Not Today, Yes Today

Despite a few hiccups and the general sense of feeling overwhelmed, this week was going fine. I was house/dog-sitting for a couple of friends and keeping things under control. That all fell away this morning. It was my last morning in the house and I was getting everything together before work because I wouldn't be returning. I emptied the trash, fed the dogs, took them out, picked up my stuff. I decided to load my stuff into the car early so I wouldn't have to worry about it.
I walked outside and put my stuff into my car.
I walked back to the door and tried to open it.
It was locked.
It was one of those moments where you just hope that there's been a blip in reality and you try again, hoping for a different result. I tried again and again and again. The door was locked shut, the keys were inside.
My mind starting racing, wondering what I could do. The house is in the hills and it's not like there are pay phones on every corner. Everything was inside: wallet, car keys, phone, the dogs barking. I didn't want to go knock on a stranger-neighbor's door at 7AM. I was spinning. B had stayed at our apartment because he was taking the cat to the vet and then had a dentist appointment. I contemplated walking down the hill and then to work in Van Nuys, which would have taken hours, but at least from there I would have a phone.
Still spinning.
I realized I had left the side gate open for the pool guy and went to the backyard. Their house has door after door after door and I tried each one several times, hoping I had mistakenly left one open even though I knew I hadn't. All the while, the pugs were barking at me as they followed me from glass door to glass door, thinking it was some kind of game. Next the windows. Locked, locked, locked. Should I just break the glass and pay for it? I doubt the guys I was house-sitting for would appreciate coming home to that. Ugh.
I felt sick and stupid. I was going to have to walk miles in flip-flops and arrive late to work without anyone knowing I was going to be late. Or should I just not go to work and spend the day in the backyard, waiting for G&J to come home? How embarrassing.
There were three screened windows left. I tried to get the screens off with no luck. I found a garden tool and used it pop one off. Locked. Next one, locked. The third window was the laundry window, narrow and small. Pop. Unlocked!!!! The window was small, but if had been a quarter of the size, I still would have forced myself in. I got a chair from the deck and crawled through.
The dogs were quiet, probably sensing my crazed state. I immediately grabbed the keys and looped them through my pants. I might have left stuff behind or something unclean, but I was just happy to have the keys in my hand. And somehow, I was still early to work.