Update........

So.....I didn't make it to the casino event on Sunday. I did send BH off; he picked up son and the 2 of them had a great time. No big money, but BH was called out and win $50!! They spent a little time at the Black Jack table and won $15.00 each......so they left the table on the plus side. Always a good thing! Came home with his seed money plus $40 more (they split the $50 as son got the tickets for the game).

Finished the cap last night, now working on the matching mitts. Not sure if there's enough yarn for the pair. Keeping my fingers crossed, which makes it very difficult to knit!!

Checked the bank account on Sunday morning. Yep. The money was refunded from the gas pump!! Happy, happy dance!! That was quick! But we still will never use our debit card at the pumps again!!

Has anyone else gotten a booklet from the Census Bureau? (It's not really THE Census Bureau). Stating you were selected at random? And the info is used to calculate Fed subsidies to states and communities? Here! (raises hand above head-whole hand, not just one digit)

Well, we received the second booklet yesterday with a letter that they had not yet received our information yet. What booklet? When? Where? Are you sure?

Now, there's a lot of requested info in this book that makes me uncomfortable -- especially since we just did a census form last summer(?), somewhere last year.

This one asks for an awful lot of personal, and in my estimation, not relevant info like how you get your income, from what sources, how much from each; how much do you think your property would sell for; how much do you pay in property taxes each year; how much is your mortgage; the address of your present employer, the address of your previous employer, etc.

Not to mention, the very first page, wants your full name, address and phone number. Ehhhhh, does the term "BIG BROTHER" come to mind??!!

Ah, but this time, I called the phone number given "if you need help filling out this form". I can't be positive, but I don't think I called anywhere in the USA; even though the phone gal assured me she was located in Towhan, Aweezona. Riighhhtt! Oh yeah. I asked her. "Let me ask you this. Are you located in the United States??"

And the scariest thing. She asked for the code number at the top of the page, under the bar code (it took me a while to understand what she wanted because there's 4 different codes all over the place). When I read off the number she said "so are you still at ******** Lane? Whoa!! She had my exact address because of a code number!!

Now in my elevated, heated voice, I inform her that even though the information is secured by law, only used for collection and determination purposes, on the back of their brochure, it states "information will only be shared by Federal, State and local govenments, (pay attention, now......) and the public. WHAT?? To this, she had no response.

To make a very long story somewhat less long, after spouting off the reasons I objected to the questions, she told me I could just put "lady of the house" for name; just give our age instead of the whole birthdate; I could give an "estimate" of income instead of how much we receive from Social Security, Pension, Employment, etc. yada, yada.

I also informed her that all the info requested was already submitted on the REGULAR census not too long ago and that all this info was already on record with many Federal agencies including the IRS. Which she informed me, "to get the info from the (hang on, now)......IRA, would take too much time and resources".

Did you get that? She, from Aweezona, says the "IRA". If I was faster with my brain, I would have said "What does the Irish Republican Army have to do with my information????? And make no mistake, she said "IRA" 3 times while explaining why it was not feasible.

So I informed BH of what had occured. He asked if I was still going to fill it out.

"OH yeah. I'm going to fill it out, alright. I'm definitely going to fill it out -- my way".

I did, however, forget to ask Ms. Aweezona what exactly was the penalty for not complying. Maybe I really didn't care to know. But I DO know that I really don't want to "disappear" from the face of the earth. Can you say "paranoia"?