This parting is sweet, no sorrow. [View All]

[madamesilverspurs]

Each month I pay my bills as soon as the Social Security check arrives. Next month I get to make the final payment to Citi Bank.

I never took out a loan with Citi, they were just the last in a series of buyers of the note that had originated with a small lending company. A dozen years ago I could just walk around the corner to the lender's office to make my payments. Then a letter arrived informing me that the payments were to be mailed to a new entity; overnight the office was vacated and a 'for rent' sign replaced the sign that had been in the window.

Paying the bills, by nature a tedious and sometimes painful task, took on a bitter and offensive flavor with the arrival of that letter from Citi; it came while I'd been doing some reading about the financial interests and business entanglements of the Bush family. I have always felt a little dirty after sending each check. And for some reason I just can't muster up any pride in that big fancy new stadium that bears Citi's name.

Each previous time the note was sold I'd receive a payment notice and an envelope, thus providing me with a paper record. Each time until Citi, that is. They merely sent a terse letter advising of the change, with an emphatic admonition that there would be no notices or envelopes, that I would bear sole responsibility for making sure they got the money on time. That was a bit unsettling, seeing as how I'm not gifted when it comes to amortization. But I kept my own records, and a couple of months ago I was able to make my way through Citi's phone tree to find out if my figures closely tracked to theirs; I'd calculated two remaining payments, they said three. Whatever.

Ordinarily I'd want to have something akin to a mortgage-burning party. But that's kinda hard to do when there's no paperwork; rather pikerish of Citi, if you ask me.

Oh well, if they're going to deprive me of a flashy celebratory moment I can at least write the damn check and then take a long cleansing shower to remove the last of the stench.

B'bye, Citi. I am soooo not going to miss you.