Interesting day

I had several interesting incidents happen today that I just have to blog about. Unfortunately, I do not have any pics to help you visualize.
Angie, Candace, and I (and Micah) headed out to Karen this morning to a 2-family sale. Typical of most family sales that I have gone to Micah "made out like a bandit" (to use the words of my since passed on grandfather)! I was hoping for household items, small furnishings, etc. I did though buy a set of queen sheets for $4 (in really good condition), a red (my color!) spatula/scraper, and a Sony DVD player for $33 (the woman selling it said that it works fine, they just have quite a few of them, this one was their son's and he's getting a new one and his own TV for his birthday! These missionaries are living better than we did at home!). Now we just need a TV!
After that I took Micah to Tickles, a play place at Crossroads Mall in Karen where we often went during our homestay last July/August. I went into a couple of stores while he played for an hour, and as I approached Tickles to pick up Micah I realized that I did not have enough money to pay! This is the first incident of my day.
Thankfully Joseph, the guy running Tickles, remembers us from our many visits last year, so I told him I needed to go to the ATM to get some money. I trek to the other side of the small mall to KCB bank only to discover that their ATMs are "being serviced" (as I was told by the security guard). As I look closer, servicing in this case meant a complete overhaul as the two ATMs were no longer in the wall! I tried my card in the three other bank ATMs at this mall but it was not accepted. By this time Micah is sitting on the stairs (with Joseph) waiting for me. I tell Joseph I could not get money so he directs me to the bank ATM I need in another building across the way. He tells me he trusts me since we've been coming for awhile. Thankfully, they don't hold your kid(s) ransom if you can't pay! We found the ATM and returned to pay!
The next incident occured at the same mall when I pulled up to a fuel pump and waited, and waited, and waited for the attendant to come out. (You don't pump your own fuel here.) I finally got out and asked the men working in the service bays if they were pumping fuel today and they told me I needed to go to the other end (of a row of about 6 stand alone pumps.) The fuel attendant finally came out and told me the same thing so I moved my car to a pump at the other end and told him I wanted to fill up. He proceeded to wash my car windows as I commented to Micah that it sure would be quicker if he were also pumping fuel into our car at the same time! (FYI: It costs $46 to fill up the tank of our Subaru Forester - around $4.40/gallon! Yikes!)
We finally headed back toward our neck of the city and stopped at Java House (a great coffee place) at Junction Mall (bigger, nicer than Crossroads) to get a bag of decaf coffee. As we headed back to our car I noticed that one of the front tires had a huge yellow metal wheel lock and chain on it! My mind began contemplating all the reasons why this might be, the most logical one (which means nothing here!) is that I shouldn't have parked where I did (even though it was a parking spot!)
I go and find a security guard (every parking lot has many) but he tells me he just got there and that I need to go the small, one room security building at the entrance to the mall. On the way I come across another guard and question him. He motions to another guard who walks me the rest of the way to the security building. This guard says I drove on the landscaping on my way into the mall, and they think I was just in a hurry and didn't care, and drove through the landscaping! (I almost laugh as I picture me and Micah driving up over the curb, through the landscaping -plants flying, back down the curb and then tires squealing through the parking lot, just to get my decaf coffee, but I don't!) The guard tells me I need to go talk to the mall "caretaker" and apologize.
I explained to the caretaker that I did not intentionally drive up the curb and through the plants (which, incidentally, was only the edge of some ice plant). I told him that I misjudged how much room I had when I was trying to pass a van which was stopped at the mall entrance and so accidentally went up onto the curb. I was sorry for crushing some plants. He asked the guard, "What is the damage?" Again, I want to laugh but am respectful. He decides to go see the damage himself. The guard comments to the caretaker that he thinks the plants will be fine once the landscaper comes out. The caretaker had me write my name and phone number on a piece of paper, and told me that if the landscaper decides the plants will not survive the damage they will call me and I will have to pay! I did take a couple of pics with my cell camera.
On the way back to my car the guard mentions me that because I "had the right response" everything should be fine. He then tells me that if I had responded differently, if I "was yelling", then they "would have had to discipline me." Thank goodness I controlled myself, from laughing! All that because of a few "damaged" ice plant leaves, when I often see people walking through the landscaping! Par for the course! After removing the wheel lock (I so wish I had a camera!), the guard then said that he hopes I will continue to visit their mall to which I responded, "I guess it will depend on whether or not they make me pay for the plants!" Micah commented as we were driving away, "Whew, well that took a while!"
Our last errand was to bring a scanner to Robb that he bought last weekend for HR. Thankfully this was uneventful and without incident! While we were in Robb's office though I noticed the view out his window looks at a huge billboard...advertising Guinness, Robb's favorite beer! (which he cannot have because we both signed a contract stating that we will not drink while serving with AIM!) How ironic!