NSF

What the ****??!! What do you mean, I don’t have enough in the bank to back up the check I wrote? And it’s the final payment for the cruise I’m taking in less than seven weeks from now. My credit card company’s gonna dump me, my cruise ship line will cancel me, the bank will disown me and the feds will get me on a felony misappropriation charge.

The kindly lady at the bank was much calmer than I. Of course, she doesn’t face 2-5 years in the slammer.

Turned out to be a simple error, easily corrected in my register, that was a misunderstanding. And, no, there will be no charges filed, no action taken by the bank inspectors, nothing in the newspapers. The cruise line was already paid, the credit card company was paid; it’s all between the bank and I.

Plus, of course, they make a little on the side. That might explain why they’re so laid back about the whole thing.

Anyway, while I was trying to cover my face with anything handy and avoid the photographers, a local entrepreneur I know came by. During the conversation, he mentioned that the chairman of the bank’s board is a local businessman who is widely suspected of having ties with a Certain Organization that may or may not have an interest in the casino he just opened despite an investigation he had gotten delayed until the license was issued.