You Want My Penny, But You Won't TAKE It!

Dearest Sallie,

I am writing to you to let you know that I am frustrated and angry with you. If we are ever going to work this kink out in our relationship, I think we really need to sit down and have a serious talk.

I'm ready to leave you, but I can't. I am, for better or worse, stuck with you. You have been a constant companion for the last 9 years and I would feel like there was something missing if I didn't have you. Who would I give my money to every month? Who else could make me feel guilty like you do, every time I want to buy a new pair of shoes. I know deep down in my heart you desperately need that money more than I do. Who would help me figure out how much money I can deduct on my taxes for student loan interest? I really think I would miss you dearly if you weren't in my life. I want to work this out with you. Help me, help you.

I am going to use several "I" phrases to let you know how I am feeling. I want to share with you my feelings, concerns and frustration that I have experienced in the last month. And please remember, this is my desperate attempt to make this relationship right for both of us.

I am angry. I feel angry when I pay the 10 day pay-off and then there is a dispute over ONE remaining penny. I feel frustrated that I paid the pay-off amount that was posted and then it is incorrect by some mysterious, Bermuda-Triangle-Like-Conspiracy. I feel very, very angry when I try to make things right with you, by coming to you and offering my penny, only to be told that I have to pay in whole dollar amounts. Then, when I do enter in $1.00 (and essentially offer you a NINETY NINE cent tip) you reject my offer again with some statement like "That amount exceeds your 4 day pay-off and can not be accepted". I don't know what I'm supposed to do here to make you happy. How can I make this right? I can't pay you a penny because it's not a whole dollar, but face it bitch, I don't owe you a whole dollar!! What do you want from me? ....I need to take a break. I told myself I wasn't going to yell at you. I want you to know my real feelings, not things I say out of anger...I just need a moment, please.

Ok, I'm back. I took a few deep breaths and I'm ready to finish my letter to you. I would love to make this right and pay that penny you want. I'm at a loss as to how to present that money to you. Do you want a check for a penny that will cost you a few dollars to process? Do you want me to put my penny in an envelope and then send it with a stamp on it, that by the way exceeds the loan amount? Or could you just do what I suggested in an earlier letter about just dropping the whole thing. You have clearly spent more than one penny trying to get my one penny...so why don't you just call it a bust. I'm sure if you just check my other account, you will find that the real treasure is there. You will be collecting pennies from me for many years to come, so let's just call it a truce and we will continue to do business on MY account and just leave Matt alone. Is it a deal?

Sincerely,

Tami

Pottery Barn Kids

Tucker's favorite store in the mall is Pottery Barn Kids...and really, can you blame him? The kids get to run the store and they have everything out for them to play with. It's like a giant playhouse for kids! So I caught Tucker doing a few funny things and I have to post these pictures. One day he will hate me for this.

"Hello, this is Tucker."

I turned around to Tucker calling me, "Mommy! Look at me! I really like this Tucker sized bed! Do you like it too?" Just one more reason you can't turn your back for one second!

Pumpkin Patch Trip #1

On Monday, we went to our first pumpkin patch of the season. Addie just gouged my eye really bad, so I can't type anymore. Enjoy the pictures.

Hemmed Up

This is one of those blogs I should have posted in September, but didn't. Tucker was messing around and got a pool diving ring stuck just above his knees! Yes, that's how skinny this little dude is. The ring was so tight and totally hurting him, but of course I had to get a picture first! I asked him to smile for the picture and he actually did!!! But then I told him to make his face look like he really felt, and this is what we got!

...it's OK to laugh...I did!!!

My "Andy"

A week ago, we went down to visit Daddy for a family dinner date. After our dinner we went to Target to let the kids burn off some energy walking around the store before our hour long drive home. Matt always loves to spoil the kids when he sees them because we don't get to spend as much time with him as we would like. While we were at Target, Tucker picked out this Buzz Lightyear and Addie picked out a stuffed dog. They each carried their new best friends around the store and neither of them wanted to put their toys on the conveyor belt to be scanned! On the way home they both fell asleep holding their new toys. Addie loves to sleep with a doll or animal so I put the dog in bed with her. Tucker asked for Buzz and even arranged the covers on him so that he was warm and comfy. I thought it was so cute that he was so attached to a toy that Matt bought him. It made me wonder if Andy was a real boy, would he have looked like Tucker did sleeping in his car seat?

Tucker, Addie & Assoc... The Next Generation

WHOA...hold up. I realized, now after putting that title in "black and white" that it might seem as though I have a "bun in the oven" or "with child" or "knocked up". None of those rumors are true. The Next Generation is strictly limited to the Tucker, Addie & Associates part of my life, meaning blogging! I'm considering the expansion of my blog life by adding a blog by Tucker. Today he got a gift from his Grandpa Gerry and Grandma June that makes me want to chronicle the days of his life through his eyes. They gave him a cool, kid camera and Tucker loves to take pictures. I think it would be hysterical to see what he sees, look at what he finds interesting and laugh at all the pictures that he takes of his shoes.

I haven't thought of a name for the blog yet, so if anyone has suggestions I would LOVE to hear them. I'm obviously looking for something funny and witty, so give me your best people! I hope to get lift-off on Tucker's blog as soon as I can get him to stop deleting all the pictures he takes!!!

I'm Bringin' Bloggin' Back...

Just to let you in on the secret...you are supposed to sing that title. Think Justin Timberlake...ha ha ha!! Now you get it! ...do a little dance in your seat while you sing...that's it...

I'm going to apologize to all my regular readers...oh, the disappointment of checking this damn blog every freakin' day in September. Only to find that we are still stuck on September 17th. Sorry! Now this lack of blog-a-rific-ness, is not due to a lack of stories or entertaining moments provided by the 3-and-under crowd. It is simply a lack of motivation, time, and discipline. I will not make excuses but will say that we attended 2 funerals, had a mommy/daddy vacation, and I sold $300.00 dollars worth of stuff in a consignment sale in the month of September...did I mention that Matt is gone Monday through Friday? Ok, well enough of the excuses I said I wasn't going to give....

This blog, if it were separate, was to be titled something like "A Penny Saved, Is A Penny Earned" or "Give a Penny, Take a Penny" (like at a mini-mart cash register) or maybe even "ONE PENNY??? WHAT THE F?" Now, I haven't actually decided which one I like the best, but after you hear this story, you might pick option 3.

Two weeks ago I get an email about Matt's student loan. I usually delete them because we do an auto-pay out of our account so Sallie Mae, and her entire greedy, bitchy family, is satisfied for the next 30 days. (Is it necessary to mention at this point in the blog how much I loathe Sallie Mae? Or did you get that memo?) Anyway, for whatever reason, I decided to actually check the email and I discovered that Matt's loan actually had a past due amount because the interest rate went up. Who knows how long ago that interest rate went up, but the bottom line is that the past due amount is something like $15 bucks. So no sweat, we aren't going to suffer a major loss this month to keep our bills in order. So since I have neglected my dear friend Sallie for so many months now, I decide to give her website a little looksie to make sure there isn't anything else that I've missed...like delinquency on her birthday card or something. At first I'm confused, then I'm astonished, them I'm elated. Matt's student loan is down to $85 bucks and some change!!! WHAT?? Could this news BE any better? I'm going to pay the whole damn thing off and never send Sallie another cent...(in Matt's name, anyway...she'll be hearing from me for a few more years still!!) So I get the 10 day pay-off amount and call our bank so that we can change the amount to meet the pay-off amount. The lady is super helpful and very excited with me that we are paying this off. So the big day was September 24th! The big PAY OFF DAY! Yippee!! September 24th, money sent. September 25th, Tami checks Sallie's website.....

Really? Seriously? Is this a joke? Come on, seriously? Ha Ha Ha. You aren't joking? No, no jokes? Okay. So you're sure, Sallie? Alright, well I'll get right on that, then. I'LL SEND YOU YOUR ONE GOD FORSAKEN, MOTHER-LOVIN' PENNY!!!!!!!

The website showed Matt's student loan balance as $00.01. HONESTLY? Isn't there a certain point where one F-ing penny is just a gimme? Couldn't Sallie dig way, deep down in her COUCH and just give us a pass on that one? The STAMP is going to amount to more than the debt we owe! I'm going to put a dime in an envelope and send it to Wilkes-Barr, PA and tell them to keep the change. Share the wealth, give it to some other student who owes ONE damn penny. And if Sallie is really feeling generous, she could pass the change on to my account. But who knows, by the time they charge the interest on that $00.01 balance, Matt just might owe $00.10. OR WORSE YET.....$00.11!!!!! HA!