The Perfect Storm

Yesterday was one of THOSE days. It started out all right, while Mike was getting ready for work, he asked me what my plans were for the morning, would I mind going out and putting the "Weed and Feed" down on the lawn while the grass was still dewy (is that a word?). Sure, no problem. Hubby leaves and Darling Youngest goes to the bus stop, so I throw on some clothes and run a brush through my hair. HMMM. I'm a little hungry, I grab a quick granola bar for now, breakfast can wait until I am done. Oh, I better throw my cell on the charger now, before I forget, it should be ready for the day after I shower and dress later. We have the same kind of door handles here that I had in Sturgis, you can open the door from the inside whether the door is locked or unlocked. I learned my lesson in Sturgis, locking myself out of the house more than once because of that, so I made sure the door was unlocked and out to the garage I went to get the spreader and 2 bags of stuff for the lawn while Darling Oldest is getting ready for school. I was about 3/4 done with this task when the Oldest comes out onto the porch looking for me and to see what I am doing. He had about a half hour until he had to be down to the bus stop. I sent him back into the house when he tells me the door is locked. He did not know how it was locked, because he unlocked it before he came outside looking for me (Remember that I had unlocked it earlier, so he actually locked it). OK, no problem, check the basement door. Maybe Hubby or Youngest left by that door this morning and it is unlocked. The handle turned - good, we're golden and can get in that way - but door did not open, the deadbolt is still on. UUHHHH. OK, call Hubby to let us in - UUHHH my phone is in the house charging. OK, we have permission to use the Amish phone booth across the street in an emergency, we'll call Mike from that. His phone rings, then goes to voice mail. All right, he's at work and does not recognize this number, I will call again, he'll answer if the calls keep coming or someone in the service shop will tell him to answer it so it will just stop ringing. No such luck. I called 6 or 7 times and no answer, so I leave a message that we are locked out and need him to come let us in. Oldest wants to try picking the lock on the door - "No, I don't know how to pick a lock and you need to stop trying too before you ruin the lock." "But if I don't have my homework and lanyard ID tag for school, I will get detention - you don't understand this is MIDDLE SCHOOL and they expect us to be prepared!". HHMMM - he's the one who locked the door and he's mad at ME because we're locked out???? I found a book to read in my car and there was a lawn chair on the porch. I sit down to wait for My Hero to come let us in - good thing I put on my winter coat to come out this morning. Half an hour later it is time for Darling Oldest to go to the bus stop and off he goes, still mad at me - "you are not staying home from school because we are locked out and you can't get your backpack." I continued to sit on the porch, reading my book ( thanks Mom for sending me a Janet Evonivich book the other day, I never took it in the house!) and begin to think Mike will not come - by now I've been outside almost 2 hours - and I'm getting cold and hungry. With my luck he will not come home for lunch today, so I'll be out here until he comes home from work!!! AND WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WHEN I NEED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM??? Of course this thought makes me have to go. I may have to walk down to Coachmen, but that must be at least 3 miles from home and the day before I had run my bare foot across a pricker bush in the yard and still had prickers in my big toe which hurt like heck. Mike had not been able to get them out the night before and my toe hurt where he had been digging at it with a needle. I really did not want to walk that far. SIGHHHH. Just about then, I saw an unfamiliar car coming up the driveway. It stops in front of the house and a man I didn't know got out of the car - "Mrs. Fair??? I'm a counselor at the Middle School and I think I have something you want." He holds up a key on a lanyard. "Your son told us what happened this morning, and we thought he was just upset about the possibility of getting detention, but then he told us his mom was sitting on the porch. We tried calling your husband again and when we could not reach him, I went to the Intermediate School and got this from your other son. I can take the backpack with me to the Middle School for your son." Hallelujah, I'm in!! I get the backpack, and thank this unlikely savior several times. I decide to call Mike and let him know in case he comes home in response to my first message, that I am in now. I dial and hear his phone ring - in our home office!!!! He forgot his phone at home today. PERFECT! I go potty (gotta have those priorities in order), make myself some hot chocolate and get under some blankets to warm up. After about an hour - DUHHH, Amy, take a hot shower to warm up - I am ready to get in, when the house phone rings - "Honey, I left my phone at home, can you bring it to me during my lunch hour?"