Wednesday, as I sat sipping my coffee, fantisizing about watching Matt Lauer and enjoying the brief  peaceful moments I have in the day after getting my daughters on the school bus and before I leave for work I got a call on my home phone.  I screened it and ignored it  as I always do since anyone who really needs to get a hold of me calls my cell phone, but the message on the answering machine perked my interest.  “This is the Citibank Fraud department and we need to speak with you immediately involving some suspicious activity on your Mastercard account”  My first reaction was ” Why don’t they understand that I live in a tiny town on the Oregon Coast without a Target or  Nordstroms, of course I do a lot of online shopping, and sometimes it adds up….”, but I decided to call them back and check it out anyway.  Imagine my suprise when the friendly and english speaking customer service specialist on the other end asked me if I had been overseas?,” Um NO” , “So you didn’t purchase a $1200. Air France airline ticket”, “NO, I wish, but NO”, “How about a overseas shoe store purchase” “NO”, and again an overseas cosmetic store…well could have been me but “NO”.  

  So evidently according to Citibank I have been a victim of a credit card fraud ring operating overseas which (not to give out too many details to elicite more criminal activity) scrambles various card numbers and expiration dates until they hit the jackpot and get a working combo.  Thankfully  I am happy to say Citibanks top notch “flagging” system is working and I am not responsible for the charges,  it put damper on my day- but was a good wake up call and reminder to be careful with my online purchases.  I also feel obligated to report that the Citibank person on the other end of the line was quite informative, patient and overall  pretty pleasant to deal with, maybe next time Citibank calls me I’ll awnser.  Here are a few safety tips for online shopping courtesy of my friends at Citibank, 1) Only use one credit card with a low limit for online purchases and keep close taps on the purchases, balance etc 2)  Only order off sites that have the “verified” check-out symbols, there are a few main ones, you should recognize them when you see them 3)  Beware of sites that don’t ask you for that pesky little cvn number on the front or back of the card, thats what many sites don’t ask for oversesas which allows crooks to use other peoples numbers without having the card

While going to the doctor could never be considered pleasant, I did find my visit to the Urgent Care clinic to be just that.  Despite being their first day open and a waiting area full, all of the staff was pleasant and professional. I found the attending doctor to be very thorough, very caring and truly willing to take time to listen.

They accept most insurance but they will not turn away someone with out insurance. As I understand it, they have payment options available and will work with all people in order to get them the care they need.

I have visited other Urgent Care Clinics around the the Northwest.   I have been disappointed by the seemingly disinterested physicians & staff (not to mention the often lengthy wait times) until visiting ‘ours’.  In my opinion this facility is truly an important addition to our area and the people staffing it should give themselves a pat on the back!

Photo by Shirley Morisse

I was born and raised right here in good old Clatsop County. Like most 18 year olds who spent their youth in a small town, I was really only certain about one thing: I was getting out of this one horse town and never looking back. Fast forward 14 years and here I am BACK in this one horse town and discovering how great small towns can really be. (Provided you don’t want to FedEx something on a Saturday, hit the gym for a workout after 10pm, anonymously have a post-work cocktail to unwind, or anonymously do anything really.)

1. People talk to you! Yes, it’s true what they say, friendliness abounds in small towns. This can be both good and bad, but mostly good. Bonnie the checker at Safeway will tell you the recent hijinks of her Terrier named Rascal despite the long line; Jimmy at Pro Lube who hasn’t seen you since you were 10 will loudly exclaim you aren’t the homely girl they remember you being; and if you unknowingly drop a dollar bill, a stranger will happily chase you down the street to return it without fear of being maced.
2. There’s no carpool lane! Say goodbye to your depressing morning commute that requires you to roll out of bed at 5am so you can beat the 7am stampede at the local Starbucks, then drive 10mph in the carpool lane for an hour and MAYBE make it to work on time. Some old timers here in the county may argue that nowadays we have a rush hour akin to Seattle at 4pm, but I’ve yet to hear a traffic report on any local radio station. Amen.
3. Escape civilization in 5 minutes or less! Hankering for some Zen time void of all humanity? No need to schedule that 7 hour drive to the nearest State Park into your Blackberry a month in advance. Here in Astoria you can drive a few miles in any direction and find beaches to walk, mountains to hike, and rivers to fish.
4. Kids still play outside! If you are accustomed to driving the sprawling subdivisions of any major metropolitan area, seeing children playing outside is a rare occurrence. Around here, it’s still commonplace to see kids running rampant through neighborhoods until the final waning hour of daylight. Depending on your parental status, or “auntie” status as is the case for me, this is another one that can be both good and bad.
5. Coffee on demand! This is not a universal small town perk, but it certainly is true here in Astoria. We love our lattes and you can get one just about anywhere. We have a plethora of drive-thru stands, sit-down coffeehouses, and various conglomerations of businesses where you can do your laundry, tan, rent a movie, and have your double mochaccino to boot.