When it all goes wrong. Painfully wrong.

This morning was terrible. Terrible.
It started out okay  . . . but it went to shit in very short order.

We had a play date booked with a friend that Sweet Pea asks to see all the time. Unfortunately, lately the mommy schedules have been incompatible. But finally the stars aligned, and today was the day! So I got the kids dressed, did the requisite diaper change, packed up snacks for the diaper bag, and stepped out the door exactly on time. It was then that I realized I did not have my car keys. They weren't on the hook by the door. They weren't in the diaper bag pocket where I always leave them. Where could they be? I stepped back inside to look for them. They're usually in one of a few places - on the stove, the kitchen table, the coffee table, or the bookshelf. They were in none of those places . . . but my lip gloss was on the couch. And then I realized Boober had been digging around in, and subsequently removing things from, the diaper bag pocket. My blood pressure rose a little higher.

"Boober, did you take mommy's keys?"
Nods yes.
"Where are they?"
Points at the fridge.
They were not in the fridge.

After 30 minutes of fruitless searching I decided I should probably call and let the other party know we were going to be late, or not present at all. It was then that I discovered that my phone was missing too. So I did what I always do when I can't find my phone - went to the internet to first send myself an email (I can sometimes locate the phone by the email alert) or to send Mr. Wonderful a 'please call me' message.

THE FUCKING INTERNET WAS DOWN!!

I started sweating, I was so tense. No phone, no internet, no car.

Okay  . . . so . . . bikes? Can't bring Boober along. My bike is the only bike in existence that can't accomodate a baby seat, and we can't find a bike trailer that we like that is a reasonable price.
Walk? I was going to, but the wagon was full of wet bits of tree and mud. And our play date was about 5km away, which is nothing by car or bike, but a serious hike with 2 littles in tow.

By now we were closing in on an hour late. So I went to a neighbour, and then another neighbour, and eventually I found someone at home and used their phone to call our play date, and then Mr. Wonderful.
And then we went back home.
The cell phone finally turned up (thanks to the ringing sound) down the side of the rocking chair in the nursery.
The internet problem was corrected. (I didn't know you had to turn on the modem and router in a certain order. Huh.)
And the car keys? It's taken all day, but the car keys have been found. In Burlington. A 2 hour drive away.
Sweet Zombie Jesus.