Will he ever learn?:

Can you believe it happened again? That's right. Once again the same Columbia fleece jacket was involved. You would think I would have learned from the first experience, but old habits die hard. For about a month I religiously zipped the pocket shut, but in time my cavalier attitude was back. It won't possibly fall out of the pocket again, right? This time the phone ended up in the parking lot of a local Wal-Mart Store. Serves me right for shopping at a multinational cheap crap store, but I was looking for a “Ruff 'n Tuff” Cassette Karoke machine for my 2 year old niece and they advertised that they had it. It wasn't making out to being a great day. First of all the “Ruff 'n Tuff” was out of stock at the fifth store I checked. Second, have you ever noticed how Wal-Mart stores don't have an easy way to leave if you don't buy anything. It's like they are trying to apply psychological pressure to prevent you from leaving without going to pay at a register. Retracing my memories I realized that on leaving the store in frustration I checked the time on the phone one last time at 2:08pm, put it in my left pocket, and drove to my 3pm court time at the gym. When I got to the gym I knew exactly what happened. The phone had vanished and wasn't on the floor of my car. I searched the spot under the seat of my car five times and finally decided that it wasn't there. I played a half-hearted match at the gym and headed back for the Wal-Mart. Two hours after I lost the phone I pulled into the crowded parking lot and scanned the lot for another crushed phone. Unfortunately, it was nowhere in sight, or perhaps fortunately... On a whim I decided to check in the store in case they had a lost and found. I waited in line for 10 minutes at the customer service counter watching people return Irish spring soap, mouthwash, and fake poinsettas, no joke! Finally it was my turn for some “customer service”. I asked the lady at the desk if they had a lost and found and she said “Yeah, what did you lose”. I replied,“I lost a telephone in the parking lot” with certainty. Then out from behind the desk her co-worker pulled out a phone and said “Is this it?” “That's the one!” People around me in line glanced over at me. It was a happy situation for everyone one involved. A glimmer of hope in an otherwise hopeless line of people returning holiday purchases they didn't want, and people whose job it was to take care of the annoyed customers. THANKS to the anonymous stranger that turned it in! I owe you one, BIG TIME!.