Only in Israel

Half a year ago we put our new cellphones on our credit card. "36 Easy Payments, No Interest!" Great.... Only they never told us that until the 36 months were over, our credit limit would be charged for that amount every month, though in the end only 56 shekel would actually be taken out of our checking account. So other credit payments have been bouncing right and left, though we really do have enough credit to cover them--simply because of this phantom 2000 shekel charge on the limit.

SOOOOOO.....

S's university tuition fee wasn't honored by the credit card company. Yesterday she went to the Postal Bank to pay it, and forgot to check the receipt. When she got to the uni offices to give it in, they showed her it was for 747 shekel instead of the 1747 shekel the check (and tuition) had been. She rushed back to the post office, but it was closing and they wouldn't let her in. Ever see a 15 year old shed buckets of tears? She was up all night, worried that she'd lose her place in the course. She may be very adult for her age, but she's still a kid under all the bravado.

Today we called the post office. First B spoke to the woman who'd screwed up--and she hung up on him. Then he suggested I call the manager, who looked into things. Faxes were exchanged, mistakes were admitted, and I was told to stop payment on the check, the Postal Bank would cover the fees, and make the payment again.

Great? Great.

One problem (and this is Israel--you knew there had to be a problem, didn't you?).

My bank is on strike!

We'll make the payment again today so S can take the receipt with her when she goes to school tonight, but we can only hope the bank will reopen in time for us to stop payment on the check. Otherwise--well, sooner or later it will get straightened out. What a few thousand shekel more or less locked up in the Israel way-of-life: fashlot?

Fiber progress: You think with all this going on I had time to do anything? OK, OK, so I plied 2 balls of th green Romney into one. But that's just a baby-step, not progress.