NaBloPoMo

A case of mistaken identity

July 22, 2009 by kathi

My last name… my husband’s last name… is quite common. It has been in the top 10 most common names in the United States through the last 3 census periods. So perhaps the surprising thing isn’t that I’m having a problem with a case of mistaken identity, but that it’s taken this long for one to affect me.

I am well aware that there are many people who share my name, and unfortunately, it seems that quite a few of them are deadbeat jagoffs. When we applied for a business line of credit a few years ago, each of my partners and I received a document listing bad debts incurred by people with the same or similar names. One of my partners has a fairly uncommon surname and his document had one, count ’em, one listing of someone who was not him. Another partner’s document had a few more listings, but still quite short. Our prez has a surname that is usually in the top 100 most common names, and he had four or five pages to check. I had a dozen pages, listing many deadbeat jagoffs who shared my name, but were not me. A dozen pages, with over 100 listings. We all signed off on our sheets to certify that we were not the deadbeats on their lists, and I really haven’t thought about it often until now.

Apparently, the most stupid, careless, non-detail-oriented skip tracer in Chicago decided that my information was the closest match for someone sharing my name who is fifteen years younger, of a different race, and who was being evicted for non-payment from a property in a neighborhood I have never lived in. The property owner and their lawyer did not seem to find this a bad match, and are attempting to collect that jagoff deadbeat’s debt from me and/or my company.

The attempt will fail, as it is not exactly difficult to prove that I am not the scumbag they are looking for. But it is still a pain in the ass for me, my company and our lawyer as we have to waste the time to address it and make sure that their stupidity doesn’t affect me or the company in any way.

This is not a case of identity theft (obviously that was the first thing I checked out), just a case of mistaken identity. For that, I am glad. But I still don’t understand how my information would have been considered even a remotely possible match to this person’s. Even just the information that would be considered public record would show me living in the same place (nowhere near the address in question) for 19 years and married to the same person (who does not share the same name with the scumbag’s husband) for 16 years. I’ve tried to be responsible in all of my financial dealings over the years, as has my husband, and my credit report reflects that. I am still seriously pissed off that anyone could even consider that I am that deadbeat piece of crap.

Yes, I am being judgmental, because it’s my name and reputation that are being trampled on.

UPDATE: Following a discussion between our company’s lawyer and the property owner’s lawyer, everything has supposedly been straightened out. The court order documenting this will be forwarded to us on August 12. Hopefully end of story!

(NaBloPoMo | July ’09: 22 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 179 of 274)

Not all dogs are black and tan?

July 21, 2009 by kathi

I took the day off and we went to visit Dan’s sister Linda, her husband Casey, and their millions of dogs. That would actually be two Pit Bulls, three resident Border Collies and one foster Border Collie. And by we, I mean Dan and me, because adding two Rottweilers into that mix would have been just way too much dog for comfort!

Dan and I failed miserably at being fosters for our breed rescue by adopting our foster rather than preparing her for a forever home with someone else. She was an older Rottweiler, maybe five years old when found as a stray abandoned on the north side of Chicago. Missy ended up being one of the best dogs we ever had. Love you and miss you, Miffers, and we’re counting on seeing you again at the Rainbow Bridge one day.

Linda and Casey have been fostering Toby for about three months now. He is a sweet middle-aged gentleman and is the perfect example of why potential adopters should consider an older dog. Toby has wonderful house manners, is past all the annoying puppy behavior stuff, and knows how to live as part of a family. There is in fact at least one potentially suitable home that agrees, but just in case, I’m posting Toby’s page at Midwest Border Collie Rescue for everyone to see. UPDATE: Toby has been adopted!

If you’re at a time and place in your life where you’re able to support your favorite breed’s rescue with donations of either money or time, I hope you will!

(NaBloPoMo | July ’09: 21 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 178 of 274)

Baby cardinal sighting!

July 20, 2009 by kathi

If you sent your good thoughts to the cardinals in the neighbor’s rosebush, thank you! A baby cardinal was briefly sighted in the nest this morning and baby bird sounds were heard later this afternoon. So there is at least one baby, and possibly more, despite the traumatic remodeling that was done to their home late last week.

I wish I had photos to share, but I don’t want to unnecessarily disturb the birds. Even the dogs are on their best behavior, though not always by choice. When we hear the chirps of the female cardinal, we get the dogs to go to the other side of the yard or go inside so she can feel more comfortable about getting to and from her nest without giant Rottweilers staring at her.

I was just so happy to see that baby bird this morning and I hope he (or is it they? still can’t see for sure!) continues to grow and thrive.

(NaBloPoMo | July ’09: 20 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 177 of 274)

Finally official! Freya’s TT

July 19, 2009 by kathi

Yesterday we finally received Freya’s certificate from the ATTS temperament test we did back in May. She is now officially Sciroco’s Freya vom Viersen CGC TT!

The Letter of Certification emphasizes that a dog who passes this test is likely of sound temperament, but that the test is not a warranty of sound temperament. This seems sort of obvious, so I wonder if people have attempted to misrepresent the certification as being more than what it is. That would be sad, but not particularly surprising. Sort of like the people who try to claim that their therapy-certified dog (usually not a working therapy dog) are service dogs so they can get them into places that are normally off-limits to dogs, which is so wrong and makes it harder for those with a legitimate need to get their service animals admitted without question.

Finally, a word about the scoring. Responses for each subpart of the test are scored from 0-10, with the desired response being in the Average range of 4-6 where the dog shows either a positive response or a mildly negative response followed by quick recovery.

You can learn more about ATTS and the TT at the ATTS website:
http://www.atts.org/

(NaBloPoMo | July ’09: 19 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 176 of 274)

My non-bird neighbors suck

July 18, 2009 by kathi

I hate my neighbors for a variety of reasons. But the latest one completely proves that they are huge jagoffs and that they suck like a Hoover.

You read about the cardinals that live in their rosebush. So, a little bit of information about that rosebush. I moved here almost 20 years ago. The original owner of the house was still alive then, and the rosebush had obviously been there for quite a long while, maybe even being original to the property. There is also another bush of some sort that has intertwined with the rosebush. It doesn’t seem parasitical as it’s been there a while and the rosebush is still going strong.

In the past few years, very little maintenance has been done to the rosebush. Every summer, the branches on our side of the fence grow to the point where my husband ends up cutting them back so they don’t whack us in the face when we walk by. I should say so they don’t whack me in the face. He usually watches where he is going. I am often doing mini-obedience drills with one of the dogs, and get whacked in the face when I’m paying attention to the dog instead of the bush. You would think by now I’d know where the bush is and call a right or left turn just before it.

Enough about my lack of dog training skills, and getting back to the point, which is that the bush doesn’t get trimmed very often. Not on our side, and certainly not on the jagoff owner’s side either.

So why then, at this time of all times when the cardinals are nesting, do those stupid jagoffs decide to cut away the non-parasitic whatever-the-hell plant, and trim the rosebush, too? The only saving grace is that they didn’t knock the nest down. The cardinals haven’t abandoned the nest yet, but it’s much less sheltered, at least as viewed from our side of the fence (which means that it may be even more open on the other side), and the branches that gave cover and shade are gone.

The nest is just high enough that we can’t see if there are eggs or babies or if they are safe. We just assume there are eggs, at least, because the female is there daily. All we can see for sure is that the nest is not as protected as it was before those jagoffs trimmed the bush.

Add them to the list of jagoffs that need punched in the face. Hard. And think good thoughts for the cardinals.

(NaBloPoMo | July ’09: 18 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 175 of 274)