Congratulate Me: Two Great Accomplishments!! I Feel Great!!

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Okay as some of you know I have a lot going on in my life, between the mundane fine-tooth "fall cleaning" project that I'm doing, plus working on grants, plus just normal "life"--LOL. A few week ago, I did finished and mailed off my grant application to the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship on September 4th, but I had two others to do, and are both due October 3rd. Well, I just got another one done, the New York Foundation of the Arts and was able to work, complete and submit it on-line just a few moments ago...yea!!!!!!!! Two down, one to go. The REAL big news though, is that I won the red-tape bull-crap I was going through about that tax refund check that while it was a refund for my mother, now deceased, (last August 2006), but as sole survivor and personal representative I was entitled to. You can see my original discussion about this here: http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1248224.aspx It seems my bank was being a real pain in the "A" The tax refund check was issued with my name on the first line of Pay To, but on the second line, it had "The Estate Of...(my mother's name" Because of this, twice I went to my bank hoping to simply deposit it...nope...they were telling me that because of the addition of my mother's name, I would have to go to Surrogate's Court, and get, fill, and file for Letters of Administration. I had even called IRS, to see about a re-issue of the check solely and only in my name but due to "rules" they couldn't as they needed to track who the original receiver of the tax refund was. So here I had this nice large refund check just collecting dust and not doing me shat. I couldn't do a damn thing with it, and getting the Letters of Administration would have been a hardship for me to do. So then I got it into my head to call that representative at my Congressman's office again, who was so helpful to me when I was going through my SSI benefits disaster...if you remember my benefits were completely cut off. Well, even though I figured that the representative couldn't help me directly as she only deals with SSI issues, I figured that maybe she could lead me to someone who could, and yes, she did. She directed me to a Tax Advocate that works with the IRS, a really fantastic woman...She couldn't understand the bull I was going through either, and even she said I DIDN'T need Letters of Administration...As long as the first line name was MINE, I shouldn't have a problem, and just deposit the money. So, what she did, was send a letter to me explaining in clear language the situation, and so forth so even a two year old could understand it. So yesterday, Monday, I went to my bank, and I was able to get the manager of my bank to discuss the issue. At first, it was a no go even with the letter with me...she was telling me the same shat as before. As you can imagine I felt like exploding with steam coming out of my ears as by now, this being the third attempt to put that check into my account, but instead of being hostile I stood my ground and explained the whole issue in a nice CALM manner. So then she calls the bank's legal department, she yaks awhile, and the other person on the other end of the phone asks the manager to fax the letter and the check to her. So the manager leaves the office to fax everything, and then I waited, and waited, and waited while this is all going on. She comes back and resumes the conversation with the legal department...Next thing you know...BINGO...She says it's all right to deposit the check--Yippeeee And today when I checked my balance...there was the money in it...uh, the bad news...I can't exactly go beserk or whoopty-do with the money....this money is going to pay off those pesky credit card bills in full or at least three of them in full--but WHAT A RELIEF--I'll be debt free now!! So just wanted to share this good news!! :) :) Doing happy dances here heheee