I had an IRA bank CD maturing Sept. 12. What a pain in the butt trying to get a distribution. They make it so easy to open one, but gosh, seems like they try to put up as many roadblocks as possible to prevent you from accessing your money.

They wouldn't accept a phone call from me a few days ahead of that as to what I wanted to do with the CD; they said I had to wait til the day of maturity and then i had just 10 days to let them know what I wanted, or it would renew again for another 5 years at 2.something%. Nope, nope, nope.

The US Bank rep insisted that if I wanted it transferred to my bank checking account, that they wouldn't consider that a distribution, and that if I wanted a distribution, they'd have to mail me a check. Yes, snail mail.

I filled out all their paperwork and was told I had to fax it to them. Not email. Special trip to the library to do so. The following week, they send me a snail mail letter saying I failed to complete their transfer form and they were returning my application to get the distribution. Which they hadn't included with the other forms they sent me to complete and return. In the letter they said to complete and return the form in the enclosed postage-free envelope. Except there was nothing else in the letter!

So I had to call them again, and that was when I learned they don't consider a transfer to my bank a distribution. Egads.

They promised to expedite my case once I resent the original paperwork (another trip to the library fax machine) and handwrote in, "Mail me a check."  Meanwhile, I have just about $1600 left in my checking to cover the bills.

Much of this back and forth could have been avoided if their forms were clearer. But I know from having worked for a large bank for a few years that banks seem to want to minimize the information they provide to customers, about anything. They are very secretive. I used to work in customer communications, writing a wide variety of letters to customers about all sorts of things. They were always less than transparent. Hated that whole vibe.

Yesterday was an extremely busy today. In addition to battling with US Bank, I also struggled to assemble two kitchen dining chairs I bought from Bed Bath & Beyond. There really wasn't much assembly, but I got stuck with this square metal piece that is supposed to let you swivel in the seat. You couldn't screw a screw in the 4 oval holes in the metal plate and i just couldn't figure out how I was supposed to attach it to the chair. The assembly instructions consisted of only diagrams, no words.

Every time I communicated with BB&B, I'd have to wait a day for a different rep to email me back and they seemed unable to let me talk to a technician would could walk me through it on the phone. They said I could return the chairs for a refund or find a handyman to put the chairs together. I FINALLY figured out by myself that the square metal piece could be pulled/pried apart/rotated, revealing an additional 4 holes and another metal plate that you're meant to attach it to the chair with.

I got in a 35-minute walk with my weighted belt, reorganized my dining linens (tablespreads, placemats, runners) and was able to gift some and donate others to good will. Now what I had left (mostly my mother's things) could neatly fit in the storage bench.

Also yesterday I was interviewed over the phone by a news reporter about knotweed, the focus of one of the group's I volunteer with. She had a very tight deadline, and by the time I called her, she only had 2 hours, but we spoke at length and today I saw the story published online. What's great is that Hearst News owns not just one daily in my state, but a whole bunch, so the story appeared in every one, plus a bunch of weeklies and a monthly magazine and various online news outlets to boot.

So in one feel swoop my group just got a whole lot of exposure. I shared the links with the other board members and everyone is thrilled. It really gives us a lot of "cred," and being a relatively new group, this recognition is very helpful. Finally, yesterday, I somehow managed to wash 3 windows here, inside and out, as I had noticed a while back how dirty they looked. I also washed the trunk liner in my car, ahead of my planned trip to visit DIDO next week!

I am very much looking forward to this trip (rain or no rain) as I haven't done anything like this (mainly, becus of my cat) for a very long time. It will be refreshing to have the change of scenery. We're about 2.5 hours apart.

This am I went driving around with another board member of the knotweed group. We were looking for homes that have knotweed and making a list of their addresses. We plan to write and then mail a simple brochure asking people, Do you have knotweed, then explaining how to ID it, why it's bad and what they can do. It's a unique plant in that it's not easy to kill, and all the usual methods, like cutting it, mowing it or digging it out will actually make it spread worse. It has to be treated with herbicides. Preferably by a licensed applicator.

We are a small group of local residents, so all we can do is raise awareness and educate people (both homeowners as well as public works employees) about management best practices.

I worked out at the gym in the afternoon, but otherwise, that's about all I did.

I'm supposed to do a litter cleanup at a beautiful beach/preserve tomorrow am but it's over an hour away and they want everyone there by 9 am. Which is feeling more and more doubtful.

It's hard to say goodbye after 17 years.

Even if you knew it was coming.

I took him to my old vet, not the new one, because I remembered how good he had been with Waldo at the end, 8 years ago. The staff were caring. Luther did not seem overly frightened from the car ride or the barking dogs as we awaited his sad fate together. There was a small window that looked out on the parking lot, and beyond that, a bit of woods, and together we looked out that window for quite some time, given some privacy before the end.

Not much more can be said right now, except my heart feels like it's been ripped out.

He was a good boy, and he had a good run.