Many Thanks to the Miller Ekstrand Family & Ken Motonishi

[Mari Clements]

After everything was done and packed, the Clements family tried to get out of Irvine quickly so that Jonathan could finish the AP Biology essay he left at home. I made the mistake of trying one more time to find the I've-got-to-spend-the-rest-of-the-money-in-my-flex-account-before-it-vanishes-expensive-transitions-lenses-glasses-that-I-lost-this-weekend. So, I turned on the car (because the lights won't work in accessory mode). I see Jonathan standing behind the trunk like he is trying to get something out of it, so I hit the unlock switch (because the trunk is unlocked when the doors are unlocked...not realizing that the doors are already unlocked, so I just locked them). I get out of the car and shut the door behind me.

My keys are now locked in the car that is turned on with its headlights on. Eric's keys are back home in Alta Loma.

Long story short, Steve and Stacy got a locksmith to come out, Kenny escorted him in from the gate (and put up with his attitude, yelling at the guard shack workers, tailgating him all the way back, being a jerk when he broke his front airdam hitting a cone, yada yada), and then Steve, Stacy, and Tadd did the leisurely pack up job to keep me company both while we were waiting for the locksmith and after I told the locksmith that, no, I really didn't want him to scratch up the car getting into it. (Fortunately, Tadd had already figured out that Joe Locksmith would not be able to get into the car without causing damage, so Eric was already on his way back with a key just in case.)

And the biggest thank you to Robert Ekstrand, who came over and gave me a sorely needed hug and kiss as he was leaving. You made my day, kiddo.

[Ken Motonishi]

You're welcome.

That locksmith guy had a serious attitude problem for some reason. He tried tailgaiting me even though I was trying to guide him in. So I put it in 3rd and floored it to try and see if he could keep up in his Toyota Yaris. He couldn't. He tried so hard he center punched one of those tall and heavy cones at 60+ and put a serious dent in the front of that car. After he pulled up with a cone sermi-permanently plastered to his front bumper, I told the guy, "hey I think you hit a cone."

[Steve Ekstrand]

The whole thing was kinda entertaining... Especially, the locksmith.

[Tadd Ekstrand]

That locksmith was a riot. And the cone to the front bumper was just icing on the cake

[John Coffey]

Locksmiths - the new Cable Guys.

[Bob Beamesderfer]

That locksmith was a riot. And the cone to the front bumper was just icing on the cake

Sounds the jerk got what he deserved!

[Chuck Fowler]

cone won - locksmith +one

[Steve Ekstrand]

IRVINE, CA 3 March 2009 3:25pm PST

Irvine Police are withholding the name of a 29yo Santa Ana Heights resident who was found in a catatonic state in an abandoned aircraft hanger on the former El Toro Marine Base. A damaged 2008 Toyota Yaris belonging to an Irvine locksmith company was found nearby out of gas. The man is currently at a Costa Mesa mental hospital on a 72-hour psychiatric hold. An Irvine police spokeswoman says that an investigation is ongoing.