When I started working on the claim forms for our lost luggage, the process became so impossible, I couldn’t bring myself to do the post on top of that fiasco. Yesterday, I called the credit card company’s insurance provider and was told we wouldn’t need receipts for each of the 80-plus items we listed on the claim form.
The rep clearly stated an estimated date of purchase and value would be all that was necessary. When I had to re-enter the items due to WiFi issues, I called the company with a few questions about how to save what I’d entered, which wasn’t clear on the online document. I was told the information I’d been given yesterday was incorrect.
We would have to produce a receipt for each item included in the claim…80 receipts…oh good grief! I sat at the dining room table with the little portable fan on but sweating in the heat and outrageously high humidity. At one point, I threw my hands in the air and told Tom, “I can’t do this awful task!” But the possibility of getting back several thousand dollars nagged at me. I couldn’t give up.
Nor could I have Tom do all the research to find the receipts. He’s not adept at turning receipts into PDF documents or saving files. Plus, many items listed on the credit card statements don’t specify the item purchased, which would not satisfy the insurance company’s requirements. Yuck! We’ve decided I can ask Tom to search for the tricky ones by going through all seven of our credit cards. If he does that, it will help me considerably.
After I settled down, I decided I could do this task with more ease and less stress if I could do it in air-conditioned comfort. Since I had open-heart surgery almost four years ago, I get overheated easily. I got hold of Louise and asked her if I could work in her office after the holiday crowd thins out, we decided on January 4 at 10 am. It’s quiet, calm, and comfortable. We have until February 21 to get the forms completed with the receipts, which should be plenty of time.
In the interim, I promised myself I would find five receipts daily before doing the post each day. In the six days until January 4, I can find and save 30 receipts, leaving about 50 to tackle, beginning on January 4. No doubt, I won’t be able to complete this task in one day. It may take several more days.
Also, in the interim, at the beginning of January, we’ll hear back from the lawyers about completing the forms for our visa extensions. Oh, dear. There will be plenty to keep us busy.
In the past few days, we’ve only had a few animals visit our garden: bushbucks, kudus, and warthogs. We have hardly taken any photos since they’d be repetitious. Hopefully, within a week, the crowds will thin out, and the wildlife will visit again. We haven’t seen Norman and his family in 48 hours.
Tom returned from the local salon after getting a haircut and beard trimming which came out great. He said he’d never seen the parking lot so packed at the Bush Centre. He could hardly find a place to park. We’ve never seen so many people here in past holiday seasons.
Surely, relief from worrying about the pandemic has brought many South Africans living in Joburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town to Marloth Park for some peace, quiet, and wildlife watching. I hope they aren’t disappointed when they aren’t seeing many animals in the gardens of the holiday rentals.
Sadly, many human visitors are speeding on dirt roads, with windows open and loud thumping from their vehicle’s stereo system. We hear this every evening when we’re on the veranda. It’s pretty annoying for us, let alone the animals who aren’t used to such sounds.
That’s it for today, folks. We’ll be back again tomorrow. Now, I must find a few photos to add here today.
Be well.
Photo from one year ago today, December 29, 2021:
