Ever have those? I do occasionally\u2026 Not as much as I did during my misspent youth, though, but I do still encounter a doozy now and then. I suppose it comes from too much \u2018auto-pilot\u2019 activity\u2026 By that I mean acting or reacting more or less without conscious thought about what I\u2019m doing\u2026 going through the motions out of habit, routine. I had another one yesterday morning\u2026<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve done it untold thousands of times\u2026 I awaken in the morning and wonder if it\u2019s daylight\u2026 it almost never is. I get up anyway, because of the ultimatum being issued by my bladder\u2026 It\u2019s the one where I\u2019m informed that a discharge is imminent; however, if I act quickly, I can still determine where it occurs\u2026 the only choice is where, not if\u2026<\/p>\n
Once that is handled, the first real choice confronts me\u2026 should I return to the warm bed, or just stay up. I decided to just stay up yesterday, so I dressed, went downstairs, and into the kitchen. I\u2019d made the coffee ready the evening before, as usual, so I pushed the button, turned on my smart box, and headed for the patio door\u2026 just like I usually do\u2026<\/p>\n
I put on my jacket and cap, twisted the door knob and continued\u2026 Found my seat in the dark, fired up, and cast my gaze out at the barely visible trees silhouetted against the quite dim gray sky beyond\u2026 morning would be another hour, I reckoned\u2026<\/p>\n
This is quality time for this now \u2018morning person\u2019. I really enjoy just sitting there, alone in the dark, letting my mind free-wheel in that wondrous \u2018Beta state\u2019 \u2026 the interval between being sound asleep and fully awake.<\/p>\n
Sometimes I reflect upon things that have been just below the surface gnawing at my subconscious recently, other times I consider all that must be addressed this new day, but always random thoughts that just pop up\u2026 no structure or forced focus\u2026 that will come soon enough.<\/p>\n
Brrrrr, rather chilly this new day, and I was under-dressed for a lengthy ponder session anyway. OK, time for some magical ebony fluid so the cob-web clearing process could continue\u2026<\/p>\n
I grabbed the door knob to re-enter the house and\u2026 what? Damned thing was locked!!! Oh crap! I quickly checked my pockets for the key\u2026 no joy! How is that possible? I then mentally retraced the sequence of recent events that had led up to this unhappy circumstance\u2026<\/p>\n
Nick is still in the hospital, so I\u2019d done a couple of loads of laundry, including his dirty clothes hamper and bed linens, plus my own things\u2026 Because I wanted to do it all at the same time and in as few loads as possible, I\u2019d changed into my shorts so the jeans I\u2019d had on could also be washed\u2026 I can be so efficient sometimes\u2026<\/p>\n
Well, when finished washing and drying, I folded everything, then packed my stuff, all but what I\u2019d be wearing the following day, into my travel bag\u2026 I still didn\u2019t know when I might be riding off, but I like to be prepared for any sudden impulse or whim\u2026 The contents of my pockets were all neatly organized just like I always arrange them\u2026 on the counter\u2026 still on the counter\u2026<\/p>\n
I reckon one could argue it is a safety feature, but who really knows. Anyway, the door knobs on all of Nick\u2019s exterior doors will turn normally on the inside whether or not the door is actually locked. In order to avoid my then current circumstance, one must actually check the position of the twist knob or otherwise ensure they are not locking themselves out\u2026 an easily overlooked miniscule detail when operating on auto-pilot\u2026That explained my situation\u2026 but it didn\u2019t help it\u2026 Now what? I sat down again\u2026 it was now time to begin some focused, structured thought\u2026<\/p>\n
I looked in all the places folks often hide spare keys\u2026 under mats, on nearby ledges and shelves, under do-dads on shelves\u2026 nothing. I then began to consider having to break-in\u2026 Dang, I didn\u2019t look forward to first having to explain all this to my cousin lying in a hospital bed all pale and sickly looking, and already dealing with enough stressful stuff\u2026 I also dreaded having to spend the next couple of days having the door replaced, then having to pay for all that!<\/p>\n
And, what if the neighbors heard me\u2026? I then rehearsed my explanation to the cops when they eventually drew-down on me and had me \u2018assume the position\u2019\u2026 Dang, this sure seems a most severe punishment for such a tiny oversight, I thought to myself, as I fought hard to avoid summer-salting down the slippery slope of self-pity\u2026<\/p>\n
I picked up a propane tank on the patio next to the grill\u2026 Yep, that should be enough heft to get me in, but I surely didn\u2019t want to set that and all it would entail into motion\u2026 I sat down and began to think some more\u2026 It seemed even cooler by then than it had when I\u2019d first emerged onto the patio, and I was starting to think the break-in option may have to be employed soon.<\/p>\n
I wondered if I could remain on the patio until after daylight, then impose upon one of the neighbors to let me contact a locksmith\u2026? That seemed a viable thought at that, so\u2026 I longingly peered through the window at the coffee now ready, my smart box, the clothes for today lying right where I\u2019d placed them, my cell phone, all my pocket contents lying there on the counter\u2026 I could actually see the needed key! I imagined I could smell the aroma of those special mountain grown beans so meticulously selected by Juan Valdez\u2026 Dang it all anyway!!! This just ain\u2019t right!<\/p>\n
I returned to the rocker to think some more\u2026 and to brood some more, too\u2026 Hmmmm, I\u2019ve heard Nick mention his next door neighbor many times. He is a retired Marine Corps pilot and a really great guy, I\u2019d been told.<\/p>\n
They would check each other\u2019s mail when gone, and they even had keys to their respective houses\u2026 Could it be? The way things had been going so far that day, I doubted it\u2026 But, it would certainly be worth a try before bashing in a door or waiting on a locksmith \u2013 assuming I could even get one to come out on Sunday\u2026<\/p>\n
I made my way in the dark through the jungle of vegetation and decorative plants to the neighbor\u2019s front door and rang the bell\u2026 nothing\u2026 Hmmm, they\u2019re probably off visiting grandkids someplace, but it is still quite early\u2026 I\u2019ll try again in a while\u2026 I returned to the rocker\u2026 Surely the cops will be along any minute\u2026 better go over my story again\u2026<\/p>\n
Dawn finally arrived, and my legs were really feeling the chill\u2026 OK, let\u2019s try the neighbor again\u2026 I rang the doorbell thinking this was probably a futile effort, but it had to be tried anyway\u2026 at least I could tell Nick I\u2019d exhausted that sensible option before ruining his back door\u2026 The front porch light came on, and I nearly wet my pants!!!<\/p>\n
This brawny, manly looking figure appeared in the doorway as he opened it, and I looked for a weapon soon to be pointed at my face\u2026 Nope, his hands were empty\u2026 He was wearing only gym shorts, but he was a good-sized dude, and he appeared more fit than this mere refugee from the toils of sedentary labor. I began babbling like a caught-red-handed juvenile spilling his guts to the imposing authority-figure with the inquiring frown on his face\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere\u2019s Nick,\u201d he asked? In the hospital\u2026 \u201cWhy? Come on in, I do have a key here someplace\u2026\u201d WOW! I suddenly felt relief at least as great as making it to the potty just in time when dealing with a hugely elevated pooperosity level!<\/p>\n
\u201cHere, try these\u2026\u201d Mo had a collection of a dozen or more keys\u2026 none labeled. I told him he used a method of keeping track very much like mine. I have a similar number of unmarked keys on a large ring in my shaving kit\u2026 When in need, I just start trying keys until one works\u2026 I left to go try the ones he\u2019d handed me\u2026 None worked.<\/p>\n
Back to his house, where I discovered he had found a few more\u2026 I left again and gave them a try\u2026 nope. I returned them to him, and he informed me he had found one more, and that I should go try it\u2026 It worked!!! WOW!!! Life was suddenly oh so good again!!! Mo is far too big and tough looking to hug or anything, so I let a handshake and sincere \u2018thanks\u2019 suffice\u2026<\/p>\n
It sure felt good to pour that first cup o\u2019 Joe\u2026 at last! It tasted better than any I\u2019ve had in recent memory\u2026 I put my own key in my pocket, too\u2026 I\u2019m also considering a neck-strap or chain to wear that key twenty-four\/seven\u2026<\/p>\n
Disclaimer: No property or animals were injured in the making of this misadventure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ever have those? I do occasionally\u2026 Not as much as I did during my misspent youth, though, but I do still encounter a doozy now and then. I suppose it comes from too much \u2018auto-pilot\u2019 activity\u2026 By that I mean …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-meanderings-by-ddt-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=827"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":828,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827\/revisions\/828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}