The Lost Tag

For the privilege of parking on campus, the University of South Florida sells annual parking permits. This year they started issuing "cling tags" to show that you have a permit. This is a plastic tag about 3 x 4.5 inches that you apply to the lower left corner of your windshield. The side that goes next to the glass is sticky, but not with an adhesive. It apparently uses some kind of electrostatic technology. You can easily peel it off and move it to a different car, and it will still stick. And you can do this multiple times without having it wear out or loose its stickyness.

On Friday last week I traded cars with Michael so that Sherry and I could use the truck for a chore that afternoon. I moved the parking tag to the truck for the day and drove it to work in the morning. In the afternoon, we did our chore and returned home in the truck. Because I was concerned that I would not remember to move the tag back to my car Monday morning, I brought it into the house and put it on a table near the front door, where I would be sure to see it Monday morning. Sticky side up so, so as not to stick to the glass topped table.

Come Monday morning, I start to leave for work. But the tag's not there. I clearly remember leaving it on the table Friday. I would not have moved it because I very deliberatly put it there beside the front door where I would be sure to see it. Sherry and I discuss the problem.

Mike had brought Cian over early in the morning to stay with Sherry while he and I run. We have a five mile loop, ending at Cian's bus stop back in our neighborhood. On these days, Sherry looks after Cian, gives him breakfast, and takes him to the bus stop. Michael and I try to get back to the bus stop before Cian catches the bus at about 7:20 AM so that we can see him off.

So now, back at the house, Sherry and I discuss the missing tag. It seems that Cian put his book bag on the table by the door when he came in. The tag was on the table sticky side up. It probably stuck to the book bag and he walked off with it, not knowing that it was there. Who knows what happed to it after that.

We thought that it might have remained stuck to the bag. I needed to get to school for a class, so Sherry agreed to go to Cian's school and check if the tag was still stuck to his book bag. I go on to work without a parking tag. Fortunately, USF Parking Services will issue a temporary permit in situations like this. But it is a pain in the neck to get the temporary permit, and they will only issue three per year without charging you for them. So it's not something that you want to do every day. Sherry calls to let me know that she did not find the tag at Cian's school.

Tuesday, we decide that I had better get a replacement tag. This costs $25. Not a really big deal, but you only get two replacements at that cost. After that you have to pay full price for a new tag, about $400. Getting a replacement tag is not something to be taken lightly.

As one last measure Tuesday morning, Sherry asks Cian's bus driver if she has found a tag in the bus. No luck. So Tuesday morning I go in to USF Parking Services and buy a replacement tag.

Wednesday, Michael and I run the five mile loop again. Sherry takes Cian to the bus stop as usual. Michael and I get back to the bus stop in time to see Cian off. He and I start walking back to the house. There on the ground is the lost tag.




It would be really nice if I could get the replacement annulled. It's a long shot, but Wednesday afternoon I send a message to Parking Service via their web site explaining what has happened.

(Click on the image to get a larger, more readable version.)


Thursday I received their reply:

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Food Fight

Last night, in a dream shortly before waking up, I was at Terry's house.

I throw a jalapeño pepper at Terry, which she catches and throws back at me. This was all in fun, not malicious. Probably reflecting a real exchange sometime previously with more appropriate materials like smurf toys. The exchange continues, with no apparent injury to anyone from pepper juice in the eyes.

Now Terry is sitting on the floor with a cup full of peppers beside her, ready to continue the fight. Nuala walks up to Terry, picks up the cup, and dumps the peppers on Terry's head.

I can still see the mischevious grin on Nuala's face.

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