Friday, April 16, 2010

Ponderings of the last two days

I was going to do a post last night.



But I was too despondent. It started on my way home from work. I stopped off at the grocery store to get some groceries. When it came time to pay for them, I went to get my wallet out - and no wallet!! I didn't have any money in it; I was going to use my debit card. With a feeling of dread, I started routing around in my Big Purse (which has received a lot of compliments by the way - I'm not used to people complimenting my 'mom' purses) but no luck. I couldn't find it. Luckily I had some money stashed in one of the side pockets - birthday money I hadn't spent yet.

When I got home, I sort of looked for my wallet, but not too hard. You see, if I looked everywhere and couldn't find it, I would freeze and panic, but if I didn't look too hard, I could tell myself it was somewhere where I hadn't looked. But I looked hard enough and still didn't find it. I tried shutting down my thoughts, but they kept creeping in. While I didn't have any money in it, I did have other valuable things like my debit card, my credit card, my SIN card and my OHIP card. The OHIP card is the older red and white ones and as anyone who lives in Ontario will tell you - you hold on to them as long as you can, because if you have the newer picture cards, you have to get a new one every few years and it's a pain in the neck.

Now one of the things that had me most worried was the credit card. I NEED my credit card. That's how I'm paying my hotel bill when I head to Columbus. I was trying to figure out if I could get a new one in time - it's not far away now. Also in there was my CAA card and I NEED my CAA card when I travel any distance. And since I'm driving to Columbus, that's some distance!

I was so distraught that I couldn't allow myself to think, because then all the thoughts would come rushing in at all the time it would take to replace all the stuff and I don't have the time. Luckily I keep my drivers license, birth certificate and car ownership in another place in my Big Purse. I sat like a zombie for most of the night, watching meaningless television. I couldn't read 'cause that would open my brain to thinking - and I didn't dare think.

I even had a dream that I found my wallet - it was in my Big Purse the whole time, but when I woke up, it wasn't very long at all before it hit me that I only dreamed I found my wallet; it was still missing. And I tried to remember the last time I had it and couldn't. I very cautiously checked in my account, keeping my fingers crossed that there wasn't whole chunks of money missing, or purchases on my credit card - like big screen TV's or something - since I haven't bought a big screen TV, but luckily there wasn't anything I hadn't bought myself and the last time I used either my debit card or credit card was last Saturday.

I thought maybe it was in the car, since I'm always taking all the stuff out of my purse in the car, like the 3 or 4 books I carry, 3 pairs of glasses, my cell phone, etc. when I need change at the bottom of my purse, but it wasn't in the seat where I put all that stuff. So this morning I started a full fledged panic. I thought maybe my wallet had fallen out under my desk where I keep my purse at work - if it wasn't there, I knew I'd be useless for a few days. Despite that though, I simply had to get my coffee. One can't have a real good meltdown without a coffee beside them.

As I was getting out of the car, I glanced in the back seat and noticed some change on the floor. As change would be the only money I had until I got a new bank card - though in Canada change can add up quickly if you have some twoonies and loonies in there, I needed all I could find.

And what should be next to it but MY WALLET. Crisis averted and I had a very strong urge to hug my wallet, but many of my coworkers already think I'm odd - later in the day - being in a very jolly mood now - I told my case manager that I was from another planet and my spaceship was hovering over the building I work in, waiting to pick me up for the weekend and I asked if she wanted to come along. She said fine as long as they brought us back again.

It's amazing how that feeling of relief loosens the tongue - and the imagination!

Anyway - now it's OK for me to use my brain again instead of sitting in a zombie-like state in order to avoid panic. What a wonderful feeling that is.

16 comments:

nath said...

Ohhh, Kristie, I'm glad you found it!! Losing my wallet would be one of the worst thing that could happen!! And you know, we always manage to misplace it it seems :(

Crisis averted, that's good :D

Lea said...

Kristie! I'm so happy you found it. Losing your wallet is such a nightmare, it takes months to get everything sorted out again.

I have to ask, what the hell is that creature in the picture? A cat maybe??

I'm sorry I started to giggle before I read your post looking at the poor thing. Maybe it is a zombie cat??

Yikes..

Have a good weekend now that your crisis is averted.

Lea said...

I think it is a cat - with the mange... No wonder he/she looks so pissed off.. LOL

Yikes again..

Kristie (J) said...

Lea: ROTFL - yep it's a cat - a cat that has lost it due to panic. That's somewhat what I might have looked like if I didn't find my wallet - except I'm not a cat. But I'm sure there would have been significant hair loss.

Nath: I manage to lose my debit card every 3 or 4 months, but to lose EVERYTHING in my wallet - I didn't even want to think about all the red tape that would mean - and with Columbus coming up in (wait for it) just slightly over a week now - well - I didn't even want to consider how screwed I'd be.

Carolyn said...

Glad you found it, Kristy but sorry you went through the stress.

My wallet was stolen years ago. By a patient, no less. I think there was only $10.00 in it, but it was hell replacing the cards, especially the immigration card which had a nice dewy YOUNG picture of me on it!

Years later they were working on the phone lines and took out a ceiling tile in the patient bathroom and ...... there was my wallet with all cards intact.

Does this traumatic experience induce you to change your big purse ways? ;-)

bittenbyromance said...

OMG! I was looking through Cecile All I want and more's blog and seen on her side bar this freaky cat picture, I just has to come and see it LOL. Glad you found you wallet!

lisabea said...

When I got home, I sort of looked for my wallet, but not too hard. You see, if I looked everywhere and couldn't find it, I would freeze and panic, but if I didn't look too hard, I could tell myself it was somewhere where I hadn't looked.

That's so true--what a brilliant thing to say. A really spot on observation. I do that too!

BigGirl had her entire purse lifted in a club in San Jose about six weeks ago. What a pain in the neck that was!

I can't wait to see you. I intend to buy you a beverage.

LB

Kristie (J) said...

Lisabea: And I will drink that beverage - whether there be alcohol in or not - I figure after 5 there better be - and then I shall return the favour. Just think - less than 2 weeks now!!
I was explaining my thinking to the girls at work and they laughed at me - called it a Kristieism. But then one of them said she did the same thing when she was looking for bonds she'd misplaced. Much later in the stress filled day, I told her we had to get back the feeling we felt when we actually found what we thought was lost :-)

Laurie: LOL!! That is one freaky looking cat isn't it? I'm glad it led you here *g*. It's what I would have felt on the inside - if I allowed myself to think of a lost wallet for longer than 3 minutes.

Carolyn: As to replacing it - it's a toss up. I've never had anyone tell me they love my purse before so I'd lose out on that if I switch. On the other hand, it does get annoying hauling everything out of it when I'm searching for something.
And wow!! How freaky that they would find your wallet all those years later. And when I went over the 3 minute time I allowed myself to think about replacing everything, I kept thinking it couldn't have happened at a worse time!

Nicole McLaughlin said...

OH my, you just told my life story. My husband and I argue all the time because I'm constantly losing important items. Cards, wallets, keys etc. Sometimes I will try to "secretly" look for something because i don't want him to realize I've lost it. My fav is when we are at a drive thru and I'm discreetly rummaging thru my purse, or under the car seat very nonchalantly...(inside I'm FREAKING). Sometimes he busts me. LOL

Mary G said...

I'm so relieved for you Kristie.
What I hate is even after you found something it takes a while for the sick feeling to go away.

Carolyn said...

I have to admit I'll be glad when this post moves down - that cat is seriously freaking me out!! LOL

Wendy said...

Something like this happened to me once, and I swear it took 10 years off my life. I was at a work-related workshop, it was time to leave, I opened my purse to get my sunglasses out and whamo! No wallet! I was in a total state when one of the organizers told me to "think back." That's when I realized that my wallet was likely AT HOME, sitting next to our computer because I had ordered my nephew a belated birthday present online the previous evening.

Sure enough, I got home and there sat my wallet, right by Ye Olde Computer Monitor.

Duh, Wendy.

Glad you found yours! And yippeee! For some reason I hadn't connected the dots that both you and Lisa were going to RT!

Kristie (J) said...

Wendy: It's not just losing a wallet - it's all the stuff connected to losing a wallet that causes meltdowns. And yep - I'll be seeing Lisa twice this year!

Carolyn: ROTFL! And I have it in my "cute pics" folder. Doesn't really fit there does it?

Mary: *g* didn't take too long for that feeling to go away. And then it was followed by a feeling of such blessed relief!!

Nicole: Ron used to get so annoyed with me when that happened. But he didn't really have a leg to stand on since he 'misplaced' stuff just as much as I did. Only I usually managed to find his.

CindyS said...

I lost my wallet in university so I have gone through the hassle of getting new stuff. 8 months later I was in the library stacks and there is was, sitting on a shelf. Money was gone but everything else was still there. I don't know if I left it there or if it just found it's way there. I remember thinking that I had never been in that part of the library.

Recently I lost my Visa card (not a huge limit on it but Bob freaks when I misplace stuff) and I didn't wait even a day to call it in. I found it the next day upstairs where I had ordered some books online. Here's where it get stupid. I got the new card and was sure I shredded the old card. The 'new' card won't work however and I'm too embarassed to call Visa and tell them I shredded the wrong card. Then I'm not sure I could make it through the security questions. Ugh.

Glad you found your wallet and now it`s time to get packing!!

Cindy

orannia said...

(((Kristie))) I'm so glad you found your wallet. And I hope you have a wonderful trip to Colombus!

Kristie (J) said...

Orannia - *g* we won't even talk about my passport - which I will be needing in a week. I'm almost afraid to look where I think it might be in case it's not there!! But I'm going to have to break down real soon, close my eyes, may a wish, cross my fingers and hope it's where I think it is.

Cindy: Oh I can relate!! Whenever I get a new credit card, I wait days until I activate it just because it causes me so much stress *g*