Strange coincidences

Yesterday the spud had summer camp at the zoo.  I was finished with work a little early so on my way to pick her up I ran a few errands.  On a lark I stopped at a resale store to see if they might have a dining table chair I could pick up on the ultra cheap.

Background notes:  A few months ago one of my old dining room chairs broke and Leif declared it essentially unfixable.  So all summer when the spud was in town we had just one chair for sitting at the dining room table.  I do have some other chairs in storage that I could utilize, but I really hate them.  I think they are ugly, uncomfortable and bulky.  Strangely enough, in the past, I have had really good luck finding unique antique chairs at garage sales, resale shops and even at the curb on garbage day for a fraction of the price (or free) for what they charge for some of the ugly chairs they sell these days.  Often all they need is a quick wash and a new fabric seat, which I can usually replace in no time at all.

But I digress.

As I’m walking up to the store, lo and behold, I run into a fellow tour guide.   Let’s call him Rick.

“Rick!  What in the world are you doing here?”  I laughingly ask.

“Hey, Janie.  I’m shopping for a chair.”  He says.

“No way.  I’m here looking for a chair, too.  I guess I’ll have to race you for the furniture department.”

We fall to looking at the selection of chairs and I find a two-piece set of chairs that will fit my needs and are well within the poor-college-student budget.  I leave Rick, still butt-testing a few different chairs, to pick up the spud.

Upon arriving at the zoo, I park and get out figuring I’d go inside and use the bathrooms and look at the gift shop while I waited the last few minutes.  As I’m closing the door to the car I look over at the car parked next to me and think, that person looks familiar.  She is getting out of her car.  When she turns to face me, it clicks.

It’s Tiffany.  Yet another tour guide I work with.

“Hi Janie!”

“Hi Tiffany!  This is too funny!  It’s apparently run into tour guides day.  I just saw Rick at the resale shop by the mall.  We were both shopping for chairs.”  I laughed.

“That is too funny.  I’m here to pick up my younger sister.  She’s at zoo camp.”

“And I’m here for my daughter.  She’s in the zoo camp, too.”

 

What are the chances I’d run into not one but two fellow tour guides on opposite sides of town.  I seldom run into anyone ever.  Now that, my friends, is really what I call a funny coincidence.