Monday, August 10, 2009

UPS Next Day Air: You're Welcome.

I just lined up everything I needed for today's errands (a check for the bank; the shopping list and tote bags for a Trader Joe's run; a couple items and their receipt to make a return at AC Moore; money and empty egg cartons for the family from whom we buy fresh eggs), and...

...after a (mercifully brief) search, realized that I'd left my keys in my brother's car, which...

...is now in New Jersey, where he returned last night after a weekend visit up here.

That's a wee bit out of range of the beeping key finder device I had a while back, which, though it did help locate my keys if they were on my desk or in a coat pocket instead of on their hook, turned into something of an embarrassment when it wouldn't stop beeping, unprompted, no matter which battery got replaced or how often.

So I had to call my egg-selling friend back and say I wouldn't be coming after all, because I had no keys. She must think I'm losing my mind. The last time I bought eggs, I was $3 short because I'd left my wallet at home and didn't realize it until I was in her doorway. She was very cheerful about that, and very cheerful about this. I think it must be something of a relief to see there's someone who has her shit less together than you. I guess I don't mind being that person once in a while.

However, a firm Note To Self: Don't take critical items out of their usual places. Just don't. Even if it means bringing the whole handbag when all you need with you is a single key -- bring it. Also: saying out loud, "I AM PUTTING MY KEYS HERE," is not a reliable safeguard against forgetting to pick them back up, though it will help you remember where you left them, once it's too late.

Sigh.

5 comments:

  1. Oh Thank Gawd...

    Its Not just me who's scatty then ?

    Well, thats a relief

    ;-)

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  2. Years ago, in a very tough neighborhood, I locked myself out of the car. The walk out of the neighborhood was frightening to say the least, notwithstanding that back in the day I was a very formidable presence. First thing I did after making the retrieval was to go and have a complete set of keys made, I now carry two sets. I also put up a key rack in the kitchen that has spares to everything, those keys never leave the rack. You will thank me later.

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  3. Ay! You know what I have taken to doing, since I can't rely on my OWN brain to remember anything any more? Telling my kids to remember things for me. As in, "Tomorrow? When I ask you where I put my keys? Answer that they are on this shelf."

    Of course, it's not exactly a fail safe system.... and it does nothing to refute their perception of my feeble mental state, but let's get to the real point here: they have Trader Joe's on the Cape?

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. [Previous comment deleted b/c I don't make sense before tea.]

    YES! Trader Joe's came to Hyannis a few years back. They're right on Route 132, in the (godforsaken) Christmas Tree Shop plaza.

    It was one of the best things ever to happen to our fair peninsula. I rank it right up there with the designation of the National Seashore.

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