My mom’s birthday was Friday, but we (family) decided to do the little get together on Saturday (yesterday) because 1. She wasn’t feeling well on Friday, and 2. We all could come on Saturday.

Since I’ve been working long hours all week, I hadn’t had a chance to go shopping at all. I knew exactly what I was going to get. It was so easy. A checkbook cover. Oh, there was a check inside – I’m selfish, I want my parents to update their computer to at least a fast enough speed that they can handle things like the internet. So off I go on Saturday morning, to find a checkbook cover.

Except that noone sells the darn things. I went all over. Hallmark stores and the equivalent. Office supply stores. Department stores. Paper stores. Noone had them, and noone had a clue where to find them. Oh, wait. Yes. There were some suggestions. It was almost amusing how I kept getting pointed in a circle. But one prevailing suggestion remained. “Go to a bank. They give them away for free, you know.”

Well, that’s lovely, except that I am not about to give my mom a cheap plastic bank freebie for a birthday present – regardless of the fact that it’s merely meant to be a carrier for what’s inside.

See, years and years ago, when I was still a young thing, apparently I gave my mom a checkbook cover. It’s one of those fabric ones lined with lace that you see sold at craft shows and such. It’s been falling apart for years but whenever my dad suggested she replace it, the answer was always “No! Jennifer gave this to me! She’d be hurt if I threw it out.” The amusing part here is that I have no recollection of giving this to her (see the ‘young thing’ note earlier). So I wouldn’t have cared one way or the other.

But it’s this reason that I decided that I would get her a new one. Sort of carrying on the tradition. Or something. Except that noone sells the darn things! And I mean noone. Nada. Zip. Ask someone where you can buy checkbook covers and they’ll get an odd look in their eye and invariably say “You know, I’ve *seen* them somewhere….”

Sigh.

At least she liked what was inside. When I left last night they were discussing options for computers.

And I still need to buy her a checkbook cover.