Mornin Coffee and Amazing Snow

Coffee and a sweet roll anyone?  Oh yum. I had to go look at the snow first and then got my coffee to enjoy from this side of the window.   Oh yea!! I hear the snow plow.

First, from last nite. The wreath on our front door and the snow on the door glass. I love it.

And looking out our front door, last nite the steps were totally gone. The door was touching the snow. This morning, son had to push the door open because of the snow. He is going to try to shovel us a path and dig out the van today.

During the night and at first sun, Jack had to go potty twice…cause he would not go during the worse part of the storm. Son has shoveled a path from the door and a potty area three times. Here he is with snow back on the steps and down on his potty area..not too deep but still bothering him.Son piled it up on the fence to try to keep blowing snow from getting too deep on the potty area. Didn’t save the patio area though.

And this was my first view this morning when I got up. Poor son has to shovel again. This is standing at the side door..that son had all scraped and cleaned a path and then turn to left of picture and down to potty section (which does not show in pic).

Look hanging off our roof. OMG  I could not believe it.

And out my front door. Is it not beautiful.   I love it. My brick retainer wall has disappeared and the poor polar bear is under all this snow.

And Jack has decided that he likes the snow from this side of the window.  Poor baby…he is just too old and arthritic for the bitter col (16 degrees) and all this snow.

♫♫I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas♫♫  and looks like we got it.

The Disaster of Credit Card Skimmers

A few weeks ago, son came in to tell me that almost five hundred dollars had been stripped from my bank account. When I went down to fill out the papers, they told me someone had put a credit card “skimmer” at a gas station. I had never heard of a skimmer and so came home and started researching. It took three weeks for the bank to restore my account which made it very hard. So, I decided I wanted to warn others of this horrible fraud.

http://www.9news.com/rss/story.aspx?storyid=228768

A skimmer is a device someone can carry in their pocket, or place on a gas pump or other ATM machine and it copies your credit card info. It has a little camera in it to copy your pen number. What will thieves think of next. It makes me very scared of debit and credit cards.

Now, I am on disability so losing five hundred dollars was a blow for me and thank God that the people in this town were understanding for I had utilities to pay and bills to pay.

Below is a video showing how easy it is for someone to skim your card.

My checking account showed charges from the Michigan Walmart and Target Stores. Obviously, I am not in Michigan. The bank not only restored my money but all overdraft charges and I was so thankful. But, now I worried about how to keep from getting skimmed again.

Skimmers are placed right over where you run your card and sometimes encase the whole slot you stick your card in.

This link gives more information and shows how they work.

http://consumerist.com/2009/04/heres-what-a-card-skimmer-looks-like-on-an-atm.html

Another great site on skimmers.

http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/33210

The experts say to watch for anything bulky on the machine. Also, pay attention to see if the machine has changed on you from last time. They also tell you to put your hand over the keyboard when you do your pen number to keep the skimmer camera from picking up your pen number.

People can walk around with skimmers that actually read your card in your wallet or purse.

Why is it we take things so easily like “convenance” and don’t wonder what the consequences will be. Those little key-chain credit cards are a crooks delight. Sending your card with the check to be paid, instead of walking and watching while they do your card, is asking for problems.

More pictures of credit card skimmers can be seen here.

http://www.google.com/search?q=credit+card+skimmers&hl=en&biw=840&bih=450&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=PrK-TuXkCIH6sQK40MHBBA&ved=0CG4QsAQ

So, please take precautions with your credit cards and debit cards. Unless you have plenty of money, losing five hundred dollars in a swoop is extremely hard for someone like me. As for us, we are investing in one of those special wallets that protects your security strip in your card with all your info. They look like this and you can buy them at many places.

This picture came from here and you can read about them. Shop around before buying.

http://allyourwants.blogspot.com/2011/06/ogon-rfid-wallet-really-protect-your.html