Keys...

There are Keys to success, map keys, Francis Scott Key, Key West, and the key to my heart (which apparently got lost)... but I have recently learned that the most important key of all is the key to the house!!!

I see so many people with huge key rings. They jingle and jangle as they sway from side to side.  The person with so many keys is a trusted soul. Think about it... would you give your house key to someone you didn't trust??? I'm trustworthy... just not organized. I got locked out of my house AGAIN the other night. This is the 3rd time in only 6 weeks.

Let me explain... for 25 years I lived in a house where we NEVER locked the door. There was no need to. It's not that the area I lived in didn't have crime... in fact there was plenty of crime in Hillsborough. Between stealing for drug money and local gangs living in the area there was good reason to be cautious... however no one knew our little street was there, plus the only way out was the same way the police would come in. A sweet safe haven.

The last 2 years in that house we DID have a lock... but only because Chase (Scott's smarty pants dog) figured out how to open the door and escape. The lock was only installed to keep Chase in, not to keep potential intruders out. In my son-in-law's infinite wisdom... knowing I can't be trusted to keep track of a key... he installed a keyless entry. Heaven on Earth! We all had our own 4 digit code that could be changed at will if someone you didn't want in the house knew it. Yes... that was me... I gave the code to someone and then had to block them... another story for another time.

Now... in the new house I have a key. I gave a neighbor/friend a copy in case I got locked out (or should I say for WHEN I got locked out?). The second time I called him to get the key he mentioned that I was lucky he was on his way home. He asked if I had given any thought to what would happen if he wasn't in the area?

Well... that got me thinking. He's right. I should plant the key somewhere on the property so I can get to it anytime I need. So I held on to his copy and slipped it in to my purse.

The other night when leaving the store I took a personal inventory before I closed and locked up for the night. Car key... check, computer... check, cell phone... check. OK... ready to go. Hop in to the car, start it up, put it in drive, SHIT! Purse... NOT CHECKED!!! It's locked in the store... with the store key, my house key, AND the copy. UGH!!! Now what???

Lauren has a key, but she works until 2am. I considered all of my options. I guess I could break the window and then pay to fix it the next day. I could spend the night with my high school friend, but the dog needed to be walked. Hmmm... so I guess I'm eating dinner at Applebee's to have Lauren wait on me and then ask nicely for the key... or I won't tip her. Ah... that sounds like a winner :-)

What is the lesson I learned from all of this???? Keep my house key on the ring with the car key... and purchase a keyless entry lock as soon as I can afford one.