The One About the Keys, II

It seems like just yesterday I blogged about being an idiot when it comes to my car keys. Apparently, though, it's been almost two years since I goofed. Where has the time gone? I have no idea.

You'll be glad to know that I no longer leave my purse in the car, even overnight, and I have tried very hard to make sure the extra set of car keys is in the drawer in the house instead of in the car. So even if the regular car keys do get locked in the car, I have a way of getting into said car and driving said car.

Yesterday morning, I was getting ready to leave for the Honda dealership. I'd received a notice that a recall is out for the driver's side airbag, and I had scheduled a 9:00 a.m. appointment. But when I got to the dealership...
Me: Hi. I have an appointment.
Matt: Great, let's get you started.
Me: Thank you.
Matt: Did you get a phone call saying the parts were in?
Me: No.
Matt: When did you make the appointment?
Me: August 3. And I've had two reminder emails since then that my appointment was today.
Matt: Hold on. Let me check on this.
Matt strolled over to the office and was gone just a few minutes. I could tell by the look on his face that his news wasn't the kind I was hoping for.
Matt: Okay, we don't have the parts. We can order the parts and you can bring it in tomorrow.
Me: Oh no. I made the appointment today because I don't have to work...
Matt: Well, let's see. I can probably get you a rental...and I can get it done by sometime on Friday.
Me: Hmmm. I really need the car Friday afternoon.
Matt: What time do you need it?
Me:  About 4 p.m.
Matt: I can probably have it done by 2 p.m.
Me: Thank you, that would be great.
At this point, I could complain about the Honda website, and the fact that the online booking system should have directed me to call the dealership to make the appointment (which would have ensured that a human ordered the parts). But I'm not here to complain, I'm here to inform you of my ineptitude. Notice that I had not been planning on leaving the car with the Honda dealership. I even had my book and computer with me, since I had anticipated sitting in the reception area for hours.

So when Matt arranged for the rental car, I handed my keys to him. Not the extra set I actually remembered to bring, but the set that has my house keys on it. It's not his job to notice I gave him the wrong keys. I didn't notice when I stopped at the pet store. I didn't notice when I walked into the library. But as I started the car to go home, I said to myself, Oh shoot. You are locked out of your house. 

I've done so many zany and stupid things that I didn't give myself a hard time. And I toyed with heading back to the dealership, but that would be 30-40 minutes round trip I just didn't want to waste. Instead, I drove to the elementary school and had the secretaries call Aaron, who thankfully had his set of keys in his backpack. I gave the boy a smooch and a hug, thanked him, and sent him on his way. (I can't be certain the secretaries and principal weren't laughing at me, and that's okay.)

The only thing left is to make sure Aaron has his set of keys in that backpack again, because he just might need to let himself in today.

Comments

Anonymous said…
We all have those kinda days... my fav story involving keys happened when a friend and I were out for sushi. She was driving. After a glorious lunch we go out to her car and see her keys dangling from the ignition. She's not worried, she has one of those magnetic boxes that hides a spare key on the outside of the car for just this kind of situation. She gets down on the ground to feel around for the metal box. Not there. Somehow it has fallen off. Well, she was twenty at the time, and home on summer break, there's a spare key at her parents. She calls her dad. He drives 30 mins to bring her the spare key. We wait. When he shows up he gets down on the ground, sticks his arm under the car exactly where my friend had searched, and pulls out the magnetic box containing the spare key that had been there the whole time.
Timmy said…
You actually said "Oh shoot?" I call bullshoot.
Earl Mark said…
Giving the wrong keys to the dealership sounds like something I would do. It is a good thing your son had an extra set in his backpack. You should always have an extra set of car and house keys on hand. You never know when you are going to need that spare key. I hope you were able to pick up your car on time.

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