7/28/2011 $232.00

Two hundred thirty two. I will never ever forget that number. In fact I think I’ll play the local lottery and play 232 for the three digit and 23200 for the five digit number for the next few weeks. I may get lucky…..again.

Follow along and you’ll understand.

We stopped at the bank this morning on our way into Rapid City and I withdrew $400.00 from our checking account. Four one hundred dollar bills. I told the teller, “I only need this for a few hours so I’ll see you later today to re-deposit it”. That was certainly my intention.

The reason we needed the four hundred in cash? We wanted to buy a chair and then return it. Ahhh,,,I can see you shaking your head over that one!

When we bought our new 5th wheel last September we had it long enough to pull it to Arizona where we winter and it immediately went into storage. It didn’t come out until the very end of December when we moved back into it, if you remember, we had rented our park model out for January through March. I tell you this so that you understand we didn’t know right away that we had a problem with our furniture. The recliners were literally falling apart within just weeks of using them. We called the furniture supplier and they agreed there was a problem and we then we called our manufacturer and they also agreed there was a problem and a settlement was agreed upon between them and us. It was agreed that we would go buy two new chairs of our choice and they would reimburse us up to $200.00 per chair. That is all well and good.

A few weeks ago we found a chair that Bob just fell in love with. Did it cost more than $200.00? OH YEAH! It’s on the larger side for an RV recliner but we’re ok with that because I never sit in the recliners, I can see the TV from the dining room table where I sit with my laptop and I’m also comfortable with the sofa, which is holding up very nicely thank you. So we bought this chair knowing there would not be room for another one. However, I needed to get reimbursed for two chairs.

So back to our shopping trip today. Bob needed to buy two cinder blocks, as I type this I still don’t know what they are for, so we stopped at the closest home improvement store to get them. Last week I had also been in this store with my friend Valerie and found an area rug that I wanted so I showed that to Bob and he gave his thumbs up on my choice so we bought that and ordered the runner to go with it. As we were walking through the store to the construction area we passed a display of recliners. This store as a rule doesn’t sell living room furniture but have a short sale going on for them now and when they are gone, they’re gone. So we picked one out and had a ticket written up on it and I told the man a little fib that I would have to come back to get it with my husband and the truck. (Bob had gone to see about the cinder blocks)

So at check out I gave my debit card to pay for the area rug and runner on order and completed that transaction. Then I gave the cashier the chair ticket and three one hundred dollar bills. She gave me $67.00 and change in return. I folded the the money and put it in a little compartment in my wallet and slipped the change into my pocket. I don’t carry a traditional wallet but one that is a credit card / business card holder type thing.

My plan was to come back here after we finished some other errands and get a refund on the chair. However, Bob was getting a runaround with the cinder blocks and I had the time to return my paperwork for a refund right then and there. So I did. When asked why I was returning it I told the lady that I didn’t measure it first and that its too wide for the RV. No problem, she did the paperwork and returned $232.14 to me in fives, tens and twenties. More five and tens than twenties so I had a wad of bills to slip into a credit card slot opening in my wallet. I slipped it in behind the lone hundred dollar bill left and we went on our way.

Next stop, Walmart’s for rock salt. We have a water softener for our rig since the water is so rich with minerals here. As we were getting out of the truck Bob said, “Don’t forget your wallet, you’ve got all kinds of money stuffed in there and you can’t leave it layin’ out like that.” Oh yeah, like THAT was gonna happen! Rock salt bought we’re walking back to the truck and this gentleman intercepted us and asked if we were RV’ers. Hmmmm….think the hitch in the truck bed gave him a clue? He was selling campground space at a resort and was quite the talker. He went on and on and on. It was getting hot standing in the parking lot so I had Bob open the door so that I could get in in hopes this would give us a chance to get away from this fella. No such luck. It was even hotter in the truck so I got back out. Since I had had a death grip on the my wallet for the last half hour I threw it into the truck onto the console between our seats to ease the cramps in my hand. The fella finally took the hint when Bob walked to other side of the truck and was now talking to him over the hood and I was in the truck. Nice man but boy could he talk!

Heading back to our place we stopped at the bank to re-deposit the four hundred dollars. I didn’t have a deposit slip with me so I stopped at one of the desks to fill one the bank’s slips out. As I was talking to the bank tellers (I’ve gotten to know them since we’ve been here) I pulled the neatly folded one hundred dollar bill out and the folded sixty seven dollars out and emptied my pocket of change and then counted it. $168.00????? Whoa, what’s going on here? I took every last card and piece of paper out of wallet and looked in every little compartment and slot and there was nothing to be found. I was missing $232.00! Now I’m pretty well known as the Queen of Cheap and the mere thought of just losing that much money,,,, well, I was just sick! I was taking so long that Bob came in to find out what the hold up was. I dreaded telling him but I had no choice. He just looked at me and walked away. That made me feel even worse.

Out in the truck I re-traced my steps and just couldn’t imagine where it had gone to. Bob and I both looked on the floor, under my seat, in between the console and my seat it was nowhere to be found. I was just sick I tell ya!

As soon as we got home I called Walmart thinking maybe it fell out when I was paying for the rock salt and maybe someone turned it in.

Bob said something about losing the money and I just couldn’t handle anything more, after all I was beating myself up enough for the two of us.

An hour or two later I was sitting in the house with Valerie showing her our new rug in place and Bob walked in and handed me $232.00! It was between the console and HIS seat! He just happened to be looking for something in the truck door panel cubbies when a breeze kicked up and a $20.00 bill floated to the floor. Thankfully both doors were open and the breeze dislodged the money.

I. Am. A. Happy. Camper.