Monthly Archives: September 2009
I HOPE You Never Ask This PRICELESS Question
This summer, I had the privilege of spending three weeks in Washington, D.C. I had visited before, but being older, I was able to take from it a greater appreciation. It’s almost surreal being in Washington; imagining that the most powerful people in the country work within a 10-mile radius. One of the most interesting experiences that I had in Washington occurred within the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
Within the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, the Hope Diamond rests in its own case. When I walked into the room that hosted the Hope Diamond, I couldn’t see it because of all the people. After much work, I squeezed myself into the group of people surrounding the casing. It truly did surprise me how different the Hope Diamond was from how I imagined it; I always thought it would be this shiny clear rock comparable to the size of a fist. In reality, it was about the size of a gumball and wasn’t clear, but purple!?
My curiosity began to kick in. As I’m looking at this rock encased in about three inches of bullet proof glass, I start to wonder exactly what the value of the diamond is. I look around and see a guard standing against a wall.
I approach the guard and ask, “How much is the Hope Diamond worth?” He says, “It’s priceless.” I obviously didn’t think was a reasonable answer, so I asked again in a sort of different way, “How much money is the Hope Diamond worth?” Again, I hear the reply, “It’s priceless.”
Seeing that I’m not going to get an answer out of this guy, I thank him for his time, and then search for someone else to answer my question. On the other side of the room, there stood another guard. I casually walked up and asked the same question: “How much money is the Hope Diamond worth?” He responded, “Your life.” This time, however, I took the hint and moved on.
For the record, Diamond Cutters value the price of the Hope Diamond at $250,000,000.
A College Application Nightmare
This evening, I (unintentionally) submitted my first college application. I was excited… making final preparations and about to insert my personal essay. On the side of the online application, there were check boxes marking what I had completed and what needed to be finished. All boxes were checked except for the writing section and the payment.
I decided that it would be a good idea to submit the payment for the application fee so that I would be able to submit the application anytime I wished. I typed in the credit card information and clicked “Submit.” The next page was horrifying.
“At this time, our records indicate that you have successfully submitted your application and paid your application fee. No more edits will be accepted on the application.”
That line made my stomach sink. I quickly E-Mailed the admissions department and left a couple messages. Because it’s Saturday, I will have to wait until offices reopen Monday. So, if you happen to read this tonight, take heed in knowing that this issue still hangs in the balance of admissions officers. This problem should be resolved easily, but the feeling of uncertainty seems to keep surfacing.
Lesson: If you are submitting a college application online, do not submit a payment unless you are completely finished with your application. Submitting a payment is comparable to dropping your application in the mail.
Update: Everything worked out for the best. The college was very understanding and unlocked my application again so I can add my personal statement, fix my religion, and copyedit.
ATM, Hunger, Exhaustion
This weekend I was celebrating a friend’s birthday. The party was for a girl, and she decided to have a sleepover. Because she was a girl, all of the guys (myself included) had to leave after her dad left.
By the time I left, it was about one o’clock in the morning. I got a case of the munchies and decided to stop by McDonald’s. But, being the “responsible and aware” young person that I am, I wanted to go to the ATM and check my balance before I used my debit card.
Once at the ATM, I went through motions of entering my security information, when finally, the receipt with my balance surfaced, and I saw that I had more than enough to enjoy my midnight feast.
I went ahead and drove next door and went through the drive through. I gave my order, and pulled up to the window. Opening up my wallet to pay, however, made my stomach drop. I had quickly come to the realization that I had never taken my debit card from the machine. I told the clerk that I would be right back and I ran (literally) next door to my bank’s ATM. Needless to say, it wasn’t there.
I went back to my car and told the clerk what had happened. He was very understanding, but without any cash to my name, I had to leave without my chicken nuggets 
I drove home nauseously worried. I hoped that the ATM had eaten the card, but the possibility still existed that it had been stolen. As soon as I arrived home, I ran up to my room and called MasterCard. After the third connection, I was directed to the correct agent who cancelled my card. Thankfully, no transactions were reported.
Maybe I was just tired, maybe I was just excited for some McDonald’s, or maybe it was a combination of both. However it happened, I never got my food and now have to wait two weeks for a new card. I don’t really know if there’s a moral to this story, but I do know this could have been much worse.
Update: Great news. I dropped by my bank on the next business day. I told them what happened and a couple days later I received my card in the mail.
