And this is why I do not compete with myself. Because I always lose.

Written by Annie on August 21st, 2008

I borrowed something from a friend of mine that lives approximately two minutes from my house and I needed to take it back to her tonight.

I’m also watching the movie “Under The Tuscan Sun” on Lifetime. [Yes, on purpose.]

So I decided I would race to see if I could return the item and be back at my house before the commercial break was over.

As soon as the commercial started, I jumped up and ran for the door.

Unfortunately, my keys were not hanging at their proper locale. Doh. So I find them on my bed and race out the house.

Driving goes fine [I didn't even speed, Daddy], and I arrive at the condos. I pull into a parking spot in front of her house. I take time to pause my iPod (which will end up being a bit of a ridiculous choice in a minute) before I get out of the car.

I hop out, leave the item at the door and as my back is turned, I hear a rather loud scraping sound. I whip around and see my driver’s side front door, which I had left ajar in order to save time, swing all the way open. Curious, I head back to my car.

[I actually worried for a minute that a cat was in my car.  I have no idea why.]

And as I sit down I realize that in all my hurry to exit the vehicle and get back in time to see the movie, I had left my car in DRIVE.

Thus causing it to drive itself into the curb.

Thus causing it to make a loud scraping sound.

Thus causing me to feel like a complete idiot.

Thus causing me to realize that I am officially too competitive.

At least I didn’t miss one beat of the song I was listening to. That would have been really unfortunate. My subconscious must have found that far more important than, oh I don’t know, PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK.

16 Comments so far ↓

  1. Aug
    21
    9:38
    PM
    ManUtd17

    That’s as funny as jumping into the car of a complete stranger in a foreign country!!!

  2. Aug
    21
    9:58
    PM
    Mama Belle

    I hope you made it back in time to finish your movie … because you might not have been able to see it again, even though it’s always playing on Lifetime or some other chick channel, like Oxygen or something.

    But, hey … I think you did pretty good.

  3. Aug
    21
    10:06
    PM
    kathleen

    You have got to be KIDDING me.

  4. Aug
    21
    10:23
    PM
    Shara

    Um, yeah. Park is important.

    I did lock my keys in my car with it still running once, so you’re not alone.

  5. Aug
    21
    10:40
    PM
    Marie-Claire

    This rivals our text message conversation today, as far as you-being-ridiculous is concerned.

  6. Aug
    22
    1:01
    AM
    Barb-a-licious

    I LOVE “Under the Tuscan Sun” ! Love it!

  7. Aug
    22
    6:02
    AM
    candace

    i wish you knew how many times i have feared that a stray dog or cat would get into my car if i left the door open. i never leave my car door open for that reason. so your fear is not that unreasonable…at least from my perspective.

  8. Aug
    22
    6:25
    AM
    Southern Gal

    I have actually had a strange dog hitch a ride in my car one NIGHT. I kept hearing this weird air sound coming from the back seat. I thought the seat wasn’t fully engaged (beautiful Pinto), so without looking, I reached into the backseat and gave the seat a shove. My hand brushed against something in the seat that was ALIVE! I screamed and since we were on a dark road, I had to wait a while for a street light to see exactly what was panting in my backseat. It was a black Pekingese just lying there like he owned the joint. Thank the Lord my husband was driving because I was scunched up as far as I could go against the dashboard and door! We made it home without incident and promptly and firmly shooed the little…doggie out of our car. Now I always check my backseat. Not for thugs or muggers, but for hairy, panting, mean little dogs.

    Also left my straight drive car out of gear while getting something from the backyard. Heard a crunch and saw half my car hanging out of my garage with driver’s door stopping the thing from rolling into the neighbor’s house. We are SO alike! Ha!

    No damage to your car, music in the right spot, TV movie waiting to begin until you get home…YOU, my dear, ARE GOOD!
    Renee

  9. Aug
    22
    6:40
    AM
    Georgia Kay

    We watched Tuscan Sun ( on purpose) last night, too. And does BTC have a sense of humor about this?

  10. Aug
    22
    7:18
    AM
    Camille

    I hate to out katie gro on this one but your story makes me think about her. The day after she got back from Wesleyan’s (not Riverstone yet) youth camp, Aaron and I met her for lunch at MPC. After about an hour and a half, it’s time to leave and she can’t find her keys. This is not unusual for her. SO we go to her car to see if she locked them in and we found her keys in her car-with her car still running! It was just waiting for someone to get in it and drive it off. Completely amazing.

  11. Aug
    22
    8:11
    AM
    Shannon

    Haha…Annie I totally did that in high school except instead of leaving the car in drive, I put it in neutral thinking I put it in park. It rolled into the side of someone’s car as they were driving by. I was completely embarrassed!

    I feel ya on this one:)

  12. Aug
    22
    11:47
    AM
    Becca

    haha that’s hilarious (my favorite part though is how you worried about a cat being in the car . . . I would totally do that)

  13. Aug
    22
    3:20
    PM
    Meredith

    So. That’s Hilarious and totally in my league of things I’ve done. Come back from Texas soon so we can laugh about this together in person. Oh, and we can exchange stories. I’ll tell you one in exchange for hearing this complete story.

  14. Aug
    22
    5:27
    PM
    Sarah Markley

    shaking my head.

    remind me not to let you borrow my car. =)

  15. Aug
    23
    9:53
    PM
    Shanda

    I can relate…this is something I would totally do.

  16. Aug
    25
    1:25
    AM
    Melodee

    I almost ran over myself on the packed snow of a Michigan parking lot when I forgot to put my car into park. Me, dragging from driver’s side, hanging out door, lucky to have long enough legs to reach the break with one toe.

    SCARY. And embarrassing. Thanks for bringing it up.

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