This Cycle Has Seriously SUCKED!

[rusty_armour]

I vowed to myself that I wouldn't bitch on LJ about my PMS, but that was before I became the victim of identity theft. Apparently, someone stole the information off my debit card. I came home yesterday to an automated message on my answering machine telling me that I should report to my nearest TD Bank branch as soon as possible as there was an issue with my access card. At the time, I was mostly just annoyed that I would have to rush home from Markham to try to reach the bank before 6:00. I suppose that the possibility of identity theft was somewhere in the back of my head, but my brain insisted on keeping it there due to my inability to cope with anything when I have PMS. Anywaaaay, when I spoke to the woman at the information desk, she informed me that my access card needed to be replaced and asked me to take a seat. I wondered if maybe my card had somehow expired and I had missed a letter or phone call about it. I mean, the woman seemed so calm that I didn't suspect that anything was wrong. Even when she called me up to her desk, she repeated what she'd said before about my access card needing to be replaced. It wasn't until I asked her if there was some kind of problem with the card that I learned about the "suspicious transactions".

I wracked my brain and wondered if I could have possibly committed the "suspicious transactions" myself, but instantly knew I hadn't when the woman asked me if I'd been in Montreal two days ago. "Uh, no," I said. The woman then had a conversation with this guy from security services...or something like that. Then she asked the security services guy if he'd like to speak to me and I ended up talking to him as well. I was able to confirm that I hadn't deposited $400 into my account or had withdrawn $1000...or maybe it was the other way round...In any case, the guy said that TD was filing a frauds claim and that I didn't have to worry about it -- just check my account over the next couple of days. Well, I checked my account as soon as I got home and discovered that there's at least $200 that shouldn't be there...

The one good thing about all of this is that receiving virtually no feedback for my latest story (the other reason this cycle has sucked) doesn't seem like that big a deal anymore. Okay, it's more that the shock of the identity theft has outweighed my anger and bitterness over the fic. Well, that and I've been plotting out a Primeval story in my head. Just a little one that I'll write for fun and pure self-indulgence. I've already got my dinosaur picked out and I'm hoping that's the only research I'll have to do. Yes, I think my little Primeval story is probably the best way for me to move past the fic that crashed and burned.

Right. I'm going to grab some supper and watch an episode of Kingdom because I love Stephen Fry and he never fails to cheer me up.

Comments

[lazigyrl.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Bad timing for something that at least got caught. I can barely cope with that kinda a thing on a good day. Reminds me of the Victoria Secrets spending spree on my VISA. I almost choked on the amount when I phoned up to find why there was no room on it. It was over $500. For me, $500 would be a lot of underwear.

Your fic may not have crashed and burned... I seem to remember it being a pairing with a smaller following than your others and that is probably why the feedback is lower.

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Bad timing for something that at least got caught. I can barely cope with that kinda a thing on a good day.

Yes, the situation could have been a lot worse. I'm actually very lucky that they caught it when they did -- even if I was suffering from PMS at the time. *g*

Reminds me of the Victoria Secrets spending spree on my VISA. I almost choked on the amount when I phoned up to find why there was no room on it. It was over $500. For me, $500 would be a lot of underwear.

That is seriously bizarre! Why would anyone spend that much money on underwear? I would have thought there'd be better purchases to make with $500. It makes for a great anecdote, though. *g*

Your fic may not have crashed and burned... I seem to remember it being a pairing with a smaller following than your others and that is probably why the feedback is lower.

That's true. It is a less popular pairing and I knew I wasn't likely to receive as many comments. Still, I was greedy enough to hope for at least a few... *g*

[avictoriangirl]

Oh no! That's awful. :( At least they didn't overdraw your account. That happened to a friend of mine and they had absolutely NO money left in their account and needed groceries. They had to wait 3 or 4 days before their money got put back.

Honestly, I didn't read your fic because I don't know anything at all about the fandom, otherwise I would have read it in a heartbeat. I know how hard you worked on it, I'm sorry hon. *hugs you*

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Oh no! That's awful. :( At least they didn't overdraw your account. That happened to a friend of mine and they had absolutely NO money left in their account and needed groceries. They had to wait 3 or 4 days before their money got put back.

Actually, I was extremely fortunate under the circumstances. Like your poor friend, I could have had my entire account wiped out. As it is, I think I'll avoid using my debit card or withdrawing any money for the next few days. Thankfully, I had taken out money before all this happened, so I'm covered for the week.

Honestly, I didn't read your fic because I don't know anything at all about the fandom, otherwise I would have read it in a heartbeat. I know how hard you worked on it, I'm sorry hon. *hugs you*

No, no, it's okay! I wasn't expecting anyone outside the fandom to read it! When I was whining about it, I really should have specified that I meant SGA fans who might have seen the story posted through one of the SGA communities. Oh, and then I should have been even more specific and said possible Sheppard/Lorne fans who might not have been turned off by the vague summary or the prospect of a 10,000 word fic. Gee, no wonder no one's reading my story! *g*

[njc2007.livejournal.com]

Identity theft sucks at the best of times. I remember when lazigyrl had the aforementioned Victoria Secrets problem. Hubby has had issues as well. I got hit on my Amex once. It is very common. I think you handled it well.

I bookmarked your fic to read later (after Polaris). I have had to do two weeks of school work so I can take my Polaris weekend without feeling stressed. Also, hubby's health has taken a bit of my time. I *will* get to your fic. In fact, I think I'll print it out to read when I'm waiting for something or other at Polaris. What a great idea! I'll leave feedback some time next week.

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Identity theft sucks at the best of times. I remember when lazigyrl had the aforementioned Victoria Secrets problem. Hubby has had issues as well. I got hit on my Amex once. It is very common. I think you handled it well.

Thanks, njc2007. :-) It's kind of reassuring to know that identity theft is a pretty common problem. It probably explains why the two people I spoke to seemed so calm about the situation, though I guess it's easier to be calm when it isn't your money. *g*

I bookmarked your fic to read later (after Polaris). I have had to do two weeks of school work so I can take my Polaris weekend without feeling stressed. Also, hubby's health has taken a bit of my time. I *will* get to your fic. In fact, I think I'll print it out to read when I'm waiting for something or other at Polaris. What a great idea! I'll leave feedback some time next week.

Oh, no! Don't worry about it! I shouldn't have moaned about it in the first place! And, as I said to avictoriangirl, I should have been more specific during my whine-fest and laid the guilt trip on possible Sheppard/Lorne fans who might have been in the market for new fic to read and chose to ignore mine. *g* If you are interested in reading the story at some point then please take your time and read it when it's convenient for you. No worries if you don't get around to reading it or find it isn't your thing. Really. :-)

[crew4.livejournal.com]

OMG, that sucks so badly. I can't believe it happens that easily. I'm really glad they caught it so quickly. At least you had that going for you *looking for silver lining*

Opps, I confess to not reading, for the same reason as avictoriangirl. I don't know the fandom. I can totally sympathise with you though *hugs*

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

OMG, that sucks so badly. I can't believe it happens that easily.

I know. It's frightening how easily it can happen. I've been trying to think when and how someone would have gotten the information -- whether I was careless when taking out money or if it was one of those instances in which a retail clerk did the deed. I'm guessing I'll never know.

I'm really glad they caught it so quickly. At least you had that going for you *looking for silver lining*

You're absolutely right. It could have been a lot worse. I was very lucky that it was caught so quickly and that I didn't lose all the money out of my account. That's definitely a silver lining. :-)

Opps, I confess to not reading, for the same reason as avictoriangirl. I don't know the fandom. I can totally sympathise with you though *hugs*

I honestly wasn't expecting anyone who wasn't an SGA fan to read the story, so no worries there, crew4. :-) And we've all been in the same boat when it comes to the feedback issue (especially those of us who have written RoS fic), so there's some comfort in that.

[pyrateanny.livejournal.com]

Yikes! Identity theft! That's awful. Although, if that extra $200 winds up being permanently deposited in your account, that might be cool -- even if it's laundered money, LOL. You could always spend it on Victoria's Secret underwear!

[Love the ambiguous parsibility of that phrase -- with the second reading sounding decidedly Steampunk! i.e. "What sort of spy gadgets does Queen Victoria keep in her secret underwear?" And, of course, my mind's now off on a tangent, wondering if SAoJV will ever come out on DVD.]

And your Lorne/Sheppard fic was cool. Sorry it's not getting much buzz. I was particularly impressed with you allowing the canonical McKay/Keller relationship into the story, since I know how much it drives you crazy. I did note that you gave Sheppard a rather exasperated attitude toward them, though, which I thought was quite apt. And, although this story was not part of the McShep-verse that is your usual reading of the fandom, I still noted some rather sweet & characteristic interactions between John & Rodney -- in particular, the scene in which McKay rudely pushes past Lorne to get into the cave and Shep says, “Rodney, we’ve talked about this!” LOL

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the Primeval fic. That sounds like my only hope of seeing Cutter & Stephen resurrected. I missed last week's episode because when we got to the cottage, we discovered that the satellite TV receiver had died over the winter.

Oh, and I guess we're missing tonight's Primeval episode too, because we'll be at the pub! [I'll try to remember to wake up early Sunday morning and catch the re-run.]

Hoping we'll be able to overcome your PMS blues tonight with a satisfyingly decadent pub supper!

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Yikes! Identity theft! That's awful. Although, if that extra $200 winds up being permanently deposited in your account, that might be cool -- even if it's laundered money, LOL. You could always spend it on Victoria's Secret underwear!

I have a feeling that TD is going to snap up that $200 pretty quickly -- assuming they haven't done so already. *g*

[Love the ambiguous parsibility of that phrase -- with the second reading sounding decidedly Steampunk! i.e. "What sort of spy gadgets does Queen Victoria keep in her secret underwear?" And, of course, my mind's now off on a tangent, wondering if SAoJV will ever come out on DVD.]

LOL! It does sound surprisingly Steampunk! *g* And pretty much everything is released on DVD eventually, so I would think that SAoJV has got to join the list at some point.

And your Lorne/Sheppard fic was cool. Sorry it's not getting much buzz. I was particularly impressed with you allowing the canonical McKay/Keller relationship into the story, since I know how much it drives you crazy. I did note that you gave Sheppard a rather exasperated attitude toward them, though, which I thought was quite apt.

Thanks again for your kind words about my fic. :-) I had thought of breaking McKay and Keller up, but then I wondered if there would be any point if Sheppard wasn't available. *g* Actually, the real reason I kept them together is because I kept coming up with amusing material revolving around their relationship, including Sheppard's exasperated attitude.

And, although this story was not part of the McShep-verse that is your usual reading of the fandom, I still noted some rather sweet & characteristic interactions between John & Rodney -- in particular, the scene in which McKay rudely pushes past Lorne to get into the cave and Shep says, “Rodney, we’ve talked about this!” LOL

I have to confess that the John & Rodney moments practically write themselves sometimes. That bit where McKay shoves past Lorne and Sheppard says, "Rodney, we've talked about this" was something that just popped into my head when I was writing the scene. I'm glad you found it funny because it's one of my favourite lines. :-)

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the Primeval fic. That sounds like my only hope of seeing Cutter & Stephen resurrected.

*Shuffles feet and looks guilty* Umm...the fic is going to be set some time after the third series and I, uh, wasn't planning to resurrect Cutter & Stephen. It's not that I wouldn't love to see them return. It's just that my definition of "fun" means something simple that can be written in a couple of weeks. A fic resurrecting two major characters would be just a bit more complex... *g*

If you're looking for stories with Cutter and Stephen, you should check out the stories at primeval_denial. There's even a Nick/Stephen (http://community.livejournal.com/primeval_denial/tag/nick/stephen) tag. I can also rec some stories that have Cutter and Stephen, though they aren't a couple. Well, Stephen is paired with Ryan and Cutter is hopelessly straight.

I missed last week's episode because when we got to the cottage, we discovered that the satellite TV receiver had died over the winter.

Actually, it wasn't on last week. SPACE held a Stargate marathon instead.

Oh, and I guess we're missing tonight's Primeval episode too, because we'll be at the pub! [I'll try to remember to wake up early Sunday morning and catch the re-run.]

I've set my VCR to tape it, though it's nice to have the Sunday morning broadcast just in case.

Hoping we'll be able to overcome your PMS blues tonight with a satisfyingly decadent pub supper!

This is probably more information than you need or want, but my period started this morning so my hormones seem to be a little more stable. In any case, I'm sure I will enjoy tonight's pub supper. :-)

[pyrateanny.livejournal.com]

>>>If you're looking for stories with Cutter and Stephen, you should check out the stories at primeval_denial. There's even a Nick/Stephen tag.<<<

Thanks, Rusty -- although I rarely actually read fic (except yours, of course, and obscure _Reign of Fire_ Quinn/Creedy pwp, LOL).

But I love the name of the 'Primeval Denial' group, especially their subtitle: "Where the bad stuff didn't happen." LOL! Because really, what were the writers/producers of this show THINKING to kill off the beloved main characters? And since the premise of the show allows for alterations in the timeline, why the hell don't they just reset things and bring them back? Ah, well...

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

I could be mistaken, but I think it was probably more a matter of the actors wanting to leave than the writers/producers wanting to kill them off. I mean, I can sort of understand Stephen because his death did make for a pretty spectacular ending for the second series (as sad as I was to see him go), but Cutter's exit seemed pretty abrupt and rather lame -- as if the writers needed to scramble to come up with a quick way to get rid of him. Of course, as I said, I could be wrong about this. It just seems really stupid to kill off your main character unless you're left with no other choice...

[pyrateanny.livejournal.com]

Googling around, I see that James Murray (Stephen) apparently left the show due to a family tragedy, the death of his baby daughter:

http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/thegeekfiles/2009/02/tragedy-for-primeval-actor-in.html

Oh, how sad!

And apparently Douglas Henshaw also chose to leave of his own accord:

http://www.douglashenshall.com/3Primevalpressrelease2DouglasHenshallexplainsCuttersdemise.html

So, I guess I have to let the producers of the show off the hook.

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Poor James Murray! I had no idea! :-( Well, I don't blame him for leaving then. I'm happy to say that he's in a new series now called Kröd Mändoon. I haven't seen any episodes myself, but I know at least a couple of people who are fans.

I'm glad Douglas Henshall didn't leave Primeval due to tragic circumstances, though it still sucks that he did go.

[radiogaga80.livejournal.com]

Woah - identity theft, that is always bad no matter what time it comes. I'm surprised the bank discovered it though - from what I hear it's usually the clients themselves who find out and often too late, so oddly enough I think you were very lucky.
Your fic seems to suffer from the same problem as my latest icon batch - you reckon our muses have gone off on holiday and are now pestering us?

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Woah - identity theft, that is always bad no matter what time it comes. I'm surprised the bank discovered it though - from what I hear it's usually the clients themselves who find out and often too late, so oddly enough I think you were very lucky.

Yes, I think I was very lucky. And I'm glad the bank spotted it because I'm not sure how long it would have taken me to work it out. Math isn't exactly my forte. *g*

Your fic seems to suffer from the same problem as my latest icon batch - you reckon our muses have gone off on holiday and are now pestering us?

Unfortunately, I don't think muses control who reads a fic or views a batch of icons. I'm sorry you've had the same problem as me. I have a horrible feeling that I missed your latest batch of icons, so I'll go take a look now and leave you some feedback. :-)

[radiogaga80.livejournal.com]

I have a horrible feeling that I missed your latest batch of icons, so I'll go take a look now and leave you some feedback. :-)

lol - I didn't mean it like that! But it is a tactic I'll let you use: leave comments in people's LJ as a kind reminder to read your fic. :P

Unfortunately, I don't think muses control who reads a fic or views a batch of icons.
I am not so sure of that...

[boobamiaow.livejournal.com]

I reckon the worlds banks must lose billions from id theft. I had it last year where there was a £30 transaction for a tesco phone top up. I don't use any Tesco phones and couldn't figure out why they'd only topped up £30!
I got the money back in the end, but it's scary when you start wondering where the hell your card was cloned!

I never read any fic, ever (I seem to have some sort of aversion to it haha) and I have no idea of the show/characters you're writing about. I know you're only expecting people in the fandom to read it, but just felt like explaining myself *g*

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

I reckon the worlds banks must lose billions from id theft. I had it last year where there was a £30 transaction for a tesco phone top up. I don't use any Tesco phones and couldn't figure out why they'd only topped up £30!

I got the money back in the end, but it's scary when you start wondering where the hell your card was cloned!

Yes, I'm sure you're right about the billions world banks must lose through identity theft. I'm sorry you were a victim yourself. That £30 transaction for a Tesco phone top up is pretty strange. I'm glad you got your money back in the end. :-)

I never read any fic, ever (I seem to have some sort of aversion to it haha) and I have no idea of the show/characters you're writing about. I know you're only expecting people in the fandom to read it, but just felt like explaining myself *g*

LOL! Although it wasn't necessary, it was sweet of you to explain yourself. *g*

[tazzles.livejournal.com]

OMG that's terrible! At least the bank seems to have dealt with it quite quickly. And you didn't even have to tell them about it!
The first time I went overseas (I don't count NZ in that!) I forgot to tell my bank that I was going, and they didn't even question any of my transactions.
At least you ended up richer and not poorer. *HUG*

Did I miss fic? *scurries off to look*

[tazzles.livejournal.com]

I have noticed the ficcage. Unfortunately, for some very bizarre reason, I'm not a big fan of Shep with anyone but McKay. Rodney, on the other hand, can be quite the slut. Especially with Lorne. And Ronan. And Daniel....... Very strange.
I quite liked him with the chick with the hiccups too.
So, whilst it's probably a brilliant fic (yours usually are!), I'm gonna skip it purely because I don't read that pairing. Sorry.

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

OMG that's terrible! At least the bank seems to have dealt with it quite quickly. And you didn't even have to tell them about it! The first time I went overseas (I don't count NZ in that!) I forgot to tell my bank that I was going, and they didn't even question any of my transactions.

They may not have questioned it if there weren't huge amounts going in and out of your account. In my case, I think $1000 was deposited and $400 was withdrawn on the same day, which must have raised a red flag for the bank.

At least you ended up richer and not poorer. *HUG*

That's true. I'm very thankful for that. :-)