Mystery Solved

I found out why the check card quit working.

It seems it is all because I needed gas. So I go to gas station A and insert the card. The machine asks for my PIN number or billing address zip code or whatever - then told me to "see attendant". I did not want to see the attendant, which is why I was paying at the pump in the first place. The attendant is a pain in the ass. First I have to walk alllllll the way to the cash register. Then say "fill up on (pump number)" and leave something with the attendant so I do not gas and dash. Then I have to fill up. Then I have to go back in to pay. Then go back to the truck.

So I bail out of that dump! And off to the BP. The BP pumps turned on for me, but they were pumping slowly. Very slowly. This means the tanks are almost empty and I was pumping the last of the gas. This is how you get shitty gas in your vehicle. The scuzz at the bottom of the tank could get into your tank.

So after a whole whopping 10 cents of gas (did you know you can pump that little?!!?) I shut the pump off, got my receipt, and bailed.

Gas station number 3 was all right. They let me pay at the pump without waking up the attendant, the pumps were not working slow, and so on. So $50 later the tank is full and off I go. I was REALLY low on gas!

Visa detected fraud. Three gas station charges in less than 10 minutes. So they shut off the card. But now it works. I know this because.......

I bought some beer. I will need this beer for the weekend. I intend to get the boat wet. The forecast is still crappy, calling for a 20 - 25 knot winds on Saturday and 10 - 15 knot winds on Sunday, with bay waters choppy in exposed areas. But the power cat is designed for this. I do not want to go offshore, but the chop in the bay I can deal with. Sunday looks more promising than Saturday. But in either case I will need beer. Samuel Adams Summer Ale - the official boat beer of 2007.

So yea, the card is working again. I called the bank and a nice human helped me out. It is good that someone is paying attention to strange activity on credit cards. Of course Visa is not doing this for me - they are doing to to protect their ass. I have a $0 fraud liability thing with the bank. So if someone does steal my card I do not loose any money. Visa and the bank loose it. So are they looking out for me or them? What do you think?

The gray cat has an unofficial name. Skipper. This is a good name for a little gray cat. If I can get Skipper used to going out on the boat it could be a good thing. Lets say I am stopped by the water po po. They ask me "who is the Skipper?". I can point to the cat and say "Skipper, the Mullet Patrol wants to speak to you". Then I can go back to drinking beer. Was I operating the boat in an "unsafe manner"? Hey - take it up with Skipper. He is in charge of the vessel you know. I am just the pilot. He tells me what to do.

So yea, this could be fun. Or it could get me clubbed like a baby harp seal, waffled in the back of a police car, then thrown into jail.

I have not yet hired a cheese head to get me out of having to do the traffic school thing. I am considering my options still.

There is a NEW ADDITION to the Lazy Iguana Evil Arcade. The twin engine boat docking simulator! It is not a very good simulator, there is no wind, no current, and the boat does not seem to drift very much. Also even when you have both engines in the same gear the boat seems to move off to one side. I guess the twin screws are not counter rotating! Anyway see if you can dock the boat using nothing but the engine controls. No rudder! You do not need it with twin screws.