for want of a nail

It had to happen, I suppose.

A few good days, and then today happened.

My day begins as usual, getting my daughter and I ready to head out of the door. Breakfast, get dressed, check backpacks, and the other 2,912 things to get us to her school by 8:10 am.

Partial cheat, I drove her there instead of a brief stroll because we dawdled this morning.

So, she's off to class and I decide to drive to the nearest train stop with street parking, about 4 miles away.

I park the car, and as I walk to the train I realize that I had left my wallet back at home, with cash, bus card, etc. I need the wallet.

So I drive back and on the way home, the car engine begins to smoke.

It dies as I reach my place. So, call the mechanic, arrange for towing, and walk down the street to catch the bus to the train, oops, go back for the wallet, then back to the bus stop.

Call work, let them know that I'll be an hour late or so.

The bus takes its usual time crawling to Downtown, but at least I catch the train, now only 40 mins late so far.

Of course, a third of the way there, we are informed that there has been an accident on the tracks and that all trains are stopped for a while, and that we must get off the train, as it will be sent back.

Scratchy instructions over the station as to which bus to take to get us to the next train stop, and 100 or so stranded commuters walk the 2 blocks to the bus stop. One hour late at this point.

3 of the "special" buses, empty, pass us by. Then we see the train go by, full of passengers.

So we walk back to the train stop and are informed vis the scratchy intercom that the next train will arrive shortly.

35 minutes later, it comes, packed. We all manage to squeeze in, and "ooh" and "aww" as we pass the scene of the accident: A knocked over train/bell/mechanical arm thing and the car that had been hit by the train.

I transfer to the other line, and that train takes a good 20 minutes to arrive (normally 7 minutes between trains).

Finally make it to work, almost 3 hours late.

All because of a wallet.