Day 328 - Black Friday

 Today is the 6th day of the 47th week, the 24th day of the 11th month, the 328th day of 2023, and:

• Black Friday
• Bronielocks Day
• Buy Nothing Day
• DB Cooper Day
• Evolution Day
• Flossing Day
• Fur Free Friday
• Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day
• International Carménère Day
• International Systems Engineer 
• Lachit Divas
• Maize Day
• National Day of Listening
• National Leftovers Day
• National Native American Heritage Day
• National Sardines Day
• National Use Even if Seal is Broken Day
• Random Acts of Kindness Friday
• Sinkie Day or Din Over Your Sink Day
• You're Welcomgiving Day

Quote of the day:
"Because only in America, people trample others for sales exactly one day after being thankful for what they already have."

~ Unknown

I remember the MD Christmas Show back when it was one of the largest craft shows on the East coast.  Every weekend after Thanksgiving, we made the trek to the Frederick County Fairgrounds and joined mobs of people for the day viewing hundreds of crafts and we always left laden with the spoils of our shopping.  Then the owners of the show got greedy and tried to open for two weekends, telling the craft people they had to sign up for both or neither.  And just like that?  The show melted away to what it is now.  They rescinded that ruling after just two years, but it was too late, the glory days were gone.  

Although I am told the first weekend has many more crafters, I have stuck to spending the Friday after Thanksgiving wandering about what is left.  I always end up buying the same things:  my New Year Eve's ice wine, handmade soap, sweet smelling herbs, some treats [but the streusel vendor wasn't there this year], freshly popped kettle corn, and some handmade jewelry.  

Afterwards I go to the Cracker Barrel and enjoy my chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes with white gravy and green beans, followed up with the cobbler of the day [peach].  Today they had a roaring fire going in their fireplace 

After they seated a group of three, at this table, which was right in front of me, they kept turning around and trying to take pictures of the fireplace and each other, so I stopped eating, got up, went over, and offered to take a picture of the three of them together in front of it.  They were delighted and thanked me many times.  I gave them back their phone and sat back down to finish my meal smiling.  After I finished desert, I asked my waiter about my check.  "You don't have to worry about your check", he told me, "it has been take care of."  He wouldn't say anymore so I have no idea who treated me!

When I came home, Alexa informed me my item had been delivered.  Puzzled because I hadn't gotten a notice from the HUB, I checked online and found the package had been left out on a ledge in the mail room [the secure lockers of the HUB were literally behind the next wall].   I rushed back out of the apartment, grabbing my phone and my keys, to see if it was still there.

It wasn't anywhere in sight - things that are left out like that do get stolen very quickly around here.  Disgusted I turned and headed for the elevators to go back upstairs, and stopped, looking at the keys in my hand.

Instead of my house keys I had picked up my car keys.  I was locked out.

Quickly, despite not having a coat on, I walked over to the management office.  They were closed for the holiday.  I walked back, and tried to call Maintenance.  The message said if it was an emergency, call 911, and if I was locked out, call a locksmith.  I tried calling Security, and got the same advice.  This is the only the second time in 16 years that I locked myself out, but the first time since management discontinued the concierge service.  The previous time?  the week after they changed all of our locks to automatically lock when you close the door behind you back in 2010 or so, when I went to take the trash to the chute.

*sigh*

Now I could've driven to my daughter's - she has a key.  But I didn't have my driver's license or car registration with me.  Stay overnight and get the management to open the apartment tomorrow?  Triscuit had not been fed.  Call my cleaning lady?  She has a key and lives nearby, but she was going to NY to spend the holiday with her brother.  

So, I called a locksmith 

And 1 1/2 hours and $377 later, after 20 minutes and two broken drill bits, I was back in my apartment   That charge included a 6% transaction fee for paying via credit card, and a generous tip for his time.  

The lock is, of course, completely  ruined.  He offered to replace it, but I opted to have maintenance do that.  The dead bolt is still in place, luckily, so I can lock my door.   Fortunately I can leave my apartment by keeping the handle unlocked - but there is a slight risk of it recatching and locking me out again.  Needless to say, I opened a ticket with maintenance to get the lock replaced, with four new keys as well.  No idea if they will just replace the bottom lock [and I will have to use two different keys to enter] or if they will replace both locks - or if they will charge me to do so.

It's been a rather expensive day, but it all could've been so much worse - I was fully dressed [hadn't changed into lounging wear and slippers], could sit in the lobby of the building while waiting for the locksmith to arrive, and I had my phone with me.  At least Amazon reimbursed me for the stolen item when I contacted them and complained!  And I did impress someone with my small act of kindness enough that they treated me to lunch.

But I don't plan on doing anything at all tomorrow - I think I need to recuperate from Thanksgiving now!