Miz S: Taking Care of Business

We had houseguests last weekend, which meant I had to clean up the guest room. The guest room is on the main floor of our house which makes it a really convenient place to put things if you don't know where they go.

Apparently we don't know where a lot of shit goes.

I moved it all upstairs to the other empty bedroom (we used to have kids who lived at home, remember?) and arranged it artfully.

Among other things, there was a gigantic jar filled with coins. I transferred the coins to a paper bag, then put the paper bag inside a little basket because I thought the bag might break. Straightaway, I put it in the back of my car. I pictured that I would just zip up to the bank later and put those coins into the coin machine. I was sure it was a LOT of money. I would get it changed into bills, then surprise Josh by taking him out to dinner. I felt efficient. Miz S, taking care of business! Miz S, getting shit done!

That feeling gradually faded during the week. Every morning when I got to work I would notice the basket with the bag of change in the back of my car.  Well, I'll just take care of that at lunchtime, I would say to myself. Then at the end of the day, when I noticed it again: Oh hell. Well, I'll stop by the bank tomorrow, for sure! Two days later: THOSE STUPID COINS ARE STILL IN MY CAR I HATE THEM SO MUCH.

Yesterday (Friday), I stayed at work until 6, scoring BCRs. (Any public school teacher-readers will sigh sympathetically.) And then, hurrah, I remembered to stop at the bank!

I lugged those coins in, poured 'em into the machine, and stood there rubbing my hands together greedily. The $99 total was mildly disappointing. In my mind, I had been driving around all week with a king's ransom in my car.

I took my basket and my bag and my little receipt over to the customer desk area, and filled out a deposit slip for some checks I had in my purse. I found 2 of the checks, but I was certain there was a third. I had seen it just that morning on my dresser at home and had noticed that if I didn't deposit it by June 1st, it would be void. I MUST have put it in my purse. I began rummaging through my purse with increasing energy. I began taking things out of my purse. Things like: toys I had confiscated at school, copies of behavior referrals for students who had gotten in trouble, little love notes from children at school. Magnetic letters for word study, SERIOUSLY? Is my purse my FILING CABINET/SUPPLY CLOSET now?

I reminded myself to love my Inner Child, however incompetent She might be.

And then: a manager at the bank came over and asked me if I needed any help.

Yes. I looked THAT disheveled and bungling, with my basket and my coin bag, and my pile of crap from my purse.

"Oh, ha ha!" I laughed airily. "I know it looks that way, but I'm fine, really. I'll just finish up with this deposit slip and be on my way! You have a good weekend, now!"

Finally, I located the check. But that was much later, when I got home. There it was, still on the dresser.

I'm not sure what the point of this post is, really, except to say that I wish I had a fulltime assistant.

Gotta run. Josh and I are leaving for an adventure! I'll be back in a couple of days. Or months. Whatever.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[blackbird]

oh...okay...an adventure? good seeing you!

[maddy]

I recently found a check for $350 ish dollars that I thought I had deposited a couple months ago. DUH. To me, that's a lot of money to just have slipped my mind, but whatever. I did deposit it just before the date it expired so I consider that a victory if I rationalize it enough.

[Anne]

Maybe the bank personnel were worried that you might next pull out a gun from your bag of tricks. Or a kitchen sink.

$99 doesn't seem like a bad haul . . . that is, unless you spent $99 extra in gas lugging all that change around in your car!

I like to roll up my own change. Somehow, I find it rather soothing. But taking it to the bank always seems like such a nuisance.

Have fun on your adventure!

[Cazza]

I have to count my change and put it in plastic bags and take it the bank. I like your machine better.

Have a wonderful adventure.

[Margaret]

I'm a public high school teacher and have no idea what a BCR is. :) I am reminded, however, of a set of quizzes that I need to record, damn. Hope the adventure is wonderful; come back and tell us about it! I think $99 worth of coins is a LOT.

[readersguide]

99 buck seems like a king's ransom to me! Have a great adventure --

[Vicki]

"Apparently we don't know where a lot of shit goes." That has had me laughing for several minutes now. Thanks. Looking back I was certain I had commented on your last post which I read the day you posted it. Really. I guess I just thought, "Oh, shit." Especially after FC's comment. I guess after reading this post I won't bother lugging the glass elephant full of change to the bank. He can just sit there on the closet shelf. Hey! The good news is that neither of us have those ripped wrapper, falling apart feminine hygiene products in our purses anymore. Have a GREAT getaway. Or maybe you have gone and come.

[MsCellania]

That bank dude totally pegged you for a robber. A hormonal robber, which we all know is the most dangerous kind.
We have taken to storing our checks on refrig front, held on with the Magnets From Hell, Sure to Kill Young Children. These suckers are 1/4" wide and nobody can get them off once stuck on metal. Since my hands are gimpy these days, our money is safe as houses in plain sight. The amounts are varying and make us look like drug dealers of olde - how much is an oz of pot going for these days???

Aha! Adventure! Cannot wait for the round-up post.

[Karenth]

Have to one-up you here,Girlfriend.
FIL passed away, leaving the things he'd told us about in safes and hiding places. But then there was the loose change he'd casually mentioned. He had sorted it by denomination, into buckets and canvas bank bags. It was everywhere!
I had to take it to the coin sorter at the bank, a couple of buckets or bags at a time. The bank folks noticed, and told me where the private entrance was, where I could push a button and someone would come help me carry things in. Apparently $6,000+ in change is some sort of a record here in the boonies. I'm just sayin' . . .