Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Road trip day five- Oh keys, where art thou?

I think I've now eaten more times at McDonald's in the past week than I have in the past five years combined. It's cheap, fast, and there is usually a playground to let the kids burn off energy.

We had just finished a disastrous trip to the mall when we decided to let the kids to to McDonald's and run around and get out of our hair. At one point I left the table to go change Bailey. When I came back, the table had been cleared of the food and trash. We let the kids run around some more and then we got up to leave. Only my keys weren't in my purse. We were just walking out to the car while I am digging through my purse and the sky opens and the rain pours. I've got the girls out in the rain and my keys are no where to be found.


We threw the girls in the other van temporarily and I ran back inside to look for my keys. They aren't on the table. They aren't on the floor. They aren't on the changing table. We go in the kiddie area on the chance a kid walked off with them. They aren't on, under, or next to any surface in the entire restaurant. We recruit a few random kids to look through the play maze, no dice. Not satisfied with their searching capabilities, I send Megan up through the maze and slides to look. She got the honor because she's smaller.


At this point I begin to panic, the kids begin to cry, and the rain continues to pour. My mom and sister, Tara, take the kids next door to the John Deere store. They take over the store running through the aisles, jumping on and off tractors, and pulling the little ones around in wagons. I've decided that the only logical place my keys could be are in the trash. I believe they were sitting on the tray when all of the food got cleared. I knew what I had to do.


I talk to the manager and he hands me a rubber glove (uh, that is a sentence I hope I never type again). Megan and I pull out the current bag in the can and proceed to go through it. I can honestly say I'd rather change 50 of Reagan's diapers after eating baked beans and chili than dig through another McDonald's trash bag. I felt like I was being dared on a Fear Factor episode. We dig through the bag and despite our torture, come up empty handed.


It turns out that wasn't our bag of trash. They had already changed out the bag and our trash bag was in back, with 200 other bags locked up and getting rained on. They wouldn't let us dig through any trash that had been taken in back. The manager said he looked through the top two bags but refused to look any further.


So, I'm 900 miles from home, in the rain, with two young children, and no keys and no access to spares. I called Bill crying and upset and he reminds me that there is a valet key in the car. I just needed to get into the car first. Megan remembers she and mom have AAA. Mom calls them and we wait, and we wait.


AAA shows up, gets the car unlocked, and there is the beautiful valet key. We are set. Only now it is 3:55, the wedding rehearsal starts at 4 and we are soaking wet, exasperated, and reek of McDonald's trash.


We finally made it to the rehearsal, just about as they were finishing. Then it was off to the dinner at the Shot Tower. I remember going there as a small child and standing in the window watching them making the pizzas. Reagan and the other kids enjoyed watching them just as I did 30 years ago.

What I learned today

  • Lesson 1: Don't leave your keys sitting on a tray for someone to throw away
  • Lesson 2 2: Don't dress your two year old in head to toe white when the rehearsal dinner is pizza (Oh, you already knew that one because it is clearly obvious? Whatever.)
  • Lesson 3: Programmable keys and key fobs cost $310 to replace

Pictures from the day:

Reagan admiring herself in her new "tractor hat" she picked out herself in the John Deere store while I was digging in the trash for my keys.







Here is the happy couple: Justin and Jordan at their rehearsal


Family with the little ones






Dinner at the Shot Tower






Reagan and Bailey- you can see how tired Reagan is getting by this point






Looking through the window at the Shot Tower, watching them make the pizzas


Celebrating my mom's (Nana) birthday back at the hotel after dinner

22 comments:

Fullerton Family said...

Oh gross. Digging through McD's trash w/ no reward. Gag. I feel so sorry for you!
(Note to self: NEVER lose van key!! $310 to replace it?! No thanks!!)

What a fun pizza place!

One Crazy Chick! said...

Ok just catching up with your adventures of "vacation".

First let me say that we have a lot more in common that I first thought. 1) You are a PM/Consultant (not too many women get to say that and look here we both are) 2) Your babies are approximately the exact same spacing 3) The thought of even reading your post about taking both your kids to the store made my stomach a little quesy (trust me it gets way easier) and I guess I stop since I now appear to be a little stalker-ish.

WOW!

GROSS! Don't make me touch that trash although what choice did you have?

Oh and those freaking Fobs? I have 2 that don't work for my car. I use a key to enter and lock my car. My dh swears I could replace a battery in those in the drawer but who has time for that?

Jill said...

Oh I just had to laugh out loud. I love hearing about other women who take trips with their girls by themselves. More moms to share my pain... I mean joy. Rock on!

London said...

Wow, that's all I have to say, Bridget! lol. Batman has been throwing out his sippy cups lately and I refuse to go digging through my own trash for them!

LauraC said...

This is going to be an awesome vacation to tell the girls about when they are older.

A chili's waiter threw out my retainer in high school while I was in the bathroom. My parents made me dig through the entire Chili's dumpster. I will never ever forget that!

Joanna said...

I'm really having a hard time picturing you dumpster diving at Mikey D's. It's sounds like a really unpleasant way to spend an afternoon. I'm sorry you didn't get the keys back.

How cute is Reagan with her tractor hat? It looks like she managed to find the cutest one in the store. No green and yellow for her.

Deanna said...

They gave you ONE glove to go digging through trash with? And then I can only imagine that sinking feeling in your stomach when you realized your keys were gone...and then rain on top of it all! I'm so glad you posted about your trip...fun reading!

Heather said...

I would've helped you look. It makes me kinda mad when people see a mother struggling with something and don't help. However, it looks like things worked out okay. The rehearsal dinner looked fun!!

Mama Mia said...

Oh Bridget....

Karen said...

You are far braver than I am. A McDonald's trash can is one place I never care to put my hand!

Martina said...

ugh...that's all i can say...i left my keys on the counter at the swim place a couple of weeks ago, but nothing nearly as dramatic as your situation!! {{{hugs!}}}

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

Too bad you couldn't finagle the McDonald's to pay for your keys since they actually threw them away. What a day you had...and I am sure it's not one you ever want to repeat!

Claremont First Ward said...

I think I would have sat down and cried. And then I would have thrown the rubber glove at the manager and told him to find my keys himself. What a debacle. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog so that I could discover yours. Please stop by anytime.

Anonymous said...

Holy crap! I really hate to say this, because I don't want to make you feel any worse, but I am glad these things are happening to you and not me! Especially the whole digging through the McDonald's trash thing. Ick! At least it would have been worth it if you found your keys! If you were where I live, you probably would have found your keys, because I swear, they never empty the trash!

Oh, I love the pictures too! Your girls are so adorable! Reagan reminds me of my neice! Well, kind of I guess!

Michelle said...

Oh, I so feel for you. See my lost keys story. Thankfully, it was my own trash I was digging through, but YUCK-O!

I love the idea of the pizza place like that for the rehearsal dinner. Oh, and I just don't dress either of my wee ones in white, regardless of what we're doing or eating. Yep, I've learned that the hard way, too!

Julie said...

You poor thing! I would have cried buckets. Thank goodness for the valet key and EWWWW on digging through the trash--that had to be disgusting! I can smell the special sauce from here....

Janet said...

Oh how terrible! That would irritate me that they through my stuff out without making sure I was done, or that I hadn't left something important behind...like keys!!! I'm glad you survived though, and now you have a funny story and some very cute pics!

Elisa @ Globetrotting in Heels said...

Oh, that sounds horrible! I'm glad you weren't alone with the girls when it happened!

Heidi O said...

You are making me homesick for Iowa reading all these posts of yours. It was too bad you couldn't meet up with your in laws. And thank goodness for the valet key... I just cringe at the thought of digging through those bags.

Anonymous said...

oh how i ached inside reading this! I am like, obsessive compulsive about my keys. Sometimes i check my purse or pocket 3984759384759 times during a 20 minute trip to Target. I even have to tell myself OUT LOUD as i get out of my car: "okay Cara you are putting your keys in your purse now."
Glad you had that valet key - the suspense was KILLING me! :)

Anonymous said...

OMG...you need a vacation after that vacation. Good thing you had that valet key!!!

Jen said...

I can't believe it. You seem to have some rotten luck.