HELLO FROM EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN:

HELLO FROM EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN - merchants slogan: "We don't have it but we can get it for you."

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Lost and Found and Lost and Found

The weirdness continues -- not being able to find the lost wedding ring, as I told you, I went out to Kohl's the next day and found a nice replacement gold band, making certain that it fit a little too tight.

The next day, Kim returned from her visit with her family.

Awaking the next morning, I went in and drew a hot bath for a long soak to ease the aching bones. As I am toweling off, I hear Kim say: " I found your weddng ring!" While she was making the bed, she stepped on it, next to the bed.

So I set the ring that I bought from Kohl's aside in as small plastic bag, along with the receipt, and put my original ring back on my finger.

The next morning, I again am doing the bath routine. As I step out of the tub, I look down at my ring finger and -- THE RING IS GONE AGAIN!

After effusive cursing, I check the bathtub, thinking perhaps the hot water shrunk my finger enough to release it, but it is not in the tub or the drain.

Then, while Kim is making the bed again, she says: "I found your ring, again!" This time it is sitting right on top of a football jersey that I had worn as a night shirt the night before.

I am still freaking out, afraid I willl lose it, but have gotten through a couple of days in a row without doing so. I returned the ring I had bought from Kohl's and at Kim's suggestion, I take my ring off every night and put it in a shot glass on my dresser as Kim has a theory that I am removing it in my sleep, because after being married for 31 years as of New Year's Day, deep down, subconsciously,I don't want to be married anymore.

I think she is kidding.

Other weirdness -- while we were in the twin Cities -- we had to drive up in separate vehicles because I needed to get back a day early to hook up for a Heagle family reunon.

After visiting Kim's dad, we begin driving back to her mother's but plan on stopping at Kowalski's grocery off Highway 5 to pick up a few things so I can make a Christmas Eve pizza for us.

I follow Kim, as she knows the way better than I do. We pull into the lot, only to find that the store closed one half hour ago for Christmas Eve.

Kim says she knows where there is another supermarket over on Highway 7 and that I should follow her. She pulls up to a stop sign (or rather I should say she slides up to a stop sign and I come up behind her, hitting the same patch of ice, and BAM! I rear end her!

It is almost dark so Kim just pulls out and I follow her to the other store (also closed) all the while thinking that with the way bumpers are constructed of plastic these days, we are both going to end up spending hundreds of dollars in repairs.

When we get to the parking lot, we park under a light and nervously get out to inspect our vehicles. Wonder of wonder --there is no damage whatsoever to Kim's bumper and when we check my Scion, there is a small rectangle of plastic that has popped out and disappeared.

When I get back to Eau Claire, I take it in, afraid that they will tell me that they will have to replace the entire bumper but, again, I luck out. they can replace just the piece that is missing at a cost of $53.50.

They ordered the part and I had it installed this morning. Unbelievably the floor manager says: "You're all set to go. I'm sure it's covered by warranty."

I hope that kind of luck stays with us all year!

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