A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Huntington

Okay- it wasn't so funny but read and beware if this should ever happen to you!

Today was the plant sale at the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena. Started at 10am and we had to be at a babyshower shortly after noon in Los Angeles. We live 30 miles south in Long Beach.

We got a bit of a late start. Dogs , kids, hair (mine)...you know how it is! We needed gas so I drive to our corner store and start to pump while DH finishes his breakfast in the car and DD smears the dirt/washes the windows. I paid at the pump but ran inside for a diet coke. Then I remembered I needed the ATM. Then DD comes in and wants bubblegum.

It is 9:45am. I am flustered. DH had gotten out of the car to throw away breakfast china/paper plate. I jump in the car, make sure everyone is in, tell DD to stop talking to me until I get out of the station and pull away from the pump which is still attached to my car.

DD was trying to tell me I was still attached to Mr. Shell Station. DH just looks at me. This is the 2nd time I have done this and the attendants are responsible so I stop and run inside to tell he who I see everyday on my diet coke run what I have done. And he has to fill out a report.

And the plant sale starts without us.

Now here are my words of wisdom. If you ever do this, if you fill out the form, make sure and write on it that you will not accept charges for damages nor will your insurance company until they reconnect and test the pump in front of you or someone from your insurance company.

I learned the hard way the first time. Usually you are in such a hurry (and embarrassed) you leave your info and leave the place. Well, they will charge you $200 or more for damage they do not have to prove. The pumps are made to break away. They have to be ripped out and driven over by a semi to be damaged. The attendant at the store where I did it the first time 5 years ago told me that that pump was not damaged, he lost his job and we are still friends and he is much happier at Chevron instead of Mobil because his boss is nice and honest.

At the end of the day today I went back to the station to make sure that all was in order and my form I had written my 'statement' on had mysteriously disappeared and a new one was there with only my name and phone number. The owner had found a nice compost pile for my note. So I did the whole thing over again. Who knows where this will go.

We did make it to the Huntington by 11am and everyone in the family made some great purchases that made our hearts happy. And the hour we spent waiting in line to pay was a great reminder that we need to just slow down and enjoy our family Sunday.