Locked Out

Today started out wonderfully well. Mr. Olsen took the boys to school and I got to sleep in! I love it when that happens! Then little one and I spent a nice day designing and creating the Valentine's treats she wants to hand out at school. Then we made lunch together, mac & cheese with hot dogs, her choice. I haven't eaten that in a very long time, it was YUM! Before we knew it, it was time to start the pick-up routine.

I have been picking up a friend's daughter from school because she started student teaching this semester. Her daughter goes to a different school than my boys, it's not a huge deal, I am making my rounds anyway. BUT, I do have to be at her school early, if I am not in the front of the line there is no way I am going to make it across town to get my monkees from their school. Timing is everything.

Anyway, back to my story... Since Cait and I are having a lazy day we actually needed to go and get dressed before we left the house. I thought about changing into some jeans but, quickly dismissed the idea because I was just going to grab the kiddos and be home. Remember that, it comes into play...

The Monkee Mobile was looking a bit, OK, a lot, dirty and needed to have some of its contents emptied before I filled it back up with children. I got busy throwing extra coats, gloves, hats, coloring books, bags, toys, etc, etc into the house and Cait got busy throwing out any trash. When we felt that we had done a good enough job, I grabbed my purse, locked the kitchen door and "slam", as soon as I heard the click, I knew. I knew the moment it happened. I could picture them in my head. My Keys! They are still hanging, innocently, on the lovely, metal, rectangular plaque marked KEYS in the kitchen. You know, the room across from the locked door I just shut.

And so begins the oft futile attempt to see if any door or window could possibly, just possibly, be open. NO.

Next begins the very panicked trail of phone calls. To anyone whose name pops into my mind. The only one answering her phone has to pick up her own children and had no room in her van for an additional 5 people. I have to call my friend at the elementary school she is teaching at and inform her that I am locked out and can not pick up her daughter as planned. She then in turn has to call her husband, who had to take off from work to go get his daughter from school. UGH!

A few more phone calls and I find someone who is able to get my boys from school. Hooray! The stress is starting to lift.

And then quickly returns... because after SEVERAL phone calls, to SEVERAL different numbers, I finally hear from the property management company. Guess what?! They don't have a spare key! Are you kidding me?!

I have now been locked out for a little over an hour. Luckily, the van had been unlocked and Caitlyn and I at least had somewhere to sit out of the cold. I left her in the van to go try a screwdriver on the office window. After a few minutes she follows me to the front of the house. I am not having any luck so I told her to come with me and we will go back to sit in the van. Well, she's locked the van doors!

I have to call a locksmith. I can only imagine what this is going to cost. I have no other choice, I make the call. Only to have my stupid blankety-blank phone beep at me that it has a low battery!! I no longer ask, "What else could possibly happen?" because I have learned the hard way that things could ALWAYS be a lot worse! I gotta say I was close. Have I mentioned that Spencer is headed to Ohio for the week and I am still in my pajamas and I am not wearing a coat?!! No, well there you go.

My boys are brought home and my rescuer offers to stay with us until the locksmith gets here. He told me he was only 3 miles away and would be here in 10 minutes. 30 minutes later he pulls up in his van. Although very tardy he is a sight for sore eyes. Alright, the pros are here, I am going to be back in the house and crawl under a blanket and defrost! I'll bet he'll have that door unlocked in 5 minutes.(hahahaha)

He tries the garage door, I had only locked the bottom lock and apparently it is cheaper to unlock 1 versus 2 locks. It won't unlock. He tries the front door, 2 locks but, seriously, at this point, I don't care what this is going to cost! It also will not open! He tries the garage door again, nothing. (God, do you hate me?) Then he asks if all the doors have the same lock. Um, yes. We only have 1 key for the whole house. So he has to take the entire doorknob off the outer garage door, take it back to his van and completely re-key the lock! I guess this will allow him to make another key to enable him to open the door.

In the meantime "rescuer" has to get back to her own children and her own life. I watch her leave and had to really restrain myself not to cry and run after her!(pathetic, I know)

Finally, Locksmith Man's plan works and we are back into our nice, warm, stupid house!

Total elapsed "lockout" time: 2 hours 47 minutes

ETA: In my very negative, poor attitude yesterday, I was wrong not to say that I did have some very wonderful women helping me locate the people who could help me. And they even called periodically to make sure that I was OK. So even when I am having a spastic crisis, I am still surrounded by people who care!