Of debt collectors and theatre festivals...

[jalola]

So I came home late Thursday to a message I first got three months ago.

Hello Jalola, I'm calling on behalf of XYZ Insurance for an outstanding bill of $997. Please call me back at 1-800-XXX-XXXX extension YYYY.

Now, I don't own a car and the only insurance I have is life insurance through work and apartment insurance, which is not with company XYZ. Haven't been in any scrapes with anyone else either so I have no relationship to this insurance company.

Called back yesterday, and it's pretty clear the collector was just going through the phone book because she didn't know which number she'd called was mine. She also asked me if I owned a company under my last name. Ummm no.

It's possibly the debt a second cousin of mine left behind when she moved out west recently. Nice eh? We have nearly identical maiden names.

So I sent the most polite little email around to my dad's cousins asking if they'd ever heard of the company and explaining said company was trying to collect this back insurance and calling me. I hope if it's who I think it is, she's embarrassed enough to pay up and clear me! Her dad (a retired lawyer) was on my cc list.

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Anyway, my late return was due to me being at the Toronto Fringe Festival. I'm a total fringe theatre addict. So far I've seen 22 plays. I'll be taking off within the hour for today's binge. It ends tomorrow. I have prepaid passes to see 2 more and advanced tickets for another 4 before the end.

I've seen some great stuff. Some not so great, but no full stinkers.  The most interesting was about a guy with cerebral palsy who's worried his girlfriend wants to increase their commitment to each other. Like any guy, he likes his freedom and independence. The actor got around the stage by crawling in his underwear. It really opened my eyes up to his life.

Others I've seen
Balls! - About two guys dealing with testicular cancer.
Totem Figures -- Who would you put on your personal totem pole -- the mentors and people who have affected your life most?
The Christian Republican Fundraiser in Dayton Tennessee -- about a liberal band playing at a very right-wing fundraiser during this US election. The music was excellent and the story fun. 'Course many of us Torontonians are liberals.
Crude Love -- about a protestor and an oil worker finding love in the oil sands of Alberta.
The Further Adventures of Antoine Feval -- a Monty Pythonesque story about a bumbling sidekick to a 19th century British detective (who's really a jewel thief but the sidekick doesn't realize it).
Putz -- a very funny take on one guy's journey to sexual experience. He used a lot of flip charts.
The Swearing Jar -- a wife comes to terms with her husband's death three years after the event.
Mr Fox -- A hilarious and all too vividly detailed story of a wanna-be radio jock who ends up being the station put-upon mascot, Mr Fox.
The Spy -- a spoof of 70s British spy movies which was wonderful.

Some improv which was having an off night, a 1920s radio horror play and the story of a silent film star dealing with the advent of talkies. Lots and lots of interesting stuff. All mostly 50-90 minutes and nothing over $10.

Any wonder I'm an addict?

Comments

[cgrgrl.livejournal.com]

That insurance story reminds me of what I went through a couple years ago. There is a man who lives in the cul de sac with the exact same name as my youngest son. First, middle and last name and it's spelled exactly the same. Strange stuff....anyway, this credit card company started calling here day and night asking to talk to him. Now, at the time I had no idea that my neighbor had the same name and I kept telling them that they aren't going to talk to my 7 year old son. Now, these idiots didn't quite get that my son had no credit. I finally found out the name of my neighbor and told them that they have the wrong family. It took months before the calls finally stopped. I wish my neighbor would just pay his bill for goodness sake. Those credit people are mean when they are trying to get paid.