Uptown Studio

The day started off looking like it might be nice Saturday. Sun shining outside, birds chirping their melodies, the smell of fresh bacon sizzling in the apartment upstairs. So I didn't mind much being woken up for a trip to the frozen yogurt shop for breakfast ( they open early).  I begin rummaging through my bag making sure I have everything so that I can at least buy once we get there. "Don't worry. I've money my Ingy tells me." So I leave the bag. As soon as we walk out of the door..."Crap...I left the keys." She didn't even miss a beat. Of course she has her door set to lock automatically behind you. So this is a problem. Normally I would expect something like this to happen to someone like me. Or least for it to be my fault. I am what I like to call "differently organized" (most people would call me disorganized but that bothers me). Therefore I am ALWAYS losing something. It was rather gratifying to watch an anal-retentive person such as my my step-mom get flustered over a silly mistake. Welcome to my world. I convince her that all is well as we continue on our way to yogurt shop down the street carrying no cell phones, car keys, or house keys. Just 10 dollars and the clothes on our backs. The yogurt was delicious and on the way back home we decide to borrow a green plastic chair from the front of my hair salon. "Excuse...I know this is crazy, but can I borrow your lawn chair for a minute?", I plead. Shortly after that I am holding the chair down to the ground while Ingy balances on her tip-toes to maneuver the window ajar. I won't budge. Not even a little bit. I wondered how we looked trying to break into a house. I also wondering why no passerby seemed to find this odd. One melted yogurt, bruised elbow, and exasperated sigh away, and we were on way back to Lakeshore. This time the plan was to go to my job at Walgreen's and use the phone to try and call for help. "And what did we learned from this mistake?", my co-worker Jill teased after I explained the predicament. Fortunately, she allowed me to use her iPhone to call my friend whom I remembered was off work and could pick us up and drive us to an hour to San Jose where to spare keys were located at another friends house. At least that was the plan until I realized that I did not have her phone number memorized. (Thanks a lot technology). "But she's your best friend!", I Ingy threw up her hands. So after some coaxing she convinces me to call her brother for the phone number...who also happens to be my ex-boyfriend. "Uh, hey Drewbie, I mean Andrew. This is Jackie. Not your sister Jackie the other one. (We also share a name). Can you call me back on this number? I mean if you aren't busy pf course. OK. Thanks. Bye." Click. God...dammit. Well maybe we should send some people an email. I know those by heart.". "But no one sits at home on their computer waiting for emails. Its a fat chance. Let's just go sit outside and wait", I suggest. Which is when we run into at least four people we know shopping and running errands. All of which have a car. Of course neither of us knew them closely enough to ask for such huge favor to drive us to Sam Jose. But they could have offered when I told what was up. Right? One "friend" however, does allow us to use her iPhone that wasn't really a phone it was an ipod touch but an iPhone so that we can look up the number to a locksmith. So I scramble to find a wi-fi from a business that doesn't require you to buy a double-shot grande latte and scone. Then I learn that locksmiths works by appointment and are booked until Monday. They would be happy to come and then. "But I have money!", I explain. I can feel the heat of sun rays poring through my skin and I sweat running from shop to shop looking for pens, scraps of paper, phones to borrow, and my sanity. Finally Jill calls saying that my friend JJ received the S.O.S. email Ingy finally sent her earlier as I was running around. She is on her way. "So you were on your computer", I ask her when she arrives. "No, goofy. I have a smart phone remember. My emails show up on the screen like an Instant Message." I feel like one of those anime characters that just realized the obvious and dramatically falls flat on her face. So as we all prepare for the drive to San Jose, bless her soul, Terrell, the neighbor with the spare key comes to Lakeshore Trader Joe's where we are leaving. "Hey T, we're locked out!", I call for his attention. " I know", he responds." I just got your email."