Schmoop of a Different Nature

Last Friday, I was fortunate enough to have a couple drinky-poos with the ever lovely and talented Katherine of Who Invented Roses. Since both of us had neglected to eat lunch due to insanely busy and stressful work days, the 2.5 beers we each had hit us like a rock. A very wonderful, drunkity-drunk rock.

Remembering that we still had to “get home” without “getting hit by a car”, we attempted to close out our tabs at the now extremely busy Mackey’s. The flustered bartender closed out about five tabs at once, which should have been my first clue, but noooo. I drained my last swig, signed my $6 tab, put my BoA card in my purse, and left.

Since this was Weekend on the Couch ot Nine, I didn’t pull out my wallet again until Monday morning for a much needed coffee. And then at lunch for a much unwanted-but-necessary salad courtesy of Fat February. And then on Tuesday for some breakfast… and a few hours later for some lunch.

“Denied,” the cafeteria man said, handing the card back to me as though it was an envelope full of anthrax.

Impossible, I thought. This is one of the few times of the month I actually have money in there; got paid, rent check hasn’t gone through… he tried again.

“DENIED,” he said with disdain as a particle of his spittle flew directly into my eye. I gave him a credit card and slunk away to the library to check my account balance. Everything looked normal, except that I had been WAY overcharged at the bar last Friday. I pulled my card out, and finally, after five freakin’ days, noticed that IT HAD SOMEONE ELSE’S NAME ON IT. As in, not my card. Not my card at all. Frantic, I searched my company’s database for the gentleman’s name, hoping there’d been a simple mix up at the coffee stand that morning. No luck. Now about an 8 on the “Totally Freaking Out” scale, I googled his slightly unusual name, thinking there was a chance in hell… Boom. One hit. (Google, I swear I’m getting you one of those fancy $5 cards for Valentine’s Day this year. I might even put a ten spot in it. You don’t know.)

He was an architect on Connecticut Ave, about five blocks away. I called the company’s number and was talking to him within minutes.

Yes, he had only noticed the switch himself that very morning. He had gone to a BoA in Maryland and turned in my card, and cancelled his own. He had been at Mackey’s last Friday, and realized that they had charged me for his $60 bill as well as my $6 one. He would be more than happy to meet me in 15 minutes on his lunch break, and pay me the difference.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I met him in front of Mackey’s, ironically enough. I gave him his card, apologized for not noticing sooner, and he handed me $52, which he “hoped was all right, as he owed me $51.81 for his bar tab” (minus the coffees and such I had since purchased with his).

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I told him that honestly, it was the bar’s mistake for mixing up our debit cards (though I’m not saying it never happened to me when I bartended…), and I had printed out my bank statement with the charges and would be happy to go in with him and explain the mistake if he’d like. He kindly waved me off, clearly of the mind that it was money he had meant to spend anyway. We shook hands and went on our way.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, Mister. You just took good samaritan to a Whole. New. LEVEL.

Dear Universe:

Inherently, I knew when I said “karma’s a bitch“, what I meant was that karma will give you back whatever you deserve, good OR bad. And look, I know I can be a little… evil, sometimes But when it comes to the Big Things in Life, the really important things that determine whether you are a good person or not, I honestly think I do pretty darn well. And you could have screwed me with this whole ATM card thing, you really could have. Yesterday could have been a lot more HEART ATTACK inducing, rather than just an annoying, and a short trip during my lunch break. Sure, I don’t have a debit card for a few days, but my bank account hasn’t been emptied out the day before my rent check was going to be processed.

So thanks, Universe, for proving me RIGHT for once. ‘Preesh, seriously. And can I just say this shade of white is dazzling on you? The snow is such a lovely touch. You are so lovely! No, YOU are. YOU are!

Thanks much… and I promise to try and pay it forward.

XOXO,

LiLu