Mad Eyes Post #32

             I was driving through downtown Mobile today when I saw some people taking pictures of the Live Oaks.  I sat at a stop sign watching them marvel at the grand trees, remembering, all to well, my own awe when I had first seen them.  This got me thinking back to the easy adjustment to Mobile and I began comparing my feelings from then to now.  The transition was so smooth because the lifestyle here is so much easier than where I came from.  But, looking back, there was anxiety re-establishing my life here.   There was alot to learn.

       The last time I'd opened a checking account was over twenty years before and I still used that one.  Shortly after arriving in Mobile, I opened an account at a local credit union and deposited several thousand dollars.   Being a conservative spender, I wasn’t even remotely concerned about bouncing a check until receiving a call telling me a $30 check had bounced.  I knew it wasn’t possible so I called the bank only to find out it had bounced, twice,  and several other small checks had as well.  Though only a total of $110 in checks was written, there was over $200 racked up in fees.   What the heck!?!?

        Before going on, it is pertinent to say, I was still adjusting to the heat, was dehydrated, worrying over my mom, and had a severe migraine headache, seeing spots in my vision.  On this day, we were having a torrential downpour so the lighting was poor.

         I was certain it was a mistake so there was no need to “go New York” on them.  The tellers’ nice, pleasant voice assured me that everything would be okay.  But, after going into my account she explained that, because I was a new customer, all checks deposited are held for 11 business days for the first 60 days.   I had written a check to myself from my account in New York.   The money was held and the teller could not reverse the fees.  Not being one to throw away money, I demanded to talk to a supervisor, who told me that, if I could get to the credit union in 20 minutes, she will prevent even more charges that were due to hit at 3 p.m. but she wasn’t sure what else she could do. I was furious!

        I also looked like crap.  Mom had always told me that when you need to advocate for yourself, ‘You must look your best.’  “If you look like crap, you’ll be treated like crap!”  Something that I  found to be sad, but true.  So I rushed around, changed my clothes, put on makeup and headed out the door.  It is a good thing I didn’t know anyone here at that point because I was driving like a bat out of hell with a HUGE frown on my face!  

       Just before jumping out of the car, I grabbed my lipstick to top off my ‘best-self’ look, hoping it would help my case.  As I adjusted the mirror, my first thought was, “What the hell?”  I did not know that woman or how she got in my mirror!  I thought,  'I don't have thick, black eyebrows!  Who is she?' 
   
       Then I realized that when rushing to do my makeup, I had used my light brown eyebrow pencil – which is much harder – on my eyelids which, therefore, had no color.  I had used the much softer, jet black pencil on my eyebrows which resulted in me having obviously fake, dark black eyebrows, looking way, way angrier than I already was!   I looked so scary, it even scared me!

       Grabbing a napkin, I began wiping it off and, to my horror; it only smeared creating thicker, black eyebrows.  The more I wiped, the worse it got. I became even more frustrated after looking at the clock and seeing that, in 10 minutes, there would be more fees.

      Suddenly, I began laughing hysterically; so hard that tears rolled down my face, smearing my mascara making everything worse.  The worse I looked, the harder I laughed.  I called the bank from the parking lot and begged them to give me a couple extra minutes, which they did.  I ran home, washed my face and redid my makeup; laughing the whole time but, this time paying close attention to what I was doing, then I headed back. 

         When I entered and asked for the manager, I tried to hide my smile so as not to undermine the seriousness of this.  We went into her office on the opposite side of a glass window and sat down.  Before either said a word, I began laughing uncontrollably to the point of tears again.  She sat, watching, not knowing if she should laugh with me or call 911.   Between breaths and wiping the tears, I explained what had happened and that, had I not taken that last look in the mirror, I would have come barrolling in there all mad with dark, black eyebrows looking like a crazy woman.  By the time I was done telling the story, the manager was laughing so hard that she, too, was crying and wiping her own tears with a tissue, as the tellers watched inquisitively through the glass window. 

            By the time we could stop laughing, she looked at me and said, “Why Miss Harris!  You’ve just made my day!  Let’s get rid of all these fees here!”  She walked me to the lobby and, with a big smile said, “Welcome to Mobile!”   I left still laughing.  I thank God for those mad eyes, because they are probably what bailed me out of losing a couple hundred dollars.  I still use that credit union and, for about the first year, every teller knew my name and greeted me with huge smiles and looks that said, ‘We totally know all about your mad eyes!!!’      

Seasons In the Sun Post #31

The humidity is gone and the sun is setting lower in the sky.  Another year just flew by and summer did it's final dance.  We have entered our 4th year here in Mobile.  In some ways it seems we've always been here.  Memories of the north seem so faint, except of the people I love and of course, the snow, which I don't love!


Pumpkins are showing up on porches and the Victorian decorations that make the Halloween season in the south so beautiful are popping up everywhere.  For some reason, fall is my time of introspection, my season for awareness of the cycle of time and how fast it is moving.  I'm thinking of this past year and it's special memories.


The funny thing is, as I was choosing photos, I realized there is a ton of things that aren't on my list below.  But the list is written more for me than my readers at this point.

This past summer has been extremely difficult - getting a business off the ground and realizing that my savings is diminishing faster than business is taking off.  Walking through the valley of the shadow of the unknown.  I don't like this place.  It's scary here and I am faced with the fact that my faith in God, in life, and even basic concepts like 1+1=2 (because sometimes it doesn't) are being challenged.

Many business owners who started from the ground up (on their own resources) tell me they've been in this place.  But the bridge part is scary - crossing over from the safe and familiar to a concept or a dream.  It is seeing the end of current resources to grab onto new resources; letting go of one lifeline to accept another.

I'm thankful though, that this journey is here in Mobile, where the suffocating feelings will not be exacerbated by months of low hanging, grey clouds and snow that blocks my vision to what is ahead.  There are seasons here - it's just a matter of what is blooming - and in this precarious time, things definitely need to bloom!

The waters may be rough but in Mobile Bay, the shores are near and the bottom is not far - which can be a good or a bad thing.   But there is always someone or something (see the list below) to make this journey a little easier and to remind me that the sun will shine again.  There is a season for everything - even anxiety and fear.  But in the midst of it all, life will go on.  Parades will happen.  Bands will play.  People will dance.  I will dance - perhaps out of fear - but you can bet, I will dance.

Memories of October 2010 - October 2011

• New Orleans more than once
• The neighborhood street party
• Porch parties and sharing food and wine
• Big Band Caberet at the Battle House
• The Black Hat Society Witches party
• Halloween night neighborhood parties and dinners that start during trick or treating and last into the later hours of the night.
• Disney World in December - missing our beautiful neighborhood Christmas party
• St. Augustine
• New Years Eve and the Moonpie drop
• Mardi Gras and all it's parades
• Joe Cain Day - brunch at Stacy's, party at Tracy & Tom's
• Fat Tuesday - Pancake Breakfast at Doug and Renee Green's, Parades, party at the...house  - thanks to Jaime Betbeze
• Two days in Pensacola
• The Order of the Polka Dots Ball
• Order of Venus Ball
• Percephones Ball
• Order of Pheonix Ball
• The Azalea Trail Run Brunch
• Our church missions silent auction reception
• Crawfish Boil
• Poker Run
• Monthly Artwalks in Mobile
• Artwalks in Fairhope 
• Various sail boat races and listening to the daytime bands watching the boats in the bay
• Mother's Day in the park
• Two daughters graduating - one from college, one from high school
• A trip to New York
• Dinner at Randy and Arlene's - northern Italian style!
• Three days in Biloxi
• Our meet-your-neighbor party