Sometime during Phase V (waiting in DFW) I realized I had left my car keys and my house key in my back pack in Lavonia. How might you ask did this happen?
Well, in many ways it really has to do with the "free gift with purchase."
I've been on the market for a new computer bag for sometime (I bought a Prana one from Michelle, but for a variety of reasons didn't like it and so I was back to using my old black leather one, that has seen many many better days) . Christina and I really liked the Vera Bradley bags at Moonwater when we were visiting for Grandmartha's funeral. So we decided to go shopping for them for possible Christmas presents to each other. Well, I ended up getting a whole matching ensemble. Bag, hand bag, check book, wallet and when I was checking out, there was a free gift, but they were out of the key chain in my pattern so I got a cute little notepad sticky holder.
We wrap up all the presents and open them Christmas morning. At various junctures during the DHW marathon, we transferred our old purse plunder into their new homes, Sort of the grown up equivalent of playing with your Christmas toys... Late last night in the guesthouse, I did transfer the plunder from my old computer bag, but i did not take the keys out of the mesh inner pocket where I always keep my keys when I'm travelling... (so if only I'd gotten the key chain free gift).
We are off, admiring our bags much of the way. But for some reason just as we are in the midst of realizing we can get on an "earlier" flight to Austin, I also realized what I had done. So, Christina calls mom and Dad to get them to check down at the guest house for the keys.. but we still have the problem of me being locked out of the house (But decided that CT could fit through Dylan's dog door if necessary) and me being without a car for two days until the fed exed keys arrived. So CT called Kelly to come rescue us and she was going to loan me her new car (is that sisterly dedication or what?)
All this is going on via cell phone as we are boarding so our fellow passengers heard the tale of woe and got a great deal of enjoyment out of the story.. particularly when Dad made me get my suitcase down from the overhead bin to make sure the keys were not in my old purse.. Then when the "plane broke" okay, it didn't really break, but the auxiliary engine did... the guy behind us goes, "maybe he's lost the keys to the plane and he's looking behind the seat for them." Very funny.
We sat on the run way some time and in one of those travel hell take your chances lottery , our original flight actually got to Austin slightly before the earlier flight we boarded with much enthusiasm.
On the way home, it occurred to me that I might have a key to the back door in the Odyssey and so I could get triple AAA to come it turns out I'd left the Odyssey unlocked and also that the spare key for the Odyssey was in the glove box, so that problem was solved unfortunately, I didn't think of that option soon enough to keep Kelly from making the trip up.
But all is well. and I"m here in Austin. getting ready to have lunch with a former student and then do some Christmas shopping for Lenore, Henry and H.W. (we are exchanging presents at New Years instead) and then hitting the yoga marathon.
It is great to be back.
