Rambling Observations

Saturday was a beautiful, if slightly cold, day.  The kids wanted to play out side. Jenny and I wanted to play out side. After a short discussion it was quickly decided that we would go geocaching (the boys still call it treasure hunting) today.

I got on the computer and within 5 minutes had found a suitable cache for the five of us.  Not too difficult, not to far away and in a park where the boys would be able to play before and after the hunt.

So we're at the park, Louie and Matt are everywhere, swings, slides, monkey bars, etc.  Sarah is in the backpack having a blast.  And Jenny and I are walking along the edge of the woods with the GPS trying to determine where the cache is.  Everyone is enjoying themselves.

In fairly short order Jenny and I determine where we need to focus our search and call the boys over. There is a small creek that needs to be crossed (a few times actually) and lots of tangled vines.  Jenny and the boys head into the woods while Sarah and I watch from nearby.

Today Matt & Louie shared the FTF (First-To-Find) honors.  Matt was the first to see and Louie the first to hold.

Success is ours and we start heading for the car. Along the way we stop to play in one of the baseball fields and take turn throwing a baseball that Louie found in the park.  Finally, we decided to call it a day and as we reach the parking lot I ask Jenny for the keys....she reaches into her pocket, but they aren't there. Oh, Shit!

Lets see, where could the keys be?  Baseball field, Swings, slide, monkey bars?  Damn! Creek, just about anywhere in the woods?  Damn, Damn!

Ok, lets not panic.  So we start backtracking.  We scan the baseball field, nothing.  Jenny heads back to the edge of the park with Louie and Matt, I head towards the swings, slides, and monkey bars. Nothing. 

Its now nearly 12:30 and the kids are complaining they are hungry.  Great!

I had emptied my pockets when we reached the park, meaning that my cell phone is locked in the car. Jenny had left her phone in her purse, meaning that her cell phone is also locked in the car.

The real question is why did I give Jenny the car keys!?!?!  Normally I just put them in my jeans pocket.  Okay, I'll give them to her to put in her purse if we are going to dinner or the movies so that I don't have to sit on them or have them poking into my thigh for an extended amount of time.  I'm not saying that the keys wouldn't have gotten lost if I had kept them, just questioning an out of character decision on my part.

At this point Jenny is walking around in the woods again and Louie & Matt have convinced themselves that the keys must have fell into the creek.  I can just see both boys falling into the creek, oh what fun that would be!

We've been looking for almost 30 minutes now.  Rather than let the boys fall in the creek or drive Jenny crazy with questions, I take them back towards the parking lot, and head across the street to find someone with a phone so I can call for help.

There is a nice elder couple in their yard who are gracious enough to lend me a phone.  I must have looked quite comical, Sarah in the backpack, Louie holding one hand and Matt holding the other, and no car keys.

Ok, so I have the phone in my hand and now is the first time that I think, I don't know anyone's phone number! Why would I, everyone I call is on speed dial in my cell phone.  I stand there like an idiot for a minute, and the old man asks if I'd like a phone book.  Thanks, but the numbers I want to call are cell phones.  I continue to stand there trying to mentally visualize my cell phone and the contact information.

Why was I the one to go find a phone? Jenny is the one who remembers phone numbers forever! Not me!  This was a terrible idea!

Finally, I decide that I know Mom's number. I dial, it rings, no answer, voicemail, "This is Kathy, please leave a message".  Damn!  But at least I remembered the number correctly.

Next I think I have remembered Jenny's parents number.  I dial, it rings, no answer, voicemail, Damn!  But at least I'm two for two.

OK, so I'll guess at my Dad's number.  I dial, it rings, DAD ANSWERS!

Maybe my memory is better than I thought.

Dad agrees to come save us.  I tell him where the spare van keys are in our house and where we are (complete with sketchy directions on how to get there).

With help on the way the kids and I head back to check on Jenny.  She is still rummaging around in the woods.  She stops for a minute as we approach and I let her know that Dad is on his way. 

We decide to send the kids over to the swings again while we continue looking and while I am directing the boys back to the swings Jenny yells, "I FOUND THEM!"

Jenny is the geocaching master (or in this case key-o-caching master) but she won't get to hold the car keys next time we go out  ;)