Just Another Day In The Hood

Yesterday was just another normal day.  Except for the fact that an arctic cold front moved in and it was freaking cold.  It was spitting snow, the wind was blowing about 15-20 miles an hour, and, oh yeah, it was COLD!  I had my Tortilla Soup simmering in the crock pot, just finished up a shower and getting dressed, making a few phone calls.... then a friend of mine called that lives down the street from us.  She told me that someone from the Junior High called her and said her dog was out and he was up there.  She was 2 hrs away, and her husband was about a half hour away.  She asked me if I could run up to the school and get him.  The kid was going to meet me out front and bring the dog to me.  I was just going to take him back to their house and put him inside.  Sounded easy enough. Or so I thought.

So, Elise and I got bundled up and headed up to the junior high school.  I thought I was just going to pull up, there he would be standing, holding a Corgi, he would walk out and put him in my truck, I'd say thanks and be on my way.  Nope.  That was not what happened at all.  Not even close.

Lucky for me, I pulled up to the school at the same time it was letting out.  Translation:  Kids EVERYWHERE, Cars EVERYWHERE, and school buses blocking the front.  Just perfect!  I called Alexis back and asked where exactly this kid was at.  She said he was out front.  Well, I informed her that the front was not accessible due to the 8 school buses blocking it.  So, I continued to circle and circle until I could see around the school buses.  I spotted a kid holding a Corgie and he spotted me.  He and his friends made their way over with the dog.  I rolled the window down....

"Is this your dog?"

"No, he's my friend's..."

"You want me to just throw him in the back of the truck?"

"No, just bring him over here and put him in the passenger seat."

"He's wet."

"That's ok..."

"You might want to get him on Nutri System or something, he's heavy!"

"Ok, I'll let her know."

"That will be $29.99."

"Ok, just send me a bill... Thank you."

And then I was back on my way with the dog in tow.  I was heading to her house to put him inside.  I pulled into the driveway, and went around to the front of the truck.  I was going to make sure the front door was unlocked before I got him out.  Just as I was passing the front of my vehicle, I hear "click."  OH.MY.GAWD!  That damn dog just locked my truck!  With it running.  WITH MY BABY INSIDE!  I immediately reached into my pocket for my cell phone.... I'll just call OnStar and have them unlock it.  Well, my pockets were empty.  I looked in the truck, only to see my cell phone.  Locked inside.  WITH MY BABY!

So, I ran to front door and went inside.  All the while saying "Please have a phone, please have a phone!"  Annnnnd, there was a cell phone laying on the floor!  GOD DOES LOVE ME!  I dialed Jason's number and pushed send....  only to find out that it's not connected because it's an old phone that they gave to their daughter, Scout to play with.

So, I saw that their laptop was pulled up.  I got on it to send a 911 message to the administrative assistant at the fire department to let Jason know I needed him to get the spare keys.  No luck there either.  It wouldn't connect to the internet.  I was trying VERY hard not to have a melt down and find some piece of equipment to bust one of the windows. 

But, then I thought there had to be better solution.  I walked outside and looked around.  Surely someone was home around there, but which house to pick.....  I checked on Elise, she was still doing ok, the dog was bouncing around, and I was unsuccessfully begging him to step on the unlock button.  I thought I needed to ask to borrow someone's phone but I didn't want to get too far away from Elise.  I ran across the street and rang the doorbell.  A lady came to the door with a bewildered look on her face.  I was freezing and worried so all I managed to tell her that I was just across the street and locked out and if I could borrow her phone.  She let me in and agreed.

I called Jason and quickly explained the situation and then ran back across the street and stood outside and waited for him.  And froze my ass off.  My hair was still wet from getting out of the shower.  It was snowing.  It was a really fun time!

The lady across the street came outside and hollared at me that I could come inside her house where it was warm and wait.  I told her the house was unlocked, but my baby is locked in the truck.  She looked at me in shock and worry and said "Ohhhhhhhhhh."

Yeah OHHHHH... It's a little more urgent than just having the dog locked in the running vehicle with the phone in it.  Luckily it didn't take Jason too long to get there, but it seemed like an eternity standing out there in the cold bouncing around to stay warm and begging Elise NOT to cry!  Jason got it unlocked and set the dog inside their house.  I was on my way home just as Elise started to cry. 

I called Alexis back and she said "hello?"

"YOU ARE NEVER GONNA BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED TO ME!!!"