"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today."
~ Dale Carnegie
Here's an insanely ridiculous story for you.
I (the kind, loving daughter I am) graciously purchased two tickets to the Bob Seger concert and gave them to my dad for his birthday. I know, super nice, right? I figured that he and my sweet mama could enjoy a day of fun- frolicking in the city, eating good food, listening to classic rock.
He was psyched, and said (I quote), "That's as cool as hell," upon opening his birthday present and realizing what it was.
One problem: Their dog, Millie.
They don't like to leave Miss Millie. She's the queen of their castle and doesn't spend too much time alone.
Like the geniuses we are, we made a foil-proof plan. A plan that was so simple, even a caveman could have done it. The plan went like this: I, Cathy, would venture over to 862 to feed, play with, and water Millie at 3:30 and 9:30 PM. Easy, right?
Wrong.
Now, I must not forget to tell you that I am old-school. I have a key to enter my little abode. That's it-a key. One, little, gold-colored key is all that stands between me and the inside of the door. Not so at 862.
My parents recently decided that they would sleep better knowing they were under the watchful eye of a fancy-schmancy security system. Well, thank God. Let me tell you about all the intruders it has kept out. (eye-roll).
Knowing that I am not overly comfortable with working the high-tech motherboard provided by ADT, they promised not to set the alarm. (ahem.)
So, over to 826 I ventured, hot cocoa in hand, all set to spend a good hour with Mills. Knowing the alarm wasn't set, I inserted my key, gave it a turn, and opened the door.
A quiet set of beeps greeted me.
Those beeps must have been happy to see me because they kept getting louder and louder. "Humm, I thought. Those will probably stop soon since dad didn't set the alarm."
Just as I reached my parents bedroom, where Miss Millie was spending the day, those little beeps turned into a full blown siren, complete with computerized voice information.
"Front door- Breached! Motion Sensor- Living Room- Breeched! Authorities have been notified!"
Poor Millie went into a set of canine convulsions due to the severe pitch of the siren. I scooped her into my arms and ran her outside. I figured the smart thing to do would be to call my parents to get their "secret alarm code" to end the craziness.
Now, it would make complete sense to dock a portable phone in a central location like a kitchen, but today wasn't the day for typical. After a frantic search I located the phone, neatly tucked away on a perfect table in their bedroom, and I attempted to place my call.
well, well, well...
As it turns out, when the alarm goes off, the phones are also disabled. Perfect.
Nope, I did not have my cell phone.
So, I was stuck outside, with a convulsing dog, and some broken ear-drums.
Apparently the police called my dad, who called Chad-o, who came over to check on the situation.
Much to my delight, the alarm finally stopped and the experience culminated with a few squad cars circling the residence.
Good thing my mom left me this lovely Christmas Amaryllis bulb on the counter, as a way of thanking me for taking care of Millie.
I bet she had no idea how necessary this "thank you" treat really was. Ha.
1 comment:
This story had me and the two Erics laughing out loud!
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