Many years ago I used to "lose my car" in a shopping center parking lot. No not the Walmarts, Targets or Home Depots but those regional shopping centers with 4 or more large department stores. There was a company whose buildings have been bought by Dillards. The buildings are squares- three sides exactly the same with the fourth opening on the mall side. You know the type?

Well, when I was working I would be brain dead. My mind was a million miles away. Losing the car was common place and I've been in security cars being driven row by row looking for my car.

To solve my dilemma, I started writing a note to myself with one of the following- the direction as stated above the door (North, South, East or West); the Street name; or the object being sold near the door such as lady's sportwear, menswear, shoes etc. It helped when I did this.

Well, I'm doing it again! Today, I "lost" the car again. The lady's will know what I mean when I say I had purchased the minimum sale for a huge price "gift" cosmetic case of one of the better make up manufacturers. Each store has different gifts at different times of the year, some have a better collection of goodies than others. This time I couldn't decide when I could get one since I desperately needed lipstick and all I had were a pale pink and a light brown which had been part of the gift 2-1/2 years ago. Dillards hadn't had the gift so I tried Macy's and I was able to pre-purchase the deal this past week and today was pick-up day. It had started to rain and I had to park in a parking lot on the way because visibility was terrible and when it let up, I continued to the mall (which is about 20 miles from home).I didn't feel like walking the distance from a parking spot at Dillards and decided to find a place near Macy's. I had to go all the way around the back passing a JCPenney and finally found a place. The rain had let up a bit and I opened the umbrella and was parked a slight distance from the door and to the left of it. This store is also the square style. I found the department from the entrance, picked up my purchase and saw the escalator near-by and decided to go to gadgets and see if they also have a discount room as the Macy's in the Miami area had. I used to work there for OXO and always enjoyed looking. I found the down escalator and started home but when Iwent out, I had a problem knowing the direction because I had driven around the lot. I know the way the mall faced but didn't know which way the store faced. I've maybe shopped at that mall 5 times in the 20 years my sister had lived there.

I didn't find the car and looked up and down all lanes where it should have been. I drive a low car which is hidden amongst the numerous vans and it is maroon (wasn't my choice) as were many cars in that area. When I couldm't find ot, I started to look on another side, even tough it didn't look right. It had to have been on the 3rd side but I thought I had oassed JCPenney completely and when Is tarted to look there saw Penneys and decided that it wasn't there. About this time, I saw the security car and asked the driver if he had seen it. He took out a small pad and was writing the info down and I thought this man may be suspicious of an "old" lady who looks like maybe she was a run-away from a nursing home or someone who had had a nip for lunch. He told me to stand near the store entrance out of the rain (although it stopped) and I was glad of that because there was a bench there. He drove around and asked me if it had a bumper sticker on it and I said no, and he left again. Finally he came back again and said he found it and I should get in and he'd drive me there. Well, he had a large truck and although I would lead it with the left leg- my good one), I'm short and couldn't climb in. I told him I had a bad leg and learned to walk and would walk there. I could see where he was going and I then saw the car. It was on the 3rd side!

MORAL of this tale- never again enter a mall store without writing a note to myself of the entrance!