Need to be alone? Don't do this.

I went to the grocery store today.  It's a pretty simple thing, and I do it more or less every day.  It's not super exciting.  It's not super amazing.  It's not super fun.  It's just going to the grocery store.

But, it's precious time alone.

The funny thing is, though, that I don't even need that much time alone.  We don't find the need for date nights and sending our kid off to a babysitter.  We bring him with us.  It's fun.  We like it.  It works for us.  But for 30 minutes here and there -- sure.  I'd like to be alone sometimes.  So, I go to the grocery store!

But when you accidentally drop a case of soda onto your keys and close the door while putting your shopping cart away and walk back only to find your doors locked with your keys, phone, purse, and coat inside, alone time seems pretty sucky-suck-suck indeed.

I stand there for a while going, did I really just do this to myself?  I try all the doors because obviously one of them will magically open, right?  I jiggle the trunk.  I walk around the car three or four times, even though I can see my keys peeking out from under the case of soda.  Maybe somehow the car key itself disassociated from the keyring and is just hanging out on the ground like a cool pebble.  Who knows.

Nope.  No such luck.

Eventually I trudge back into the grocery store and flag down the first person I saw -- a manager.  He apologizes, as neither he or his employees can break into my car for me (totally understandable), but does manage to find a wire coat hanger for me and tries to explain what I need to do in order to break into my car.

Got it.  I'm a smart girl.  I've seen people do this to my old car a few times.  I can do it, right?

Wrong.

I'm out there, in the dark, in the cold, in the wind, struggling to shove a coat hanger through my car door.  Not happening.  I try, and try, and try.  I mutter horrible things under my breath and I cry a little.  And then a sweet lady, who just happens to pull into the parking space in front of my car, walks over and says, "Are you okay?"

Thank God.

Seriously.

After we both struggle to break into my car (FYI -- not happening with two women who have no idea what they're doing), we end up chatting about our ridiculous locked-out-of-car experiences and she reminds me about Roadside Assistance.  I have that!  Of course, my phone is in my car and I have no idea what the direct number to dial is, but I have it!  And it turns out, we have the same phone provider.  Ding ding ding!  We have a winner.

Sweet Lady Samaritan hung out with me for the 30 minutes it took on hold for them to answer, and a tow truck came by and saved me 15 minutes after that.

So, hey.  Awesome people are awesome.  Using the roadside assistance that I've been paying for monthly for over 2 years and never had to use is also awesome (and more expensive in the long run, but whatever).  However, I would have totally traded the entire experience for a cranky toddler and a warm living room.

Totally not worth the "alone time".  Not today, anyway.