I have never done anything like this before.

I went downtown L-ville today and went shopping at Borders. When I tried to pay for my stuff they wouldn't take the debit card because it has Robert's name on it. (Incidentally, I only run into this about one in every ten times I use that card, which I do countless times per week.) So I ran across the street to an ATM to get the cash to pay. The ATM was the kind that sucks your card into it. Can you guess where I'm going with this?

Fast forward to tonight. I went to the ATM in the hotel to get some more cash. Guess what? Card = gone. I hadn't used it since I was at that downtown ATM so the only possible explanation is that I didn't take it out of the machine. You know how those types of ATMs usually make a loud, insistent beeping noise until you take your card out? This one didn't. Thinking back, I don't recall telling the machine that I didn't want another transaction. Usually it asks you "Do you want another transaction" and then, when you press no, it gives your card back. I think I said "no" to the receipt (which I remember doing) and then ran off before it asked me anything else.

Now, where does that leave us? Well, that bank is closed tomorrow. And Monday, since it's a holiday. And the card has Robert's name on it, so they probably wouldn't give it back to me, anyway. That is, if it's even in there. Somebody may have passed by and saw the "Do you want another transaction?" screen and pushed "no" and got the card out. Really effing swell.

Robert is going to go to our bank tomorrow and have them find out if there has been any transactions since yesterday afternoon. If there hasn't, it's a pretty good bet the card is in the machine. Either way, he's just going to have them cancel it and reissue a new one -- or, ones, should I say, since I really do need to have my own (obviously). Before he does that he's going to take out enough cash to keep me comfortable through the rest of my trip and then he'll go wire it to me. There's a Western Union about ten blocks away so I'll go over and pick it up.

So, there you go. The story of my stupidity. Assuming no one has gotten a hold of the card, it's semi-easily fixable. It will take a minor inconvenience on Robert's part, and mine, but I will be able to finish my trip in fine style, and as planned. I guess it could be worse (like if someone stole the card and spent all our money. Still fixable, but definitely not in the category of "easily").

I guess I'll go listen to some more music and try to enjoy it. *sigh*