My Bag of Tricks

Towards the beginning of the quarter, I invested in a large, rolling toolbox to bring my tools with me to class. My table mate has a regular toolbox but I just couldn't fit all my stuff in one that size. *Another huge thank you to everyone who participated in my Christmas surprise for that one!!!* At first, everyone giggled and playfully teased me about my huge toolbox, but then their curiosity started to get the best of them and, one by one, they approached me asking to see what was in my huge box. Once they all knew all the awesome things I had, they began asking me to borrow things and made jokes about my toolbox being my "bag of tricks". These things ranged from my scissors to my sifter. I let people borrow things, but made it perfectly clear that they were to clean and return them to me or else. Noone officially knew what the "or else" part was, although I jokingly threatened to shank someone at one point.

Last week was the buffet. One of the guys that used to work at a table with me asked to borrow my sifter. I allowed it, but reminded him several times that it needed to be cleaned and returned to my box before the end of the day. With all the craziness that went on that day, I forgot to double check for my sifter until I was down in my car. It was missing.

On Monday, I happened to be walking into the school with the person that had borrowed the sifter. I approached him in this manner:

"I was hoping to talk to you. Last week you borrowed my sifter for your station, and I never got it back."

Him, wide eyed: "No, no, no! I cleaned it and put it back on your table by your stuff!"

Me: "I don't doubt that you did that, but I never got it. I'm not mad, but I am letting you know that noone is borrowing any more of my tools until I either get my sifter back, or it is replaced."

Him: "Don't worry, I will find it!"

Me: "That would be great! Again, I'm not mad, but noone is borrowing my tools until I get a sifter back."

Him: "I will find it! Don't worry."

Me: "Ok."




He searched the kitchen and questioned people. No luck. So he came to me and told me that he is going to replace the sifter. That it is his fault, he should have handed it directly back to me. Tuesday he came in and said that he looked all over and could only find the kind that you squeeze with your hand, not the kind that you turn the handle and asked where I got mine so he could replace it with the same exact one. I told him and he says he will bring it to me on Monday. I am giving him the benefit of the doubt, but if he doesn't come through, I will be much more stingy with my things from now on. My tools not only have functional value, but also sentimental value since they were part of my huge Christmas surprise. They represent the love and support of all my family and friends. Hopefully he comes through.