An Unanticipated Way I Spent My Vacation: A.K.A. Absolute Stupidity
So far I have conquered the following numbers on my to-do list:
1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, and 18, and have done some of 6, 14, and 17, though more to do!
But there is a story that goes along with my efforts to be productive. In fact, I have to add a number to the list. I was doing pretty well in my productiveness today, had completed some paperwork (number 11 if you're counting), and had made good headway on writing the article for TOR (number 5). In fact, I was in the middle of it mid afternoon. I had also been doing some laundry. The laundry room is practically right across from one of my doors. My laundry was drying, and near the end of its drying cycle. I went to check on it, because if it isn't dried totally and you don't put in another quarter before the time expires, you can't just add one quarter, but have to start again with another four quarters and 56 minutes worth of drying. So I went to check on it. It wasn't quite close enough for me to stop and feel whether it was dry enough, so I zipped right back across the hall to my condo.
But the door was locked. Uh oh. At this point I had a bad feeling start to develop within me. I tried the door again. Yup, it sure was locked. And then I tried my second door. It too was locked. I had opened the door and forgotten to unlock it on my way out, or else had absent mindedly locked it behind me. I never do this! I am ALWAYS careful NOT to lock the door behind me as I leave, or to make sure I have my key on me. But this time, probably in my distracted state over the article I was writing, something had happened to break up my routine. I had no key to get back in, and the door was most definitely locked. AND I didn't have any shoes on, just socks (it is right across the hallway and within my building, so I'm pretty casual going to do laundry).
At this point I realized I was in for an unexpected major interruption to my plans for the day. It was only about 2:30, and there was no way I could get into my own house. I had no keys to anything, so could not trot out to my car and go somewhere. I had left my phone in the house, so there was no way I could call someone, unless I got really bold and asked a neighbor to borrow their phone. And my condomate (who shall remain anonymous for reasons of confidentiality!) was not due home from work for over an hour.
So I stood and sat in the laundry room. Grrrr. Here I was, being all holy and honorable for taking up the assignment of writing an article for TOR, and this had to happen! What gives? So much for my plans to get this and something else done today! Actually, my attitude wasn't really that negative, I don't think. It's just fun to be dramatic about it after the fact. I tried to spend the time profitably in thought, etc. And I folded my laundry in the laundry room once it dried. And I explained my predicament to the young woman who came in to retrieve her laundry with a 3-4 year old (I'm guessing) son in tow. She was back for the second time, and I knew she probably thought I was bonkers just sitting on the floor in there, my folded laundry next to me on a table. So I told her what had happened.
I also had fleeting thoughts about what would happen if my condomate didn't come back at his usual time. What if he did errands, then went straight to class and didn't return until 9? (Turns out he had no class tonight, so that wouldn't have happened.) I could wait for a little over an hour, but what about 6 plus hours? That would have been awful.
When he finally drove in, I was a very happy guy. I told him I was so happy to see him I could almost hug him (don't worry, I didn't!) If he didn't live with me, I guess I would have had to borrow a neighbor's phone and call a locksmith, which would have been far worse and more disruptive (at least to the wallet) than sitting around with nothing to do for an hour!
Moral of the story: avoid absolute stupidity and don't imitate me. Now I'm contemplating the possibility of keeping a spare key in my car, and a hideakey to access my car, to avoid this ever happening again. Or I could just remember to keep the door unlocked when I leave...
So number 20 to my vacation to-do list, now completed: spend over an hour hanging out in the laundry room, locked out of my own condo.
1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, and 18, and have done some of 6, 14, and 17, though more to do!
But there is a story that goes along with my efforts to be productive. In fact, I have to add a number to the list. I was doing pretty well in my productiveness today, had completed some paperwork (number 11 if you're counting), and had made good headway on writing the article for TOR (number 5). In fact, I was in the middle of it mid afternoon. I had also been doing some laundry. The laundry room is practically right across from one of my doors. My laundry was drying, and near the end of its drying cycle. I went to check on it, because if it isn't dried totally and you don't put in another quarter before the time expires, you can't just add one quarter, but have to start again with another four quarters and 56 minutes worth of drying. So I went to check on it. It wasn't quite close enough for me to stop and feel whether it was dry enough, so I zipped right back across the hall to my condo.
But the door was locked. Uh oh. At this point I had a bad feeling start to develop within me. I tried the door again. Yup, it sure was locked. And then I tried my second door. It too was locked. I had opened the door and forgotten to unlock it on my way out, or else had absent mindedly locked it behind me. I never do this! I am ALWAYS careful NOT to lock the door behind me as I leave, or to make sure I have my key on me. But this time, probably in my distracted state over the article I was writing, something had happened to break up my routine. I had no key to get back in, and the door was most definitely locked. AND I didn't have any shoes on, just socks (it is right across the hallway and within my building, so I'm pretty casual going to do laundry).
At this point I realized I was in for an unexpected major interruption to my plans for the day. It was only about 2:30, and there was no way I could get into my own house. I had no keys to anything, so could not trot out to my car and go somewhere. I had left my phone in the house, so there was no way I could call someone, unless I got really bold and asked a neighbor to borrow their phone. And my condomate (who shall remain anonymous for reasons of confidentiality!) was not due home from work for over an hour.
So I stood and sat in the laundry room. Grrrr. Here I was, being all holy and honorable for taking up the assignment of writing an article for TOR, and this had to happen! What gives? So much for my plans to get this and something else done today! Actually, my attitude wasn't really that negative, I don't think. It's just fun to be dramatic about it after the fact. I tried to spend the time profitably in thought, etc. And I folded my laundry in the laundry room once it dried. And I explained my predicament to the young woman who came in to retrieve her laundry with a 3-4 year old (I'm guessing) son in tow. She was back for the second time, and I knew she probably thought I was bonkers just sitting on the floor in there, my folded laundry next to me on a table. So I told her what had happened.
I also had fleeting thoughts about what would happen if my condomate didn't come back at his usual time. What if he did errands, then went straight to class and didn't return until 9? (Turns out he had no class tonight, so that wouldn't have happened.) I could wait for a little over an hour, but what about 6 plus hours? That would have been awful.
When he finally drove in, I was a very happy guy. I told him I was so happy to see him I could almost hug him (don't worry, I didn't!) If he didn't live with me, I guess I would have had to borrow a neighbor's phone and call a locksmith, which would have been far worse and more disruptive (at least to the wallet) than sitting around with nothing to do for an hour!
Moral of the story: avoid absolute stupidity and don't imitate me. Now I'm contemplating the possibility of keeping a spare key in my car, and a hideakey to access my car, to avoid this ever happening again. Or I could just remember to keep the door unlocked when I leave...
So number 20 to my vacation to-do list, now completed: spend over an hour hanging out in the laundry room, locked out of my own condo.
posted by redsoxwinthisyear at 9:22 PM
4 Comments:
WHAT IS IT with people writing TOR articles? It seems like everyone I know is writing one right now! Okay- me and two other people...plus you...makes...EVERYONE I KNOW!
spare keys hidden outside of your condo is a necessity! haven't had to use one yet, almost though...
Definitely under the mat. No one would ever think of that!
(Let's hear it for TOR writers!)
Your condo buddy told me that since you rescued him from being locked outside of his car once or twice, he was more than happy to return the favor. :)
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