Jackpot!

I had Monday off, and of course I slept in--this time only until ten am, not past noon like I usually do--but I managed to get a lot accomplished. My usual Monday ritual is to get up, shower, shave, get dressed, stop at the local Barnes & Noble and pick up some reading material, stop at the cigar shop and pick up a favorite stogie, then head over to the Peppermill for a nice leisurely breakfast, followed by drinks and good conversation with my girl Krista back in the Fireside Lounge for a couple of hours. Since I left the 9-to-5 world behind several months ago, one could say that my Mondays have become much more enjoyable.

However, I'm trying to become a little more goal-oriented and save a few bucks here and there, so today I stayed home. I made my own breakfast of eggs, English muffins, and coffee, and had a wonderful couple of hours reading yesterdays paper while the sunlight flooded my kitchen. Of course there was no cigar, no booze, or no Krista, but I managed to enjoy the day. I also managed to get a lot of housework done--the bathroom is clean, the laundry is done, the trash is taken out.

While doing laundry, I hit the jackpot... I found $42 US and $17 Belizean in the washing machine! Woo Hoo! My excitement was tempered, however, when I also found my drivers license, debit cards, credit cards, social security card, and other assorted things that I normally associate with my wallet. Oh yeah, you can guess where this is going--I managed to wash my wallet, again. Luckily my cellphone, checkbook, or car keys didn't get laundered this time around, but I think that this is the fifth time I've tossed the wallet into the washing machine. It looks like I'll be needing a replacement--this one isn't even a year old, but I've managed to ruin it.

The funny thing is, I remember the exact day that I bought it--December 1st of last year. How do I know this? Because when I got back from my lunch hour that I'd spent at the mall purchasing said wallet, my boss asked me to join him in the conference room for a meeting. The only other person in there was the HR toad, and that's where I got the word (again) that my position was being eliminated (and this time they meant it!). So this ratty and shredded leather Fossil from Dillards marks the beginning of my journey out of the boredom of Nashville one year ago and into the random silliness that marks my existence here in America's Playground.

A worn-out wallet. I cannot think of a more fitting time capsule.

Mikey