The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

While DeRay was at Amy’s condo checking it out

after the renters moved out;

a package came for JoAnn Takemori.

Two sets of renters have lived there since she was evicted

for owing $10,000 in rent
four years ago.

This package came Priority 1-Day Mail
Order date 2/28/2014

from doTERRA in Lindon, Utah.

Where’s Mma Precious Ramotswe when we need her?

Fools

When we were young

  we were taught that young people are foolish

  and old people are wise.

Now we are old people,

  and the world has changed,

Young people think they are wise

  and old people are foolish.

It’s true in our case.

We certainly were not thinking clearly

  when we let a chiropractor talk us into

  paying up-front $7,200 for 36 laser treatments

  on my knees.

“I’m offering you a deal I’ve never made before,

  both knees for the price of one.”

What happened to our “Sleep on it overnight” rule?

  “You never pay until services are rendered,”

  Amy reminds us when we get home.

I didn’t sleep.

Next morning, I tell DeRay emphatically that I’m never going back.

We were bullied, badgered, bamboozled.

“I’m having Buyer’s Remorse,” I confess when I call to cancel.

  “I need to renegotiate.”

  “No.  You signed the contract.

  We gave you time to talk about it.  (Two minutes.)

  You will be charged whether or not you come in for treatment.”

  “Have a heart.  I made a mistake.”

  “I’m sorry.”

I didn’t go in.  I couldn’t.  Even if I lost over $7,000.

I couldn’t sleep either.

It weighed heavily on my heart and mind.

  Like a death or illness.

Monday was my next scheduled appointment.

  JaNel called and wondered where we stood.

  I had written a letter and was up at 3 AM refining it.

  “My husband is coming in today with a letter.”

  “The doctor is busy.  We will have to talk now.”

I wanted DeRay to handle it but he insisted I talk to her.

  He said I did better than he would have because

  he would have been calm and reasonable and got nowhere.

  I had passion.

  My thoughts were clear because I had formulated the letter.

  “Two for the price of one?” I chant.

  “That’s a salesman talking.  That’s not treatment.”

  “I have the best machine in the state of Utah.

  Only four in the United States;  ten in the whole world.

  At least three times he bragged about a friend of his

  Who treats NFL players and they use this machine on them.”

I could care less.  That has nothing to do with me.

After talking to the doctor(?) she says he agrees to let

  us out of the contract if we pay $400 more. 

We had paid $200 for the x-rays already on our “free” visit.

  I want to contest but DeRay signals for me to let it go.

  Six-hundred is a lot better than $7,200.

We stop in after the gym on Monday,

  paying $400 more.  She supposedly backed the $7,200

  out of our credit card.  (It hasn’t shown up yet.)

  We sign a piece of paper saying basically we won't slander him.

Hmmmm.  Wonder why he would need that?

Meanwhile, DeRay spent countless hours researching laser treatments.

He called one in South Ogden who happened to have a cancellation

  that very afternoon.

One thing that concerned me,

  almost as much as the money

  was being gone three afternoons a week.

I can barely keep up now.

  I spend the first two hours of the morning

  stretching, yoga, ball, roller, and preparing breakfast.

  I spend until 1 PM everyday with Ed

  either at the gym or playing games, reading, and stuff at home.

  There’s not much time after lunch

  before I start to prepare dinner at 4.

Today in the afternoon, Eddy and I were going to clean the upstairs.

  Now DeRay made an appointment.

It was for 2:40. 

  We got home at 5:30.

“Don’t you think that was smart of me to ask for the x-rays?”

  I say to DeRay.  “At least we won’t have to pay for them again.”

  Guess what?  He tried to use them but they were worthless.

  Motion x-rays taken on an archaic machine that couldn’t even be read

  on an updated computer.

He took new x-rays for the price of the film:  $60 – not $200.

“I can’t wait to tell Amy,” DeRay deliberates,

  “that we paid up-front and didn’t sleep on it overnight--again.”

Twenty-two treatments for $800.

  20% discount if you pay in advance;

  Two treatments free.

  I can understand that.

  It saves them a lot of hassle if they don’t have to try to collect.

He did an adjustment on each knee

  that made me scream out in pain.

  I have never done that in my life.

  Never.
  I moaned out loud when I had a bowel blockage;
  I could almost hear myself even though I was totally out of it.

  “Why did you have to do that?” I asked him about my knees.

  “To break up the inflammation in the cells“--whatever--.

I feel so good about it.

We got home after dinnertime.

  I didn’t care.

  Amy knows how to fend for herself.

  I will just have to make better use of my time.

  I cleaned our bedroom and the hall at 8 PM,

  after the dinner work was done,

  with DeRay’s help.

Tomorrow we’ll do the rest of the upstairs.

  maybe.

  or the next day.

Tomorrow’s pretty busy.

  choosing between the gym and DUP,

  dental appointment for a filling at 2:30;

  yearly dinner with Conley and Erika at 6.

I’m not bogged down with dread

  about how to manage my time and fit everything in.

I’m excited about having functioning pain-free knees again.

  being able to stand up and sit down without hurting;

  go up and down the stairs,
  bend down and rise back up;

  walk, sleep.

So this is how God answers prayers:

A feel-good happy feeling vs fear and dread.

PS  My only regret is that I didn’t get to send the letter that I spend five nights writing and thinking about.

The unsent letter ended:

Daddy was killed in an accident when I was 10 years old but I still remember his philosophy on people who wronged him.  They bought a milk cow from Parley Allred.  It didn’t anywhere live up to what he claimed and Mama wanted to march right down there, return the cow, get her money back, and give him a piece of her mind.  Daddy said, “No.  We just won’t do business with him again.”

I have a little bit of both Mama and Daddy in me, but mark my word; I definitely will follow Daddy’s example and never do business with you again.

Just getting back from the dentist,

I'm thinking these laser treatments are a bargain.

I paid over $200 last week for cleaning and x-rays.

Today the bill was $426.60: one small filling

and some work on my two front upper teeth

to keep them from cracking. Fifty minutes
for me; 20 max for dentist.
False teeth?

SAD STORY

What would you do?

JT rented A’s condo starting December 1, 2009.  From the first, it was a struggle getting the down payment or cleaning deposit; and then the rent.  Finally after much stress and delays, in March, she was paid up so we thought it was a new beginning.

She hasn’t paid a penny since, except in bad checks.  Lots of promises.  On Saturday November 6, the constable gave her a 3-day notice to pay or move.  On top of court costs, D had paid $165 (this time; more earlier) for the constable service.  She had petitioned the judge to set the judgment aside; or have it reversed; she didn’t want her credit ruined; she’s a nice person.  The Judge looked at it, seeing no money, no bond, and being in possession of a $7,500 bad check, he called the constable and told him to proceed with the threat to change the locks on the doors when the 3-day notice expired.  She then called the constable and he told her exactly what time he was coming.  She wasn’t there.  Did she think that D, one more time, would have mercy on her. . .  would believe her that she would have the money on the 20^th? 

Tuesday November 9, the constable inventoried everything while D changed the locks.

Not hearing a word from her, D writes her an email saying, “We need to talk.”

In ensuing emails he tells her that he thought she would have her cell phone with her and had plenty of time to get her personal belongings out.  It’s not as if she didn’t know she needed to have everything out.

On Sat, Nov 13, 2010 at 6:37 PM, she wrote:  I am not sure what your intentions were, I do know that with me being in Denver until late Sunday night, i was not given proper time to remove my belongings or necessities.  It would have saved alot of expense if you had just agreed to a few days for me to pack and move.  That is all that I asked from you.  You doing this, did not get your money any sooner than the 20th did it?  It just affected my credit, and costs me alot of money for a place to stay, and to replace necessities - not to mention the stress that it caused for my child.  This was not handled very christianlike at all.  I would say it was your way of being a bully.

He answered:  On Sat, Nov 13, 2010 at 2:25 PM,

I DID NOT INTEND TO HAVE STUFF YOU NEED ,  CELL PHONE , ETC LOCKED INTO THE CONDO.  I THOUGHT THAT YOU WERE GOING TO BE THERE..   I AM IN MURRAY THIS AFTERNOON FOR SEVERAL HOURS.  IF YOU WANT TO MEET ME YOU CAN CERTAINLY GO IN AND GET NECESSITIES.  JUST LET ME KNOW?

THE GREAT DECEIVER

November 15, 2010

Who signed an agreement to pay $1,100 per month rent (which included $220/month condo fees that we have paid faithfully; as well as $5,500 special assessment for new siding)?

Who hasn’t paid a penny of rent for 8 months?

Who promised the money would be in the bank next Tuesday; next Friday?  On the 17^th? On the 20^th a multitude of times?

Who made up excuse after excuse and begged for clemency because the money would definitely be there on a certain day and it never was?

Who reneged on the court mediation?

Who took advantage of someone bending over backwards to accommodate them?

Who ruined their own credit by not paying rent and then blamed others?

Who embarrassed themselves in front of her teenager and other family members and then blamed someone else?

Who lies over and over and over again?

Who doesn’t keep promises over and over and over again?

Who breaks the law by writing out three bad checks?

Do you know what the IRS would charge in penalties and late fees regardless?

 On the other hand:

Who paid court and constable charges three separate times?

Who spent untold hours in the court house and meeting at a rendezvous point that someone else never showed?

As of this date, who is owed almost $10,000?

D wants to tell her that he is not a Christian; he is a Moron (for believing her).