Losing It

I thought my age was finally catching up with me.

That my mind was going.

And my family was convinced as well.

It started two nights ago. Because we have a long but thin driveway and three vehicles, we play musical cars each night to park in proper order for ease of escape the next morning. I moved the van so Daughter could park in front of me, then I plugged them both in (a necessity in Winnipeg winters if you actually expect your car to start the next morning).

And because I have just a titch of OCD (okay, perhaps a titch more than a titch), I always put my keys into the front pocket of my purse when I get inside.

But early the next morning as the rest of the family slept, I was running around madly, late for work, looking for my keys which seemed to have disappeared overnight.

I checked all my pockets. No keys.

I dumped my purse. No keys.

I dumped my briefcase. No keys.

I crawled on the carpet, running my hands under furniture, thinking the cats had perhaps mistaken them for their latest jangly plaything.

No keys.

Dammit. So I woke up Daughter for my spare set and dashed out the door, planning to resume the hunt that evening.

And hunt I did. I spent hours searching the house, kicking snowbanks around the driveway, even looking inside the fridge in case I had gone completely bonkers....

I racked my brain to try and figure out what the hell I did.

Then came the phonecall. Daughter was out for the evening and found my keys... in her purse. In a zipped pocket of her purse.

Aha! I wasn't going crazy after all! Ha! Ahahahahahaha!!!! Yesssss! Old Age hadn't got me yet!

There still was the question of how the keys got into her purse... she doesn't remember picking them up .... but she has been known to do some strange things in the middle of the night....

Regardless, I have now made certain I shall never accidentally misplace them ever again, at the same time ensuring daughter will be way too embarrassed to pick them up.

Even IN her sleep.

22 People would rather be commenting:

Anonymous said...

Daughter just started driving today. We have the same narrow driveway situation. Sans snow, of course.

And yes, I can already see where the key thing could potentially become a challenge.

But seriously - there is no way in this universe I am carrying a Bambi key chain. This is Texas. Some stupid redneck would see the thing and take a shot at me.

(I didn't handle her first day alone behind the wheel very well at all. I'm pathetic.)

Anonymous said...

Haha ! Bambi ? LOL !
That was the best horror flick ever !

Irene said...

I've lost my keys once and they were never found again and to this day I am stumped as to their final destiny. I am sure some other person was involved, but I have no proof. I don't loose things as a rule, that's what makes it such a mystery and makes me suspect foul play.

I am glad yours were found, but maybe you put them there yourself, mistaking daughter's purse for your own absentmindedly?

Anonymous said...

I bet you put them in there yourself! Was the zipped pocket on the front of DD's purse? LOL!

Babs (Beetle) said...

I don't wish to burst your bubble but are you sure you didn't actually put them in your daughters purse by mistake?

P.S. I just saw Jay's comment :O)

JoJo said...

hahahahahahahahaha

Ed & Jeanne said...

That's great. Does the nose light up for nighttime acess to the door?

Maureen said...

Carol: Ha! Well, it's a good thing I don't live in Texas then! And I don't think ANY parent has a great first day of driving with their kids.... it's not possible.

Jaffer: Ahhhhh!!!! Horror flick?!?!?!?

The Finely Tuned Woman: I know for certain I didn't mistake her purse for mine; unless I have also gone color blind AND mistook her room for my home office room... her purse is bright red; mine's black. And she keeps her purse in her room; me in mine. She and I do suspect she got up in the middle of the night again (like last time).

Jay: See, I didn't even KNOW her purse pocket was a zipped closure; she told me that fact. And mine isn't zippered... just a section in the front of my bag.

Babs: No one believes me!! No, anyone who has a teenage daughter knows it is VERBOTEN to go into their purse (or anywhere even near it....). Heck, I even knock on her bedroom door before I dare enter her room.

JoJo: ;)

VE: Holy crap, now I want one that has a light-up nose!!!! What a great idea for those winter days when it gets dark at 4:30 and I can't see the frickin' lock in the door....

musingwoman said...

Yep, there'll be no mistaking that keychain. :)

Anonymous said...

Ah, the 'ol key switcheroo! I loaned a computer lab key to my boss once. Hated to do it because they go missing so easily. After a week or so, I realized I never got it back from her. Great. I asked her repeatedly if she had my key and she said no. I went months worrying a little where the key was, as there is so much expensive equipment in that room. What if it got into the wrong hands? One day, my boss came to me -- with the key. She had put on a pair of slacks she hadn't worn since the day of the key exchange. All's well that ends well. But geez, it drove me nuts!

Swubird said...

Maureen:

I know the feeling very well. And the older you get, the more things like this happen. Not that you are getting old, of course, pardon me, but you know what I mean.

We have a system in our house. Everybody has a special place to lay their keys, and we all try religiously to put our keys in our special spot. But, of course, no system is fool proof and we loose track of them once in a whole. Murphy!

I'm glad your story turned out okay.

Happy trails.

MYM said...

LOL! omg - and you're okay with that ginormous key chain? LOL What is it anyway, a reindeer?

Anonymous said...

I am really good about putting my keys in my purse, but last week I found them in the freezer. I had been grabbing ice for my water bottle and had the keys in my hand.

Jeff and Charli Lee said...

Ahh... Bambi. I thought it was a burned out Rudolph.

Anonymous said...

Sympathies for all the time spent hunting, but it made for a very amusing story, especially with your creative preventative measure. :)

Cupcake Blonde said...

Did you accidentally take her purse with you that day and put them in there thinking it was your purse? You did say you always put them in the pocket of your purse. :)

Maureen said...

Musing: Yep... If I lose it now, well just sign me up for a white cane and seeing eye dog, K?

Kathy: Ha! I hate giving my keys out at work; I have one of only three Master Keys; so they are asked for quite regularly. I make sure to get them back right away.

Swubird: Exactly! My place is in my purse in the "home office" room; Daughter always goes straight to her room; and hubby? Well, he dumps his anywhere so it's usually HIM losing keys!

Drowsey: Actually, people are close with the Rudolph and Bambi guesses, but in reality it is a Sanrio character (think Hello Kitty) by the name of Deery Lou.

Beeker: Har! I KNEW someone would chime in with a fridge/freezer story! See? I wasn't crazy to look in there too!

Jeff: Neither really. It's Deery Lou from Japan. I know... I am SO kewl, no?

Chili365: Which, hopefully will prevent any need for another hunt anytime soon.

VP: If you had a teenage daughter you'd know it is the ultimate sin to go into thy daughter's purse.... even by accident! Nope, we are both sure she took them while sleepwalking again. Just as long as she's not sleep-driving!

Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings said...

I ripped the house apart one time, freaking out. It was the only set I had and I was late to work. I finally tried to think like a one-year old, because that is how old my key-loving son was at the time. Turns out it was in his old car seat. On the porch. Under a cat who looked at me like I was a crazy woman. Which I am.

Maureen said...

Jonny's Mommy: Har!!!! UNDER a cat??? Now that's one place I didn't think to look.... great detective work!

Bruce Johnson said...

You have a mind like a steel trap....a bit rusted maybe, but solid steel.

Maureen said...

Bruce: Ha! Rusty trap indeed....

Janet said...

haha! Don't you hate misplacing things? I'm STILL looking for the digital camera I lost a couple of weeks ago. And the charger. And a host of other things I've put in odd places. YOU may not be losing it, but I think I am!!

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