45 cents

I don't often need to take public transportation. I have a car, I go to and from work, there isn't any traffic and except for an occasional ballgame downtown, I don't really need to ride the trolley. This morning, I parked at one of the trolley stations close to my work, bought my round-trip ticket ($4.50) and boarded the trolley for downtown. I had to get fingerprinted for my rec center job. I've been teaching there for 10+ years and had my fingerprints taken when I first started but now there is a "LifeScan" computer system and I had to get them redone, at a cost of $65 (grumbles...it's not like my fingerprints have changed in 10 years!) I was scheduled for last week but got a call that their new machine wasn't working and they would need to reschedule, so today was my new appointment.
Got to the Civic Center Plaza, as per the receptionist I took the elevator up, then as per the clerk on the third floor I took the elevator back down, went outside, around the building and in a different door LOL! The gal mashes and rolls my fingers on her special box, which then shows my prints on the computer screen. Darned pinky fingers took 3 times each, the computer kept flashing REJECT! Then she goes to take my picture and the camera and computer are not working together. Much fixing between her and two other employees. Got the camera working but have to do the print again, the computer didn't save the first round! More finger mashing, more REJECT! Then it was time to pay so I pull out my wallet...$60, $61, $61, $62 oops, no more bills. I open the change purse and fish out the big coins, counting out onto the counter, $63, $64...uh oh! I pull out a few more nickles and the rest are pennies, which I dump out onto the counter...oh, I am so embarrassed. One of the employees comes up to me when the other employee has her back turned and hands me 20 cents, I whisper thank you and add it to the pile. I'm still 45cents short, I can't even believe it!! Fortunately the employees are all very sweet about it. I offer a postage stamp that I found in my wallet and they all laugh and send me on my way, short the 45 cents. I can't believe I didn't have enough and the office wouldn't accept debit, it was either cash or check.
Got back on the trolley, drove to work and here I am. After lunch I opened up the little trinket box on my desk to see if I had enough for a treat out of the snack machine and laying there on the faux velvet was a quarter and two dimes :)