We ran low on milk, a regular event.

Jeff volunteered me to run out and pick some up, taking his car to fill up his gas tank. I believe that's the proverbial "two birds with one stone" at least from his perspective.

The low-gas indicator was on, so I switched off the A/C - doesn't work anyway - and set the cruise control. By the time I'd reached the gas station, the indicator light had switched off and my mileage-to-empty number had jumped 10 miles. I have never trusted the trip computer in that car.

The nearest place to get gas and milk on a Sunday afternoon is a super-convenience store just down the road from a major amusement park. I try to avoid the store during peak morning and afternoon hours, if not altogether during the summer. But, without the kids in tow, I decided that I could manage the hustle and bustle of hungry, thirsty, tired, sun-baked folks who wonder whether they just wasted their hard-earned wages and precious free time waiting in line for rides at a worthless rip-off.

I hit the ATM and received my $100 in tens, a clear indication that the machine was dipping low into its cash reserve. The unusual denomination flashed me back to several years ago when I pulled money from my bank's ATM on a Friday night.

We were going to the Colts Neck Fair, an annual event in mid-August (coming up!), and I requested my usual amount, $100. I received the expected five bills however, to my surprise, not all of the bills were twenties. One bill was a one hundred dollar bill. In all of my years using automatic teller machines ... and I used to work for NCR, ironically! ... I have never received an amount different from what I requested. I thought, "Well, the bank probably owes me this in one way or another anyway" but I couldn't keep my unbelievable good fortune from Jeff upon returning to the car.

He told me that the best thing to do, on the next business day, was to return to the bank branch and report the error and make an exchange. I had no choice but to follow his advice.

I tried to talk with someone at the counter about it but I was directed to speak with someone at a desk.

"I encountered a problem with your ATM on Friday night. I did not receive the amount of money that I requested."

"I see. Well, you'll have to sign this paperwork and wait until we run an audit. By how much was it off?"

"Eighty dollars. I requested $100 and the machine gave me $180."

"Oh, I see! You don't have to sign anything. Do you have the one hundred dollar bill? Yes, well, let me just exchange it for you."

And that was that. Maybe she pocketed the difference, I dunno.

Actually, I hear some very shady things happen at banks these days. One of the reasons that we bank online and use electronic funds transfer for just about everything.