But it feels like hours.

How many times have I considered, over the course of two months while the used car I was purchasing was being worked on, writing a blog entry about my old heap of over 300,000 miles (all but about 64,000 mine) about to be put out to pasture, or at least eventually being reincarnated into hundreds of 99 cent store toys? Well, big deal, any and many Southern California bloggers write about the "sacred" automobile.

How many times have I driven by a lock shop and not investigated having a duplicate key for my steering wheel "club" made? Laugh, but another beater car was stolen in the 80's. One never knows, I use it.

Oh, I'm not carrying change (another blog---oh, but I have so much AT HOME IN CUPS), I don't want to stop now . . . The previous second key was worn down and broken off by being in with too many siblings. That's my "big key" set with the gate and door keys, along with more car keys and Lord knows what else. Okay, I know but I wish this were a frivolous "laundry list" blog. Yes, the laundry room key is there!

Ahem. The driving set is on a red strap on which the Velcro has worn off. Yes, and my front door lock is irreparably broken. My life.

The driving set are the story here. When I got up this morning to fetch the papers oh, there were the big keys, but with a noon music lesson, possible fitness class sooner, and let's see---yes, the mechanic may well call today and I'll have the latest one. But something told me the driving set were subject to one of my carelessness moments.

Not in the hat I wore when I last drove, a frequent ploy, and not in any pockets or other places I toss keys and my odd and prolific pen collection. On second check down to the vehicle (did I lock the keys in the trunk, leave them on the seat?) here was the red strap portruding from under a tire of the adjacent car, that of the apartment manager. All I needed was the procedural chalk, so forlorn a thing to see.

The keys are definitely under the tire. At this point my hope is kids did not find the keys and strip them, and most of all the club key will function. My manager has some health issues, which translate to odd sleep hours and my not bothering her right away. So it's time for coffee, eggs, hash browns and obsession.

Another few hours in limbo, an occasional series.