Making change

This past weekend, I went to a ballgame in Augusta. Then stopped by and spent some time with my Big Sister and her husband, the Chief.

It was a great ballgame ... and a great visit.

We chatted. We caught up on things we haven't caught up on in email. And we watched some Star Trek. The original pilot, "The Cage".

And, after eating them out of house and home, I left to head back west.

On the way, I stopped and got gas. And decided to fill up my stomach, too.

I pulled into a McDonald's on I-16. Near Dublin. And ordered a McNuggets meal. And some cookies.

The girl on the speaker told me it was six dollars and something. I don't hear as well as I used to. But six dollars and some change sounded about right, so I pulled around.

I had to wait for a bit, while the vehicles in front of me paid for and received their food.

Finally, it was my time to settle up and get my grub.

"Six-oh-five," said the girl at the register. High school girl, maybe. Perhaps just out of school. Saturday night, so I guess she could have been younger.

I handed her a twenty, and reached into the door to get some change.

On the vehicle I was in, the door handle has a depression that doesn't go all the way through. It's perfect for putting loose change. It'll hold a dollar or more in pocket change.

So, after handing the girl the twenty, I was rummaging through the change for a nickel. Moved quarters out of the way. Pennies too. And dimes. But no nickels were to be found. So I handed her a dime.

She had already punched in 20.00 on her register and found out she owed me $13.95.

When I tried to give her the dime, she shook her head and said, "I didn't know how to do that."

She was unable to tell that if I gave her $20.10 for a $6.05 order that she owed me $14.05.

I had to keep my dime, and add 95 more cents to my stash.

I have the feeling that she'll be at McDonald's for a long, long time.