A Day That Will Live in Infamy

It started out like any other day. I was living in Atlanta and working in Midtown, so I drove into work in my '06 Altima. I worked in the WebMD office there. For my coworkers who read this, this was back when we were in the old office on the other side of Colony Square.

I did my work until sometime between 5 and 6. It was probably closer to 5 on this particular day. I got my purse to leave and rummaged for my keys. They were always in there somewhere.

I didn't feel them.

I checked again. Nothing.

I looked in my gym bag. Nothing.

I looked all around my desk. Nope.

Well, I must have dropped them. I asked the secretary if anyone had turned in any keys.

No.

A coworker suggested maybe I had dropped them downstairs in the food court area, so I went down and asked the concierge if anything was turned in. No.

I went to the parking garage to check around my car. And then I heard it.

Heard what?

A car engine running. I looked, and saw it.

Exhaust from the tailpipes of my car.

I stared in disbelief for a minute trying to wrap my head around this situation: my car was running. Keys in the ignition. I was standing there. No one was in my car...

I had left my car running all day. From about 9 a.m. until now, just after 5. In a parking garage. In Atlanta.

The fact that someone simply could have driven away with my car isn't lost on me. Nor the fact that my car could have run out of gas. Or disappeared into another dimension. Seriously.

I got in and saw I had enough gas to get to a gas station. I cried. I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving. And I called Jeremy who was not impressed that his fiancee had done this deed.

The day I left the Altima running all day.

Selah.

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