The Importance of Keys.

A tale in which Kathleen tells lies, almost dies, and realizes her dream of being a hobo came true.

Except don't get TOO excited, cuz I'm still alive and stuff.

So basically, I have keys. One for my bike lock, and another for the apartment. I have them on a llama key chain that my friend brought me back from Peru. It's been a great little set up.

On friday, I went to school, and then just hung out on campus studying. Then, I went to go get on my bike to ride to work, and I couldn't find my keys anywhere. I always keep them in the same pocket and they just disappeared. I upturned my entire backpack twice, and eventually just gave up. It was 3:45 and I worked at 4:00, so I decided to just leave the bike locked up and walk. I got to work just a couple minutes late, which ended up being fine.

On my way there, I called Tara to see if she could bring me my spare key if she was going out. But apparently she had left to go to the Reservation and visit her family right after she got done with school. So that was out. However, Tara is the biggest worrier in the entire galaxy. (I'm sure there are probably aliens in other galaxies that are worse, but as for the milkyway...) She was adamant about calling Hailey, (our other friend) and making sure I got home okay. I told her that wasn't necessary and if anything I would call Hailey and stuff. So I finally got Tara off my case and off the phone and I got in to work.

As I worked with all of my idiot co-workers, I was constantly analyzing the situation and the options I had to solve it. The facts: I had no keys, but I had a spare key in my room. For the immediate issue of getting home, I was either A: walking home or B: calling someone for a ride. Possible phone calls: Roommate #1; Crazy Jenny. Didn't want to go there. Roommate #2; Kelcey, who was working until midnight. Roommate #3 Tara, at the Reservation. So all of those phone calls would have been pointless. One other phone call was possible, my friend Hailey, who I know would have gladly taken me and all, but I didn't want to bother her cuz she lives out of the way and it would have been a pain for her. So I decided to walk.

When I got off work I was mentally prepared to walk home. It was only four miles and wasn't that cold. But then my number one fear in this world started to creep into my head... Rape. It is my biggest fear in the universe and Cedar City has some pretty bad statistics with it. So I called Hailey, but when she picked up I remembered how it was annoying for her to have to go out of her way again, so I changed my mind; I just told her we should hang out sometime, in a "how about tomorrow?" kind of fashion so that calling her wouldn't be as weird. But it was still pretty weird. I then hung up and proceeded to walk home.

It started out nice, I was walking on main street where there were lots of lights and, uh, witnesses... :)
Then I turned onto another street that had not so many lights or witnesses, not to mention the creepy dudes smoking on their porches...

I thought, "Hmm. I should call someone and talk to them for a while so that if I am attacked they will hear it!" And seriously, just as I was thinking this, my friend Hillary called me! She had some interesting and juicy news to tell me about so we talked about that for about 5 minutes, and then, lo and behold, my phone dies. Out of nowhere!! It wasn't flashing or warning me of its impending death at all earlier. SO I was confused. And a little freaked out. I was cursing myself for not telling Hillary about my location in case I went missing.

Oh well.

I continued down drug alley and all of a sudden the street light above me went out. My imagination went wild thinking of all the possiblities that could occur after a phone dies and street lights go out around you in those scary movies...

Sorry to give you awesome suspense, but actually nothing happened after that. Haha. A car drove really slow past me which was creepy, and there was a crazy drunk dude on the other side of the street but neither of them disturbed my journey. I crossed the bridge to the park and decided to get on the road with houses instead of going down the creepy bike path where creepers hang out. I saw lots of charming christmas lights that I don't normally see.

Then I crossed the path of a black cat. But I didn't think much of it. I finally got home without being attacked or raped, which was good. Tara texted me and asked me if I had gotten a ride. I didn't want her to worry or freak out or anything, so I lied and said "Yes, I got a ride. I rode on the wings of the angels." Which is technically not lying since maybe that's what happened... ha lucky for me she thought I was just making a silly joke and believed the part where I got a ride. So there's your lie.

Before I went to bed, I mapped out a master plan of how to get my bike back and how to efficiently get to work by 12 the next day. I would get my spare key, and ride the old red bike (that was still sitting outside) up to the hippie bike shop. I've been meaning to go up there and sell it to him for a while, and here was the perfect opportunity. The shop opened at 10, so if I got there, sold the bike to him by 10:45, I would have ample time to walk back down to campus, unlock my mt. bike, and get to work. It was a foolproof plan.

Until the bad luck of the black cat crossing came into play.

I woke the next morning, feeling proud of myself for not getting raped and for coming up with a genius plan. I went in my closet to get the spare key and it was gone. I had put it in my old glasses case so it would be safe and I would remember where it was... And of course. IT IS GONE. UGHHH.

I am mad because it is still gone.

I ransacked my room, it looks like a robber went through it 10 times. It's horrible. I searched forever, and all of a sudden it was 11:30 and I had to hurry and just use the old red bike to work. I realized halfway to work that the front tire was going flat. So that was awesome. I got off work at 7 and obviously it had completely deflated by then. I could only hope that this little tire wouldn't completely blow until I got home to fix it.

And guess what? It did me proud. :)

So for those keeping score, it's 4 for the unlucky cat, and 1 for me getting home on a flat! Woot. Sunday and Monday I did not go anywhere. I went running, but I didn't leave the apartment. I didn't feel like being productive and fixing the tire basically. Geez stop judging me.

That brings us to today. Which is Tuesday. I still have not left the apartment. And I am continuing this lazy pattern and am just catching a ride with Tara to take my final. We'll see how life goes. Also, with the assistance of youtube and the everyday lock picking criminal, my brain has given birth to some genius paper clip contraptions to pick my lock. If all works out, I will not have to fix the tire and I can just ride my mountain bike home today! That is currently my plan. I hope the black cat has worn off.

That is my tale for now. I hope you have not died of boredom. I understand it's not all that intense of a story, but it's kind of my life situation currently. So yeah get over it. The End.