So do you know what was totally annoying me back in December?
Every single time I drove my spare Suburban, I got totally freaked out because we never reset the clock when the time changed.
You know how that is, right?
Oh.
Not really?
Perhaps I should explain the “spare Suburban” thing. No, we’re not so filthy rich that we have an extra vehicle sitting around.
In September, we bought a “new” Suburban. We got it quickly, because when you find a decade-old car in great condition you jump on it. Right around the same time (before we’d listed our ’97 Suburban for sale), we were having some more estimates done on our foundation. One of the guys remarked on our obvious love of Suburbans (y’know . . . since we had TWO) and to make a long story short, that Suburban became part of the negotiations and was traded for a portion of our foundation work.
So we still had it until early December, when the work was complete.
In the week-or-so before we handed it over, I went through a period of Extreme Scatter-Brainedness.
Yep, when Tunnel Vision hits me, keys are usually the first things to be lost.
But if there’s anything I love . . . it’s having a back-up plan.
This is one of the reasons why we generally do not EVER know where both keys for any one vehicle are at a time.
Finding the ONE set of keys is crucial. Non-negotiable. It’s a have-to. But if a set is lost and there’s another set hanging right there on the key hook by the back door?
Why stress???
Grab that EXTRA set and go! And never again think about the second set and where in the world it might be.
Which means that the “spare” set only ever gets found at random times like when I’m decluttering a junk drawer or moving furniture or checking an old purse before I stuff it into a Donate Box.
It’s the reason I love a new 32-ponytail-holder package. For at least 32 days, I don’t have to search for a ponytail holder. I just grab one off of the handy-dandy cardboard holder.
WHY would I waste time looking for the one I randomly pulled off yesterday (by my bed, near the couch, wherever) when there’s one right in front of me?
This is a source of frustration for my husband. While I do NOT see the point of stopping to look for something when another perfectly good version of it is in front of me, he seems to think that lost things should be found.
Simply because they’re lost.
(I know he’s right.)
It’s our two different versions of practicality.
Me: I simply don’t have the time to waste looking for something that doesn’t ABSOLUTELY have to be found right at this very second.
Him: People should know where their keys are. Both sets. If we don’t find them now, when we REALLY need them (like if when the other set gets lost . . . ) we’ll be in bad shape.
And have to drive the “extra” vehicle.
Except that other than those twoish months this past fall, we don’t have an “extra” vehicle.
Fine. I guess he does have a point.
My ponytail holders are a source of irritation for my husband as well. They can be found anywhere and everywhere! Even in our cat’s water bowl (for some reason our cat thought my ponytail holders needed to be in her water bowl). Why go try to find the 7 ponytail holders I’ve used for the last week when I have a whole slew of them right here in front of me? I totally see the logic. Great post!
Shelly, my kitties use little trinkets like that as gifts to each other, I think. I can’t figure anything else out.
So, after all that, do you have the spare keys? Could you not barter the suburban because it had no ‘found’ keys? Did you find them now that the suburban is long gone? Did you lose keys to the ‘new’ suburban?
I need details! Or were you just an hour late because you didn’t change the clock?
Does your husband know you get those hair ties free after RR or ECB? (But those are a whole other story cuz I loose them in my purse until they expire!)
I did know where the OLD Suburban’s keys were! Both sets! (I knew I couldn’t lose those!) And I did used to get the ponytail holders free, but now I pay for them!! (Crazy, right?)
Hi,
I’m keeping this anonymous so nobody steals my car.
I have had your same key problems. I now keep the vehicle keys on a string in the vehicle next to the ignition. I take the key out of the ignition to stop that stupid beeping noise. The key is still always right there. I never lock my vehicle either.
To be fair, I live in the middle of nowhere and I don’t go out much. I also don’t drive very nice vehicles either.
Nobody has ever stolen my car.
I figure it’s actually more of a risk for me to loose my keys and get stranded somewhere than for my car to get stolen.
I also keep a spare ignition key in the glove compartments. I keep a spare door key tied onto the undercarriage. In case I did lock the doors accidentally, I’d be able to get right back in.
Really a good idea! (Although with my last car I was tempted to leave the keys right in the ignition in hopes that someone would steal it.)
When my daughter was 2, she had one of those plastic Playschool “gardens” in our house. The kind with the little plastic flowers and a mailbox, big enough for her to fit in. She took my husband’s keys and put them in the mailbox. He was late for work because we couldn’t find the spare set. (It took us awhile to find the original set in the mailbox.) After that we hung one of those racks up where you hang your keys when you come in the house. It sits empty most of the time.
I have 2 daughters. We can never find socks! I always buy a couple of packages when I do buy them and we still NEVER have socks for the girls. I swear there is a blackhole in my house somewhere and it’s full of kids socks.
I also fully relate to your ponytail holder way of thinking! I am constantly looking for ponytail holders.
Yes! I feel the same way about a nice fresh package of socks!
Nony, you and I are such kindred spirits, haha! I love that y’all bartered the Suburban with foundation guys. Awesome. My neighbors did a similar arrangement with some spare furniture for garage door repair. I can’t wait til you come to FBCMcK next month to speak to my MOPS group… It’ll be like meeting a rock star for me! 🙂 Heehee
I’m looking forward to it, Brandy!
It is for this reason… I have a ‘spare’ EVERYTHING!
…can you say, ‘de-clut-ter’?
have a great week. This is being posted ‘standard’ Texas time…:) Pat
I just found your website and am enjoying it. I’m sure you probably know this, but I assure you, you have ADD. I have two kids with ADD, and as I’ve learned about it for their sakes, I’ve learned I have it too. And I can say you definitely have it 🙂
Ha! Yes, I definitely have a lot of tendencies that way, and I’m sure I could be officially diagnosed!
Spare keys belong on an ugly keyring that is annoyingly large so you don’t want to use it. (I had gotten the Muck Pokemon in a BK meal.)
I guess the trick is to be forced to use it only once before you start looking for the set that actually fits in your pocket.
Wow. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who thinks that way about ponytail holders and their keys;)