My niece Molly spent the night with me night before last and we watched movies into the night. Molly has a younger brother and sister and contends with their early hours, so I let her sleep in and take it easy. I worked in the kitchen and she did as she liked. Around noon, we left to run an errand for my mom and meet her mom somewhere along the way. I drove through McDonald's and ordered her a Happy Meal. Just a cheeseburger with ketchup only, please. As I went to pay, my card was declined. She ran it again, and again it was declined. After the third try, we both gave up and I called my banker, Tommy Dahn. He informed me that our cards had been compromised. Thank you, Target. He said I could use it with my debit number only. So I went to the bank, retrieved some cash, and went back to Mickey D's.
We met up with Kasie and Molly departed. I proceeded to WalMart. As I walked through the meat aisle, I noticed a group of women leaning over a frozen bin, pulling out Honeysuckle turkey breasts and putting them into a basket. I looked at the price...25 cents a pound! I asked about them and she said that they must sell them, but that there was nothing wrong with them. Each was under or around two dollars. Now really, I mustn't let greed take over.
I asked why they were removing them and she said, "This lady dropped her ring in there." She was an elderly lady and I looked on the floor around her to be sure she did not just drop it. Meanwhile a crowd was gathering.
I mosied to the back of the store to get my mom's milk. When I returned, the search was still on and the crowd still there. Soon the woman held up the ring and shouted, "I found it! It was my grandmother's!" Everyone clapped.
I grabbed a couple more turkey breasts and headed for the check out. I went through the self check lane. When I swiped my card and put in my pin number....declined. I swiped again. It was as if I was arguing wtih the machine. We do not carry credit cards of any kind so I stared into my wallet at my driver's license and Kroger card. Hmmm. What to do. Suddenly a card shone out from the rest. It was a credit card! I grabbed it without looking at it and swiped it. Transaction approved! Wahoo! And then I called Tommy, the banker. "Yes," he said, "your card is dead, now." I told him what I had done and he asked me what card I used. I told him I had no idea. He asked if it was green and I said, "Yes." Then he informed me that it was the church's card. "Oh well," I said, "the church just bought us eighteen dollars worth of groceries." Of course we will pray them back. (Lest you think I am completely dense about what cards I have, I did not have my glasses on and the crowds were pressing in and I thought it was one that we had for emergencies...like this. Believe me?)
Tommy then told me that he went to the bank and picked us up some new cards and I had to wait two hours before using it. (You would think he was accusing me of not being able to wait that long. Really. How insulting.)
I delivered the goods to my mom and later that day, Tommy and I went back to see if there were any two dollar breasts left and of course they were all gone. I know there is a lesson in there somewhere, but I will figure it out on another day. Right now I need to go see if this debit card works.
BTW - we have Lifelock. They stopped our cards from being used by others. Just FYI.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Ha great stories, June! Hope you and Tommy and your family had a great Christmas!
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