Another thing to add to the list of items I hate...

Keys.

Specifically, 2002 Mustang Convertible Keys. I hate them so much I'm just not sure how to get it across how much I hate them. Why you ask? Well I'll tell you.

My mother is out of town and, since she won't be here and I don't have a car, she's letting me drive hers. Her car is a 2002 Mustang Convertible. So I get in the car and start driving to church. Let me tell you, I feel super cool, so cool, in fact, that I can say "super cool" and it not sound nerdy or dated. That's pretty cool, eh? So I arrive at church already to play my flute, I turn the car off and try to take out the key. I cannot. No matter how hard I try, I cannot get that bugger out. I ask Codi, who is cracking up with laughter as my eyes fill with tears, to go get help, preferably Chris. She is gone for ten minutes and reports that Chris is not here and that she told everyone in the building, "Hey, my sister cannot get the keys out of the car." That is not super-cool at all, in fact, 'tis borderline rude. I tell her to stay with the car while I go in to get Michelle. I can't find her but I found Hanson who said he'd try to help. He runs out to the car and yells, "I've got a pocketknife!" I scream a loud NO after him and he sadly puts a large knife back in his pocket. He gets in the car, puts his hand on the key and pulls it out with one motion. How did he do that? Oh well. I thank him and hope this is where the key drama ends.

Not quite. Know why? I had to drive home.

I get in the driveway and I can feel Codi suck in a deep breathe. I stop the car and think confidently, "I can get this key out, earlier was just a fluke." Guess what. It wasn't a fluke. No matter how hard I try I cannot get that darn key out. Hanson had rotated it more and the key came out. I tried this. No luck. Just as I start freaking out (again), Lindsey comes out. She insists on reading the manual. Guess what. The manual is in the glove box that has to opened with a key which happens to be stuck in the car. So we get Dad's key. I seriously doubt that the manual will tell how to get the key out but Lindsey insists on seeing it. She flips through it and gives up. I declare that I am going to get help and make Lindsey go inside (didn't want her to be making rude snide comments to whoever I drug out in the cold during their Superbowl party as she had been doing to me). She doesn't want me to get a stranger but hey, who doesn't know John Kennedy? I walk across the street and knock on the door. Tyler answers and Stephanie comes to the door. I pitifully explain that my parents are out of town and I borrowed my mom's car and now I cannot remove the key. She says she understands and comes over to help me. Get this, she can't get the key out either. She goes back to her house and brings back some big guy who claims to know a lot about cars. He sits in the seat, jiggles the gear-shifter, and pulls the key straight out. My mouth drops. "How'd you do that?" manages to come out. He laughs and explains that sometimes cars do not recognize that they are in park. All that I'd need to do is jiggle the gear-shifter and the key would then be able to rotate more and come out. I thanked them so much for coming out as they head back across the street. And now I am left hoping and praying that I will be able to get the key out tomorrow. (I've also decided to use Dad's key from now on as well!)