By wr jones
We are in limbo in a move to AZ. Most of belongings and all furniture are gone. Only us left, sleeping on floor feeling age every time we creak up. I decided to do some small studies for future larger pieces. Most of my oil paints were packed and shipped so I would do watercolors. Christ!! I forgot how unforgiving watercolor is. You must think and plan for a successful watercolor; neither of which I do well. I don’t know where I’m going during a painting much less beforehand. And when I’m done I don’t know where I’ve been thus preventing me from learning for future work.
I had a new plastic palette which I didn’t prepare. The water would bead up so tightly I couldn’t get it to mix. The brush would soak up all the color at once and palette would be stark white. I remembered having this problem years ago but could not remember why. Screw it, I went back to oil. Painted directly over the watercolor. Paper is not my favorite painting surface but it was all I had not counting the walls of the sold house.
Ok, enough about painting let’s get to my real rant:
I called Shell to give them a change of address. Then I thought why not do paperless via email, where a change of address would not matter. A male service rep told me they did not have my full social security or my birth date. Note that I did give him the last 4 of social, address, and card number to verify identity at start of call. He took my new info and said he had to verify it. 15 minutes go by on hold, then phone call drops. I call back and get a female rep. Repeat the info and she say she has to verify and leaves me hanging for 10 minutes. When she came back I ask what the devil took so long. She said she was talking to her supervisor and they need for me to send a photocopy of my social security card and my driver’s license via land mail. I responded – Fuck you close the account! (on the inside) What came out was, “please close the account now, and do you realize I have had that card and used and paid it every month for 40 YEARS.” I’m astounded at the greed for information that is not relevant for a business agreement. I’ve never had any company ask for photocopy of social and driver’s license. What the hell is wrong with these people? I felt like I was on a phishing call.
