International Incident?

These are my parents.....taken last year with Coop at the pumpkin patch.



My parents are delightful....and I adore them. Truth be told, they are a bit technology challenged. And when my mother reads this post, she may be a tad miffed. Thankfully, she's the best mother in the universe and has a pretty good sense of humor, so I'm hoping that she'll find the comical in the story that follows and the fact that I'm posting it here.

They left for Turkey a few weeks ago and before they went, they reviewed my e-mail address about 12 times. Literally, I sent them an e-mail from my home account, told them the address, spelled the address and then verified receipt of a practice message that they sent to me. I figured there was no way that I'd hear from them while they were gone.

Imagine my surprise when a message popped into my inbox at work from a woman that I didn't know with a subject that said-

From Dad- we're ok, read on

So, I read on.

The message said-

Carolyn, we are fine but have lost a credit card and need to cancel the card. We cannot contact XXX (credit card company) by phone. For security I'll send the number in a next message and further security info in another message.

Clearly, from this I surmise that he wants me to manage cancelling his credit card for him. Only, that's not possible......for security reasons (but I'm pretty sure that this hasn't occurred to him).

The next message from him contains both the credit card number and the 3 digit security code.

The 3rd message contains the important detail that the credit card is actually my mothers and just in case I need it, also her social security number.

At this point I'm starting to wonder- is this a joke? Have Turkish terrorists somehow obtained access to someone named Nancy Schlatamer's (not her real name) e-mail account AND my parents credit card details and is this going to become an international incident??

And my dad's messages are coming to me fast and furiously.......

Please cancel (credit card company) Visa More in a next message.

Love,
Pappy

Ok, so now he's using his alias.......is that a sign that he's really ok? Or more mind games from the terrorists?

So I write back with some details (because we use the same credit card company and because I know he knows this, and that's why he wants me to call- because he thinks i've got some pull)-

pap- from outside the US, you're supposed to call collect.... xxx-xxx-xxxx can you do that? and tell them that you lost your card??
and in response to his next message (because he tells me that when he calls that number he gets a busy signal)

daddy- are you ok, do you need money? they won't let me cancel for you for security reasons. can you get someone at the hotel to help you make the international call?

About 6 e-mails later....during which I thank Nancy Schlatamer for her kindness, send my parents hugs & kisses, assure them that all will be ok, I find out that they were able to reach the international number to cancel the card AND I get this message-


Carolyn -
Your Dad has had 2 beers and has retired much relieved. It is 9:30 p.m. We're up at 6 am tomorrow & the bus leaves for Istanbul at 7:30 a.m. This is not a pace for the weak!

I'll give your parents your xoxo's in the morning.

Glad to help your folks!

Good afternoon/good night,
Nancy (not her real name)


Thank God to the person who got my father some beer- probably my sweet mother.
Poor woman (she's the one who needed the beer).
For them to somehow remember my WORK e-mail, which we didn't even practice on, you know that it must have been a total disaster and they were frantic.

It's not Thursday, but you can be sure that Nancy Schlatamer will be getting a huge shout out from me because I sure am thankful for her and the help that she offered to my parents who are 1/2way across the globe! I cannot wait to hear my mothers version of this story.

I'm SO thankful that my parents are ok and the news from Nancy was something completely manageable- they are healthy and safe and there are no shady characters in sight. Whew!!

You know, this incident reminds me of the time that my dad called the police to report that his car had been stolen from our driveway......so they came to take a report and go through the normal drill for grand theft auto.

Only a few hours later, someone kindly pointed out that he had actually parked the car in the neighbors driveway.... Rut-roh!

I love you Dad!!!! So, so much!!!!