I couldn't find my AT&T phone bill. I looked everywhere. I cleaned out and paid all the other bills. I went through the stack of important papers. I inspected the bag I carry back and forth to work (it often holds things to be dealt with immediately).

Then I went to work on the files in the file cabinet. All organized and labelled--but no AT&T. I felt pretty good about having all my paperwork organized and accounted for, but worried that I was going to have to call AT&T and go through the phone tree again

and once I reached a live person, convincing them that I was not some weirdo trying to gain access to my husband's phone bill (as if anyone would want to), but simply his wife, trying to pay his bill. The last time this happened, I had to get to a billing supervisor before I could pay my money down. Fort Knox should be so well-guarded.

I sat down by the phone, got pen and paper ready to do battle with the AT&T dragon, opened the cover of my accounts register--and there it was. The bill, in all its papery glory. Put there on purpose so it wouldn't be misplaced.

Another crisis goes away. Hooray!
Augurs well for the rest of the day.