Thursday, August 11, 2022

A Kindred Spirit in Absentia

Yesterday, I did what I do about once every three decades. I took the car over to the Car Wash: not to wash it this time, but to vacuum it. After thirty years or so, it does get a little dirty.

The first thing one does before inserting two loonies or one toonie is to remove the mats.

Digression: yes, we have 1 and 2 dollar coins in Canada, having eschewed paper currency for any denomination under $5 and yes we call them loonies and toonies. The $1 coin became known as the loonie because it bears the image of a loon, which is also very appropriate for a nation of loonie people. Being super imaginative folk, when the $2 coin came along, we called it the toonie. Frankly, I don't even know what image is on our toonie.

As I lay my mat down beside my vehicle, this ↓ is what I saw.

The first, lower, mat is mine. The other two are not mine.

I saw that a previous vacuumer had left her/his two mats.

My heart skipped a beat, for I was meeting – in absentia at least – a fellow forgetter.

Isn't that wonderful?

S/he may be even worse than I – poor soul – for. lo and behold, I did remember to pick mine up and take it back home.

14 comments:

  1. I'm glad you explained the coins. I've heard the term loonie but was afraid to ask what it meant.

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  2. Love hearing about your currency names! And who said Canadians didn't have a sense of humor! Good for you, remembering your mat. Maybe the other cleaner car person will remember and come back for hers.

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  3. I didn't know where the name loonie came from, thanks for that information. I do wish we only had loonies and toonies for our pockets. :-)

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  4. A fellow forgetter! I love it! You should start a group. Fellow forgetters could get together to commismerate. It wouldn't be hard to do. You'd promptly forget about the group, and no one would remember to show up to the meetings.

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  5. It's a bear. The Queen with a bear behind.

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  6. Love the term loonie. And the Queen with a bear (?) beh8ind!

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  7. @Mary G, In which case, you need to be very careful about spelling bear.

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  8. Well, a blessing in disguise!

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  9. You would think they would have noticed the lack of mats when they drove away.

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  10. I knew of “loonies”, but had not know of the term “toonies”. I like that!!!!

    The matts…… you could try power washing them at the car wash….. they then tend to look brand new. I probably do that once a year or year and a half…. when I get aggravated enough about them. 🙂

    PipeTobacco

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  11. Yes, the bear. Unless it's one of those limited edition toonies.

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  12. Those loonies and toonies are heavy when you have a pocketful as I recall. I never have change or any cash now.

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  13. I know loonies; I used to work for an international vending machine company. No idea you've added the two dollar "toonie".

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  14. I knew of loonies too, but not toonies. A forgetter of mats! That's a big item to forget. :)

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