25 November 2014

Smart Alec Friends are the Best Friends

At the racetrack in Vegas we leave our stuff in our friends racecar trailer while we're there instead of packing it around.  Stuff like coats, water, supplies, my stuff.  It's never been a problem.  Until.

Until our friend leaves a little early from the racetrack and forgets to tell us.  We were in the stands and he was so happy to be finished early that he got distracted.

I decided to go wait in the rental car on Saturday night because Vegas is cold at night in November.  Imagine my surprise when I walk into the pit and it's a ghost town.  Everything is locked up and the lights are off.

Another one of our friends were pitted right next door.  I asked them where our friend went and they said "Well, they finished early so they took off."

Cue: meltdown.

I was tired, cold and over it.  "But our keys are on there.  My ID, everything!"

I never melt down but: tired, cold, over it.   Our friend immediately switched into Dad Mode.  "What can we do to help you?  What do you need?"

I need, oh, my keys.  My wallet.  My STUFF. I need to be in a warm hotel room or rental car.  Again with the Dad Mode: "It's okay, we'll figure it out.  Do you want a ride?  We'll take you anywhere you want to go."

The parents of the other crewmember was in their motorhome next door.  Our friend told me to go knock on their door and see if they had keys.  So I did.  I knocked on their door.
This is where I remembered that I'm five-foot-three.  If they look out the window, they're going to think someone Ding Dong Ditch'd them.  So I backed way up and stood on tippy toes so they could see me.

Nope, they didn't have keys.  Sigh.  So I called our friend.  They had just arrived at Fremont, about twenty minutes away.  He sounded a little nervous when I asked him if I could just borrow a saws-all, tin snips, or bolt cutters from any of the fellow racers.  He said that they would be right back. Vandalism is a motivator, who knew? 

So I sat down in one of the chairs that was forgotten outside to wait and pout.  I called Kevin and told him what happened.  He said he would come so I wasn't sitting in an empty pit by myself.

Our other friend finished packing up and asked again if I needed anything.  "You can sit in the truck with us, we'll wait with you."  This, I thought, was very sweet. I told him no, that I would only be waiting a few minutes and Kevin was on his way.  So they finished loading up.

One of his crew (who I don't know very well) came over and very gently said "Surely, we're leaving now so I just wanted to ask.  I'm locking up the trailer so is there anything of yours in there?"

I laughed out loud and called him a not very nice name.  Our friends are so great, I love them so.

Our friend arrived about ten minutes later.  His other crew member took the keys and went to the living quarters part of the trailer.  I told him that our stuff was in the car carrier part.  He laughed and almost shouted "I have to PEE! so unless you want to get wet, get out of the way." 

It was like a sitcom. One that I hope never re-runs.

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