Happy Friday (Or Something)

Whew, the first full week of the new year is officially complete. I don't know about you guys, but over here, it was a struggle. Though it was my second holiday season in "the real world," last year I was unemployed right around this time, so this was the first year that my winter break was only a week and a half. My brain must've thought it still had another three weeks of rest, because all this week I had to fight hard to find any motivation to get anything done. So by the time Friday rolled around, I was more than ready for the weekend.

Have you ever heard of freezing fog? I hadn't, but that's the precipitation that fell on Thursday night, and Friday morning saw me facing the prospect of a slippery drive to work. So I left my apartment, bundled up and grumbling, and proceeded to spend a solid 20+ minutes trying to scrape the damn stuff off of my car. (Seriously, ice from freezing fog is the absolute worst ice I've ever experienced on Buzz.)

Buzz in happier (but dirtier) times.

So when I finally finished, my arms were burning, my fingers were frozen... and when I went to open the door, it wouldn't budge.

I had locked myself out of my running car. And all of my stuff was inside it. Aside from, y'know, my mittens and my scraper.

I've never locked myself out of anywhere before. I was so beyond furious at myself and frustrated that I almost burst into tears, but I composed myself and thought about my options. I could go to the apartment complex office and have them let me back into my apartment, but that would still leave me without a phone. And I needed a phone, and freaking fast, because my car was running. So I decided that it was about damn time I met one of my neighbors, and I marched myself up the stairs and knocked on the door immediately to the right of my own.

After about 30 seconds, a girl wearing a tank top and pajama pants cracked the door open.

"Uh, hi, I live next door and I just locked my keys and everything in my car... Would I be able to use your phone really quick?"

(Great first impression, right? Awesome.)

Well, "really quick" turned into almost an hour and a half and a whole lot of phone calls. (Shout-out to my mom for, once again, saving my butt from over a thousand miles away!) But I seemed to have lucked out in the neighbor department, because Lauren became my ABSOLUTE SAVIOR. Okay I'm probably being over-dramatic, but she let a total stranger in serious need of help into her apartment and was nothing but incredibly hospitable and helpful the entire time. She even asked me if I was hungry! (Oh god I've already completely encroached on your morning, I don't need to take your food too.)

Needless to say, I spent the entire time thanking her profusely and telling her I'm eternally grateful.

By the time the emergency roadside rescue guy arrived, my poor car had been running for almost two hours and I'd basically given myself an ulcer stressing out about it. So this lovely man hops out of his car and proceeds to essentially break into mine, and I had to suppress the urge to koala-hug him. But I DID tell him, quite seriously, "you are an angel."

And then I dove into my car and threw my arms around the steering wheel, as you do.

And then I got to work two hours late and had my most productive day of the week.

So remember, friends: always unlock your car when you leave your keys inside of it, always be nice to your neighbors, and always finish the week on a positive note!