It wasn't the first time, BUT it sure was funny this time around....well at least to me. I know others (*cough) will simply email me to exclaim my obvious stupidity. And to those I say, I am well aware, thank you!
It takes me exactly 25 minutes to get to work on any good day. To be at work at eleven, I leave my house at 10:35, not one minute earlier. (This little bit of information by the way was not in any particular way important to the story). Today I left my house 5 minutes earlier than usual to grab a chicken salad sandwich from Tim Horton's. If you haven't tried their chicken salad, I suggest you do. It's cheap and damn tasty. Mmmmmm. Anywyas, so I made a pit stop at the Midland and Steels timmy's and waited patiently at their drive-thru for some 3 cars to pass. During this wait, my mind started drifting off as it usually does when I'm idling. I started thinking about buying my sandwich, driving to work and then opening the wrapping only to find that the sandwich wasn't the chicken salad I'd ordered! I started pondering my options then. I could take a bite now and then in the morning I would drive back to the same timmy's, return the sandwich and demand....who am I kidding..... I meant ask for a refund (this will clearly indicate I don't want their business). Or I can simply eat the alternate sandwich they did give me, in which case they will never know they made a mistake.....hmm....and what if they put too much sugar, it's one thing to have little sugar, but when it's too much......what will I do I pondered on.....
"Welcome to Tim Horton's, may I take your order?"a voice came over the microphone. "Yes, ummm can I please have the chicken salad sandwich and a large double double. Thank you". I grabbed a twenty from my bag and headed for the drive-thru window where (of course) a Tamil lady waited with my coffee and sandwich. I grabbed the coffee first, gave the 20, then grabbed the sandwich and drove off. YES, I drove off!!! That's right, without my change!!! Worst part, I didn't realize I had done this tilll I had driven another good 15 mintues. I had been so preoccupied by pondering their possible mistakes, that I wasn't even anticipating to make my own stupid one. Now what to do...? If I turn back, I'd be really late for work. If I don't, I just gave away 15 mighty dollars as tip. Will they still give it back if I go in the morning and tell them my mistake? but what if the lady who served me left for the night? The more I thought, the further I was driving off...AND I'm in no way wealthy by anyone's standard to bypass 20 dollars for a coffee and sandwich. All these thoughts, so little time. I ended up pulling a u-turn. It wasn't much of a u-turn, as it was a few left turns and then some right turns, but within another 20 minutes I was back at the drive-thru. "Welcome to Tim Horton's, may I take your order?"umm..Yes....I think I forgot to get my change..", "sorry, can you pleaes repeat your order?" "no,..I don't want to order anything, but I left my money here by mistake"..."please repeat one more time"..."my money...i left it here!!!"......"okay ma'am. I will have to ask you to order at the window". CRAP.
As I drove up feeling very childishly embarrassed I see that the same lady is at the window again. Just then I hoped they didn't interpret my silliness, as a 300% bound gratuity for themselves, which I will have to take away now. I smile awkwardly. "Hi..umm..I think I forgot to get my change from before?". She looks at me funny. I'm still smiling. "What did you buy?" she utters. I quickly point to the sandwich bag and coffee next to me, and say "a chicken salad, with toasted whole wheat bread and a large double double coffee, and I gave you a twenty dollar bill. I also asked you for extra sugar?", reasoning that the more details I give her the more legitimate my claim will be. But she simply goes away, comes back with my change, hands it over with no good nights or buh-byes. And yes, I was late for work too. It didn't' bother me the slightest bit though, I just got my money back! Hurray for Shalini! Wow, who knew placing an order at Tim Horton's will involve such anecdotes.
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