(no subject)

A quick update to Friday's rant:

\O/ \O/ \O/ COMPETENT AMERITRADE GUY CAME THROUGH! \O/ \O/ \O/

He phoned me at 6:10 this morning, when I was still fumbling around trying to find my glasses, my phone, and the folder of Critical Paperwork (so that I could call HIM) and told me the wire transfer had just gone out. In my exuberance, I believe I told him I'd lift a glass in his honor at my closing celebration.

I mean, think about it -- he:

a) remembered what he had told me he would do;
b) DID it;
c) did it IMMEDIATELY and (as far as I can tell) ACCURATELY; and
d) promptly INFORMED ME of his actions.

This is approximately 465916576 times more intelligence and diligence than anyone else at that benighted institution had shown thus far, so -- bless you, bless you, Competent Ameritrade Guy, and may your tribe increase!

And now onward to the drawing of the big cashiers check, and the signing of many many papers, and finally a good night's SLEEP please god.

Yet MORE real estate agita

I *almost* had to post the head-explodingly rageful follow-up entry of "Ha HAH, do not count your wire transactions until they are deposited!"

Which is to say, at 3:00 this afternoon, 8 hours after my wire transfer was initiated, I was going back and forth on the phone between Competent Ameritrade Guy and Competent Bank Lady, both of them saying "Uhh . . . well, it really should have come in by now. If it's not there by now? I--don't know, but that's not good." C.A.Guy almost lost his Competence badge by saying at one point, "Yeah, if it hasn't deposited by now, I'd be a little concerned," and I give myself bonus points for not screaming back "WHY THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME, OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE HAD NO IDEA I SHOULD BE A LITTLE CONCERNED JUST BECAUSE ALL MY MONEY HAS VAPORIZED INTO THE AETHER."

(A thing I learned today! If you have a wire transfer going between one account and another? Say, an Ameritrade account and your local neighborhood credit union? It doesn't just go from point A to point B -- it has to make a scenic side excursion through the freakin' FEDERAL RESERVE. Which is probably why the whole thing took eight hours.)

Anyway! At 3:15, I made one last despondent call to Competent Bank Lady, who said "Hang on -- let me check again -- hey, it just came through! Three minutes ago! It's deposited!"

I whooped, and then I *burned rubber* to the bank, and got the cashiers check, and *burned rubber* to the title company office (OMG, I didn't even mention the truly awesome escrow/title company lady, who soothed my anxieties, and let me go ahead and do all the paper signing even though I didn't have the check, and laughed and laughed at my bitter snarkiness about Ameritrade.)

So -- papers are signed, check is in, I get the keys on Wednesday, and our long national closing nightmare is over. Deep thanks to everyone who has listened to my ceaseless tedious core-dumpings of anxiety and angst, and posted encouraging supportive comments -- I should reply to you all, but right now I have a rendezvous with a nice bottle of champagne.