Today was probably the toughest day so far.
I made it through the work semi-week easy enough. This included making the mistake of checking the news for the first time in over two weeks to see just how fast our democracy is crumbling. The big news of the year so far seems to be that Mariah Carey put in a lackluster showing at the New Year’s Eve bash in Times Square, and Senators in Washington are trying to gut their code of ethics. I’m uncertain why either of these, in the truest sense, qualifies as “news,” since, by my estimation, it simply makes for the 27th consecutive year of shitty performances by both.
Anyway, I couldn’t find neither my keys nor my Home Depot gift card this morning. Like every morning, my phone was out of power, too. So I used my spare key to drive Isla to Home Depot’s kids’ workshop, and I plugged my phone into the cigarette lighter to charge it on the way.
Despite Isla’s overindulgence in paint, the project – in which she built a small toolbox – proceeded smoothly. She got a certificate for completing the project, and her sixth pin, to affix to her apron. But then nothing proceeded smoothly. I took out my phone to take a picture of Isla holding up her new creation, but my phone was still without power.
“We’ll have to take the picture at home,” I told her. But she was insistent. “But I want a picture in front of the wood, like we always do,” she pleaded, pointing to the lumber.
So then I concocted the brilliant idea of going out to the car, plugging in the phone, then going back into the store to buy the items I wanted to buy, then going back out to the car to get the phone, then going back into the store to take the picture.
But the phone just would not charge. I even turned on the car’s battery…the phone just would not respond. So we went back in the store, and I recruited a willing employee to take Isla’s picture and then send me the image. Okay, so that went smoothly. Then I bought what we needed; still missing my gift card, I had to break down and pay. Then we went out to the car…only, we were locked out because I had left the key in the ignition. I reached for my spare key, but I didn’t have my spare key on me. The key in the ignition was the spare key. I went back in the store, asked to borrow a phone, called Jennifer, got no answer, then was directed to the tool rental department. The employee there went out to the car with me and tried using some universal key, but it didn’t work – neither in the door nor in the trunk. We went back into the store so he could hunt for a suitable device to shimmy into the door frame. Meanwhile, freezing Isla, who had somehow managed to lose her certificate, stayed in the store, on a chair, sipping hot cocoa.
Amazingly, the guy got the door open. I profusely thanked him – even got his name and promised to write his manager a complimentary note. Then I made a quick search for Isla’s certificate, failed, then obtained a replacement. Isla and I went back to the car. While she buckled, I put my spare key in the ignition, and discovered the battery – which I had left on – was now drained. Isla almost started crying, ‘til I – in an uncharacteristically calm manner – told her it wasn’t a big problem, we just had to find someone to help.
Serendipitously, the owner of the vehicle parked right next to mine was approaching his van right then. He was somewhat older than me, and had two young boys with him who – judging from the wooden toolboxes they had in tow – had likewise just completed the workshop. He said he would be happy to help me, then checked to see if he had jumper cables (mine were in my other vehicle…probably with my keys).
While we waited for the electrons to flow, I congratulated him on doing a good deed. He explained he had already done a good deed: He lives in Shakopee, but he drove to two other suburbs to pick up his two grandsons, then drove past the Home Depot in Bloomington to come to the one here in West St. Paul. He said this location has a better workshop experience. And he would know, today marked his older grandson’s 75th pin.
After that, taking Isla to a bowling alley in Minneapolis for a birthday party was a calming event by comparison.