Songdog.net

I just got back from a Metafilter NYC Meetup. I'm sure the party is still raging on, but I left early because it's going to be a busy weekend. I only took a few digital photos this time because my perspective on the gathering didn't change from my seat at the edge of the crowd. If they bear sharing I'll post them here shortly (they don't, really, but for those who weren't there...). There were lots of other cameras and I look forward to seeing all the pictures myself! I had a great time talking with sara, troutfishing, nicwolff, muckster, jonmc, and languagehat. The rest of you were sitting too far away at the big table; I was the guy on the other side of the little table.

The last time I went to one of these events (a year ago) I stayed so late that I missed all possible direct trains and buses home and had to settle for getting as far as I could on another train and coughing up exorbitant cab fare for the remainder of the trip. That was rough. This time I left when the group moved on from Veselka and took a cab to the train station with enough time to spare that even the exodus from a Knicks game didn't keep me from my train.

When I got home, however, I found a message waiting from my bank requesting a prompt return call. It turns out that someone may be running up charges on a card of mine. Amidst the legitimate charges were three or four that I did not recognize. I don't want to cause troble for honest merchants if I've just forgotten a purchase (it is, after all, the end of a long day) but I also don't want to get hit with the big fraudulent charge that could be next. My liability is zero, but I could wait a while to get my money back while the bank investigates.

SOooo ... I've asked the bank to freeze the card for a while until more information comes through about the mystery charges. If they're all accounted for then I keep the card, otherwise I replace it. And from now on I'm never throwing out any papers or receipts that haven't been thoroughly shredded. Oh, DAMN IT! How am I going to buy a shredder?

And if someone out there is trying to spend my money, may centipedes breed in your sinuses!

Update: My Veselka Meetup pictures are posted. All three of them!