I knew as soon as I shut the door and closed my hand around my keys that I did it again.

I grabbed my camera, my list, yes my handwritten list which I USUALLY leave on the table and then I locked the door, shut it and headed to the car. My first thought was, Oh crud, I grabbed the wrong key, I don't have the car key! Let's see I have a key to a friends house, a key to the mailbox at the post office, a key to the bank box and 2 other unidentified pieces of metal, but no car key...or house key!

I did the usual lap around the house, no luck.

I refused to try when my son did last time, I just knew if I tried sliding down the chimney there'd be no getting me out.

Then I started down a list of the kids. Let's see, there are 6 so one of them should be able to rescue me.

Oldest, babysitting.

Second 2 hours away.

Third at work at the local jail, there was no bailing me out this time.

Fourth lives in Cedar Rapids.

Fifth might be an option but also babysitting.

Sixth was no doubt at work.

So I went through the list again sending out S.O.S. messages and thinking, I have spare keys on my table so that this doesn't happen again...and where are they? Locked in my house on the table.

Finally after some shuffling my oldest came out bringing along her youngest and calling the grandma of the babysittee. Sliding down the chimney for me, she popped open the door, bless her heart.

The list was shot.

After bribing the possible help with ice cream grandma had to add ice cream to the list.

Missing my first date, I figured out how to work that into my schedule later.

I made it to the second appointment, But I had to skip the third thing on the list. I was at the rescheduled first stop when the phone rang.

I HAD to take the call. "Hello?" I said trying to sound all professional-like.

When that call was interrupted by a more important call. "I have to let you go, I interrupted."

After a quick goodbye, I switched gears again.

"Hello" again with the professional like voice.

"Hi Valerie, I needed to give you a call about the paperwork that we're working on..."

I conducted the business at hand, didn't sound frazzled at all, but I was watching the clock as the nice lady continued to stroll through the conversation without a care in the world.

I watched the clock thinking a) I'm paying by the hour and b) I will NOT miss this appointment!

She got off the phone just as I needed to get out of the car.

Then the phone buzzed again. Ignoring it, I left it alone, missing the days that you could actually walk away from the phone.

I finished what I needed to do then went home to find out the fourth event was not today, so I had time to download my pictures and at least put them in a folder, create a video write a story and then...I made it to the fifth thing albeit late.

This involved an out of town trip. So I shifted into planning the rest of my night as I drove away from the computer and on to my meeting.

Arriving home and remembering the frantic start, I grinned as I walked up to the door with my key ready.

There are things I've had to adjust to this last year. One is locking my door. The other is to make sure that I have the right keys apparently.

With the spare keys safely in the hands of a generation that is tired of bailing me out, I should be good to go, er, come back, or go whatever direction it is to keep stories coming at the time...and if a day or two goes by and you hear nothing from me, you can assume I'm sitting on the front steps waiting to be rescued again...

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