Kay, the anachronism, strikes again

Growing up, when Mother and Daddy took a trip the first thing they did to protect their funds was to buy traveler's checks. I remember in college traveling to Mexico and getting twenty dollar checks to convert. Even when we went to Australia in 2005, we took them to convert at the exchange offices. We took what was left (yes, we had some left) when we went last February, but we didn't cash a one.

It seemed the time to put them to use and, although the denomination is higher than twenty, I didn't think it would be a problem.

Enter lunch at Neiman's. The bill was nearly $30 (no complaints, it was very good!) and I asked, as a courtesy, if a traveler's check was okay. Bless her heart, the young waitress, competent in every other respect, didn't know what to do. She had to go ask. My spouse watched the action at the front desk. A conference. A phone call. Another phone call. More conferencing. Finally it was okay to sign the check.

A few take home lessons here: One, we're cashing them in tourist areas where they won't think it strange and two, we're cashing them NOW, before the little darlin's go the way of three dollar gas.