Tuesday, November 22, 2011

I'm so rich and tired.

I have been feeling uninspired lately in the blogger world. Probably because I have been kicking ass and taking names at my real job that gives me money and purpose and a reason to put on mascara.

I was reluctant to share this story because I don't want anyone to think I am a drug addict, a drug abuser, or really really fucking stupid. Mama just has trouble sleeping because I can't stop thinking about important things like new ways to do my hair or how long it's going to take to get an under eye wrinkle on the left side of my face to match the right side.

I got to the point where Ambien was only helping me sleep until about 3 AM, at which point I would get up, eat a bunch of pop tarts, and think my life sucks when it clearly doesn't.

I told my doctor my concerns and he decided to have me try a medicine called Trazodone.

Trazadone sucks.

I took one at bedtime like a good mother/banker and laid there massaging my own thumbs and worrying about homeless dogs and the permanent marker on Adrian's neck.

Two hours later, around midnight, I decided to take 2 Ibuprofen PM because the stress of my lack of sleep was making my neck allegedly hurt. First I googled, "If I take ibuprofen with Trazadone, am I going to die". Google said hell to the no, take that narcotic and don't look back....so I indulged.

Ibuprofen PM is just Ibuprofen and Benadryl. I've been knocking back Benadryl since I was a zygote so that shit pretty much does less for me than a laffy taffy and a cold pillow.

A short while later, I decided to break down and take one of my leftover Ambien. I had to work the next day and I was desperate for some z's. So were the giant bags under my eyes and my work performance.

Woooooo! Partayyyyyyy! Hollla atcha Mammmmaaaa!

Well. Not really. The truth is, I went to sleep. I was sleepy.

I got up the next day and went to work. I was still really sleepy and not real cute.

I checked my email and noticed a few not very fun messages. I had recently gotten a new credit card and was receiving a lot of emails from the credit card company. I opened the most recent one and read a warning about possible credit card fraud done on my account at 3:13 AM, and to please call the company if I was, in fact, making those transactions as an actual human being.

It all started coming back to me. Those of you who take Ambien may understand this...it's not like being schnockered off 4 bottles of wine kind of black-out. It's more like "Oh yeah, that's why my hipbones are sore and I don't fit into my pants." It's a kind of "wha happened?" I compare to both infantile amnesia and dementia. Neither of which I remember having but I imagine it's very similar.

This is all put together by the phone calls and emails I received, along with my browser history and fuzzy memories that were also clouded by lots of cereal-eating.

I apparently decided to go get on my computer at 3:12 (seriously) and order some accessories from Aldo. I remember thinking about what outfit I wanted to wear the next day and wishing I had purple feather earrings. ... I typed Aldo in wrong and it took me to a totally bullshit and everyone knows it website where it said I won $1,000. I apparently believed it and gave my credit card number to 5 different "offers" to qualify for the $1,000 I had won.

I actually kind of remember thinking..."I always see this spam and assume it's fake...but clearly they can't just promise something they don't deliver so what the hell, I will try it! I need and deserve $1,000 more than anyone so it could be at least kinda real."


ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL Unsolicited sales calls....


I figured out all of this out today because I got an email from best-giveaways telling me "based on the offers you 'qualified' for, click here for your $1,000 gas and grocery rebate". It was basically some ridic form you fill out annually to get a rebate on the taxes you pay for gas and groceries or something.

Just. You know. FML.


 I was looking at my credit card statement and unfortunately remembering signing up for a machine that rejuvenates your wrinkles...and then a monthly subscription to makeup....and then a fake eyelash delivery service....and a credit monitoring services....



I am not kidding. I did all of that ACTUALLY thinking I was getting 1,000 dollars.


I know you're all dying to know where this story leads so it can end happily with me being wrinkle-free and one G richer....but you'll be sad and disappointed....and probably sleepy.
 
The offer kept taking me to more things I had to sign up for to win my $1,000....
 
and I just kept typing in my credit card....
 
I have been researching all the stuff I did today... they're all "trial memberships". On the rejuvenation one, I have to wait until I get it and then mail a written statement requesting a cancellation and the reason I didn't like it and return the machine within 8 business days or else they will charge me $187.89 for the machine.
 
You know how restricting that is?
 
To have to wait two or three days to get it...then keep it for at least one business day so they know I used it....then mail it back (fee on me to mail back) WITH a written explanations...all within 8 business days?
 
That's how they COMPLETELY RUIN YOUR LIFE.
 
 All 5 "offers" I signed up for are the same excruciatingly stupid and awful processes.
 
So... they have only charged me 1.00, .79, 8.74, 1.25, and .05 but they all have these ridiculous stipulations and if I don't correctly cancel them all with the requirements they will charge me 48.95, 18.99, 124.99 (that's the mineral makeup..but oh I get to keep the makeup bag it comes with as my "bonus gift"), and 11.99 per month until it's properly cancelled.




The Trazodone is supposed to make you extremely relaxed and worry free. Apparently, I was so relaxed that I was like..."no way this is a scam! This free shit is gonna be awesome."
 
 
 
 
 
 
Phone call number 3 of 2,145:
 
weird area code phone number guy: Hi is this Mary Brown? I'm from a puddle under a tent in India and I need to verify your account validation.




Mary: um yeah I dunno what that means...I took 2 sleeping pills last night and ordered a bunch of stuff I don't want or need.



WACPNG: Did you order Costolin? Credit Reporting? Bare Minerals?



Mary: Um all of the above sound vaguely familiar. Why are you calling me?



WACPNG: It doesn't show you've cancelled anything?



Mary: I have to wait for all my packages to arrive apparently.



WA: Well. Did you at least sleep good?



Mary: I WAS BUYING SOMETHING CALLED COSTOLIN AT 3:12 AM...WHAT DO YOU THINK?



WACPNG: Well okay Marie. You call customer service when you receive those packages and no stress, okay?



Mary: Okay, love you sugar.
 
 
 
 
I have properly cancelled everything I stupidly did, and my credit card company advised me exactly what to do. I cancelled my credit card and didn't open ANY of the packages I received.
 
Can you believe someone actually has to use a monthly eyelash delivery service? I mean, I look good with some falsies, but if I sign up for a recurring monthly service someone just pepper spray me like an occupier.

Kendal giving me hell. Duh.







Pictures of 2 of the 194 packages I received

13 comments:

  1. Hahahaha!! Finally a new blog - we have been waiting so long. Maybe you need to do what the doctor said to do instead of taking sleep medicine - which was don't watch TV for 3 hours before bed and if you want to read it must be some form of devotional reading. I wonder how he sleeps???

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  2. I'm highly amused that your stole your own identity. It makes me feel better about losing the rest of my money to credit card fraud because I wanted to buy a cheeseburger so canceling said credit card didn't occur to me.

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  3. Oh no. All I did when I took dog xanax was get pissy with some Girl Scouts. I recommend the dog xanax next time. :(

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  4. Mary! What busy nights you have! if you have trouble sleeping, just re-read your blog about trouble sleeping, Nd you will pass out exhausted! By the way, I found your story hysterical, and horrorfyingly true, lack of sleep makes us CRAZY!!! good luck with the flasks eyelashes! Linda s.

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  5. I can't stop laughing about you not remembering if you've ever had amnesia.

    So funny. Way worse than anything I've ever done on Ambien... druggie American woman!

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  6. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA
    I just burst out laughing at work while reading this! AMAZING! I LOVE that you went on a late night shopping spree under the influence of narcs! AH! Your misfortune has brought me great joy! Tank ew.

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  7. Years before the Internet and Ambien I could not sleep and kept drinking wine to put me to sleep. I ordered some exercise thing that had all these straps and was supposed to be hooked up to a door knob. I was so surprised when it arrived.

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  8. When did your blog start having advertisements - and they are all about identity theft. I think FB needs to pay you for putting advertising on your blog!!!!!

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  9. I wreck-amend hiding your credit cards at bedtime .... ... .. .

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  10. First of all, I love you and am so glad you are back in the blogosphere because I missed your posts like I miss the last Godiva in the box when I KNOW it was there but now The Husband stole it and he can't even tell the difference between that and a stale Twix bar so it is completely wasted on him. I miss you like that (clarification: you are the Godiva in the analogy, not the stale Twix).

    Second, I too was thisclose to almost giving my credit cards and identity away to a late-night scam of "Your computer security system has expired and your identity has been compromised and you have SEVEN (*seven* was flashing) viruses and we can fix it right now if you give us your credit card and authorize a $200 charge!" I was shaking all over, because the stupid slimey bug had woven its way into my computer and I could not acccess my blog, my email, nor my beloved (and perfectly legal) etsy. I ended up unplugging the computer and crying. I waited until 4 AM to wake up The Husband, tell him I forgave the Godiva incident, and asking what the fuck I should do about the computer. And crying some more. The next day, Best Buy computer store fixed everything, for only $199 (see? I saved a dollar).

    Oh, girlfrind, I feel your pain.

    best,
    MOV

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  11. I like the subtle distinction that your goal wasn't the removal of the wrinkle, but to have matching wrinkles.

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  12. I have never tried Trazadone, but I refuse to take ambien. I lost a whole season of Laguna Beach (shut up) because of that drug. I apparently watched every episode but couldn't remember dick all.


    Love this; it's hilarious. Lesson learned?

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