Advent Day 22

Day 22: "Donate canned food"

Was there irony in the fact that the donated goods came from Trader Joe's where just hours earlier this humiliating scenario unfolded?:

1. Background issue #1: Lost my wallet last week wrangling groceries, a toddler and an open-tote style bag to the car - but kind person found the wallet and called my credit union so they could contact me. Went and picked up wallet. Yay! Next day, tried to pay for mailing package and DECLINE. Turns out when they called the CU, no matter that they were not actually reporting the card lost or stolen technically it still canceled the card. Got replacement debit card that only worked sporadically over the weekend.

2.Background issue #2: Two nights before, I left my phone on the bus (See above description of my open tote style bag - it's new, clearly ) which was then taken to a terminal about 30 minute drive away. Consequently I did not have phone with me.

3. Drove the 1/2 hour to TJ's and spent a leisurely solitary hour loading my cart with Cheese and Winter Spice coffee. So - much - cheese to block out the pain of spending my Christmas cleaning my house. Checked out. Card DECLINED. What, I harumphed, try it again. They've been having problems. DECLINED again. Line forming. Cashier not impressed. Nice bagger walks me over to the customer phone and says I can call my bank. I do. They tell me it's not a card problem, it's not enough money problem. Oh.

4. Background Issue #4: We both get paid once a month and occasionally this makes budgeting tricky, when large charges come through weeks later or checks for cabins you won't be able to spend Christmas in are cashed unexpectedly and it is the day before your dual paydays. And the transfer you talked about with your spouse hasn't been posted.

5. If I had my phone with me, I could call my bank or spouse and take care of it in 3 seconds. Instead, I have to drive 30 minutes home and call Spouse's work number for he is not picking up his cell phone. The work number says it has been Disconnected, which turns out to be a little quirk when he is on the line. Half an hour later, he is out of the meeting and we drive down to TJ's and rescue the groceries. Humiliation!

So giving my stupid cans of cannelli beans and cheese filled ravioli to the foodbank felt kind of funny - as in funny, queasy. Except I paid for and kept wedges of Humboldt Fog. Which made me even more queasy. Not exactly the Feel Good moment I was hoping for.