Friday was payday. I had to work from 12 to 5. My check was direct deposited into my bank account at 12:01 that morning. When I got to work I punched in and went into the locker room. I opened my locker, took off my sandals, through them in, grabbed my work shoes and sat them on the bench behind me. I opened my purse and took out my debit card so I would have it when I went on my lunch break later, since I was all out of cash. With both my debit card and my name badge in my hand I sat down on the bench and set them down next to me so that I could put on my shoes. When I got up I grabbed my name badge, put it on and walked to the mirror to tuck in my shirt. I looked at my self... real close up in the mirror for a minute. Stepped back... then decided I looked decent enough to walk downstairs and start my work day.

We were pretty slow, as we normally are at that time of day during the week. Garen and I were the only two working in furniture pick-up so we mostly stood around chit-chatting between handing out carts full of furniture and taking shopping baskets from customers to hold so that they could move their cars around from the parking structure to the IKEA loading zone. Around 1:30 I got really thirsty. I thought it was a little too early to take my break upstairs in the staff cafe, so I would just go to the bistro, near our middle entrance, and grab a pop in a to-go cup to bring back to furniture pick-up.

I reached in my pocket to grab my debit card but it wasn't there. I thought for a minute. I distinctly remembered taking it out of my wallet before putting my purse in my locker and shutting the door. I looked at Garen puzzled... "I think I left my debit card on the bench in the locker-room... I'm gonna run upstairs". "Go! Go! Go!" he said as he shoowed me away with his hand. I ran up the steps, into the locker room, glanced at the bench and the floor underneath. Nope. I opened my locker and searched through my purse. Nope. Ran back down stairs to the operators desk wich also doubles as our lost and found. I asked the operator if anyone had turned in a credit card. Nope. She said she'd keep her eye out and let me know if it turned up.

I checked back and hour later. Nope. By now I was really hungry and wanted some lunch since I hadn't even had time for breakfast before work. And still very thirsty. Angie came in at 2 and I was telling her all about my missing debit card. She went down to the bistro and bought me a bottled water when I wasn't looking. She's so sweet.

Around 3 I told my manager, Ula, that a co-worker had stolen my credit card. She looked at me like I was crazy then handed me her phone and said, very firmly, "call your bank right now." I had really been hoping it would turn up. I was planning to wait until the end of the day before reporting it. But then I thought, she's right, it's been 3 hours, if it hasn't gotten turned in by now, it won't. I did what she said and called my bank to report that I'd lost my card. They said it would be 7-14 days before I get my new one.

Ula forced me to barrow $20 from her when she found out I had no cash. Luckily my bank stays open until 6 on Fridays. I left IKEA as soon as I got off and drove all the way across the valley to Beverly Hills (where the closest branch of my bank is) in rush hour traffic. I made it just in time. It was 5:58 on a Friday and I was withdrawing all of my money.

You think you know the girls you work with.

Time to go pay rent.