067 DISASTER AVERTED

The story starts simply.  We went to the local swimming pool like we do every weekend.  Renee swims her laps and I wait in the truck.  I like swimming, but in a lake.  I hate public pools.  So, I wait in the truck.  Sometimes I nap, most times I play Words with Friends or other games on my iPad.  The parking lot for Walmart is right next to the pool and that’s where I park.

This day though, there was a difference.  Once Renee had finished her swim, we decided to go into Walmart to shop for Halloween decorations.  I haven’t done Halloween in many years.  Partly because I was usually working them, but even after I retired, kids didn’t come to the basement door and Dad was too old to be getting up and down to answer the door.

Even when I lived in Surrey, we didn’t really decorate, other than maybe a cardboard witch in the window and carved pumpkins on the doorstep.  As s kid I always loved Halloween and even as an adult.  I just didn’t like dealing with all of the violence associated with it, once the little kids were done trick or treating.

Anyway, I decided to go all out this year.  I bought a fog machine online as well as the ingredients for making “Fog Juice”.  I looked online for decorations bought I had no way to tell if they were just “cheap” knock offs.  I did notice that they were very expensive and so the decision to go to Walmart.  I knew the prices would be reasonable and I could physically see if something was worth it or not.

ME WITH THE THREE

Not wanting to leave my iPad in the truck, for fear of it getting broken into and stolen, I took it with me.  I just tucked it under my arm and away we went.  The array of items was impressive some really cheap junk and other items that were great and great value.

RENEE, TOBY AND THE THREE

There were animated figures specifically a witch and a harmonica playing skeleton.  They were a little on the pricey side but the demos in the store were awesome and so they became mine.  We literally filled a shopping cart with Halloween stuff and headed off.  As we were going out I put my iPad in the child seat of the cart and headed for the truck.

Once there we loaded everything into the back of the truck and headed home.  I drove up to the door and we unloaded the stuff and Renee and Toby stayed while I went and parked the truck.  Yes, I know I have to organize the garage one day so I can park inside.  It was as I parked that I realized my iPad was not beside me on the console and I frantically looked all through the truck for it.  No luck.

SAMMY SKELETON AND WANDA THE WITCH

I phoned Renee and had her look through all the bags and with a sinking feeling, she reported it wasn’t there.  The next step was to activate the Find My iPhone app on my iPhone to locate the missing iPad.  No luck.  I have one of those covers on it that turns it off when closed.

So it was back in the truck and back to Walmart we headed.  I thought I may have left it on the counter when I was paying, but I remembered putting it in the cart.  If that was the case, I was pretty sure it was gone for good.  We finally got to Walmart after what seemed like an eternity and even managed to pull back into the same parking spot.

Even before we got parked, Renee looked across and screamed, “there it is!” and pointed.  Sure enough it was sitting straight up in the child carrier section of the cart.  There were 10 or 15 more carts all around it, so people had been there, but they were either too honest to take it, or too distracted to notice it.  Either way it was with a great sigh of relief that I retrieved it from the cart.

This is actually the second time I have lost the iPad since I moved to Maple Ridge.  The first time was the day I took possession of the house and once I had my documents, I had to go to the Post Office to pick up my mail box key.  I was carrying a bunch of file folders and put them down on the counter along with the iPad.  I had to give her my address and phone number.  After getting the key, I headed off and before I got to the house for the first time I got a call on my cell.  It was the postal clerk telling me I had left the iPad on the counter and she would hold it for me.

So Halloween has turned into a big adventure this year.  Both for the excitement of all the decorations and also for the loss and recovery of my iPad.  Renee was so excited about them she started putting up the decorations right away.  I was too darn tired and sore from hockey that morning and the fact I had been on the go since 5:00 AM.