Thursday, January 14 was a fabulous day: clear blue skies, with just the right amount of sunlight, and a nice crisp breeze. Morning workout completed, delicious pre- and post-workout meals, with gourmet-style lunch and dinner also prepared to take for the long day ahead of me, followed by hanging out with coworkers at a really cool bar that has every game and console that has ever existed! What could possibly ruin this day? Honestly, even what did happen didn’t ruin the day because I luckily had a chunk of time that allowed me to take care of everything in a timely manner with more to spare.

I pull into the office early to get some writing done before my students start showing up, I check my painting in the back seat of my car to see if it is dry and ready for the next layer (it is!), I get out of my car, lock close the door, start walking away, and “Well Sh!t,” my keys are in my car. For the past I don’t know how long I haven’t been carrying a purse because it is so much easier to just have the essentials (Driver’s License, credit card, an emergency $20, and apparently not keys) hidden in your pocket. Needless to say, I didn’t have my spare key on me. It is in my purse. I knew exactly where it was in my apartment, too. My AAA card is also in that purse with the key.

Have no fear, awesome coworker is here! I borrowed K’s car to drive to my apartment to go get my spare key from my room, then drive back to the office like nothing happened. If the thought hasn’t crossed your mind by now, where do you think the key to my apartment was? If you guessed locked in my car with the other keys you are correct! Quick-thinking me knows that I can get the office to lend me the master key, that is once I get to the apartment. K’s gas light was on, so I put some more in and then continued on my merry way. (She paid me in a delicious watermelon moonshine cocktail drink thing at the bar later).

I arrive at my complex, park by my apartment, then walk to the other side of the complex to the office. I told them I locked my keys inside my apartment because, well, I don’t actually know if that sounds any better than in my car. They need my apartment ID, which is in my apartment somewhere temporarily buried in the midst of Iceland packing/partial unpacking. I offered up my Driver’s License for them to hold hostage instead. They obliged. I ran back to the other side of the complex, entered my apartment, got my spare key, then started running back to the office before stopping myself since I could just drive back to the office since it is on the way to the exit. DUH! I gave the office the master key back, they asked how it happened. If you don’t know me by now, just don’t bother asking questions like that because more often than not, even I don’t have explanations for some of my experiences! But it makes for a more entertaining life, if nothing else.

Lessons to learn: Don’t do that again, but if it happens, there are ways around using AAA sometimes! But…just don’t be in that situation.

If anyone is having a bad day, just remember to keep smiling because there is a silver lining somewhere, you just have to find it through cynicism-turned-sarcasm and light humor!