The Waiting Room

If you heard an explosion sometime on Saturday, it was my VISA exploding. I ordered my outfit for the Supreme Court.

And, I ordered the shoes. They are a dark red.

I had to order the outfit online since neither the Saks or Nordstroms in Elsewhere had the suit in my size. And neither carried Manolo's. They had all the other designer shoes, just not Manolo!

When I looked at what it was going to cost me for all of this, including expedited shipping, I took a deep breath. Even though I had diligently saved up for this, there is still a bit of sticker shock.

I clicked on the "Submit Order" button, Nordstroms would not accept my credit card. At first, I thought maybe I typed in my number incorrectly. Nope. So, I tried again, Rejected.

WTF?  I know that there is zero balance on my card because I never carry a balance. And there was no balance.

OK, third time is a charm....

Nope. Won't take my card.

That's when the phone rang. It was my credit card company's Fraud Detection Department. They were concerned about an attempt to purchase an Armani Suit, blouse plus a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes.  Did I authorize this purchase?

Yes, I said to the person on the phone. I am being admitted to practice law before the US Supreme Court. I earned the right to wear an Armani and a pair of Manolo Blahniks!

"Oh", the representative said. "In that case, congratulations. I will release you card immediately."

To be fair, I'm sure all kinds of bells and whistles went off when the computer saw a $2,000.00 charge like that. And, I am glad that my credit card company is so vigilant about protecting me. But, damn people, can't a girl indulge herself for a once in a lifetime event? It's not like I've ever been late with a payment. And, I have a huge line of credit because I've had the card since 1994. And, since I've been saving since June for this, the balance will be paid in full.

After all, it's the friggin' Supreme Court!