as I feared, it was a short pay.

To those just tuning in, this is a continuation of the previous blog entry where I loaned money and was now in the uncomfortable position of having to shake down the borrower.

Here's what happened: friend showed up and handed me a check written from her own checkbook that was short. When I brought this up, she said her daughter had given her the full amount in cash but she (the friend) needed to pay something so that's why I got a short paid check. My next comment was, "what am I, a piece of garbage?" She said no, but she needed the money to pay for something. I guess I was supposed to be understanding.

Unbelievable! The freakin' nerve.

Later that night I notice she paid for her portion of the restaurant tab in cash. This is highly unusual since she ALWAYS pays with her debit card. So it was pin money she needed and it was mine!

Still worried that the check may bounce, this morning I went to one of the branches of bank it would be drawn from and made sure it was fine. Thank God it was. Then I high-tailed it to my bank and deposited it right away.

I was going to be really generous about letting her take her time to pay me back her portion seeing she has a greater burden to bear than either of her daughters, but I know she's got a tax refund coming along with working as many OT hours as possible. She's planning on buying windows for her home with the tax refund so it's fairly sizable. Given her devil may care attitude towards my generosity it's time I lean on her for what's mine, wouldn't you say?

.......lend money to what is apparently a loser!

For some backround: Took a trip to FL last month with friend and her 2 daughters (19 and 18). Had to put the airfare on my credit card since none of them have one. The friends brother has a home down there so lodging was free for all of us. The deal was that friend would pay me for her ticket while one of the daughters would pay for both girls tickets. Mind you this daughter (19)works full time, lives at home, has no mortgage, rent, utilities, car insurance, or car payments! I never heard from her and finally asked my friend what is the deal with S? Am I ever going to see a check, cash, anything? After still not hearing from her I decide to call her up and get her story. She says the usual - I have it, not to worry, I'll be busy working all week. So I say great, drop it off on your way to work this week.

All week I never received a call. So I call her up today (using a different phone so she doesn't recognize the number). This time I hear fear in her voice, like she was caught. So she gives me the usual I'm running off to work, I'm late. Great! I say. Just drop it off on your way. Can't, she says. Running late, taking the expressway, yada, yada. She goes on to say that she'll give it to her mom since a bunch of us meet every Friday night for dinner and drinks. So I ask her if her mother is working Friday night(tomorrow). She says she doesn't know so I say ask her (I could hear my friend talking in the backround so I knew she was around). I hear friend confirm that no, she is not on the schedule Friday night. Great! I say. Give it to your mom to give to me. Then, just for good measure, I ask to speak to her mom. She gets on the phone and we chat for a bit. Before I let her go I CONFIRM that her daughter will give her the money and I will get it from her tomorrow night. Friend was pleasant but changed the subject much, much, too quickly.

Now, I've been patient, diplomatic, generous in every way possible. But, once my chain is yanked I have a REAL SHORT fuse. Right now I'm running all kinds of scenarios in my head as to what can happen: short pay, no pay, friend doesn't show up cause she had to work after all or decided to go elsewhere for dinner (which she kind of slipped in as a possibility).

I've got to keep my cool so how would any of you handle this? Really, I can't imagine having to ask for my own money back! Don't people have any self-respect?