Locked Out

I'm going to tell a story today. It's 2am and I just got home. I can't remember the last time I did that. I thought I'd go straight to sleep when I made it to my bed, but I just had ice cream and I am too hopped up on sugar to sleep. But it was ice cream with girls I love, so it's worth it =)

Tonight, I went to the Iron Man 3 movie premier with a group of friends, some old, some new. It was a good movie, maybe my favorite of the three. I recommend it =)

But the story I want to tell, is not about the movie, or about my sugar high induced blog post. No, the story I want to tell is far more embarrassing, as many good stories are.

My friend and I had planned to meet at the theater to wait in line for the movie. However, I beat her there and decided to go get dinner since I had some time. So I drove out to Winco and go about my shopping. As I'm perusing the salads, a man walked up and stood [far too closely for my comfort] next to me. He had his phone in his hand, and was playing music loudly. I accidentally made eye contact with him - mistake. He then started singing along and doing a little bob to the music and he kept trying to make eye contact again. At least, I'm assuming that is what he was doing...he tried to wriggle in front of me twice =P

So, I quickly made my selection, and carried on my merry way, but he followed me! Not directly behind me, but on the other side of the bins, staring, singing, and bobbing all the way. He finally made his way to the check out as I took my sweet time looking at drinks. I didn't feel like he was particularly creepy or anything, it was mostly uncomfortable and amusing for me =P. You know how sometimes the beginning of a situation happens and you are suddenly struck with the feeling that this is probably a bad place for you to be right at that moment? It wasn't quite that bad =P

So I pay for my things, and reach into my pocket for my keys, but come up empty. I try all my pockets, nothing. So I go back everywhere I picked something up and so might have set my keys down. Still nothing. So, I walk out to my car, fervently hoping that I somehow managed to leave the door unlocked - no luck. I did however, see through the window, my cell phone. So, both my keys and my phone are locked in the car, and I am at a store outside of my usual choices and only Anna knows where I am.

So, like a child, I had to go into Customer Service and ask the nice lady if I can use their phone to call my parents. I call one family after another, leaving messages because none of us tend to answer calls from unknown numbers. I stood there listening to ring after ring and praying that someone would listen to their voicemail and come save me.

I walked back out to my car, standing facing incoming traffic in case someone should appear. I drank a whole can of Arizona Tea just in about ten minutes out of sheer nervousness. As I stood there , I realized that it would probably be at least an hour before anyone made it my way, if they had even gotten my messages at all. I stood there, just hanging out, trying to decide if I wanted chap stick badly enough to go buy a stick from inside or just tough it out.

I had to dodge both bird and bee that came after my dinner and my tea. I felt helpless as I saw my phone light up through the window as my friend grew more and more concerned. As time passed, I waited feeling very foolish and careless and embarrassed. I started talking to God, just hanging out, you know, not much else to do in the Winco parking lot by my locked car. I prayed, "Lord please make someone come quickly! Or maybe someone with the same kind of car as me can get it unlocked! That'd be cool" And as I was talking, I realized that I had a choice. I could be all bummed and frustrated and insecure about becoming a permanent fixture of the Lancaster Winco Parking Lot, or, I could choose to laugh and be light about this less than ideal situation I had gotten myself into.

And, lo and behold! My sister came in like the Calvary to save my silly skin. She brought me my spare AND an apple - which for me, is like someone bringing me candy =P]

And that is the story of how I spent about an hour alone in the Winco parking lot on Iron Man afternoon. It;s not fun, I don't recommend it =P But I do recommend making sure that you have people in your life that have got your back. Even thought I couldn't get a hold of my family, and they couldn't get a hold of me, I didn't doubt for a second that one of them would come to my rescue eventually. They're pretty great =)

Thanks for Reading <3