Month: November 2022, On (or Close to) Schedule, Page 2

Kindness in the world

The hits keep coming. Thought I was out of the woods (again) when my messaging apps started to be targeted.

Lost all my messages with Alison, Gradgirl, everyone.

It’s been exhausting. As soon as I patch one thing, something new breaks. Part of me wonders if they just want to drive me insane.

It may be working.

Before COVID, the (humongous) building next to us would invite the kid and me over to celebrate.

We had friends in the building and were friends with the staff, but this one older fella there always made sure we got an invite, just in case our friends or the staff didn’t invite us.

Just found out that he’s the condo president there.

I remain touched by all the kindness in the world.

Him: Can you come?
Me: Can we? We’re flattered we’re even invited!
Him: Of course you’re invited, you’re my guests!

The kid and my friend’s kid don’t really hang out much beyond this one sweet Halloween tradition, just because of scheduling and life, but the mom remarked:

Her: It’s funny, they never really see each other but when they do, it’s like no time has passed at all.
Me: (laughing) I suppose that’s how it is with good friends.

He had a grand time. And got waaaaaay too many sweets. That’s him as the fireman.

The president and our friends invited us to stay for the party afterward and it was nice, just sitting back and seeing the kid be a kid.

Although, to be fair, I did eat my fill of shrimp, pasta, and sausage and peppers.

The ABFF also invited us to go hang out with them like last year and I had some invites to things as well but I was too wrapped up in all the madness to do much beyond just let the kid play and try to be present for him.

Maybe next year, I’ll do something for myself.

It’s been ages since I went out for Halloween.

Location: my couch, with an empty bottle of rum on the table
Mood: concerned
Music: a sweet load of sugar-coated cherry pie (Spotify)
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Let it burn

Spent the week cleaning out alla my tech. Earlier, I was getting several hundred emails a day about new logins and signups to things I never signed up for. As the days went on, this got fewer and fewer.

Even had time to hit up the gym where I ran into these fellas…

By last night, I thought I was in the clear so I just tried to get some sleep.

But then my phone dinged and I checked. I’d gotten about six emails, all with the same header:

Logan607 – Important message

The thing is the body of the email was…all my passwords.

Like, ALL of them.

400+ passwords, plus a screenshot of my computer, plus a ransom demand.

Here’s the kicker: They not only emailed it to all my email addresses – past and present, they emailed them to Alison’s email address, several of my relatives, my ex-girlfriend, my business partner, my brother, AND a girl I went on a single date with months ago.

Her: I don’t think we’re right for each other.
Me: Shame. Well, pleasure meeting you. Good luck on that dissertation, Janet.
Her: It’s Jane.
Me: (nodding) Yes.

It’s madness. I was pretty freaked out, I gotta say.

BUT, I had already taken something to help me sleep and it was kicking in hard for better or worse.

When I woke up the next day, I scrambled to get the kid to class and get back home to deal with the issue. Nothing made sense.

If they were gonna blackmail me, why blow out my Facebook and IG immediately? Why ask for a money demand in the same email where they blasted every single password I possessed to some 50+ people?

It seems less and less that it’s really about the money and more to make my life miserable – which, they accomplished. In spades.

So, the only question is how they gained access to everything.

There are only three people who have had regular access to my apartment since COVID and two are not on speaking terms with me and the third is…missing.

But, to be fair, (at least with one of the three) it seems less likely that it was something purposeful and more likely that someone may have social engineered information out of them.

In the end, though, the damage is done.

Spent six hours today, re-doing 400+ passwords and wiping two more computers – bringing the total number of systems I’ve wiped in my tiny apartment to a whopping 11 computers.

Why I have 11 computers for myself and a child is whole ‘nother matter….

Him: There’s a positive to all of this, you know.
Me: And what’s that?
Him: You’re even more prepared than you were last year.
Me: Great. It’s cold comfort.
Him: It’s cold comfort now. It’ll warm up the next time this happens.
Me: Jesus Christ…why does there have to be a next time?
Him: (shrugging) Because, you’re Logan. Shit happens to you because you’re involved in the world.
Me: That was my first mistake. Fuck the world. Let it burn.

Location: my bedroom desk, surrounded by computer parts, equipment, and weapons
Mood: pissed and exhausted
Music: Who the fuck are you? (Spotify)
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