I'm Losing My Mind!

So for the second time in just a few months, I lost my keys while out shopping!

The last time it happened, I was shopping at Wal-Mart and I was ALL over the store. I had a long list of things to get and I went everywhere. I checked out and on my way out the store I started feeling around my purse for my keys. But they were no where to be felt. I started pulling everything out of my purse as the panic was starting to set in.

I went back to the Shelf-Checkout area where I purchased everything and couldn't find them there. I left left my cart with a worker and went out to the car to see if they were locked in or just lying about. No luck.

I then called Jeremiah and explained what happened. I was so frustrated with myself. This is something I NEVER do. I always know where my keys (and many other things) are at all times. I just couldn't believe this was happening.

While Jeremiah was on his way with a spare key, I started walking around the store, back-tracking where I had been (I have a pretty photogenic memory and can retrace exactly what path I took and exactly what I looked at so I followed my same path again).

I should also note that while I was shopping, I lost that long list of things to buy. I tried looking for it earlier but couldn't find it - that made the situation that much more frustrating, that I had lost TWO things in a matter of minutes!

I still couldn't find them when Jeremiah got there. We put everything in the car and looked around that area. Still no keys. Then I took him all around the store to show him where I had been. Still nothing.

We ended up giving our number to a manager just in case they were found. I called back every day for days just to check in and there was never any good news. So we just gave them up for lost and made copies of the keys that were on my key ring. (The stinky part of it all was that my car key is one of those newer computerized car keys so when you want a replacement it doesn't just cost you a dollar or so, it costs more like $50. Well, we still had 2 of that key so we opted not to get another copy of it for now.)

So today I went to JoAnn Fabrics to buy 1 piece of felt to put under our new fish tank (well, it's not really new; Jeremiah has had it for years but as birthday gift this past year I gave him money to be able to fill it up with some fish - still haven't done that yet but that's because we were waiting on getting just the right table for the fish tank which I just did at WalMart on Monday).

I walked around just a little bit looking at things but mainly I went straight to the fabric I wanted. I picked it up and looked at the black felt and its price. I then set down the bolt on top of some other bolts while I looked a bit more at the other felt. I decided to get this bolt, picked it up, and moved on to another section of the store where they carry some really soft fabric (the type you use in baby blankets - I just love to touch those!).

I then got in line to get my fabric cut. Then I got in another line to buy the fabric. As I was finishing my purchase, my phone was buzzing. I walked toward the door to exit while I saw who called my phone. It was Jeremiah so I called him back. While I was talking to him and walking to my car, I started feeling around for my keys. Nothing.

I couldn't believe it. I had lost my keys again and it had only been a few months since the last time. I felt like I was loosing my mind!

Jeremiah was very sweet and said he would be right on his way with the spare (he's really good at rescuing me) and even offered to bring me a snack as I was cranky with hunger. While he came, I retraced my steps in the store and asked the employees if anything had been turned in. Nothing.

I just couldn't understand how I could have lost them especially when I hadn't been in that many places in the store and it wasn't a big store, unlike WalMart. I went back to my car to make sure the keys weren't sitting in the ignition or on the ground somewhere. Still nothing.

I checked in the store one more time with no luck and then I found a bench outside to sit on while I waited. A little bit later, Jeremiah came and we opened the car. We didn't see anything. Then Jeremiah opened the glove compartment and there was nothing there. Literally, there was nothing there.

I normally have my registration, insurance, and manual in a little black folder in there with tissues and Bed, Bath and Beyond coupons (keep them there as a just-in-case :) ). But the compartment was completely empty. There wasn't even any trash in there. I had no idea what could have happened.

Jeremiah then said, "What if someone found your keys, opened the car, and took the stuff for its information?" That's when the panic really hit. I could feel a lump in my throat forming.

I decided to call my mom as I had not opened the glove compartment since we returned from my trip and she had had my car washed while I was gone (a very nice Welcome Home surprise among other things) and I was wondering if she may have taken the stuff out before it was washed.

She couldn't remember doing it and started looking around the house just in case. Nothing. We talked through it and then she thought that maybe the Car Wash place had put everything in a bag in the trunk. I did remember that there seemed to be an extra bag of stuff in my trunk so we looked. One bag was of things that we had put in it. But there was another one.

I wripped this bag opened and there it all was! The main thing in this bag was my jumper cables and I thought that's all that was in it so that's why I hadn't really looked too closely at it before. That was a HUGE relief.

Now the keys were the only thing missing. We went back inside and I retraced my steps with Jeremiah while asking the employees if anything had been turned in. Still nothing. I went to a counter and emptied out my purse again, just in case. Nothing.

We finally resorted to just giving them my information in case they were turned in after I left. While I was doing this, Jeremiah walked away. The next think I know, I hear his voice saying "I found them."

I was surprised and so happy. He left them where they were and took me over to the area to see if I could find them. Now, some may think that was mean but he was just trying to help me see what I did movement-wise so that in the future, I can think of what I do while I'm shopping so that I will know where to look if I misplace them again.

I looked around at the felt area a bit and couldn't see them. I asked if they were in plain sight and he said they were. I still couldn't see them. I then just asked him to show me. We turned around to the area where I had placed the bolt of felt on top of other bolts of fabric and there they were, covered a bit by some of the tool fabric.

Now I had looked in this area but more on the shelf itself and on the ground, thinking they may have fallen. I didn't really look at the top as I didn't recall setting down keys with the fabric.

So at least I haven't truly lost 2 sets of keys in the last few months, but I came very close and I would have thought I was going crazy if I really had.

That was my adventure for today.

Sara