{"id":30353,"date":"2015-12-17T06:22:26","date_gmt":"2015-12-17T10:22:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/?p=30353"},"modified":"2015-12-18T22:47:14","modified_gmt":"2015-12-19T02:47:14","slug":"a-monday-and-a-tuesday-to-remember","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/2015\/12\/17\/a-monday-and-a-tuesday-to-remember\/","title":{"rendered":"A Monday (and a Tuesday) to Remember…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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\n\"bhfreeshipa\"<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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You can check these great holiday offers plus free next day shipping by clicking here.<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

B&H Free Next Day Holiday Shipping (on Selected Items)<\/strong> <\/h2>\n

Click here<\/a> and then either click on a category or a brand of by clicking on the red See All Qualified Items<\/strong><\/em> box. <\/p>\n

I did and quickly found a 7D Mark II for the insanely low price of $1399. That price already includes the $400 instant rebate. The icing on the cake includes the 2% reward and the free next day shipping. Just what the holidays ordered. From now till December 23rd. <\/p>\n

5DS R<\/h3>\n

If you are thinking about this amazing camera scroll down to learn of the killer deal that I enjoyed recently. It included a 10% B&H Gift Card!<\/p>\n

A Monday (and a Tuesday) to Remember…<\/h3>\n

9:40am:<\/strong> <\/h2>\n

I see a white envelope on the kitchen counter that says, “To be opened only by Arthur Morris.” So I opened it. <\/p>\n

This office has been advised that you conducted a private commercial operation on Bosque del Apache NWR during the period November 28-December 2 without having obtained a Commercial Use Permit from the US F&W Service. It is alleged that you never applied for nor were granted a permit for you Instructional Photo-Tour. This offense carries a maximum fine of $10,000 USD or 1 year imprisonment or both. <\/p>\n

Attached is a US District Court notice of violation for conducting a private commercial operation on a National Wildlife Refuge without a permit. If you wish to contest this issue, do nothing. In 90 days you will receive a summons to appear in Federal Court at the Peter V. Domenici US Court House located at 333 Lomas Blvd in Albuquerque, NM.<\/em> <\/p>\n

A very official looking US District Court Violation was indeed attached.<\/p>\n

First reaction: heart rate increased a bit. Then I thought to ask, “Is it true?” <\/p>\n

“Jen, please see if Bosque cancelled one check or two for the recently-concluded Bosque IPTs.” “Two Daddy,” she said after a short search. Next I checked my e-mail and found the one with both permits attached. <\/p>\n

I called the refuge at 11am (9am Mountain time) and left a message for the Federal Wildlife Officer who had sent the letter. Later that afternoon I received an e-mail that said in effect, “Sorry. We were wrong. Never mind.” <\/p>\n

10:00am:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I decided to upgrade the two long legs of my Namibia flights (JFK to JNB and back) to business class. “That should be a simple matter I thought.” I called South African Airlines (SAA) to do the upgrade. “Since you purchased the ticket from Expedia only they can make that change.” So I called Expedia. It took close to an hour to finally have the agent tell me that they could not do the upgrade and that I should call SAA. So I did. Again they told me that Expedia must be the ones to make that change. So back and forth I went, receiving a different fairy tale each time. <\/p>\n

Each call to SAA lasted 10-15 minutes. Each call to Expedia last 40 minutes to an hour. I’d guess that on five of the calls to Expedia I got either a dial tone or a welcome recording after 40-50 minutes> After the first time that that happened I would ask the Expedia agent to take a callback number and call me when I got cut off. Nobody ever called me back. <\/p>\n

On Monday night after more than an hour on the phone, most of that of course on hold, the Expedia agent said, “I’ve got it. I can do it. The cost of the upgrade is a bit more than $11,000. I had figured that it would be about $6,000 and SAA had quoted me $5814 several times. I was confident that the smaller amount was correct. <\/p>\n

8:30am on Tuesday:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I called SAA first and was told to call Expedia and tell them that all they needed to do was to put the record in OSI. So I did, and after about 35 minutes I was told that that was not possible but that they would try to get help from “their team of associates.” So I called SAA–this time on a second line–while holding for the Expedia manager. Again SAA told me, “We cannot do that. Only Expedia can do it.” I said, “That may very well be true but Expedia is not capable of doing the upgrade. I was on the phone with them for more than 7hours yesterday. I called you guys 7 times and them 8 times. They are on the other line right now and I am on hold. Please, I need your help. I am in a Catch 22 situation. They can’t do it and SAA won’t do it. I want to give you or them close to $6,000 for a seat that is available and nobody an help me.” <\/p>\n

“I’ve been sick for seven weeks. I have been on the phone for about nine hours. I am near tears. Please help.” Just then I got a busy signal on the Expedia line and let the SAA agent know what had just happened. She said, “Hold on a minute.” I held for about ten minutes. When the agent came back she said “Credit card please.” I said, “When can I kiss you?” “She said “Now.” <\/p>\n

I got the e-mail confirming my upgrade within the hour. I am proud of the fact that I never once raised my voice or cursed anyone out (though I will admit to thinking about the latter). As I say often, I am one determined S.O.B. <\/p>\n

Back to Monday after lunch at about 1pm:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

My personal line rings and I pick up only to hear a recorded message. “This call is to let you know that the Internal Revenue Service has instituted a lawsuit against you in Federal Court because of criminal non-payment of taxes on your 2009 through 2013 Federal Tax Returns. Please call 1-210-807-8097 immediately.” I called and was cut off. I called back and nobody picked up. I called an hour later and had a really garbled conversation with an “IRS agent” who said that six letters had been sent to me by Certified Mail and that I had ignored all of them.” <\/p>\n

First reaction: heart rate increased a bit. Then I thought to ask, “Is it true?” <\/p>\n

Things seemed really strange. I e-mailed and called my accountant, Robert H. “Chip” Jackson, a retired IRS agent. He called me back at about 6pm and after I explained the whole thing to him he laughed and said, “It is a scam. The IRS never does anything by phone.”<\/p>\n

All in all it has been a Monday (and Tuesday) to remember. <\/p>\n

The Work<\/h3>\n

To learn to question your own story, visit www.TheWork.com<\/a>. Byron Katie will teach you to do The Work her way and find peace. Remember, happiness is a choice. And so is aggravation. <\/p>\n

Care to Share?<\/h3>\n

If you have had a memorable experience recently, please feel free to share it with us by leaving a comment. <\/p>\n