SLOW DOWN

Remember when Mother told you "slow down, you're going to make a mistake?"

Well, yesterday was a day of tiredness and going too fast and today I am paying for that rush. Because my '99 Volvo needed some major attention it was in the repair shop, meaning I had to drive DH's SUV (not my favorite car), everything was odd. Because I was driving a 'strange' vehicle, I was out-of-routine and not focused on specifics everything seemed uncomfortable.

The two factors that did me in were 1) Thursday is Dance Class day at the Wellness Center and I hate to miss Claudia's classes. Jazz dance begins at 10:30 and Tap at 11:30. Since the Tap class just began last week and I have a brand new pair of tap shoes (my first in fifty years), I was determined to be there.

But getting "pick up" groceries at Whole Foods was next on the agenda and while I was parked why not get the cleaning from the dry cleaners at the other end of the mall? By that time it was nearly 1:30 pm, I had not had lunch, my feet hurt, the parking lot was crowded and I was carrying heavy bags. Plus I had to get home in time for DH to head off to band practice. Need I say more?

By 3:30 the repair shop called to say the car was ready for pickup. So I began to gather purse and keys together. Except I could not locate my wallet. The reason for this scatter brained fallout is about my new summer purse.

Last April, while visiting relatives in Missouri, Mother and I had a day to ourselves at Tan Tara Resort, Lake of the Ozarks. Not from from the resort is a discount shopping mall (get the picture?), with a Coach Bag outlet store. I do not remember what other vendors were there, once you beam in on Coach the others are unimportant.

Among other items I found a small-ish, denim blue carrying bag with handle. Perfect to carry on my arm, just big enough for comb, change, credit cards, maybe a compact. However, it is impossible to fit both the cell phone and the wallet in the purse at the same time. The whole point of a small bag is to save my back, already crooked from years of carrying heavy shoulder bags, this is the perfect 'mature' lady purse. Months of use has convinced me I made the right purchase.

Until yesterday. Since the wallet does not fit, I removed the needed credit card, left the wallet on the front seat of the SUV and headed off to shop. I could swear that I did not take the wallet into the shops, and phone calls this morning confirm that no lost wallets have been found. But where is my wallet?

Lost items of importance are 1) drivers license, 2) American Express card and 3) Sam's Club i.d.. Of all the other 'stuff ' in the wallet, nothing irreplaceable except maybe a $20 bill.

Considering the upset, I slept better than expected, taking a sleeping pill so that today's hunt might improve the odds of finding the wallet in some unexpected place. Not happened. My advice today is never leave home or shop when you are over tired, except that would apply to most of my days.

Second on my advice list is this: Photograph you driver's license, marriage license, Red Cross blood card, passport and anything else that might prove your identity. The only smart thing I have done in the last 24 hours was to retrieve the Smart-Dongle accessory (6 GBs), that I carry in the camera bag when traveling. Last year before a major trip, I photographed all of our I.D.s, ticket confirmations, documents to prove who we are (in case the ship sinks), and stored the data on the Dongle. Hooking up the file this morning I was able to print out a color copy of my driver's license. With this document, a passport and proof of birth I can obtain a duplicate from the DMV.

While I do not advise anyone to lose their wallet, I am encouraged by realizing that my photo efforts have saved the day. Without the photo facsimile of my license, what would I do?

Tomorrow is another day,
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