Some interesting developments have been happening–Not really to me, but to my sister and brother-in-law, which can read on their blog 610 South. Essentially, they have bought a new home-Which is a real fixer upper; Yet in a prime location in Arlington, Virginia. I like the place very much, it has good character, and great potential in making it more modern. I am indeed very excited for them and this venture.

Now onto more immediate concerns.

This morning I had taken my mother to see her primary doctor. Of course, I had to try and front the co-pay, and as you know by now, money is something that never seems to be in abundance to me. 

So while we were waiting for the car to warm up, I logged into my checking account via phone app to check my funds. To my surprise, I found that I had a charge at a gas station in Iowa, around 1:30am last night. That’s odd because I’m nowhere near Iowa, which is halfway across the North American continent.

At times like this, I would imagine other people would panic. I know I did the first time my checking account was compromised.

Back in the mid-zeros, when I was living in Santa Clara, California, I believe I must have dropped my wallet outside my car without noticing. The next morning, I checked my account and found that someone spent some six-hundred dollars at the local gas station and some five-hundred or so at a 7-Eleven. It was not a good scene having to make that claim with my bank. There were papers that had to be signed, and it took awhile to clear it.

Fast-forward to now, this wasn’t nearly as bad. The charge wasn’t big, but considering the little I have, it was enough to be annoying. My mother had to pay her co-pay and medicine refills with her credit card; Which is the last thing I wanted to happen, but we really had no choice.

After registering mom to see her doctor, I drove swiftly, but safely to a grocery store, bought a drink, and withdrew the remaining amount from my account for two reasons: 1) a preventative measure in case whoever has accessed my account tries to do it again before I report it. 2) I know my bank is going to shut down that card and replace it as soon as I do report it-And there are no local branches for me to withdraw from a human teller. This is a bank chain that is almost primarily west coast-With the most local branch ATMs being located in a couple big cities in neighboring states some hundreds of miles away.

So aside from my local bank account which has very little money in it at the moment, and my withering credit card, all that I’m worth is in my pocket. And it’s not much.

Well at least I know my account is safe now. 

Right.