Celebrating the Good Stuff

I am always quick to complain when things go wrong or badly, so today I want to celebrate a day in which some things went very well.

First, I took Jenna to the orthodontist. Jenna and Jared both have had a number of preemie-related tooth issues, and one of them resulted in a silver crown for Jenna.

The last time the kids had their teeth cleaned the dentist pointed out that the crown was keeping the 6 year molar behind it from descending. The dentist suggested that she could take the crown off and put a new, smaller one on. The orthodontist's suggestion was slightly more expensive but much less invasive, and so we chose that option.

Last week she went in for her first visit and he put a spacer between two of the teeth to make room for the appliance that would then create enough room for the tooth to come in on it's own.

Today after examining her he called me back. (And admired my newly straight teeth again!) He said that although the research show that in 80% of the cases this would not happen, the spacer has created some room and the 6 year molar has descended a little. So he put another spacer in, and said that he thinks there's a good chance it will resolve without the $appliance$.

Hooray!

Yesterday afternoon I did some grocery shopping. One of the last things I put in my cart were 3 huge bags (20 rolls each) of Cottenelle toilet paper. The girls in our home have very sensitive skin, and when I find our favorite tp on sale I try to stock up. This time I was very excited to get a 20 roll bag for $9.99.

I went through the self check-out, as I always do. I am very entertained by scanning my own groceries. Because the big tp bags were on top I scanned them first, and then stacked them neatly on the extra bagging shelf past the place with all of the grocery bags.

Last night about eleven I started having this niggling feeling that I had forgotten something during the day. Finally it came to me that I didn't remember loading those big things of toilet paper into the back of the car after I shopped. And I didn't see them anywhere in the house. I realized that I must have bagged the groceries from the main part of the bagging shelf, where the bags are, and just completely forgotten the toilet paper.

Normally I would probably just write off a package of toilet paper. But not $30 worth!

There was a problem, however. Kroger has this program with one of the local churches; turn in your receipts and they and the church will donate a portion of the receipt value to the homeless shelter. A tiny, tiny portion—something like 1/10th of 1%. But I put my receipts in the box each time I shop, feeling like a tiny donation is better than none at all.

And so I was unable to prove to anyone that I had, indeed, paid for $30 worth of toilet paper yesterday afternoon.

But I had to give it a try.

So after the orthodontist we headed to Kroger. I explained the situation to the nice young man behind the customer service desk. He looked doubtful once I explained that I didn't have the receipt, but agreed to call the manager.

The manager bustled up, asked what the problem was, and the nice young man explained. She thought for a minute, and then asked if a certain employee was working today. "No," she was told, "she's off today."

"Great," I thought. "There goes my chance to salvage my $30."

But then, much to my surprise, the manager explained that yesterday this employee had mentioned to her that there was this big stack of toilet paper left on one the self check -out stations, and she didn't know what to do about it.

So the manager believed my story, and gave me my 60 rolls of nice toilet paper.

And it's happily sitting in my kitchen right now.
Hooray!

P.S. Just so you don't think that my day was entirely perfect (I would hate for you to experience dissatisfaction with your life because I did get my 60 rolls of toilet paper!) I should also mention that when I sat down at the sewing table today there were tiny ants all over it.

Yuck!