it's not all bad news

My request for a new insulin pump (to replace the one that is out of warranty and whose buttons are starting to get cranky) was denied yesterday. I'm working on a multi-pronged approach to the appeal process. Lumpyhead's Mom has a post up today regarding the potential for insurance to become phone/cable/internet-ified. I'm here to tell you it's already happened. And it isn't because of a government health insurance option.

But, I don't really want to rant on and on about my insurance woes. I want to tell you something good that happened to me yesterday. The story starts on Sunday, though.

I was out running errands and pulled into a parking spot in a small lot surrounded by shops and fast food restaurants. I got out of the car, locked the doors and dropped my purse. I heard my glasses rattle and I saw the Juicy Juice box slide under the minivan beside me. I cursed, retrieved the juice, confirmed that the glasses were still in my bag, and headed off to evaluate lateral file options.

Later that night, I downloaded the latest episode of Cast On and went to get my iPod for syncing. It was not in my purse. I knew it had been before I dropped said satchel on the asphalt. I dumped it out on the dining room table, but the iPod did not materialize.

Monday, I took a detour on my way to work to see if by some crazy stroke of luck it would be sitting, unnoticed, on the pavement. No, I didn't really think so, either.
I took a few minutes late morning to call the three stores with doors nearest my parking spot. I didn't think a kind soul would walk to the furthest business to turn in some dope's neglected audio addiction. Two clerks took my name and number; none of them had seen an iPod turned in.
A few hours later, I got a call from someone clearly unsure who they'd dialed. It was the shop that didn't take my number; I guess they used caller ID. A guy was there with flyers because he'd seen my iPod flung under a van as it pulled out (without running it over), pulled in carefully, rescued the device and taken it home for the night. He asked me to tell him what was on it. I described the case and told him one of the audio books I've got on there. We exchanged numbers and agreed to figure out a time for the exchange since he didn't have it with him just then.

Yesterday, we connected by phone and arranged to meet where I'd lost the iPod in the first place. This most decent fellow identified himself as Mike, an "old guy with grey hair driving a grey van without hubcaps." He said he and his daughter had been trying to guess my gender and age and pegged me at 28. Add 10 years (in less than a week), thank you! I think my eclectic taste had them a bit baffled. I got to the appointed parking lot in twice the time I'd guessed. The freeway traffic had been especially bad. Mike didn't seem to mind. He crossed the lot with his dog to greet me. We shook hands, I petted the dog (who was very calm and kind and reminded me how much I miss having one around), Mike said he'd really wanted to keep the iPod, but he'd have filled it with Led Zeppelin for mowing the lawn. He turned down my offer to burn him some CDs of my tunes. I thanked him several times, he told me there's a place to put your phone number on the iPod (which I still need to figure out), and we said goodbye.

I don't expect to see Mike again, but I hope someone out there does something really really nice for him soon. He gave me hope in humanity this week. Thank you, Mike.

Now I have all my stuff. But what makes me happy is that someone cared enough to get it back to me.