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Monday, October 20, 2008

Red Wing, we have a problem...

Once, a long, long time ago I locked my keys in my car - with the car running and a baby in the baby seat. Yes, it was my baby. Yes it was Stacy Jo. It was one of those big old cars that you could use a hanger to squeeze down in between the window and the black rubber stuff around the door, hook the lock, pull up and voila' you're in. I remember it was winter - very cold - and the baby just looked out at me calmly waiting for me to figure it out. I've gotten that same look hundreds of times over the years.

Today I topped even that. When I pulled in to the parking lot at city hall I was talking on my cell phone to the baby (who is now almost 24 years old). I got out of my car, talked to her all the way up to my office, pulled a loose button off the blouse I was wearing, struggled with my purse, the cell phone, the blouse with the missing button and managed to make it to my office. Two hours later I needed to get something out of someone's car to put in mine - went to get their keys and then began the search for mine. Where did I put them? I usually leave them hanging in the lock on my office door. Nope. Checked over/under the very messy desk. Nope. Asked Steve. Nope. Hmmmm - did I leave them in the car? I walk downstairs and from a few paces away can see them hanging inside the car in the ignition. Damn – I locked them in the car. Internal dialogue: I didn’t think these new fangled cars would even let you do that? Weird. Now I'm going to have to walk home, get the spare, walk back....oh well, it's a nice day....it's only a 1/2 mile. Then - I step closer to my car and realize it's freaking running! I got out of my car and walked away with it still running! What the hell?!? It could have been hours before I came back under normal circumstances….as it was it had been over two hours. The good news - the car wasn't locked and gas is at a recent low today of $2.40 a gallon.

Do you think I have a serious problem? Tell me you have done something similar…you have…haven’t you?

2 comments:

doubtisgood said...

I'm so happy we live in a town where you can leave your car running for two hours and come back to it and its still there waiting for you.
Now on to your VERY HILARIOUS PROBLEM--First, we thank heavens that Stacy isn't still sitting in the back of the car. Second, you have to go buy a car that works with a numeric pad only--no more keys for you. What more of an excuse do you need?

Anonymous said...

You will be glad to know you aren't the only one. I once went to a Twin's baseball game with a car load of kids and parked in a ramp in the Twin Cities. Was majorly surprised when I arrived back at the car 4 hours later with it still running. And back in those days one could lock the car with the keys in it - and it was indeed locked. Fortunately, hubby was going to night school in St. Paul so I managed to get a friend to drive all of us over to St. Thomas where we luckily found him studying in the library. He had both sets of car keys on his ring. So after almost another two hours we got back and unlocked the still running car. Hmmmm... gas was probably less than a dollar back then. Daisy Jean L.