Even Steven, Please Review Mrs. HM's Permanent Record, And Apologize

Yesterday, I revealed how I was drawn into a conversation with a weirdo outside the Sis-Town Casey's, on my way in to cash $45 of winning scratchers. What a difference that few moments could have meant!

Nobody was in line. I stepped up the the center of the counter, since three employees were milling about, and I didn't know which one might actually be working. The older guy who is usually so polite and efficient stepped over to the left register, and said he'd help me. He was talking to a young woman who might have been in training.

I said I was only there to buy scratchers, and handed him my winners. "That's $45, and I'm going to spend it back on tickets." I'd had a good day previously, raking in a total of $190. So I didn't think twice about spending the $45.

I asked for a $10 ticket, two $5 tickets, and five of the $5 crossword tickets.

Mr. Guy was talking over his shoulder to that new gal. Telling her that she could write down the numbers for him. I guess he was getting ready to go off shift, or put in some new tickets. Anyhoo... he stepped up and laid my winners in front of me on the counter, after scanning them and printing out a ticket for the total.

"Wait. What am I doing? I don't give those back! What would you like?"

I told him my tickets. He got them out of the lottery case. Scanned them by beeping his sensor thingy over the $10 and each of the two $5s, then once over a $5 crossword, and entering it in the register by multiplying it. All the stores do it this way most of the time.

I thanked him, took my tickets out to T-Hoe, and instead of writing on the back of them at that instant, I headed to the bank, figuring I could do it while waiting at the drive-thru. At the bank, I tore my string of $5 crosswords apart before writing on the back.

WAIT A MINUTE! I ONLY HAD FOUR!

I looked all around the seats. In my purse. Nowhere did I find that fifth crossword! I had been shorted a $5 ticket! I was only given $40 worth of tickets, not the $45 that I'd traded in $45 worth of winners for!

How unfair is that? For Mrs. HM, who has driven 10 miles out of her way to go back to a Casey's and return $5 that was mistakenly given to her? Who won't take a ticket found lying in the bottom of the lottery machine! Who always tells the clerk when they have not rung up a ticket!

I did not want to go back to the Casey's after the bank. Mr. Guy was probably gone after his shift. I'd have to find a suitable parking space amongst the after-school traffic. And walk back inside and stand in line and try to explain why they should GIVE me another $5 crossword. Just not worth the struggle for me. 

Somebody's register was going to come up $5 off on lottery. Let the chastisements fall where they may. 

When I got home and scratched my tickets, I won $52. So there's that...