Choosing Wisely

There are several important aspects that must be considered when choosing a dentist.  For me, he or she has to have a certain charismatic trait that keep me entertained while my teeth are being examined.  Sitting in that chair can get exceptionally boring and if I don't have a dentist that can counter that, then I am doomed to an hour of misery and fluoride.  I recently found a dentist in Provo, Utah that I have been pretty pleased with, but I went through some pretty traumatizing experiences before I found the perfect fit.  A couple years ago, when I had my wisdom teeth removed, I found myself in a great deal of pain weeks later...which I soon realized was not normal.  Upon returning to the dentist, I was told that I had a bit of bone that had surfaced in the gap.  That in and of itself sounds terrible and I found myself fearing this man who called himself my dentist.  He pulled out some exceptionally large pliers and told me to open wide.  The next fifteen minutes was pure torture.  No other way to describe it.  He dug and twisted and pinched until he was satisfied with his work.  The back of my mouth was sore for another three weeks.   

New House

My parents just bought a house that they are going to be moving into in the next couple of weeks.  The house is gorgeous and I am excited to see how they decide to decorate it.  My favorite part about the kitchen is the louvered doors.  They separate the kitchen from the dining room and have really pretty wood paneling with antique hinges.  It adds so much to the room.  There are also louvered doors that lead out back to the patio.  I love the dark color.  Apart from looking great, these doors help a lot with the air flow in the room.  They will ensure that the kitchen never gets too hot or too cold, something my mom is really excited about.  The louvered doors really helps in rooms where ventilation is a problem.  I could probably use one in my apartment.  The louvered doors that my parents have are black and they match the couches they just bought.  Overall, I would say that the doors add an elegant feeling to the main floor.  They also block out sound surprisingly well.  My parents think that the doors were a good investment and I can't help but agree with them. 

Every I know I learned from my optometrist...

I have found that one can learn a great deal from their optometrist.  I have had several over the past few years and they have taught me a few things to live by.  I once had an optometrist in Liverpool tell me that finding the right prescription is like building a healthy relationship.  It is important to keep in mind that any new prescription takes some time to get used to.  If it is not perfect at first, you have to keep making adjustments until you are satisfied.  Another optometrist told me you can learn a lot by looking people in their eyes.  As I was awkwardly trying to keep my eyes on the tip of his pen, he was telling me about how what really makes up a person is reflected through their eyes.  While I'm still not entirely sure if I agree with the idea, I can at least appreciate the sentiment.  The optometrist I see now often tells me about how having a solid career has made her a better person.  She advised me to study hard in school in order to ensure that I can always have the consistency in my life that comes with a steady income.  I wonder what these eye doctors are really being taught in optometry school...    

To See or Not to See

Having had glasses since kindergarten, I have a lot of experience with optometrists.  I remember as a kid, going to the eye-doctor in Liverpool where my family lived.  My mom brought my little sister and I in together and as I sat in the over-sized chair with the over-sized eye-measuring tool pressed to my face I was always nervous that the optometrist would force me to use eye drops.  It would always sting.  My younger sister would always feel bad as she watched me struggle to identify the objects being projected onto the wall and would do her best to help out.  She would often times loudly whisper to me.  "It's a duck,"  despite my mom's efforts to tell her that she was not actually doing me a favor.  As I got older, and my vision got progressively worse,  I was forced to wear glasses that made my eyes look ten times larger than their actual size.  Although my optometrist reassured me that, "it made me look smarter,"  I usually hid my glasses in my backpack when I got onto the school bus.  It was not until middle school that experiences with the optometrist finally improved. I got contacts.

Nanny Nightmare

When I lived in Edmonton, I used to nanny for a family with twelve children.  There are a million stories that I could tell you involving every nanny disaster possible.  I would often stay with them overnight for a few days at a time and did not sleep a wink.  For some reason, the kids labeled me as their "favorite nanny,"  meaning that I was probably the only one that did not run out on them.  For several days I would endure bloody noses, peed beds, and shedding dogs.  One day, I came upstairs to find their sixth child coloring on the walls.  She was far too old to be doing so, but instead of making her stand against the wall like her parents did, I decided to be a nice nanny and let her sit outside for time out.  A few minutes later, while nursing the bloody nose of another kid, I heard her shrieking frantically, which is a nanny's worst nightmare.  I rushed outside to find her standing there, naked.  When asked where her clothes were.  She just pointed to their over sized puppy, Bruno.  He had decided that her nightgown was his new chew toy and pulled it right off of her.  Talk about feeling frazzled. 

Deadly Doors

When I was younger, I used to have a cat named George.  George was the best cat a girl could ask for.  All of his fur was a dark gray color except for the tip of his tail which was white.  George would   cuddle up on your lap on cold days and lick your fingers after you had been eating cheetos.  I remember the day that my mom accidentally shut George in one of our garage doors was one of the worst days of my life.  George started to meow frantically as one of the two huge garage doors came slowly down on him and my mom in a panic was trying to put the code back in the padlock.  I was screaming.  Luckily, the huge garage doors both came up and George shot out from underneath them like a bullet.  I was so upset.  I could not believe that my dear cat George had almost died via garage doors.  There was another time when my dog, Lucy had a close call the with garage doors as well.  He little tail got stuck she was not a happy camper.  From now on, I'm going to make it a priority to ensure that my pets don't get stuck in the garage door. 

I would be really bad if...

The other day, my roommate and I were brainstorming what the worst situations would be to have your air conditioning stop working.  I thought we came up with a pretty good list.  I think it would be terrible to have the air conditioning go out when you are having an ice sculpting party.  It would be really bad to lose your air conditioning when your visiting cousin who is eight months pregnant go into labor.  It would be really bad to lose your air conditioning when the temperature outside is hotter than the record high in Sacramento.  It would be really bad to lose your air conditioning when all of your summer clothes are in the washer.  It would be really unfortunate to lose it just before the start of your dance party with the football players in the apartment next door.  It would also be terrible to lose it as soon as you realize you have a fever of 105.  All in all, there are plenty of situations that really require air conditioning in order to be pleasant.  It makes me grateful for my air conditioner despite its faulty cool button that actually turns the heater on.  I think things could be worse.

A perfect evening

My cousin recently got married in Salt Lake City.  She had a perfect garden wedding reception in Utah and then later had a reception in her home town in Tennessee.  Her dress was beautiful.   Simple and elegant.  I attended their garden wedding.  They had looked at a bunch of different wedding venues and decided that they wanted their reception to be outside.  It was a perfect evening with perfect weather.  There was a live band and a lot of lamps strung up over the reception area.  The food was simple and delicious.  I cannot imagine a more perfect wedding.  On one table, there were pictures of when they were dating.  On another table, there were pictures of the two of them when they were kids. It made me want to have a garden wedding. The only thing that worries me is that you have to have just the right weather or else the evening is ruined.  Sometimes it's better to play is safe and have the reception inside than the try and plan a garden wedding, only to have to move it inside when the first raindrop falls.  I am glad that my cousin was lucky enough to get perfect weather for her perfect day.

Poor Plumbing

For the past four days,  I have been on the lemonade diet.  Call me crazy. Everyone else has.  But it has been unexpectedly refreshing to be liberated from the burden of food.  I'm getting all of my amino acids covered, I promise.  I'm not starving myself.  But I am free from cravings and it feels good, despite the fact that my internal plumbing is a little messed up.  When I moved from Evansville, I was determined to start eating right.  Eating fatty foods makes you sluggish and messes with your plumbing.  Quite frankly, it makes you sick.  Going on this lemonade diet has given me more energy and enabled me to lose a few pounds.  The hardest part of the diet is drinking the salt water.  That is really hard on your internal plumbing.  It makes me sick every time I have to do it but I know in the long run that it will be worth it.  I hope.  I think.  It's been hard and even when I think my cravings are gone, all of a sudden I feel like if I don't eat a piece of pizza, I will die.  The plumbing issues have been tough to deal with as well.  But I'm waiting patiently to reap the rewards. 

I have enough crap.

My parents recently moved from Atlanta to Utah.  In the process they rented some storage units in Provo to avoid having to house hunt with all of their stuff hitched to a truck behind them.  I went to this storage unit the other day to grab some of my winter sweaters and I was amazed by the immensity of crap that people bother and even pay to store.  I think that the majority of society needs to learn how to say, "I have enough crap."  People these days are obsessed with getting the biggest and the best only to pay to keep it in a storage unit when the newer model comes out.  Did you know that the storage unit industry makes more money than the entertainment business as a whole?  It's kind of disgusting when you think about it.  I don't think that personal satisfaction can come until a person comes to terms with himself and truly realizes that he more is not always better, sometimes it's just more.  There is a renewed feeling of freedom and jubilee when you realize that you already have everything you need to be happy. Ditch the storage units and start living.   

Summer Days

We have a lot of problems with my air conditioning in my condo in Sacramento.  Our condo has two stories and it is really difficult to cool the first story and the second story evenly.  It's a problem because my roommates on the first floor are always complaining that the air conditioning is making it way too cold downstairs.  They are always turning it off.  Meanwhile, we are boiling upstairs on 90 degree days in the middle of July.  It is really frustrating and we are not sure what to do.  We have complained to management several times but it is really difficult for them to do anything because there is not anything wrong with the air conditioning.  It is more a problem with the layout of the condo.  The roommates downstairs get really frustrated because they are paying to have the air conditioning running when they do not need it.  We always get frustrated because it is impossible to try and get ready to go somewhere and look nice when you are already dripping in sweat the second you step out of the showing.  At this point, we aren't sure what we are going to do.  But we will have to figure out something pretty soon.

Cash Advances

Getting a cash advance in Nevada is not a difficult task.  But one really needs to be careful with it.  When it comes to borrowing money, I have realized that people always seem to dig themselves into a bigger hole.  But don't get me wrong, cash advances can have their advantages.  Using them to pay an overdue bill can definitely get you out of hot water.  In the movies, quick cash places are always portrayed as sleezy, grungy places with a greasy haired transaction manager.  While this is the stereotype, this is not usually the case.  There are often perfectly legitimate reason to get a cash advance, and there are plenty of reliable places that will do exactly what they promise to do with any hidden fees.  A cash advance can save you from getting your water or electricity shut off in the middle of the coldest month of the year.  It can save you from having to pay a late fee for not paying your rent on time.  When trying to get a cash advance, just make sure that you have proof of a steady income and are willing to pay back everything that you owe as soon as you are able. 

Critters

My dad has never been one to call pest control when needed.  He was always more focused on playing with the little creatures than letting pest control get rid of them.  When I was a kid I hated staying in bed.  I remember one night wandering downstairs to find my dad crouched next to the fireplace, looking up the chimney.  Thoroughly confused I walked in and started to ask what I was doing.  My dad held a finger to his mouth and motioned for me to come look.  He took a piece of bread and held it up in the chimney.  I saw a set of little claws reach down and take piece of bread.  I looked up right into the eyes of a huge raccoon.  My mom was just shaking her head and telling my dad that he should be calling a pest control instead of feeding them.  But pest control was the last thing on my dad's mind.  The little creatures always fascinated him.  He took me under the house the next day to show me a nest full of baby raccoons that he had found.  At the time I did not realize what a horrible idea that was.  The mean mommy raccoon was probably nearby.  All in all I love my dad for his sweet heart, but sometimes he goes a little far. 

Locked Out

When I was in high school, I used to take a couple of my friends home everyday after school.  We would always go out to eat or hang out in the park before slowly making our way home to do our homework.  I remember one day we got back to Caitlin's house and she found that she was locked out. The rest of her family was out of town.  Instead of calling a locksmith like a normal person would do we decided that we would play the role of "locksmith."  We discovered that one of the window panes on the back door was loose.  My friend Chris tried to reach through the pane and get to the lock but had no luck.  He ended up cutting his hand.  At this point, Caitlin was all in favor of calling a locksmith, but I had one more idea.  I noticed that one of the windows on the second floor was open.  Using my agility and tremendous strength, I hoisted myself up onto the porch and climbed onto the roof.  I fell off the roof into the bushes, ending up with a sprained wrist.  Next time, we called the locksmith.   

I hate it when...

I hate that feeling you get when in the moment you close the door of your car you realize that your keys are sitting on the driver's seat.  Nothing makes me kick myself more.  I hate the all-too-familiar feeling of trying to get a hold of a locksmith and knowing that you are going to have to wait for the next 45 minutes to an hour before you can get going towards your original destination.  What is worse is being on the phone with the locksmith, while every who rode with you is rolling their eyes because this is the exact same thing that happened last week.  It's particularly embarrassing when you are with a potential significant other and your scatterbrained tendencies are on full display.  I also hate it when the locksmith finds the exact street in Minneapolis that you are on and he gets out and you realize that it's the same guy that helped you out last time.  It is just embarrassing but I never seem to get better about remembering my keys.  The last locksmith that came to my rescue recommended that keep a spare on the underside of my car.  Maybe I will try that. 

Making your Business Better

You know on You've Got Mail, where they pan the streets of New York City and you can see all of the awnings with the business names on them?  In a huge city, an awning can really make your business stand out and make your name more memorable.  You could be in New York City or Lincoln, Nebraska, I think have an awning outside of the entrance of your business makes it stand out a great deal more. It improves the entrance of you business for one.  Now you have a professional entrance with your name of it instead of just a dirty trash can and some dead plants.  I think awnings can be used to dress up any area or occasions.  I have often noticed that at garden weddings, awnings are used to designate the entrance area.  The awning is often decorated in floral arrangements or ribbons or something of the sort.  Not only do awnings make your place look better, they also add a place for shade on particularly hot days.  If you need a breather you can get it standing underneath your beautifully placed awning.  When it comes to making your business better, I don't think you can go wrong with an awning. 

You do what???

When I was fifteen, I used to babysit for a crazy family.  Seriously, they were crazy.  I remember one night I went over there and the mother was showing me what to do for the evening.  She told me that they had a new routine for getting their toddler to bed.  She took me in to show me the baby toddler bed.  She then showed me a rope that was attached to the side of the crib. With a huge smile on her face she told me that they had started tying their son to his baby toddler crib.  I was shocked and quite appalled.  There are so many other options and tying the little boy to his baby toddler crib was definitely not the solution.  I think what they needed was to be patiently teaching their son the importance of staying in bed.  They are a number of different options available to achieve this.  They could start getting him ready for bed earlier so that he is calm when they try to put him to bed.  Or they could spend more time with him in the room while he is in his crib.  They should not use the crib as a way of punishing a child.  These are just a few alternatives that should have been used. 

Close Call

My roommate knows nothing about auto repair. But lucky for her, she always finds a way out of sticky situations.  The other day, she was driving up the interstate to Spokane on her way to work.  She was running late and was in a big hurry.  She was driving over the speed limit when she decided to switch lanes.  She ended up behind a very slow moving truck.  Lucky for her, she had slowed down a great deal when her tire blew out.  She regained control of her vehicle and pulled over.  Never having a day of auto repair training in her life, she was not sure what to do.  She pulled out her phone to call her brother only to realize that her phone was dead.  Dang.  She started her way walking down the off ramp to find a phone.  When she called her brother and told him that she needed him to change her tire, he told her that it was time for her to learn a little bit about auto repair.  He came and taught her how to change her tire.  My roommate is now pretty much an auto repair expert.  She can change her own tire.

Sibling Pest Control

I live in Des Moines, Iowa with my parents and four younger sisters.  We have a lot of annoying critters in Iowa, like skunks and opossums and sometimes you need to call a pest control company to contain them.  What I don't understand is why no one has thought to create a pest control team for little sisters.  I can't think of anything more pestering.  Little sisters steal you clothes, whine a lot, read your diary, and always want in on your way cool activities like playing kick the can.  I think that someone could make a lot of money by starting a pest control team that focused solely on younger siblings.  Instead of pesticides, they could use duct tape.  This is a company that I would for sure keep on speed dial.  They could also follow you to the movies and on dates to make sure that little sisters do not pursued.  I think that it's a fantastic idea.  I am not in any way insinuating that this pest control company should harm these youngsters in any way whatsoever.  Just make them disappear from time to time when you and your friends could most use some peace and quiet. 

Financially Responible???

Yesterday, my father decided that he was going to take the role of my financial adviser.  He told me that I needed to start being more careful with my money.  Seriously? Buying an twinkie and an overpriced slice of pizza everyday for lunch does not fall under the category of financial responsibility?  Hey now, my business of blogging keeps me exceptionally busy and leaves me with no time to spare.  I don't have time to shop for groceries.  I don't even know how to cook.  Dad, what kind of a financial adviser are you?  What do you mean when you refer to this thing you call a savings account?  Financial planning is for stressed out individuals who spend their Friday nights at home with a borrowed board game.  I prefer my carpe diem, live on the wild side, epicurean materialism where I do what I love,  and love what I do and I don't plan on letting any financial advisor shed me of my mentality any time soon.  It is Wednesday night and I am going out and living it up without a care in the world.  If you would listen to the preacher on Sundays, you'd know that you aren't suppose to worry about money anyway, you selfish pig.  Speaking of which, can I borrow ten bucks? 

No money in my pockets.

Between paying tuition, rent, and car insurance, and groceries it can be really tough to manage all of my finances as a college student.   I recently went to a financial adviser online who was really good at helping me identify the best ways for me to save money.  I think that it can be really good for college students, especially those that are putting themselves through school.  I know how stressful it can be to sit down to do financial planning and wonder how you are going to make ends meet.  It can be really discouraging to realize that you are going to have to put school off for another semester because you do not have the money to buy the books.  I have found that putting a portion of every paycheck directly into my savings account instead of keeping it in my checking can help to encourage me to save more.  The financial adviser also recommended to me that I stop buying fast food for lunch everyday and buying groceries with coupons.  I think that with the right financial planning and a habit of responsible , it can be possible to find the money to put yourself through school and pay back all of your loans.  

If I were a rich girl.

If was not a poor college student with no money, I would have a really awesome bathroom.  For one, it would be color coordinated.  Right now, it is an odd/lame combination of flowers and fishes and I cringe every morning when I enter the vicinity.  If I had big money that I could spend on my bathroom, I would put in a really nice vintage shower.  I would have a classic color scheme of black and white and a huge mirror with high, silver light fixtures over the sink.  I think that the vintage shower would add a lot of sophistication to the bathroom.  It would really help the create a feeling of space in the bathroom as well.  I love the oval shower curtain rods that wrap around the vintage shower.  I have also seen some really nice bathrooms that have a clawfoot tub shower kit.  They are beautiful, too. I would want a big window in the bathroom with light, white, fresh curtains and a large vanity counter.  I would have black rugs on the floor that would contrast nicely with the white tile.  When it comes to building my dream house, I would start with the bathroom.    

An Apple a Day...

As winter approaches,  I thought I would throw out some suggestions I got from my ENT doctor in Fair Lawn today.  He recommended that I take certain prevention steps to keep the kids that I babysit from getting sick. He advised that younger children shouldn't be bathed everyday.  This keeps water from getting in their ears too frequently and prevents ear infections.  Another ENT doctor in NYC recommended that I send the kids to school with little hand sanitizers attached to their backpacks.  They should also be taught the importance of washing their hands every time they use the bathroom.  Such things will help to stop the spread of germs and keep you from having to visit an ENT in Brooklyn.  When I was younger, I would always get severe ear infections and once had my ear drum rupture.  It was a terrible experience and my mom always made sure that she consulted our ENT in Queens after that.  Ear infections are very painful and, if left untreated, can lead to hearing defects.  Another prevalent illness during the winter months is strep  throat.  This can keep a kid out of school for several days and is highly contagious.  Everyone and their dog will have it by the end of the week.  Just be careful and make sure the germs don't get spread around.    

Odd Phobia

The other night I went up to my grandparents house for the weekend.  My sweet Granny let me sleep in her favorite guest room that all of the grandkids call the "ocean room."  The wall are blue and there is a queen-sized waterbed.  I was grateful for her hospitality, but in all honesty I was worried about how much sleep I would end up getting because I am secretly afraid of waterbeds.  Every time I attempt to sleep in one, I find myself laying there, afraid to move and wondering what would happen if I accidentally punctured the bed in my sleep.  I have imagined a number of horrific things that could happen.  There is the possibility of the "warm water" effect where I end up peeing the bed or there is the possibility that I could end up drowning in my pillow.  Plus, when I wake up in the middle of the night, I always end up disoriented and unable to get out of the waterbed and I know that I look like a looney in my attempt.  All in all, waterbeds are an odd phobia I have and for that reason, I dread going to Grandma's house.      

Weird Friends

Last weekend I was invited to a friend's apartment for a night of murder mystery games.  The evening started off with one of Hitchcock's classics, Vertigo after which, my friend pulled out the murder mystery games.  I was amazed at the violent and somewhat creepy minds of the the people around me of whom I call my friends.  When it came to inventing horrifying stories that ended in violent and tragic death, the people I spend the majority of my time with were quite good at being creative.  It made me start to wonder why humanity loves to embrace the tragic, the gore, and the violent.  When it's presented to us in the form of fun and games when are more than happy to embrace it and make it the center of our entertainment for an evening.  Whether it's watching Saw IV with all of your friends and younger siblings, or pulling out the murder mystery games, people love to be shocked, as was demonstrated by my friends with these murder mystery games.   What worries me is that those exposed to a great extent of violent material, especially at a young age, could become immune the shock when they see someone in pain in reality.  It's a growing problem.  Blame the media, it's an easy excuse.   

Opinions

I like to pride my self on formulating intelligent opinions about various aspects on the world based on evidence drawn from a variety of highly reliable sources.  One such opinion that I have developed is that high maintenance females should not be allowed to own little dogs that bark incessantly in small spaces.  I was once on an eight hour flight to Quito and was found lacking in leg room as a result a personalized dog bed that belonged to the Chiwawa, that belonged to the woman sitting next to me.  She began to tell me about the waterproof dog bed she had ordered online and the washable dog bed that made her pup sneeze.  The bug-eyed, oversized rodent of a dog sat and stared at me the entire time while the woman brushed its fur with her own hair brush.  Disgusting.  Another time, I was sitting in a restaurant when one of the waiters tripped over his feet causing a startling crash.  Little barking sounds began to emerge from under the table next to us and the woman pulled out another personalized dog bed and began to soothe its tiny inhabitant.  The woman then expressed her anger at the waiter for waking up fluffy.  Geez.    

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

I am a girl who loves diamond and pearl jewelry.  Don't give me intellect, don't give me understanding, don't write me a love letter.  I want white pearl freshwater earrings.  I want cultured pearl Tahitian earrings.  The idea of "and they lived in poverty for the rest of their lives but they had their love" makes me sick to my stomach.  I will gladly admit that one can easily buy my love.  It's not difficult.  I won't even make you put it in a gift bag.  Just surprise me with a white gold heart diamond necklace or a 14k two tone gold diamond necklace.  If you're the committal type, or extremely sensitive or have a spectacular sense of humor, save it for the next girl.  Impress me with your vast amounts of wealth and gold journey earrings and I will be completely satisfied.  I know the fact that I am not interested in who you are as a person may come off as a bit harsh, but you'll soon come to appreciate my low expectations and realize that you have made the best decision of your entire life.  If a man can just come to the realization that diamonds truly are a girl's best friend, he will have a much happier and prosperous existence.            

The Watering Hole

I just moved into a new apartment complex.  Within this complex, there is a swimming pool.  It appears that among this habitation of single students, the swimming pool is a builder of social interaction.  I have come to the conclusion that apartment complexes hire swimming pool builders in order to encourage inhabitants to mingle and seek out potential mates.  Males position themselves in the hot tub and wait to the females to wander over in packs.  These swimming pool builders know that they need to place the hot tub in clear sight of the pool so that inhabitants can see a full panoramic view of all the singles that have come down to enjoy the cool, refreshing water.  The swimming pool builders also know to supply a large amount of beach chairs that females can use to lay out on, supposedly making them more attractive and boosting their ability to attract a surplus of potential mates.  Often times, these pool builders will put lights in bottom of the pool, drawing the singles out at night and making them look more attractive than they actually are.  These swimming pool builders really know what to do to increase the ritual of flirtation that seems to be a tendency among these very lonely young adults. 

Locksmiths and Chainsaws

I think I will pick out another interesting experience that I have with a locksmith to share with the world.  I have dozens.  I think it would be fun to write down all of them and have people rate which ones are the best.  I should take a picture with every locksmith that has ever come to help me unlock my car.  I could have a collage of locksmiths on my wall.  This particular time, I actually didn't meet a locksmith.  I locked my keys in the car in front of a haunted house in Scottsdale, not too far from all the guys running around with chainsaws.  It was one in the morning, and I called a locksmith, but was told that this particular locksmith couldn't help me because I was parked in a car shop parking lot.  They were worried about liability issues.  While I was on the phone, getting thoroughly pissed at the locksmith, a police officer walked by.  My friends proceeded to tell him what the situation was and in seconds he was prying my driver's seat door open with magic, car-opening tools. I ended up not needing a locksmith.  I got lucky...I didn't have to ask the chainsaw guys for help.   

Not Street Smart

I have a lot of interesting experiences with locksmiths. I require the assistance of a locksmith more than anyone I know. I have met several different locksmiths throughout my driving years.  The other day, I was visiting my cousin's apartment in Scottsdale.  It was late in the evening and when I got there I realized, with horror, that it would be necessary for me to parallel park.  As I attempted to pull my car forward and back I was starting to sweat as I got closer and closer to the flashy, yellow mustang in from of me.  When I decided I my car was properly positioned next to the sidewalk, I got out to examine my work.  The car was in the middle of the street and I had locked my keys inside with my cell phone. Crap. My cousin helped me get in contact with a local locksmith.  This poor locksmith had to come help me into my car at one in the morning.  He probably just thought I was some stupid, college girl...which happens to kind of be true.  I probably couldn't even count the number of locksmiths that have had to help me out of these sticky situations. It's a good thing I don't have kids. I'd hate to lock them in the car with my keys.