I still was leaving the house fifteen minutes late. I should be leaving no later than 8:15 AM to make it Saratoga by 9:00 AM. I packed the back pack, money clip, gum, and chap stick from the dresser. Double checked the tart burner to make sure that is was off. Should have grabbed my keys which were in the wicker bowl next to the burner but for some reason my mind wondered to the living room window. Decided I wanted to open it a bit just to let a little air circulate. I t was going to be a scorcher today, so I turned off the fan and air conditioner. Left the ceiling fan on, checked Bambi’s water level, proceeded through the dining room and said good-bye to Lily. I entered the kitchen and looked around; dishes were in the rack from last night. Looked at my watch, 8:29 AM., gotta get going the dishes will have to wait until I return. At least they are not dirty and in the sink. Joyce would be OK with that. Grabbed my lunch pale off the kitchen table and proceed out the back door with the lunch pale in my left hand, back pack over my left shoulder, and my Netflix returns in my right hand. Juggling as usual, I pushed on the screen door which doesn’t have the summer screen in it yet. Jacqui needs to have it re-screened. I guess it will happen when the summer is over. Trying to be careful not to touch the glass on the door, I pushed the bottom of the door with my right foot as it began to close back on my. Instinctively, my left forearm touched the glass as I twisted to the right to grab the inner door and close it. Mission accomplished but darn it, I smudged the glass.
Here goes my brain: tonight I have to put the dishes away, Windex the window, and take out the garbage. Hmm, since I’m planning to cook some flounder – I should put the dishes away while the fish is cooking and run the hot water only in the sink. Yeah, I think I can manage that little multitasking without burning the fish. I’ll be in the same room. Good idea Eddie. This thought process takes me down the 17 stairs to get to the lower landing of the house. Cut through Jacqui’s mud room (we call it a back porch), out the door, down the ramp and to the car. As I closed the outer door it hit me – My keys! Yep, no car fob in my pocket and no house keys dangling from my right hand with the Netflix envelopes. I get the visual. The keys are in the wicker bowl next to the tart burner.
Panic stricken for a moment, I realized that JeLoni is home. I began to knock on the door. Angel, of course, hears me and begins to bark. I hope this will arouse JeLoni. I stop for minute and call the office and inform them of my plight. Then I realize, duh, that JeLoni has a cell phone. She let’s me in and I ask, “Does your mother have the key to upstairs?” She indicates that it is probably in her mother’s room which, of course is locked. I text Jacqui and she confirms that she has a key and that it is on her dresser with the perfume and I will have to search for it. She advises that JeLoni will be able to open the door to her room.
Organization is not my sisters’ strong suite. Joyce would hold important papers for her so she could find them when needed. Mama, I could really use you right about now, I think to myself. I try to remain calm and not get aggravated, that would only hinder my search. I began riffling through the papers and bottles of perfume trying to locate the key. When I would find one I would run upstairs to see if it worked. Forty-five minutes later, three attempts and trying not to lose my composure with JeLoni who insisted on asking questions and giving directions on tasks that I was already in the midst of, I found the right key. I asked JeLoni, “Why is it that women tend to give direction to men when they are already begun the task.” Of course she didn’t like that and rolled out of her mother’s room mumbling. I explained to her that it’s not just her; it’s the women at work as well. In fact Joyce did too. It was just an observation which I verbalized, probably shouldn’t have but the frustration of the search had me on edge.
Well, I went upstairs, grabbed my keys, and proceeded to the car leaving my back pack, lunch bag, and Netflix envelopes in the mud room. Man, you need to get it together. I went back into the house and made nice with JeLoni. I asked if she read my blog post from last night yet. She indicated she hadn’t but did read about Aunt Loie, whom she does not recall. JeLoni wasn’t born yet. She also indicated that her sister, JeNae is intrigued with my postings and left a comment on one of them. I finally got on the road and headed off to work.
Lesson learned this morning was to move my keys closer to the money clip which also contains my driver’s license. That way in my blurry morning state, I would not forget my keys and lock myself out again. At least I didn’t have to climb through the window or call the land lord who lives 2 hours away to come and open the door like I did when I lived in New Jersey.
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