A Case of the Mom Brain

Before I had a baby, I swear I was smarter.  I really think after giving birth to him that part of my brain must have gotten pushed out and thrown away.  Seriously.  I now have the worst short term memory on the planet.  I'll walk into a room and totally forget what I was doing.  Or I'll be just thinking of something I need to write down on a to-do list...and BAM it's gone and I am stuck staring into space trying to recall the fleeting thought.

So yesterday I pull the mother of all mom brains.  I went to Kroger to buy groceries and that part went smoothly.  I bought everything on my list and was out in a hour even with the little man in tow.  As I was walking to the exit, I saw the gift cards and remembered that I was wanting to pick one up for my brother's birthday to go with his birthday card that I had already purchased.  So I ask the guy attendant at the self checkout if you can scan the card through the self checkout since I knew at some places they have to run them through the computer.  He said I could scan it no problem.

So I get my $50 Best Buy card and proceed to checkout.  Ok great...paid for and now I have double fuel points too.  My activation slip and receipt print, and then the guy attendant also hands me an activitation slip before I've even left the self checkout lane.  I've got Nolan and a full cart of groceries so I am ready to head out of there.

Fast forward to an evening walk with my husband and baby, when panic strikes me.  I can't remember putting the card in my purse.  I remember bagging it because you know the computer tells you to put item in the bag or it screams at you.  I keep searching my brain for a faint memory of seeing the card in my purse or having it at home.  Nope...nothing...nada.  I then know that I left it at Kroger in the bag at the self checkout.

I call Kroger at 8pm (my purchase was at 3:52pm) and tell them I am pretty sure I never left with the card.  They watch the tape, and yes I did leave the card.  However, the guy that checks out behind me takes me card that I paid for with MY MONEY.  The Kroger customer service people say, "Oh it looks like he didn't even see it."  So they give me a number to call Best Buy customer service to cancel the card, so they can issue a new card.

I'm thinking yes, problem solved.  I recite the card number to the nice Best Buy customer service guy.  He gets back on the line and says the card has already been used.  In fact, the guy used it at Best Buy at 5:31pm.  That literally means he left Kroger and headed straight over to Best Buy to use a card that he didn't pay for knowing that he would need to do it soon before someone called and cancelled the card.

Now yes I know I should have been more careful and not forgotten the card.  I've already beaten myself up about that...and on top of that I really REALLY hate losing things.  It drives me crazy.  It just makes me really sad that such dishonest people out there exist.  If I had been on the other side of this situation, I would have returned the card.  Or if I had gotten home with it, I would have just tossed it knowing someone would just cancel the card.  However, this guy...he knew what he was doing and made a beeline to the store to use it. 

The Best Buy customer service guy felt bad for me and is sending me a $25 Best Buy gift card.  I thought that was pretty nice since well I was the one who left it.  The people at Kroger were really nice too, and they really thought I would have no problem just cancelling the card.  Little did they know this guy was going to spend it IMMEDIATELY.  I even called Kroger back just to let them know what happened with card.

Lessons learned: 1) You really can't trust anyone.  2) I've really got to start doing memory games or something before I really go completely dumb.

Do you have mom brain...and does it ever get better?