Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Had A Bad Day

Ever had one of those?

Well when it involves WalMart, doesn't that just amplify things?

Buck asked us to go get the oil changed yesterday.  I usually opt for WalMart so I can walk around the store instead of sitting in one of those stinky waiting rooms wrestling Millie.  We got to WalMart and we were the only people there to get our oil changed.  That doesn't happen often, and honestly I was a tiny bit sad that I wouldn't get to look through the fabric quite as thoroughly as I'd hoped.

One side note.  They give you these cool stickers with a bar code on them now.  You can just scan the bar code under any "find the price here" scanner around the store to check the progress of your car.  So awesome.

So I wandered around the store, picking up a few necessities along the way.  I scanned my code and saw my car was done so Millie and I made our way to the auto department.  I was greeted by a less than friendly cashier wondering what I wanted (they are trying to do inventory, so everyone is less than friendly right now).  I just told her I needed to check out and that my car was done.  She rang me up (and totally forgot to compliment me on how cute Millie was...rude) I scanned my credit card and guess what.  I was declined.  I made her try it two more times to be sure.  Yep, definitely declined.  I tried my secret stash bank account and that was declined, too.  I usually keep a debit card as well, but I let Buck borrow it to get gas at Costco so it wasn't in my wallet.

So what's a girl to do in this pickle?  Well, if you keep up with me at all you know I don't have a cell phone right now.  Luckily I had written my home phone number down and put it in my wallet (why bother memorizing it?).  I called, crossing my fingers that Buck would answer.  He didn't.  I knew he was in class anyways, but you have to look like you're trying, right?  I would have called his cell but they wouldn't let me make any long distance phone calls on their phone.  He still has a South Carolina number, dang it.

I felt like I had exhausted all of my options except one.  That's right.  I played that card.  I cried.  I mean really cried.  I had to stop and catch my breath even.  The cashier got the manager who approved me leaving (and chancing me not coming back) to go get some money.  With red, wet eyes I made the walk of shame through the garage out to my car.  Bless Millie's heart, she was being good this whole time.

So that, my friends, is how you get a free oil change.

Ok fine.  I went back, of course.  Thankfully I had cash at home to cover it all so I didn't have to waste time looking for our debit card.  Within 20 mins my debt was paid off, and I no longer wanted to kill my husband and Costco for the utter humiliation I just went through.

Just so you know, the credit card we use still has a very low limit on it since I got it when I was a Freshmen in college.  I've since had a "real" job and just keep forgetting to ask them to up the limit.  We also pay our gas, groceries, and rent on that same credit card (except when we go to Costco, obviously) so it's not hard to reach the limit.  Buck set an ultra secure password on our credit card online thingy.  It's so secure I can't memorize it.  I rely completely on him checking the balance.  That's where my extreme anger toward him came from, but has since passed.  I promise.

So next time you're having a bad day, just ask yourself "is this worse than crying my eyes out in WalMart?" and you may just feel better.  Of course, there are much worse things.  Like having your child throw up all over you (and others) on an airplane, for example.

2 comments:

  1. Haha. That's all I can say. Oh wait, and that really stinks and hope it never happens again. Now watch, it'll probably happen to me since I don't even have money unless Aaron gives it to me. =)

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  2. Oh my gosh we almost have the same story!! I took our car to wally world Monday. There was a couple cars in front of me so I opted to walk around the store too, trying not to get everything I "needed". Definitely didn't know about the sticker bar code that might have helped we were there FOREVER!! Anyways I had checked out up front then headed back to pay for the car and pick it up...only to find my credit card wouldn't work on the machine. She tried and it worked on the cash register so I didn't have to cry but I probably would have done the same thing (I was panicking privately until the signature part popped up). Yay for 803 area codes, everybody thinks I say it wrong. (definitely rude not to comment on Millie, lol) I get bummed when Hailey doesn't get comments too, lol.
    P.S.- This is why the oil change should be left for the men!

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