'm paying for it over and over. I'm spending my days NOT answering my cell phone. Don't let this happen to you.

On a sparkling fall day, I walked into the Loft in Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. They had a great sale going on and even more off if you opened an account. I didn't think anything about it. I often open store credit cards for the perks and sales and pay them off. No biggie. My first error in judgment--No biggie.

New card came, bill came, paid for my purchase. Didn't go back over Christmas because I wasn't shopping for that sort of thing. But around Thanksgiving I started getting, every Tuesday, a call and voicemail to call World Financial Network about a "personal business matter." I ignored it and couldn't do anything about it because the number doing the calling was blocked.

Starting yesterday, the calls are coming hot and heavy. No longer unknown. No voicemail. And from Ohio, Denver, Kansas. All the same thing, although I don't answer them. I've looked it up on the internet. It's them, calling, calling, calling. Different numbers, different locations, but the same thing. They called 8 times yesterday and 3 times already today.

This is an attempt to sell me other of their products. I don't owe anything on my Loft card. I am so angry I can hardly stand it. I will never shop at these stores again and obviously I'm closing this account. Don't open store accounts. And seriously, Ann Taylor, how could you let yourself get hooked up with these guys?

2010 (and 2011) by the numbers

So my grand total of books ended at 93. I have always thought I read more than that in a year, but apparently I was mistaken. I'm finishing a book a day so far in 2011, but I won't maintain that pace. Freezing cold temperatures keep me out of my garden. I exchange hours in the garden for hours reading books.

And my grand total on weight went up over the holidays. Way too much Christmas cheer. I may have to take out a restraining order on these five pounds. They are stalking me. And I'm tired of losing the same ones over and over.

Last year, despite rough parts, ended pretty well. I could have done without some drama, but there it is. So here's some highlights and lowlights:

The best of 2010

1. Nobody was in the hospital. 2009 saw 2 surgeries and a birth. It was a relief for that to change.

2. Colts weddings. Having so much fun with all our Colts friends. Fabulous.

3. Growing granddaughters becoming more delightful little people every day.

4. Best growing season in a very long time. Enough rain. Beautiful flowers.

5. Two boys getting new jobs they like better. In this economy.

6. Fall trip to Arkansas and Kansas City. Longer than usual and we needed it.

7. All the new babies of December. What a treat.

8. The trip to Omaha with Sue.

9. Losing weight--both of us. We feel better and look better.

10.Having some editing to do--thanks, Denny.

11. The trip to Florida. Seeing Sebastian and Shanna at home was great.

12. My new car. Finally not trapped.

The worst of 2010

1. David's job

2. David's job

3. David's job--Horrible uncertainty for 5 months. It clouded the entire first 8 months of the year. More stressful than I could ever imagine.

4. Struggling to lose weight. There were times I thought I'd just give up.

5. Furnace repair right as the job uncertainty started.

6. Missing Sebastian and Shanna when they were in Iowa.

7. Colts firing Ray and Mike. Made me angry and sad.

8. People being pissy. To the car behind them, to customers, to constituents, to family members. Makes me wanna pop somebody.

9. Jimmie Johnson. Winning again. Existing in Nascar.

10. Missing people I don't see very often. And no real way to fix this.

That's how it all added up.