Originally published on 06/17/2018
This image taken from hotels.com from our hotel we stayed at.
Have you ever had one of those days that it seemed like, everything that
could go wrong,
did go wrong?? So, we're in Hemet, California visiting my mom. I had devised a plan to surprise her, using my Uncle Dave to help pin down a time when she wasn't super crazy with her schedule! We've been planning this trip for a month or longer, and I'm so glad it worked out! I had called her when we were a few blocks away from her house so I could find out where she was (she has been helping out with a friend's wedding and needed to get her nails done, decorate the clubhouse and the church, and about a zillion other things...). Anyway, she said she was waiting for her friend to pick her up and take her to get their nails done. She asked what I was doing and said we were "running errands". It was really cool! We pulled up and got ready outside her door. I was still on the phone with her, so I said, "Hey, I just got word that your Mother's Day gift was delivered." So she goes to the back door, nothing. Comes to the front door, opens it up, and screams! She opened the screen door, came out, and then started crying. The last time I surprised her like this was with the help of my Aunt Dee back in 2009 (I think?).
Anyway, my Uncle has helped us get a room here so we had to wait until he got home to check in. My mom was in and out throughout the day, so we hung out at her place until we could check in. The hotel we are at is called
Travelodge by Wyndham. The room is really nice! It has a king sized bed that's actually not too bad to sleep on. I mean, it's not our bed, but it's still not bad! The room also has a mini kitchen with a microwave, coffee pot, and mini fridge. There's a sink and large mirror as well. The set up is really nice. The bathroom has a large tub/shower and toilet. Outside there is a water fountain and swimming pool with a jacuzzi. Overall, a nice place to call home for a week. The one downside that I see at the moment though, is their breakfast options: pastry, toast, and cereal. *sigh* I did grab an apple on my way out, so that helps have something more nutritious than the rest, but as a diabetic, those are all empty carb choices, not healthy carbs.
Since the water has declined in recent years, it's really not good to drink any longer. I had to go over to the store in order to buy water and foods for us to eat while we are here. Most of what I bought is frozen stuff for heating up, and sandwich stuff. I managed to find a new little Walmart Neighborhood Market where there used to be an Albertsons. It has all the basic needs that a regular grocery store has: produce, dairy, deli, dry goods, water/soda, pet needs, hair care, and the like. I finally found the stuff I wanted and needed and headed up to the checkout. The cashier asked me if I wanted bags. Confused, I said, "Yeah?" Then she asked if I wanted my groceries in the bags. Again, confused as to why a cashier would ask if I wanted my groceries placed into bags, I again said, "Yeah?" Then, something told me to say, "I'm not from around here." Even though I'd lived here for over ten years. She then proceeded to tell me that I had to pay for the grocery bags if I wanted my groceries placed in them! I had totally forgotten that California, in their brilliant fight against waste, now has a law to charge $.10 per grocery bag, thus encouraging the use of reusable bags instead. I told the cashier that I had reusables in the car and that I would bag them myself back at the car. I'm so glad we don't live here anymore...
I headed out to the parking lot and was in the middle of putting my groceries into bags, when a man asked if I could spare some change for a soda. I placed my purse down in the trunk and got a few dollars out for him, while he told me his story of being robbed recently. I came to peace long ago with giving a few dollars to pan-handlers if I have it. My Heavenly Father would expect me to give if I have it, and it doesn't matter to me what they really spend it on. I've bought whole meals at Burger King before so someone had a square meal and a few extra burgers for the night. Anyway, I finished putting my groceries away and closed the trunk, immediately realizing what I'd done... the keys were now in the trunk! Ugh! We have a keypad to get into the car, and actually had found the code about a year after we bought the car. I thought I wrote it down and put it in my phone... apparently I had not. I tried as many combinations as I could recall with the numbers I thought were in the code, to no avail. I called Larry in a panic, hoping he could remember the code or at least have the spare key on his keyring, but that was a no on both accounts.
Then, still on the phone and starting to cry (we don't have extra money to pay for a locksmith!) a man came over and asked if I needed help. I told him that I locked the keys in my trunk. He went over to his own car and got out a few tools, including a hanger that had been straightened out with a loop on the end. After what felt like hours (it was really only about 15 minutes) a little old man parked nearby, walked up to the storefront, and was talking to the outdoor security guard and pointing in our direction. I can't really blame him, we were literally trying to break into a car in the parking lot, but it was my car... All of a sudden, the door opened! The helpful man had managed to get the loop over the handle of the door inside, and pulled in just the right direction, for the handle to release the door! Extremely grateful, I popped the trunk, got my purse with the keys hanging from it, and shook the man's hand. His name is Greg, so if by chance he ever sees this post, know that I am forever grateful to you, kind sir! I got into my car and came back to the motel. The "funny" part of this was the old man telling the security officer we were trying to break into a car! It looked almost like what you see in the movies: pry bar and pliers holding the door open just enough to get a wire into the car and release the handle or the locking mechanism...
So, what's your funniest story involving a grocery store, your car, or the like? Tell us in the comments below!
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