Panic In The T-Hoe

Friday noon, I gathered up my phone, glasses, and purse to head to town. In checking to make sure I had my notecard with brief grocery list, I moved my scratcher winners from the side pocket of my purse to the main compartment.

A quick "BYE" to The Pony, still in his room, and I was out the door. I spotted Juno and Jack running along the edge of the back yard. Pretty sure they were on a squirrel trail. They heard me, and loped around the end of the garage, under the carport, and up the porch steps before I could go down. For their loyal greeting, I gave them limited cat kibble.

At usual, I opened T-Hoe's door, set my purse on the console, and hoisted myself up on the running board. Backing out and turning to the driveway is more difficult now, with The Pony's car parked at the end of the carport. Don't think Farmer H is going to move his precious Gator, nor leave SilverRedO out in the open. The Pony's little Rogue is odd-car-out.

Anyhoo... as I pulled onto the gravel road, I reached over to sort my winners and decide where I wanted to cash them in and buy more.

WAIT A MINUTE!

I couldn't find my tickets. That was ridiculous! They had been RIGHT THERE! Tucked inside my purse, by my glasses case and my SamGalA. Huh. What in the Not-Heaven? I continued to look. Down in the side pocket, in the main compartment, on the seat, down between the seat and console. No tickets!

Dang it! I guess I'd set them out on the kitchen counter when looking at the grocery list. Luckily, I wasn't even to the creek waterfall yet. I turned around at the road that branches off, and headed back to the Mansion. I didn't want to fool with the garage door, and maneuvering T-Hoe's unfoldinable mirrors through the opening going in and out. I parked next to the Rogue, and walked under the carport to the brick sidewalk. The dogs were going crazy. This was unheard-of! It threw their world off-kilter.

Juno trotted to the cat kibble area, and looked at me hopefully. Her heart wasn't in it, though. She knew this was off routine.

Once inside, I searched all over for those winning scratchers. On the counter, under stuff on the counter, in the clean sink, on the floor. Nope. No scratchers! I was getting worried. I guess they were in T-Hoe after all. Back out I went, across the uneven bricks and the unevener gravel.

I searched T-Hoe again. And my purse. Took everything out. No scratchers! Surely I hadn't missed them in the kitchen! I called The Pony. Who tried to talk me down from my ever-intensifying panic, as he searched the kitchen for me.

"No. I don't see them on the counter. Or under the stuff. I looked in the wastebasket, but it was only my losers from yesterday. No. They're not down beside your cutting board in the sink. Not on the floor. I can look on the porch for you..."

"I would have seen them on the porch. I was just in there. Can you come out and look around T-Hoe? Maybe I'm missing them. Maybe they slid down beside the passenger seat."

The Pony dutifully (in his bathrobe) came out and searched. I got back out. Looked under the seats. In the back seat. All over.

"I'm about ready to cry. They can't just disappear. That was $60 worth of winners!"

"I don't know where they could be..."

"I guess I'll have to go back in and look in the kitchen again. I'm not walking across the gravel and bricks, though. I'm pulling back in the garage."

"Okay. I'll meet you inside."

I backed T-Hoe into the driveway, and pulled towards the garage. I saw the door raising. The Pony had used the inside button to open it for me. Wait a minute! Here came The Pony in his flowing robe, out the garage door,

WITH SCRATCHERS IN HIS HAND!

"They were laying where your door is when you're parked. I guess they fell out when you opened T-Hoe's door."

"THANK YOU! I bet if I pulled in there, I would have been on top of them, and wouldn't have seen them!"

"Probably. From where they were laying."

Good news is, we found my winners. Gooder news is, when I gave them to the clerk at the Gas Station Chicken Store, she said I had $65 worth of winners!

Bad news is... I only had a $5 winner with the part of that money I spent on new tickets.