Why do smart people do dumb things?

 

The short answer is that they are not as smart as they think they are!

 

Yesterday we moved in with Gail and Jim Cutler [of The Madagasgar-Lemur-Caper and Tiger-Safari-in-India fame], up the road from where we were staying at Kihei, Maui. The move went well enough and we were soon settled in comfortably with our good friends.

 

It was the day that we were scheduled to return our rental car. Jim and I started out to Kahalui in separate cars. A few hundred yards up the road I remembered that I did not bring our cash to pay for the car. Why cash you ask? At the Visa rate of 28% we did not intend to use our credit card in Maui this time. Therefore we brought US dollars from the income of our Condo in Maui. [Living here is not cheap, our first shopping trip to Costco a few weeks ago was $379, US$!]

 

So.... I called Fellette and told her I was returning and please dig up our cash. Dutifully Fellette appeared on the balcony as I drove into the driveway of the four-storey complex and proceed to insert the envelope with the money in the bill-holder in my wallet. She was preparing to throw it to me as I uttered the words "I don't think you should throw it!" Too late, soon the missile with over $1000 US was hurtling to the ground. It was composed of five $100 bills, eight $50's, several $20's and scads of $1's.

 

Please understand that winds can be very heavy here at Maalaea! Within ten feet of being propelled from the fourth floor, the wind miraculously opened my wallet, blew out and opened the envelope. Soon every single bill was flying to the ground being briskly escorted to a nearby drainage ditch by the warm Maui Typhoon-like winds.

 

Jim had appeared on the scene by now, returning to the Condo when I turned back to get the cash. Fellette had also now arrived on the driveway, in stocking feet, after waiting for the elevator. I cannot imagine what Jim was thinking when he arrived on the scene and saw me scrambling around on the blacktop and the weeds making mili-second decisions on whether to disregard a single dollar bill in favour of a twenty, fifty or, 'please Lord, make it a $100 dollar bill'.

 

We seem to have recovered all of the bills!

 

The lesson learned is... 'WEAR YOUR SLIPPERS' and Don't forget your wallet!