Let me entertain you....

It's likely I was very entertaining for my Higher Power yesterday afternoon!

I am sure I wasn't thinking clearly as I assessed the seemingly overwhelming mess left behind by my dead-beat tenants, who finally moved out after 3 months of not paying their rent.

The garage was filled with an assortment of old furniture, knob-less appliances, mattresses and eclectic junk that apparently had not sold at their recent yard sale and it was allllll left behind for me handle the disposal. I think I would have just sat and cried, if I hadn't had people there with me. Instead, I just accepted the fact that this was a situation I could not immediately change and continued to get on with the business at hand.

The house was filthy, littered throughout with old dirty towels and clothing, trash and mail, and unwanted personal items including lots of family photographs and personal paperwork. (Despite my bitter feelings, I decided to hang on to their photos and attempt to return them-maybe at Small Claims Court!) An old love seat was thrown out the patio door and lay upside down on the unkempt grass. A baby swing...no longer needed, discarded carelessly on the patio. Missing were the vertical blinds on the patio sliding door and the front window, and the refrigerator!

I took photographs to submit for court evidence, until the battery died on the camera and decided to return today to finish up.

As I headed to my car, I realized that I no longer had my car keys in the pocket of my sweatshirt, where I distinctly recall putting them!

Once I got to the car, I discovered that my car was locked with my PURSE inside! My keys were not in the ignition and not visible on top of my burgeoning purse.

I retraced my steps, looking for the keys and I couldn't find them anywhere.

What to do?

What to do?

My friends had left a few minutes previously and I began to realize that IF my keys were locked in my car, so was MY PHONE!! I couldn't call anyone for HELP!! I didn't know any of the neighbors and I was several miles away from anyone I knew!

I was temporarily SOL!!!!!

Then, it occurred to me that I have ONSTAR!!!

Woooooo-hooo!

Wonderful! But, I quickly realized I didn't have a telephone to call them on to unlock my car!

So...I sat my fanny down on the front steps and prayed, saying.."God, I really have got myself in a mess here. I need some help! What are YOU going to do about this situation? I will just sit here and wait for awhile! Thanks!"

All of a sudden, the neighbor across the street came over to introduce himself and talk about the house being "vacant" again! We shared a few stories about the tenants and he owned up to being the person who complained to the County about one of the previous undesirable types who once inhabited the residence. I assured him that I totally understood his position and in no time, we were becoming fast friends! I then took the opportunity to explain to him how I'd misplaced my keys...my purse was locked inside the vehicle and how I couldn't call Onstar to open the car without my telephone...which was also..inconveniently locked inside the car!

He promptly offered me the use of his home telephone....sooooo GOD and Onstar came through! The car was unlocked, but unfortunately, my keys were not inside my purse or the car. Yet, I then had access to my cell phone to call home for the spare set of keys!

I headed back to the rental house today in order to start the clean up process, hoping to find my keys. But, unfortunately the tenant was inside the house...so I left before having what was sure to be an ugly confrontation with her.

Still no keys.

Still no possession of my rental house.

Grrrrrr!

But...maybe she's gonna clean up that mess after all!!