7:00 - wake up with GOOD intentions to get LOTS done today.
8:15 - when leaving my neighborhood, my car starts acting funny. I was just hitting empty so I stopped to get gas on the way to work. Have a little trouble starting the car after filling up, but figure it's just a fluke. Make the decision to drive to the store as I'd rather be stuck there than at home :)
8:30 - 10:15 - work and chatted with my coworkers.
10:15 - rush out the door to get to my dentist appointment in time. Car won't start. Thankfully, Susan let me borrow hers.
10:20 - I realize that Susan's inspection sticker says FEBRUARY. I have a mild heart attack since I am a law abiding citizen AND I'm driving right past the police station and the courthouse. Call Susan and yell at her :)
10:30 - Made it to the dentist without getting pulled over, even though I passed 2 men in blue. While I'm in the dentist office, the TV is broadcasting the weather and tornado warnings all over our area. It's nasty outside with heavy downpours and thunder. Nothing like the constant broadcast of tornado warnings to calm your stress from car troubles and illegal driving.
10:40 - I'm told I was scheduled for the wrong dentist. Rescheduled my appointment for later in the month.
10:45 - Pulled up to the service station asking if they could please inspect Susan's car. Told it would be a 90 minute wait. Can't do it as I have to get Marisa off the bus. I'm disgusted by the guy chewing sunflower seeds and spitting the shells on the floor. Pig.
10:50 - Enter my neighborhood where there is a cop RIGHT THERE doing radar. Thankfully he wasn't looking at me!
10:55 - Almost to my house. One of my neighbors, who is probably 106, decides he's going to pull out of his driveway without looking and comes INCHES away from slamming right into the side of Susan's car. Second mild heart attack.
10:56 - Pull in my driveway almost shaking from the thought of replacing Susan's brand new car. Called Jason so he could come rescue me. It would have been easier for Jason just to meet me at the store, but I don't have a car seat for Marisa and I can't take the chance of getting pulled over for an expired sticker AND no car seat. Ugh.
10:56 - 12:30 - Work on some reorders for the store - shopping is always a calming experience! Welcome Marisa and Jason home. Eat lunch. Listen to Jason answer questions for a top secret security clearance interview for a friend. Watch the rain come down like CRAZY outside.
12:30 - Head back to the store to return Susan's car. I made Jason drive in front of me so that I might have a chance of the police not seeing her expired inspection sticker. I prayed that it would rain really hard too so that no cop in his right mind would want to get out of his car :) Drop Susan's car off at an inspection site so she would be legal again.
1:00 - 3:00 - Safely take cover in the store while it pours outside. Poor Jason tries to figure out what is going on with my car and gets SOAKED.
3:00 -4:20 - drive back home in Jason's car to get Colby off the bus. Do homework, answer a few emails. Realize that I have not done a single item on my to do list.
4:20 - drive back to the store (for the 3rd time today - each time in a different car!) and hope that Jason has made some progress.
4:45 - 6:30 - Entertain the kids while Jason consults with my brother on the phone for a last ditch effort to fix my car.
6:30 - After a few trips to the car parts store, they come to the conclusion that it would be best serviced by a professional.
6:45 - Move ALL my scrapbooking stuff (I just went to a crop on Sunday) out of the back of my car into Jason's trunk. Threaten Jason with his life not to get grease on my supplies.
6:50 - Tow truck driver comes. I hand over my keys and $50 for a 2 mile tow.
7:00 - Pile in Jason's car and go to Pungo Pizza. I really want garlic knots, but chose a salad instead.
8:00 - Go to the service center and write a ticket for my poor little car. Wonder how many odd descriptions they must get when people try to describe what's wrong with their cars.
8:15 - Reach in my pocket when Colby asks me for the house keys only to find that they are NOT there. Check my purse, not there. Check my camera bag, not there. SERIOUSLY?!?!
8:30 - 9:00 - Get the kids in bed, distracted by the thought of losing my keys. Called Jody, asked her if she saw my keys when she closed the store. Called Susan, asked her to run up to the store (she lives right there) and double check the counters. Both report that there are no keys there. Meanwhile, I'm checking through all my scrapbook stuff to make sure I didn't drop them in a bag. Search Jason's trunk. Search his car, the seats, the floors. Big fat nothing.
9:00 - Jason volunteers to go out and retrace my steps in hopes of finding them. Both my house key and the store keys are on the ring. Poor Jason still smells like gasoline.
9:05 - Double check all my scrapbooking totes. Empty my purse for the third time. Go through my camera bag AGAIN. Nothing.
9:05 - 10:40 - Jason goes BACK to the store, searches the parking lot, the counters, the sidewalk. Nothing. Goes to Pungo Pizza, searches the parking lot. Goes BACK up to the store to search the office. Nothing. Goes to the service station to search my car. Thankfully he had the foresight to bring the spare set of keys. Nothing.
10:40 - Jason arrives back home, still in the damp and smelly clothes that he was wearing all afternoon. Decides he's going to throw away the trash bag in his car. Shakes it just in case. Hears the sweet sound of keys. Looks. Bingo. In the freakin' trash bag!!! Now, to explain myself. The trash bag handles go around the gear shift and the bag hangs on the passenger side. The keys must have been in my hand when I got in the car and put my purse and camera bag on the floor. I guess the keys came out of my hand and instead of going on the floor with my purse, they fell in the bag. Good grief.
11:00 - Get in bed b/c I just want this day to end. I fell asleep in about 26 seconds.
So, in closing (because this certainly hasn't been long enough!):
- my car is at the station. Guessing it's a feul pump issue. Mechanic says he can't get to it for a couple of days at best.
- my keys are in my purse. I will be guarding them with my life.
- I may need a second job to pay for repairs.
- I am home with no car. I can't even tell you the last time I was alone in my house. It's actually quite peaceful!
- my husband is the best. He took off work, tried his best to fix my car, got soaked, made several trips to the car parts store, tried to let Marisa help him (she got bored), drove all around creation looking for my keys, FOUND my keys, stunk like a gas tank, was filthy dirty and never once complained. I LOVE YOU HONEY!!! Thank you for all that you did :)
Now, back to that to-do list. I've got friends coming to Virginia Beach for a visit today...
