Weird, True, and Freaky

What happened on Saturday was definitely weird, it's totally true, and last night it just felt freaky. Not sure I've ever felt that way before, but standing at the check counter in Wal-mart I definitely felt freaked out.

I'll just explain.

Dave was out of town. He needed to take my car. That left me with a car seat in the garage that needed to put into his car. Simple enough. Except for the fact that I had forgotten he was in my car until I stepped outside. Ashley was in my arms, as were my keys, my wallet, her bag, her back pack and feeding pump. What now? I asked Blake to fasten the seat into the car. As he worked on it I was beginning to lose my grip on growing 4 year old and so I dropped my keys on the ground and set my wallet on top of the car. Then we loaded Ash into her seat and drove off on our way.

Both of the older kids had plans and they both needed to be in different places at specific times. We running right on schedule. About two miles away from the house I realized that I failed to take my wallet off the top of the car. Not good. Actually it was really, really bad.

We turned around and drove the exact route immediately about 4 or 5 times back and forth. No wallet(not that I really expected it to just be lying there waiting for me). I started to cry because what else do you do at a time like that? Oh, yeah, I prayed and cried.

Inside my wallet I had my driver's license, one credit card we use only in emergency situations, my debit card, both debit cards to Blake's new account(opened on his 14th birthday to begin saving for a car in the future), and one card we keep funds on for the business. Oh, yeah my Pine Tree Pirate Football coupon card. There was also a $20.00 bill. Not too exciting, but my only access to any type of funds in any way.

Shortly after my melt down I receive a phone call that my wallet had in fact been found and that they were driving around our old neighborhood looking for me. Thankfully, I have not gotten around to having an address change on my license or even my checkbook yet. You'll understand why later. So, I'm feeling completely grateful and once again in awe that God is so involved in the little details of our lives. Details like returning my wallet to me from the middle of the road. Once I met up with the very nice lady who returned my wallet she told me there was a $20 left in it, my license, and some cards. She wasn't sure if it were all there, but felt good that it might be because the $20 was still there. I felt that way too. She left my home and I called Dave to let him know it had been returned.

Then...I opened up my wallet and the panic began to set in. At first glance I noticed that exactly one half of the cards that should have been in the slots were there. Just half. The emergency credit card(that had a completely empty balance. Lots of shopping could be done:( , one of Blake's debit cards, only one, and my Pine Tree Football card were missing. My debit card, one of Blake's debit cards, and the business card were all still in there slots. Very confusing to me, but oh well. I'm still feeling grateful.

I successfully cancel the credit card before purchases were made. I also cancel Blake's cards before any of his saved money had been spent. I'm feeling so grateful that the "thief's" were willing to save me some money on drinks wherever they decide to eat by using my coupon card. Kind of made me laugh.

So the whole experience was very weird and every part has been true. Crisis over. No funds lost. Then....

I'm standing in Walmart about 9pm last night with a full load of groceries. I open my wallet and pull my debit card from the slot for the first time since all this began. You see, I glanced in my wallet on Saturday and saw the card sitting in its slot and that's all I had done. I had not actually pulled it out to see if it were still my card. I just thought, "oh, its still there. Wonder why they left half of the cards?" Guess what happened? I pull the card and realize its NOT MY NAME ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CARD! It had been REPLACED with someone else's card! The freakiest feeling came over me. I couldn't even think. I can't imagine what the cashier thought of me when I told her it wasn't my card. I was in complete shock! It was so freaky to know that the "thief's" had skillfully left enough cards in my wallet in hopes that perhaps I wouldn't notice any were missing(which didn't work) and had slipped in a different debit card in hopes that I wouldn't notice it weren't mine for a few days(which DID work).

This whole experience has been unbelievable. Really it has. This morning we have a mess on our hands and we are trying to get it straightened out. Dave wonders if an identity theft may be in the works. Who knows? Basically what they have is my name, a few cards that have been closed, my drivers license number, and an old address. I wonder how much damage can be done with that information? Not really sure where to go from here. I just know that leaving your wallet on the top of your car and driving off is not a good idea. Its just not.

Its all just too weird, completely true, and totally freaky. We could be in trouble if they figure out how to make this whole thing work. We are looking for ways to stop it before it happens, but aren't too sure we've got enough time.