Sunday, February 7, 2010

Going Postal



      The Boss had to work on Saturday afternoon which left me alone with the girls with just one errand to run.  All I had to do was run to the post office to get some stamps and mail off a letter.  "I got this," or so I thought.

     With the girls safely loaded in the truck, we were on our way to send a letter.  As usual, I shuffled from one radio station to the next as I always do to prove to "Tall Stack," (one of millions of nicknames we have for our first born) that I know every single song on the radio and that I can sing them in an American Idol finalist sort of fashion.  She is never as impressed with my obvious talents as I am.  She never actually says that I am a horrible singer but I can tell by the look of disgust that she tries to hide from me as to not hurt my feelings.

     Finally, and much to "Tall Stack's" relief, we made it to the post office.  I got out of the truck and got "Short Stack," (the one year old and an obviously much shorter stack than "Tall Stack," hence the name) out of the back seat.  I close the door and we walk about five feet before I realize that the damn keys have just been locked in behind me.  

     With the next band of the storm looming on the horizon, I knew I had to act fast or we were going to be in some serious trouble.  Having just recently renewed our Auto Club accounts, I knew the help was just a phone call away.  

     With the letter mailed off and help on the way, all we had to do was wait.........and wait........"The storm is getting closer Dad.".........and wait........"How could you do that Dad?"............riiiing......riiing.......The phone rings and the tow truck company claims to be here but there doesn't seem to be any sign of me, my kids, or my truck in the parking lot.  "That's because I am not at the post office on Grand Ave.  I am at the post office on California Ave."...........and wait.............and wait............."we're going to get rained on Dad."  
      Finally the tow truck arrives and the guy gets my door opened for me.  Everyone was once again safely loaded into their seats and we were on our way, dry I might add.  

     What makes this story so funny to me is not that we lost an hour of our lives in the parking lot of a post office. But that I have become the guy who I would usually laugh at for being such an absent minded fool.  "That kind of thing doesn't happen to me," I would say as I point and laugh at the douchebag stuck in the parking lot with no keys and a crying baby in his arms.  I'm afraid I've lost a step my friends.  I am not as cool as I was in the younger days.  The time has come for me to pass the torch to the younger generation of punks who will point and laugh at me while I make foolish geezer mistakes.

     While "Short Stack" was none too pleased about the whole situation, on the way home and in between me singing a little David Bowie, followed by a little Gwen Stefani, "Tall Stack" and I had a good laugh about the whole thing.   

       
    

6 comments:

  1. Oh man, how frustrating! Good thing you had some sweet tunes to keep you company! :)

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  2. I had a friend who drove this little hatchback car that smelled of funky pickles. Anyway, she locked her keys in the car when we went to the movies one time. We were too young to pay a locksmith and cell phones were a thing of the future even if we wanted to ask for help. I spent 45 minutes circling the car like a dog picking a tire to pee on. We tried sticks, sticking our arms through a 1/4 inch slit in the window, and contemplated kicking the glass out. The glass was saved when I kicked the bumper and the hatchback flew open. We laughed until we cried! That laugh made all that frustration go away. It was good times.

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  3. I'm glad you didn't get rained on!! That is one of the worst feelings, that "D'oh!" moment when you realize, seconds too late, that you're shutting the locked door on your keys.

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  4. I just recently locked my keys in my car. In my driveway. "No problem! I'll get the spare set." Which are in my purse. In my car. In my driveway.
    Bah.

    Glad the storm held off for you.
    Glad Tall Stack had a laugh over it. Or was it your rendition of David Bowie that made her laugh...
    :-)

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  5. Well at least your daughter will remember this day! LOL! Pass the torch! LOL!

    Hubby says..Ahem, Hide-A-Key.

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  6. Hide-A-Key.....Hah! I would never dream of such a thing. This kind of stuff doesn't happen to me.........Does The Home Depot have Hide-A-Keys?

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