Where's My VISA

A couple of months ago I did a favor for a friend of mine who works for a distinguished center for higher learning here in Utah. I cannot remember if the favor was for his program(graduate) or someone else’s but in any I agreed to have him interview me regarding my views on certain aspects of disability, no big deal. I really like this guy, what I know of him. He is blind, uses a dog for mobility and has a graduate degree. He is of East Indian decent and he is pretty funny and I enjoy the time I have spent with him.

When I finished the interview Sauchin gave me a $25 VISA gift card as a means of compensation for my time- I thought that was cool and rally classy. I took the card and threw in my backpack and basically forgot about the card until yesterday when I got an electronic nudge from Amazon that they had books and it was time for me to purchase another. I get these nudges every couple of weeks and I usually just delete the email. Sometimes, however, I will at least open the email and see what Amazon desperately feels I need.

I have been interested in the latest offering by Stephen King, Duma Key. I was gong to give King a rest this year but DK has sounded more and more intriguing. I instantly saw the $28.00 an though no way and even the Amazon price of $18.94 was more then I could justify on a book then I saw in the section where Amazon list how many used books are available the book was listed $7.80 or something like that. I checked just now and the price has climbed to just a little over $8.00. #8.00 is the price range which I would spend for a paperback…new. I kinda hate to but a new hard back, just because hardbacks are just so awkward in my life of powering in my chair, train rides and backpack living and then I remembered I have the $25.00 VISA Gift Card! The gift card is like finding money or having money I can only spend on me—unless I take someone to dinner or lunch or something and I sort of tried that but Dianne did not want to go out when I asked, but I could do a book maybe even two. This could be great since I just broke a hundred pages on the book I am currently reading and I’ll be ready for a new read in a week or so.

Excitedly I fetched my backpack and quickly found the card ad rolled back to the computer. I tore open the envelope housing the card and beheld the shiny new plastic rectangle with VISA written in the corner and a smart row of number embossed across the front. I read the instructions on the back of the card. I have to “Activate” the card which made sense: how can one spend if the INTERNET universe does not know your number? There in lies my frustration; try as I might to activate my little $25.00 card I cannot. Each time I type in the row of numbers and hit “enter” I just get the message “ cannot locate number”.

So I did not order book today and I should let the matter of the card drop but I have already decided I will call Sauchin tomorrow and discretely ask if any of the other interviewees have had any trouble spending their compensation. I don’t plan to be a jerk and I’ll let the matter rest one way or the other but I sure wanted to order Duma Key today.