Me on Monday---on Thursday

This story is just too good to hold until Monday. Here it goes.

So. Yesterday, Connie, Nancy and I were meeting at the theater to see the movie Argyle (side note: very good. I want to see it again!). We were meeting at noon. I decided to smuggle my lunch in. 

We sat down and I had finished my lunch before the movie started. Now this might seem insignificant, but just hold on. You'll see where it comes in to play. 

So. We're watching the movie. We are the only people in the theater. About halfway through, a "guy" comes in. My first thought was that it was the janitor who cleans after each movie. But then I noticed he had a uniform and a badge. I thought it was the security guard. It flashed in my mind that he somehow knew I had smuggled in my lunch! That wasn't it.

He said, "Excuse me ladies, I'm looking for Barbara Eads." I raised my hand, "That's me!" Then I thought there was some sort of emergency with Butch. He then said, "You left your car running in the garage. I called your husband and he said you were here." 

I jumped up and took off with the cop. By then I realized it was a cop. I asked if he worked for the theater because, you might recall that they have guards and cars with lights on inside the garage. He said "no" and introduced himself to me and said he was a metro police officer. Mall security called the police and he responded. I asked him how he tracked me down. He said that he called my husband---which means he had to run the plates. Butch said I was at the theater. The police officer said that he asked for me at the theater and was told that there were 10 movies playing, but they didn't know which one I was in. He showed me the paper where he had written down the theaters. So he just started with #1. Well luck would have it that we were in #1. Honestly, I'm pretty sure most of the other 9 were completely empty. 

Connie and Nancy were laughing when I left.

As we're walking out and the cop was staying with me, I start to think about a car left running and unattended could be an arrestable offense due to bombs and stuff. So, I asked him if I was in trouble and was he going to arrest me. He said, "No m'am. I just want to walk you to your car and make sure everything is okay." I apologized and said, "I am so sorry. I can't believe I did this. I guess I have to blame it on the fact that I'm getting old!" 

I thanked him and wished him a good rest of the day. I got back to the theater where Connie and Nancy were still laughing. I'm pretty sure they were laughing the whole time. I quickly explained to them the whole story. Then I noticed there were 11 texts on my phone! Of course I turned my phone off in the theater. And yet, I did hear the vibration, but I ignored it---not even realizing there were so many. 

Then another one came in, so I looked at it. Here is the entire exchange:

Alls well that ends well. I like to think that if there was a possibility that I would be arrested, that I might have been able to charm the officer out of it. I guess we'll never know! 

You might wonder how it went with Butch when I got home. When I walked in he said, "So, do you need gas now?" Then I reminded him that he did the same thing 40 years ago when we were at Churchill Downs. It happens!

You might wonder how ti could have happened. I'm thinking it's my nails as it's happened before, but that time I realized as I was getting out of the car that it was still running. I have that push button start thing. I'm thinking I just didn't push it in all the way and didn't realize it. Yeah, that's it. 

All I do know is that today I cost the taxpayers of Nashville some money!