Death, taxes and disappointment

So, there's a happy little title to this today!! The three things we can depend upon in this life!

I've been dealing with such utter bullshit in the last week - fraudulent charges from Sprint on my bank account (someone lifted the numbers from my debit card - nice), fraudulent charges from a skin care company (false advertisement on Facebook) and another false charge at some gourmet grocery store in Kansas.

I've never been to Kansas.

And then my day began anew with a phone call from my favorite garden center in Massachusetts, Marblehead Garden Center (MGC). I've been utilizing their fine products for 20+ years and I adore them and appreciate their incredible part in making my business flourish when I opened Fox's Flower Boxes about 800 years ago!

I've always loved the people there and I even worked there for a few summers (what a blast!). Being surrounded by flowers is pretty much totally awesome!

So, then my day started with a phone call from their billing department. There was a $140 charge incurred this summer on my charge account at MGC. Well, this summer I was, as you may well be aware, in a car driving across country AND I was coming to Alaska to stay here and open my NEW business, The FlowerSmith.

Well, it turns out that this "person" who used to work for me (heavy lifting and designing - he was talented as all get out) had used my charge account (his name is on the slip) to buy himself some flowers for his yard this past summer.

Hmmm.

Nope. Not cool.

So, of course, I confronted him about via email (it's always best to have written record of these things, by the way - phone calls go into the mist unless you record them). A few hours later, I of course get this from him (this is the exact email he sent me minus his name because I'm not an asshole like he is):

"On Dec 3, 2014, at 3:21 PM, A*** W****** wrote:

Lisa,

I only used your Foxes Flower Boxes for the discount, as you said I could.  I have NEVER charged anything to

that account!

You need to grow up and learn how to talk to people. You have issuse still can clearly you need to have more

therapy Lisa. What is shitty Lisa is how you communicate!

A***"

Can you imagine writing that to a person who had been in intensive therapy for a year? I can't imagine ever speaking to another person in that cruel way. And if I'm the shitty communicator, why am I paid for my communication skills? I was the Communications Specialist and a Public Affairs Associate at two world-class museums (and I wasn't fired - I left those two jobs!).

I don't think my communication is the issue. I think someone doing something fraudulent and illegal is the issue.

He's mad because he got caught and I am not gonna bail his ass out! Not my job. Never has been and never will be.

There's even more to the story - he also apparently told the people at MGC that he "took over" Fox's Flower Boxes. Well, up there in his email, he doesn't even spell the thing correctly. He spelled it "Foxes" which has never been the spelling.

So this dumbass was going around trying to drum up business for himself by telling folks it's now HIS business. Nope. Not the case.

Then, of course, I had to get on the phone with all the people with whom my OLD business was associated to let them know that this person is in NO way connected to or representing me.

Oy to the vey with this bullshit all day.

Luckily, I've got really really good relationships with my old clients and all the vendors I used, so it was a blessing in disguise to get to talk to all of them after two years of my absence! Everyone was happy to hear from me (which sounds cocky, but it's true! I love these people!), so it was fun catching up with everyone and then to have to tell them this unfortunate turn of events - well, they were all very understanding and kind.

I guess the lesson I learned here is be very careful who you trust. I have known this guy for more than 10 years. Totally trusted him. Had him in my home. He even supported me on one of the worst days of my life. But, MAN! What the heck?

I guess we never really ever can completely know another person. 

Trust yourself and protect yourself. (Isn't there a song like that?)

I luckily listened to my gut a few years ago and sort of cut him out of my life and now I totally understand why. Turns out other people also did the same thing after he showed his true colors.

Also turns out he left Massachusetts and is in Texas now, likely finding another "friend."

With a "friend" like him...

And on it goes! I'm good and healthy and happy and married to a wonderful man. Some pipsqueak in disguise cannot hurt me...I just hope he leaves the nice people of Texas alone.