...And furthermore...

I have a lot of interesting things to say in interesting ways about menopause and bullies and clumsiness and vandals and motherhood and art--all of which intertwine in a way that's poetic and lilting. It's what I want to be doing, too: essaying, writing keen observations keenly, waxing on and off in subjects like a kung fu feng shui wordplayer.

But I'm busy dealing with Bank of America.

Today I got a call from a supervisor regarding my late-payment situation, the one I shouldn't have because BoA is supposed to be taking out their own interest (in blood, apparently), and it's not my fault if they don't do it on time. My fees have all been fixed.

But my dilemma, I tell him, is that now I want to pay a lump chunk toward principle, but there's nowhere on the form that allows me to apply my payment toward principle only! Surprise, surprise!

Well, he said, I can remedy that by paying between the 16th and 20th of any month. That's right! I can pay any time during a 30-day month for four whole days and have that money be applied toward principle and not interest! I can trust the Bank of America to take the $500 I send them in the mail and apply it toward my principle! Ha!

And so I will have to set foot inside Bank of America each month, check in hand, and have the teller do it. This way, I can make sure it's being done.

Gotta love it!

Kiddies, never get in debt--ever! Even if your debt comes from starting a business you think will help you earn a decent wage by doing something good, don't do it. Never do it.

Never.

Do.

It.

Don't listen to Nike.