Free Advice

I have some free advice for y'all. Actually, two tips.
Don't lose your wallet.
And, keeping with Murphy's Law: Keep a record of what you do have in your wallet. Because when you DO lose it, you're not going to remember some random thing in there, like your Starbucks card.

I didn't follow either pieces of this advice. What a mess!

In all the traveling I've done, I've never misplaced my wallet. There's a first time for everything. Blame it on being travel-weary or whatever; it was just one of those things. You know, "stuff" happens. Especially when you're blonde.

You know all those warnings--including the Oprah Pledge--about not texting while driving? Well, geez, it sure would have been nice to have read my text messages while I was driving. Then I could have turned around and drove Joyce's truck about 15 minutes back to the gas station. But no, that's not how the universe works.

We stopped in Terre Haute, Indiana, for the night. While Joyce went in to check into the hotel, I went straight for the Crackberry. I didn't have a clue I'd left my wallet on the other side of Indiana.

Long, convoluted story short: Cancelled cards, no cash, tons of text messages, hair pulling, stress, new cards, new PINS, a stop at the local sheriff's office.... My dad even stopped at the gas station to pick it up, as he was coincidentally going through the area. No dice.

Finally, on Saturday--11 days later--I had the long-awaited box in my mailbox!! While my Starbucks card was cleaned out of $18.44, there was still $40 in cash in there. Weird. But I'll take it.

Trust me, I'm keeping super-close tabs on my wallet from now on. And trying to remember my new six-digit PIN.