D'oh!

I hate it when I do things that are simply stupid.

Without going into the details of how or why, I managed to lock myself out of the house today.

I was bringing the garbage cans out from the backyard to the front sidewalk. It was 5:45pm.

Now comes a bit of irony: For those of you who don't know, Dick almost always comes home at 6:00 sharp. (one of the benefits of riding the Caltrain is knowing exactly what your schedule is!) However, every once in a while, he does this thing at work called "Workaholic Wednesdays" where he orders in dinner and encourages people in his team to stay late. It figures that I would lock myself out of the house on the one day that he won't come home for several more hours!

So, how'd I manage to get back in?

I knocked on my next-door neighbor's door. Luckily she was home, but she did mention that she wasn't feeling well today. I asked if I could borrow her phone. Pete & Richard have a key to our house, so I figured I would try to call them first.

Then, it occurred to me: All of my phones have my friend's numbers programmed into them, so I hardly ever dial anyone's numbers, so I don't have many phone numbers committed to memory anymore. Luckily, I do know Dick's cell phone number. I call him at work, tell him what's happening, and he tries to call Pete on his other line. No luck. I think Pete has dance class on Wednesday. Dick says he can call Richard, but he doesn't have his number memorized, so he'll have to hang up with me to call Richard from his cell phone. We hang up, Dick calls Richard, then calls me back at our neighbor's house. Neither Pete nor Richard are answering their phones at home, or their cell.

Hmmmmm..... what to do now....

Dick asks if my sister has a key.

"YES!"

My sister just started working on a new show in Union Square this week, so I know she's there, but I also know that they have a very busy day today, and she wasn't sure what her schedule would be like today. I call her cell phone. Luckily, she answers. She says she doesn't have time to come all the way over, but she could deliver my extra key to the Adlers at their gallery.

GREAT! Jim and Cynde were supposed to drive over to my house tonight to deliver a piece anyway.

So I call Cynde. She said that Jim is running late from his other job in Oakland, and that he probably won't be to the gallery until 7:00 or so.

Time check: 6:15. Okay. that's an hour. No Problem.

I let Cynde know that my sister is coming over with the key, and I'll be waiting for them on my front porch at 7:15 or so.

I didn't want to disrupt my neighbor any longer. She was super nice about everything, but I felt bad because she was sick, and trying to work, too. So I told her that since the weather had cleared up, I'd take advantage of it and take a nice walk around the neighborhood.

I should mention that although I was without my purse, my cell phone, or a jacket, I was still feeling pretty good that I was looking decent in a pair of jeans, and long sleeved shirt and tennis shoes. This all would have been much worse if I locked myself out wearing my bum-around-the-house-and-I-don't-plan-to-see-anyone-clothes, which I would never walk around the neighborhood in. ;)

I walked down to Castro Street, along Market, and made my way over to Church Street. While I was over there, I decided I may as well check out a florist on Church street that was recommended to me. I perused through a great book store on my way back, and picked up a copy of the Bay Guardian to read while I wait for Jim and Cynde.

I made it back home by 7:15, and took a seat on our lovely little porch. It started to get a little chilly, but I thought I could hold out for another 1/2 hour or so.

Jim & Cynde pulled up around 7:50 in their brand new spankin' car. Jim laughed, telling me that he had left me a phone message saying they probably wouldn't make it over tonight because he was leaving Oakland so much later than expected. Of course, when Cynde told him what was going on, he was happy to drive over here.

All is well now. I'm nice and warm in our cozy little home.

As Dick would say, "That's 2 hours of my life that I'll never get back". :)

Tomorrow I'm going to make a few duplicate keys to give to my neighbors and friends.