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[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

Is that an oxymoron or what?

I lost the truck key.

I always, well, almost always, leave the key on the transmission hump  
between the seat and the shift lever. The only reason I take it out of  
the ignition switch is to avoid that nasty warning sound intelligently  
chosen by auto engineers to help people not lock themselves out of  
their old vehicles.

I searched. Under the seat, behind the seat, the glove box, the floor,  
perhaps I put it some place when my hands were full and I set it down  
in an unusual place. I searched the yard between the truck and the  
house. I checked all of the jeans' pockets, all of them, even those I  
just knew I had not recently worn. I checked around the computer, in  
the kitchen, in the pantry.

Not to be found.

I wondered if maybe a pack rat had gotten into the truck and carried  
the key off.

I got the emergency key from the magnetic box affixed to the frame and  
wondered if I had to get a new blank from the Toyota dealer. I  
resolved to make that call.

This morning I decided to wear shorts for the second time since I got  
here.

And there was the key, in the front pocket of the shorts.

Sigh.