eating humble pie

A few weeks ago Wally and I went out for dinner with friends. It was a fun evening and on the way home we stopped over at Mary's house to see her new deck and outdoor fireplace. It was a lovely evening and something we don't do very often.

As I was getting ready for bed, I started to wander around the house looking for my iphone. I use my iphone as my alarm clock and it is usually on my desk in the office, by the phone in the kitchen or in my purse...which is usually on the bench by the front door. (PS: I love my iphone and use it extensively.)

About the same time I realized that I could not find my phone, it became apparent that I could not find my purse! And that never happens in my world because I never "can't find" anything.

The internet meme that was circulating through pinterest and face book a few months back was invented because of mothers like me.

It's not really lost unless

your mother can't find it!

I AM THAT MOM. And this situation was quietly spinning out of my control. Not only could I not find my purse; I was going to have to confess that fact eventually. And this situation had "crisis potential" written all over it. 

After watching me wander around the house for about 40 minutes, Wally finally asked what I was looking for. "I think I left my purse in the ladies room at the restaurant." I sheepishly confessed. 

"Why don't you call Mary and ask if you left it at her house?" 

"Don't be silly, I'm sure it's at the restautrant," I said assertively. "And by now now someone has picked it up and they are out buying stereo equipment with my credit cards and hacking into my online banking because all my PINS are on my phone," I added with dismay.

So Wally suggested I call the restaurant and when that came up a dead end, he sat up with me to be supportive as I called to cancel credit cards and tried to "find my phone" (the iphone app I had installed but disabled...). Finally, we decided there was nothing more to be done and headed off to bed at about 2 am. 

I was so depressed. 

To make things worse, it was Friday night on a long weekend and so I really couldn't get my life back until Tuesday. That was a few days for me to stew and worry about my stuff being gone / stolen. And a few days for me to retrace every step I took up to the point in time when I realized I didn't know where my purse was.

And as I moped and moaned about the situation all weekend, Wally would suggest giving Mary a call, "just to make sure" she hadn't seen my purse. And every time he suggested it, I reminded him just how stupid it was for him to think that my purse might be at Mary's!! 

I'm sure you can see where this is going...

After cancelling all my credit cards and changing every password and all my PINs, I began to organize my Tuesday. Go to the bank to make sure my accounts were in order. Go to Holland's first thing and order a new driver's license. Go buy a new phone (at great personal expense, given where I was in my contract). etc. etc. It was downright depressing.

Monday afternoon, I was outside doing some yard work (trying not to worry about my purse and phone). I came around the front of the house just in time to see Mary's brother heading down my driveway. "Hey, howzitgoin'?" I called out. 


"Oh, hey there," he answered. "I just left your purse inside...We had so much company this weekend; I thought it belonged to one of my sisters but everyone went home this morning and the purse was still on the kitchen counter. Funny that it should belong to you and I even know where you live!! haha. Have a nice day!"

Of course, I was SHOCKED! How could my purse have been BEAMED over to my friend's house from the ladies room restaurant 40 km away?

I was too embarassed to even go in the house to see my purse! But I was also so relieved that I mustered up my courage and headed in after a few minutes of trying to compose myself. 

Wally already had the humble pie cut and ready to serve. And I've been eating it ever since.

Just yesterday, Diana was in the phone store activating her new phone when a middle aged MOM stumbled in. "I've lost my iphone," she wailed. "I don't know what to do."

"You should probably call your girlfriend and see if it's on her kitchen counter." Diana dead panned as she left the store.