A little over a year after I met my ‘keeper’, we had fallen into a comfortable routine. Part of which is a good-morning-email from me every morning. Even if I’ve stayed over at his house, once I get back to my home, I send him a good-morning-I-arrived-home-safe-and-sound-talk-to-you-later-note. He and I are both seniors and as seniors we like our routines.
What happens when we don’t follow our routine? Well, let’s just say, it’s not pleasant. This particular morning, I left his home after a cup of coffee and a quick glance through the newspaper. HOWEVER when I arrived home, my computer decided to be stubborn and I wasn’t able to get into my email.
As I was running late for a meeting, I sent him a quick IM (instant message) that said “Having trouble” and out the door thinking I would deal with ‘the trouble’ when I returned. Once I arrived at my meeting and took my seat, I realized that I had left my cell phone behind. I silently scolded myself for being so forgetful and promptly put computer, cell phone and anything else taking up grey matter space out of my mind.
When Sweetie saw my “Having trouble” message, he immediately tried to contact me to see what the trouble was and if he could help. He started by sending an instant message. I didn’t respond. Then he sent an email … I didn’t respond. He sent me a text message on my cell phone….. I didn’t respond. He called my home phone. I didn’t respond. He called my cell phone. I still didn’t respond.
He told himself there was nothing to worry about. After reading the ‘Having trouble” message again he again sent an instant message, email, text message, called the home phone and cell phone procedure all over again …….. And again …… and again.
By this time he was feeling quite desperate. He had sent numerous messages, emails and left numerous voice mails on both phones. He was frantic and to add to the drama, there is terrible thunderstorm raging outside. Rain is coming down in sheets as he continued pacing the floor. It was unimaginable to him that I’m not answering ANYTHING. He considered calling the police to see if there have been any reports of any type of emergency in my development, but decided against it. He didn’t know the names of any of my neighbors, so he couldn’t call them. He was in quite a quandary. What to do? What to do?!!!!!
Finally he jumped into his car and headed toward my home through torrents of rain. He was soaked to the skin, scared half to death, trying to drive as fast as was safe on the wet roads, when I casually walk through my front door and see that the message light on my answering machine is going crazy. My cell phone is buzzing and buzzing. I saw that I had SEVERAL missed calls from him so I called him first before I check everything else, not realizing that he was practically a crazy man at that point.
When he answered his phone, it was easy to tell that he was rather, shall we say, cross! At first, I think he was relieved that I was ok, but then he snapped at me for the first time ever….. Maybe it just seemed like he snapped, but I think it was his first instinct after he found out that I was ok and had just been a forgetful blonde senior (that’s a double whammy for forgetfulness!), by not taking my phone with me and not thinking that a message like “Having Trouble” would scare the you-know-what out of him………. He was extremely aggravated for being forced to leave his comfortable recliner to come out in the rain and drive like a maniac….. for no reason at all. I asked him to come on the rest of the way and I’d make us some lunch. But it was too late. He was a tad nippy and was not going to be pacified with a ham sandwich. He grumbled and groaned, turned his car around and went back from where he came.
I’m guessing the steam was still coming out of his ears when he walked, dripping rain water, back into his house.
But all’s well that ends well. He called later in the day. I gave him phone numbers for everybody that I know on Planet Earth so if I’m every ‘missing’ again he’ll have other people to share in his panic. And just between you and me, I know he was extremely angry with me but actually it’s a nice warm fuzzy feeling when someone cares enough to worry about you and will come out, in the rain, searching for you. I think I’ve found a ‘keeper’.
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Gram use’ta say
“If you want to be more attractive,
put a smile on your face.”
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From The Hints Book Almanac
By Donna Hale Chandler and Richard Lee King
USES FOR ALUMINUM FOIL, cont’d
7. Serving, ice cream cone – Keep your children from making a mess of their clothing or your home by wrapping the bottom of an ice cream cone with a piece of foil before handing it to them.
8. Cooking, traveling – Packing for a trip? Include a couple of cheese sandwiches wrapped in foil. When you get to your hotel room, iron or press both sides of the wrapped sandwich and you’ll have a tasty hot snack.
9. Cleaning, silver – Line a pan with a sheet of aluminum foil, fill it with cold water, and add two teaspoons of salt. Drop your tarnished silverware into the solution. Let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes, then rinse off and dry.
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Am I The Only One 