Don't take NO for an answer



Right before taking my walk this morning I reached into my purse to grab my phone like I always do,
and noticed something was a bit off. My purse felt a little empty,
 like something was gone. I soon realized my Daytimer was missing.
I know, I'd lost it 3 years ago...and I didn't want to go through that again. 

Since I found it last time at home I thought it was a pretty good bet that's where it would be again.
I checked all the usual places. No luck.
Then I went into Den's office and made the announcement:
"My Daytimer is missing."
Last time this happened he was more complacent, "It'll show up."
But he knows me and my Daytimer better now, so he immediately got up to look for it.
'Stand back, I'll find  it.'
No, he didn't really say that, but his body language did. 

After rummaging through my purse,
he started taking couch cushions off and opening desk drawers.
I knew he needed to get back to work, so I relieved him from the hunt by saying,
"I'm going out to retrace our steps from last night."

The last 2 places we went to were Savemart, and then lastly, Target.

I found a clerk to check the lost and found vault 
at Savemart, and it was empty.
Then before getting in my car, I checked cart after cart, in the rain,
to see if perhaps it had slid down and lodged in one of those.
Nothing.

So on to Target. The final place we were last night.
I had actually called them before I left the house.
After being transferred to the "Lost and Found" dept,
and giving my details, I was told,
"No we have nothing here by that description."

Still, I thought I needed to go and check the parking lot.
I looked in every cart I could find and combed the parking lot
to see if perhaps it had dropped and been kicked aside.
It wasn't in the Lost and Found so it wouldn't 
do me any good to talk to them, again.

By now, my hair was wet from all my searching in the rain.
The Daytimer's gone and I need to just get over 
and figure something else out.
It included all my addresses, phone numbers, all my personal info,
and my appts and schedules for the next 3 months at least.

As soon as I got home a friend called and wanted to get together with me next Thursday.
She asked, "Is that a good day for you?" I told her, I had no idea.
Then I thought, this is not going to work. I've got to find that thing.


Then I remember something my boys' pediatrician told me years ago
when one of my sons was having problems with a ridiculous teacher at school.
He suggested I go in and talk to the Principal but to bring a man with me.
He said, and I remember this exactly,
"If your husband can't come, just find a man off the street and bring him.
Tell him not to say a thing, but just sit there. Then they will listen to you." 

I realize that is old school thinking, 
and the pediatrician was old (to me, at the time),

So back to Target I went and this time I brought Dennis.
We went to customer service up front and I said,
"I am missing something very important to me...
(I went on to explain it and describe it) and then I said,
"I called earlier and someone said they checked Lost and Found and it wasn't there....
but I have come here to see if there is anything else you can do to help me."

The young girl clerk had a rather smirky look on her face and said,
"Well I don't know what you expect us to do 
if we've already checked Lost and Found and it's not there."
I think she even rolled her eyes.

Thankfully another clerk standing near by heard me
and brought out an official looking binder.
She flipped through it, and then said my Daytimer was in Lock Down!
She even showed me where it had been recorded last night. 

"Really??
Are you sure that isn't just a recording of my phone call to you earlier this morning? "

This is when the earlier smirky clerk piped in and said,
"I was the one you talked to on the phone this morning
and I didn't record it so it must really be in Lock Down."

"So why didn't you tell me about Lock Down?
I had no idea you had such a thing.
You just said it wasn't in Lost and Found." 

"Lock Down is for lost purses and check books and credit cards.
Just important items.
I didn't think they would put just a 'notebook' in Lock Down."
I think I saw her rolled eyes again.

A notebook? I never called it a notebook.
My Daytimer is in reality my life on paper.
I tried to explain this to her the first time I called.
But she's obviously young and distracted.
What could she know about life on paper? She hasn't lived much of hers yet.

So the Lock Down man arrived and brought my Daytimer to me.
Yes I cried. I know it's ridiculous, but I did.

So the moral of this story:
If you lose something in a store, especially Target, ask them to check Lock Down.
And you probably won't need a man with you,
but I use every excuse I can think of to be with mine.

8 comments:

Mar~ said...

Love the moral of the story at the end...every excuse you can think of to be with your man! Too cute!
Glad you got your "life" back! :)

Tyler Heasley said...

So was Dennis the Dennis I know or was that the name of the man you found?

Dennis said...

I don't know what she is talking about. It must have been some guy she found on the street. ;)

-Den

Anonymous said...

This blog post made my headache go away and the comments made my day.. I am going through diet soda withdrawels. I love your blog. Hope all is well.

Jay Dude

Scrapally said...

Great story! And I love your excuse...I may have to use that sometime. Glad you found your life!

Susan Rozier said...

So glad you found it! I know how lost I'd be without mine. You were lucky, but mostly BLESSED. Your persistence paid off big time. Good job hanging in there. Love, Dad and Susan

Susan Anderson said...

What a great story. Perseverance pays off!

=)

PS. And sadly, I've noticed that when my best efforts fail when it comes to making things happen, Dave's often succeed. And it's not because he's more articulate than I. This is still a sexist world, I'm afraid.

Lisa said...

LOL! I was thinking just the other day how I've gleaned several good ideas from reading your blog! I know this post will be handy in the future! Oh I love giggling as I read your injections of humor throughout the episodes! GOOD POST!

Look what happened last night

  Just a little pre-graduating gathering for our DIL Amy.... Not everyday a Mom of 7 and a Grandma of 7, graduates from college. It was not ...