Where Did They Go Again?

Hey Chicago peeps - do you and your kids like theater? A chance to win tickets to The Emperor's New Clothes from the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre here.

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So I've written about how I'm a sort of organized person. I like lists, I like crossing things off lists. I even created a spreadsheet for myself for BlogHer (ummm yeah, I'm seriously that much of a geek).

My motto in life is "everything in its place and a place for everything." Just typing that makes me happy. There have been multiple times where I "lost" my phone only to find it in the pocket in my purse where it belongs. I'm simply so used to putting it there that I do it unconsciously and don't even realize I'm doing it.

You know what's coming next, right?

Ha, I didn't lose my phone - you're wrong.

Instead I lost my keys. Again.

On Saturday, I ran errands all day. When I arrived home, I walked straight into the kitchen, knowing I needed to make a cake for Sunday prior to running back out again for a girls' night out.

I spend my entire time in the kitchen baking, then I ran back out to my car - straight from the kitchen, and I mean I didn't even stop to go to the bathroom - to head out to girls' night out.

I reached into my purse to start up my car and my keys weren't in the nice little pocket in my purse where they belong. I have two great pockets on one side of my purse that perfectly fit my keys and my phone, and they are always there.

*sigh*

I began digging through my purse, but I didn't see them. My next step was to begin taking everything out of my purse (and realizing some of the items needed to be disposed of in general - expired coupons being one). Nope. When the purse was empty, still no keys.

I ran inside and checked the counter. I checked the island. I checked the stove. Hmm. I checked the family room - even knowing I hadn't been in that room. I checked on top of the microwave and on the hutch.

I went back out to my car and searched everywhere. Not under a seat, not slipped down the side anywhere, and not on the garage floor. Eventually, I gave up and grabbed the spare set of keys so I wouldn't be any later.

Post event, I searched the entire house to no avail. My husband looked in the same places I had already looked, and no - he didn't find them either.

Sunday, I tried again. Monday, I looked again. Tuesday, I looked again.

Then I needed to pull out my Bluetooth tonight. I unzippered the pocket in my purse where it belongs. Since it's small, it lives in a different pocket from my phone or keys, and nothing else lives in that pocket.

Ta-da! Car keys. Huh.

Thinking back (which isn't exactly the easiest thing for me to do), I apparently had taken my Bluetooth out when I had arrived home with my keys in the same hand, and they arrived into that pocket together. Oops.

On the plus side, I am no longer panicking about losing the only set of keys to my car. And apparently I need to use my Bluetooth more often. Somehow, I have a feeling this won't be the last time I do this.

Hooray!

This morning didn’t start out so great. I sat down to work and couldn’t find my SecureID. What is a SecureID, and why is that important? In order to log onto my work’s network and actually do any work, I use the SecureID to create a password that changes every 2 minutes or so. Without this, I’m sort of sunk.

It looks sorta like this:


I knew I had it yesterday, since I worked at home yesterday, too. Little Miss being the clean freak she is – really, I have no idea where she gets it from – sometimes sees it on the end table and puts it away where it belongs. Nope, not there.

For anyone who remembers my Monday a week and a half ago, this was not looking good. Well, I knew I’d been working on the couch (I prefer working in the family room, and it works – no pun intended – well for me), so just like that Monday, I started out by lifting up the couch cushion where I’d been sitting.

And found this:


Wait! I found this?

Yay! I swear I pulled out, not just lifted up, every cushion on both couches twice when I was looking for them the first time. They quite simply weren't there. I even felt around and put my hands in the seams, and they weren't there. My husband looked for them there. The keys were not there. But they are now, and I'm going with it!

Hmmm… And I also found my SecureID card. Phew!

I finally got my work in, and once my husband got home, I went shopping.

I came home with this box. Any guesses what’s inside?

It’s my new running shoes!

My Monday yoga instructor referring me to Running Unlimited where they watch you walk, find shoes that specifically address whatever your inclination is. Then you get to run up and down a nice (private) hallway to try them out.

I felt like Goldilocks. This pair was too squishy. That pair wiggled in my heels. The purple pair was too wide (really a bummer since my favorite color is purple). The issues went on and on. Considering that I haven’t bought running shoes on purpose ever, it was pretty cool to see all the advances they’ve made since I bought my last pair of shoes because they were cute. Eight years ago.

After an hour and a half, I finally found a pair that was a strong maybe. Then I tried on one last pair. Also a strong maybe. I spent the next fifteen minutes wearing one of each shoe trying to figure out which one felt better. I finally made a choice, and – amazing for me – the one I chose was on clearance! Less than half the cost of the one I passed up. Yay, me! The only thing that made me feel better was the knowledge (courtesy my yoga instructor -- yes, she's freakily fit and flexible; I've learned to accept that) that people spend hours in there trying on every shoe in the store. I didn’t quite break the two hour mark, so totally acceptable, right?

Tomorrow? Two eight minute runs. Sunday? A twenty minute run. I’m going to pretend like my new shoes will make this palatable.