Adventures of ...

Gary the Gift Card

Hi! I'm Gary the Gift Card. I was  a surprise for Jolie and her family for Christmas from the hockey organization. You see the families that take in boys from the team get $ each month for having a billet. DS stays at home so Jolie's family did not get one. For Christmas this year Jolie got a $300 grocery card as a thank you. What a big surprise for them all.

Jolie planned to take me shopping with her on the weekend and buy 'the big haul'....fill up the dwindling pantry and freezer, along with getting some things for the holiday season. She was so excited.


So Jolie and her DH headed off yesterday to get groceries in the 30 below weather. DH was excited as he rarely gets to go grocery shopping. He doesn't understand 'staying within the budget' and finds it ridiculously hard to only spend that amount. He is surprised at how expensive things are LOL

Jolie and DH's card was for a big grocery store attached to a small mall (think small town rural mall - no fountains, no food courts, no second story).  They went for lunch together at a cafeteria style place and then with full tummies, they headed off to the store. As they entered the store with the cart, Jolie stopped to make sure I was still in her purse.

I. WAS. GONE.

Jolie panicked. She checked her pockets. She checked her purse. She checked her wallet. I was missing.  Her heart sank as the thoughts of a heaping full cart were gone out the window.

She retraced her steps back down to where they ate, and through the cafeteria line to see if I had fallen out at lunch. No sign of me.

She walked back towards the grocery store with a heavy heart. She stopped about 10 steps outside of the store to call home. DS was there, minding the space heaters. She had him check her dresser, her counter, the kitchen floor and the path out to the truck. NO sign of me.

The feelings running inside her were many - sadness, disappointment, stupidity (I mean who loses a gift card).  She took a big breath and headed back to the store to let DH know. Three steps inside the grocery store, in plain sight of where everyone could see, and walked, there I lay...... face down on the floor, with my $300 written on me in big black sharpie.

The look on her face was something I will never forget. I mean really, how many people walked past me (including Jolie) and just left me there????  As she swept me up, I heard her whisper a 'thank you!!! guarding angel'.

There was definitely more spring in her step as she headed off to take me shopping.

Here is to keeping things organized, appreciating the gifts in your life and guardian angels

signed - Gary the Gift Card