Today on Friday the 13^th, I ventured out into the world to buy some Christmas gifts for my son and grandsons...at Wal-Mart. Now what could go wrong shopping at Wal-Mart? I actually found most of the things that I had on our list in about 40 minutes. Register #15 was the one I chose for checking out with only a few shoppers ahead of me.

Actually, I only had about 16 items and the scanning of those things seemed to go smoothly. As I was waiting to sign the electronic check…I waited…I waited…I waited, and that is when I decided that there was some kind of problem. The checker called for a supervisor to come and help. Eventually, a supervisor arrived and discerned that it would be necessary to rescan all of the items in my basket. With the rescanning completed I once again waited to sign my electronic check…and waited…and waited…and I knew there had to be some kind of problem. It seems that a game membership card I was buying for a grandson did not activate when scanned. Therefore, I was given cash back for the card that was not activated. I was told to just go back to electronics find another card and purchase it there.

Since I had my purchased items in my basket I decided to take them to the car and then I would return for the one card that I lacked. On the way through the store doors the alarm sounded and I was stopped for them to inspect my basket. Thankfully, I had my receipt and was released without being arrested….

With all of my purchased items successfully unloaded and locked in the car I headed back for a quick foray to the electronics department. I quickly found a card, which as it was scanned did successfully activate, and I successfully paid for it. While heading to the store exit, Jeanie called, and advised that she needed some hamburger buns. I located the buns while carrying my purchased card in a little sack and headed for the checkout registers. With only one item I thought I would use the self-checkout registers, but they were all busy. So, I went to an express lane register for those having 10 or less items…and I waited…and I waited…and then I saw an opening at one of the self-checkout registers, I quickly scanned and paid for my hamburger buns and left the store. All was well…until I put the sack with the hamburger buns into the back seat of the car and realized I no longer had the little sack with the card that I had purchased. I looked in the sack which held the hamburger buns, but nothing else was in there. I looked around the back seat. I looked outside the car. I looked in my coat pockets…. Nothing. I must have left the little sack at the self-checkout register.

Resignedly, I headed back to the store and found the register that I had used, but alas there was no little sack there. Well there was no way I was going to go back to the electronics department and attempt to purchase another card today. Maybe tomorrow, or next week, or Jeanie could do it. As I approached my car I experienced a Christmas shopping miracle, because there by the door of the car was a little sack with my card inside!