The Stolen Tote

Every Christmas I have to purchase a few new totes for my Christmas stuff.  Sometimes it's because I've found things on sale that I'll use next year and sometimes it's gifts - ornaments, decorations, etc. - received during the current year.  This year I purchase two huge lime green totes.  I was going to use one of the new totes for my own Christmas stuff and the other new tote for the Christmas decor from my small business (a rental booth within a large), Serendipity, so that I could use it again next year.

I'm embarrassed to say, but I didn't get all of the Christmas out of the house and garage until Sunday afternoon.  I usually have it down and put in the shed by the end of the first week in January, but things kept interferring and I just couldn't get it done this year.  But, Sunday afternoon we finally had time to work on the Christmas stuff.  While my husband and our children were taking all of the totes out to our shed, I was working on my "Serendipity" tote and getting it packed.  I asked one of the boys to bring me the lime green lid that went to the tote, but he never did.  I kept working on things in the house and the rest of my family worked in the garage and shed.  I reminded my daughter that we have bought two lime green totes and that we were careful to get two lids and made sure the sizes were right (I had made that mistake before and gotten the wrong thing!).  I knew there were supposed to be two totes and I was thinking that they had taken one to the shed, but that I was working on the other one in the house.  She said, "Mom, we already took two lime green totes to the shed."  My husband and boys agreed.

At that moment it dawned on me that I had mistakenly gotten three totes!  The extra one must have been stuck to one of the other ones! The kids realized this, too, and said, "Mom!  You stole that tote!!!"  I assured them that I would go to the store and pay for the tote and explain that it was an accident, but then I realized that I didn't have a lid for this extra tote.  I replied to my family, "I wish I had stolen the lid! The kids were shocked that I would say such a thing!  Not that I would ever steal anything on purpose, but now I had a big problem.  The lime green tote was a special tote that was only sold after Christmas and here it was - the 24th of January.  I was sure they wouldn't have any more of those lids, but planned on checking to see to be sure.  I also planned on paying for the tote.

Well, today I finally went to Altus (about 30 minutes away) and to the store where I bought the tote.  Just as I suspected, there were no totes like the lime green one.  In fact, the store doesn't even stock that brand of tote on the shelves, except during special times of the year.  I didn't have time to talk to customer service today, but will soon.  I'm thinking I'll just return the tote and explain to them the problem.  I don't want to keep it because it's no good without the lid and I don't want to go pay for something that I can't use.  I'm pretty sure they will understand.

I have to say that this is the first (and probably last) time I've ever wished that I had stolen something!  If I had stolen the lid, I could have gone and paid for the whole thing and the problem would have been solved.  Now I'll have to get another tote or maybe even two to take the place of this one that it HUGE.  I'll have to unpack all of my things and replace them into another tote.

Oh, well, it makes for a funny story!

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. Job 8:21

What funny story would you like to share?