It seems like this past week has had a "No good deed..." theme. I've got another entry. I was in my local grocery store picking up BBQ sauce and ranch when a woman comes up asking for money to buy food. Having the ability to be generous, I asked her specifically "Simple meal. What do you want for dinner?" She asks for lunch meat. I guess she had bread. I told her I would buy her the lunch meat and threw in the few items she had in her cart.

I didn't have cash on me (You can guess where this is going.) and was not going to pay the fees on a grocery store ATM, but she very helpfully and repeatedly made me aware of its existence. I could hear the irritation in her voice when I wouldn't go to it. She hid it with others, but not with me oddly enough. I hope I'm wrong and I'm being needlessly suspicious (I've been in the asking strangers for grocery money position myself.), but I'm not sure I am. We were both committed, me to my good deed and her to her... ? Maybe she was trying to con me. Maybe she didn't get the memo about "Beggars can't be (pushy) choosers." Maybe she was moody for lack of food (Again, I've been there.) All I know is that interaction didn't sit right with me.

Work was equally contentious. Only had four phone sales for a Saturday and immediately had to take back three of them because of other phones being brought back for stupid reasons, including one person who insisted FIVE times that she knew what she was doing when buying a phone with no connection to her carrier. She brought it back angry that it didn't work. $50 loss.

Another was due to a broken phone not activating properly. In other words, old phone had no service and the new phone wasn't active. I couldn't return it as that would risk her phone number being lost. I took over an hour troubleshooting the issue, which effected no change. I finally had to replace the phone and service (That activated in three minutes this time.) which resulted in a $75 loss to my sales, a lost phone number for the customer and served to make me look like I'm incompetent and a liar. I talked up how quick and simple and easy it would be. The last one was a "whoopsie" by a Walmart worker that resulted in the wrong phone being sold and a $150 loss to sales.

REALLY crappy day!

Tomorrow, I meet my mom for Sunday service like we usually do and then we go on a small road trip! She's spending the Labor Day holiday with extended family and wants me to take her. I'm okay with that and I get lunch out of it!

I've got an idea for a trip of my own the two of us can take. The musical Hadestown is doing their big national tour and it's coming to my neck of the woods soon. I figured a couple of nights up there in an Airbnb, tickets for the two of us and generally a fun time! She's the reason I enjoy mythology, history, musicals, etc., which Hadestown covers in spades! Hopefully, it'll work out.