DAY 1
On our way to the beach, we stopped at Publix to pick up some sandwiches. While in line, we girls were chatting it up. I carry a big purse which has been known to knock into things. (I'm talking specifically about the time I knocked over and broke a wine class at a student/faculty party with same said purse) Apparently this was one such occasion. As I turned, I heard three or four thuds behind me. I figured I knocked a few boxes of a shelf or something, but no. I turn around and see that I have knocked several pears into a tall trash can. I know they were pears because there was one left in a bag (the kind you put your produce in) on top of the trash can. I laughed it off, thinking somebody had picked up some pears, then decided not to get them.
Not two minutes later, this lady comes over with a sandwich in hand and walks right up to the trash can. Now, we're still in line, so I'm right next to her. She picks up the lone pear and looks at her friend and says "Somebody stole my pears." I love my friend, but she has a tendency to laugh too loud in the wrong situations, and I could feel my ears turning red in embarrassment. We snickered...not maliciously....as the lady's friend deduced they had been knocked into the trash can.
I suppose a considerate person would have told her what really happened to the pears, but I just couldn't do it. What was I supposed to say? "Um, sorry...I dumped your pears in the trash can and left them there?" I don't think so. If we had been somewhere else, I probably would have said something, but we were at a grocery store, so she could go get some more pears. But, that ended up being a moot point because she just reached right on in and retrieved the pears! I know we all wash our produce before we eat it, but I sincerely hope what I buy hasn't been sitting in a trash can.
DAY 2
The next day, we drove out to the where our classmates have been working on restoring historic windows at a plantation. It's a 40-minute drive there one-way, so we settled into our trip. I was driving because my friend's car's check engine light had come on. OK, I know you're thinking my bad luck with technology rubbed off on her car, but I'm hoping that wasn't the case.
About 20 minutes into the trip, I see a blue thing in the middle of my lane on the interstate. I thought it was a bag or something, but there were cars on either side of me so I couldn't change lanes to go around it. All of a sudden, I hear a dull thud and scraping noise. We've been hit! It took me about .2 seconds to realize that we were dragging something under my car. I immediately pull over, put my hazards on, and get out to check on the damage. I'm always nervous stopping the side of the interstate, but there was no way I could keep driving with that thing under my car. So there I am, kneeling beside my car in 95 degree heat and what do I see? Oh, well, there's a blue plastic milk crate (see picture below) stuck to the bottom of my Jeep. And by stuck, I mean it's lodged under the car without touching the ground. (This brings to mind the time I was on my way to the beach at night with friends and we hit a bat which got stuck spread-eagle in the front grill....at least the plastic crate wasn't alive)
I think it didn't do as much damage since it had already been hit a few times and was pretty bent out of shape. After my friend and I push and pull on it, the thing finally comes loose and I throw it into the ditch by the road. I figure it's not littering if it was already there. Besides, I was doing people a service by getting it out of the road.
These are just a few things that go against my self-vision as a competent and contributing member of society. I really do mean well, but I suppose we all have our own idiot-moments now again. Let me know about yours....maybe they'll make me feel better.
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