I was getting ready to go to Silver Sneakers this morning when I heard Andy on the answering machine (we never answer the phone directly because of telemarketers). He wanted to make sure I could hear him if I was there:
Hi, Jean, Jean, Jean! Are you there? Jean, Jean, Jean! I need some help.
I ran over to the phone to talk to him while we still had reception. (That wasn’t a problem, he had walked about a half mile to a good place.)
It turns out he had stopped to get a tree off the road and as usual left the keys in the Jeep — so he wouldn’t accidentally drop them while he worked. But for some reason this time the Jeep automatically locked the doors. He tried to smash a window with a rock, but the window material was too resilient, so he walked down to the highway and found a place with good reception and phoned me.
It had snowed a bit last night, but the roads were clear where it was sunny and only a bit snowy and icy where it was shady and I had to drive carefully. There was a fender bender at one point blocking one lane, but it was easy to drive around.
Anyway, I met him and gave him the spare key. It was scary because he could have been in trouble if the conditions were dangerous — all of his emergency equipment is in the Jeep. We clearly need a better strategy.
I used to carry a spare house key attached to a belt loop just in case I got locked out, so after I got home I looked on the internet to see how complicated it is to get a spare modern car key made. They said an auto locksmith can make one, so I phoned one of our local fellows, who actually has done business with Andy about padlocks, and in the fullness of time he will make one. He was off to handle an emergency call.
Anyway, fingers crossed for the future. Today wasn’t a big deal, but it could have been serious if it had happened in a blizzard.
November 23, 2018
oh good grief! thank goodness he could reach you!
in certain winter conditions when we lived in Northern Minnesota it often meant life or death to spend even minutes out there unprotected. I remember asking what the rope was from the house to the barn. a simple life saving solution for going to the barn and feeding or milking the herd!
thank heaven you heard the call and were able to answer immediately!
so many people put their phones in answer mode and then retrieve messages LATER!!!
I’m glad you could drive there. for BOTH of you! and before dark? oh my.
the sensory keys are very expensive today. perhaps it’s not that kind. but then the latest cars don’t even have keys! I can see all kinds of problems that would make!
your solution sounds good to keep the spare keys attached to his belt loop.
remember old roller skates? we used to keep the key on a cord around our neck. xoxo
We were lucky it was a nice day, and that I hadn’t gone to Silver Sneakers and the weights and treadmill. If I had he could have left a message on the answering machine and walked the mile to the headquarters of the Valles Caldera to keep warm while he waited. I assume they have a land line there if the wireless reception is poor so he could have phoned again later. He could also send me an email and text via the Garmin, but typing out the letters is cumbersome and too much for him. He could have easily sent a preset message saying he needed help to both my computer and cell phone and also Kaitlin’s cellphone, and I could have checked the Garmin map to see where he was. That might have worked, but I might have started phoning people to see if someone would drive up there, This was so much easier!
Yes, I remember roller skates and the key. I even bought some when Kaitlin was young and went roller skating with her.
I suppose telling Andy he can’t go up to the land when there’s snow, is out of the question. I mean, he has to, right? That’s just what he must do.
So… A key attached to him with carabiner sounds like a good plan.
But… what about his phone? What kind does he have and is he able to hit emergency on it? There must be an app that he could install to track him…
wait, I have an idea! Be right back!
Cell phone reception is bad, which is why he had to walk a half mile to get a good signal. We have internet up at the house, which so far has been very reliable. It has problems only when the dish gets covered with snow, and the Garmin tracker uses satellite and is sometimes slow transmitting messages, but it has been very reliable. I still laugh that when he got sent by ambulance to Albuquerque I could figure out when he finally left town and when he was at the hospital. The gal at the nursing station didn’t want to be bothered by Kaitlin’s and my phoning to see if he was there yet, so the second time I phoned to she said don’t phone again, she would phone me. Yeah, sure. So I made sure he was there before I phoned again. Bless that Garmin!
I’m back.
First, I must say two things.
1. Yeh! I’ve been inspired again after watching this. I remember when I originally saw this, I was full of ideas and now I am again!
And
2. Please don’t tell Andy that I compared him to a Panda Bear.
https://youtu.be/u-evd9B-ZKg
xo
😀 I won’t tell him!
Your guardian angels were working overtime for both of you. So glad this adventure had a happy ending.
Woos Lightning, Misty, and Timber
Thank you. We are thanking our lucky stars it went so well!
The automatic locking thing is annoying. Jenny and I have to be very careful to keep the key card with us when we get out of the car in case it locks itself. No emergencies so far, but if there was one, although we both have a key card, if the locked car was a long way from home, it could take quite a while to reach it.
Yep, Andy is going to have a new one made that stays in his pocket!
Good that this had a happy ending. I like the key on a belt loop idea.
Andy says he will put it in his pocket and only use it in emergencies. It should work if he puts it in the right pocket!
Yes, that was a wake-up call. You are smart people, and now that you had this experience, I’m sure you will put your heads together and think of a fool-proof strategy for dealing with emergencies like this. You must have nerves of steel, Jean, to stay calm while Andy is out on the land. I know worry doesn’t accomplish anything, but I’m not sure I could manage without worrying!
Andy loves it and I love seeing him happy. He’s aware of changes in himself and is being careful. Fingers crossed we can keep him going up there for many more years!
comments say most of it all…
it is only since I started to live alone that I have stored a key outdoors – and so far it seems to work. 2 on my network know where it is, both have had to use it… I periodically check it’s still in place (dusty and cobwebs…)
at the other place, 2 others had keys to the place…but now none of them come here and if I need light bulbs changed, I have next door lads.
in my outing “purse” is info about who to contact and I must update it – as it relates to the old place…as I was recently at Vodafone and she wanted to know my number … and I fished it out of said purse.
It’s a good idea to have up-to-date information in case of an emergency. And it is a good idea to have a safe place for a spare key! I used to lose mine all the time, but I’m much better now.