Thursday, March 10, 2011

The Night I Went From Zero To Hero

Here's a lil tale about 3 friends whose friendship was tested, but ultimately prevailed.  It all started in the DCL (Deep Creek Lake, MD - for those that are unfamiliar with the lingo).  You see Ruby's family has a condo right on DCL and Ruby kindly invited Sydney and I out to use the condo for a girl’s weekend.  We left DC and started the journey, what was in store for us, we never saw coming.

Since DCL is about 3 hours away from DC, it was quite a ride on Friday night after work.  We of course got stuck in heinous traffic, needed to stop at Chick fil-A for dinner, we also had Ruby's beloved dog (RIP) with us, so a few bathroom breaks were needed.  Basically we didn't get out there until fairly late.  As soon as we arrived, we got our "necessities" (wine & snacks) and began our weekend of fun.  We had a few drinks on the balcony of her condo that overlooks the lake - so pretty and then decided to head out to a local bar for the night.  The bar was sooo fun - small town feel - great people - great music.  We had the pleasure of encountering Ruby's ex-boyfriend; we'll call him Spencer.  Now let me paint you a picture of Spencer, he has this most tightly curled blondish/brownish hair, he's skinny (like you can see his rib cage skinny), I'm not sure if he owns a shirt because I've never seen him wear one, and my fav part, he wears these "spectacles" (as Sydney coined) that are tiny round "Lennon-esque" glasses.  Amazeballs.  We decided to stay at this bar for a while, wound up closing it down and then decided it was time to head home - I mean it was like 2 am.  We were all quite tipsy and in rare form.  We got back to the condo and immediately started making/baking food - pizza bites among other things.  Quickly threw on our PJs and were ready for a relaxing post-bar recap!  Ruby had to take her dog out and Sydney followed her for some "air".  I was in the kitchen by myself, when I realized I was by myself, so I figured I'd just go join the girls.  I walked out the front door, greeted them, all omg so glad you joined us, etc.  So the 3 of us and the dog were in the parking lot of the condo complex loving each other and life.  After about 5 minutes of this we decided we should head back in - it was getting chilly and our bare feet/boxers & t-shirts weren't doing the trick!  We go to get back into the condo and there is just one problem - the door is LOCKED!  No one informed me (I mean why would you say this though) that when you went out of the front door it locks automatically!  Whomp whomp.
We all begin to immediately panic - it's now almost 3 am, we have food in the oven, we're in our PJs, no shoes, no cell phones, no nothing!  Ruby thought there was a spare key - no dice.  So we run around to the back of the condo, which by the way we're in the middle of the woods.  No lights, no cars, nothing but darkness…and a lake.  And none of her neighbors were around because it was after Labor Day (in early September).  There are rocks everywhere - our feet are all bleeding.  I'm in a complete panic because obvi I did this!  We go around back and again try to find a spare key - Ruby is crawling under her back patio to see if there is a key - cobwebs/bugs everywhere.  After a lot of "trying", we all just accepted the fact that we'd have to spend the night out there and wait until the morning to walk to the closest pay phone (like a mile away) and call her parents/locksmith.  So basically I'm in tears, I know Ruby is pissed at me.  We were all arguing/fighting.  We basically went to separate corners of the yard and just stayed away from each other.
Next thing I know I hear this rumbling coming from the front of the condo complex.  I'm now getting nervous thinking we're all going to be raped and murdered, Ruby's dog is too little to scare anyone away, and no one would be the wiser.  Awesome.  Then I look up and I see this figure hauling ass down to the backyard - it was Sydney with a huge garbage can.  WTF did she think we were gonna do with that?!  She had the brilliant idea that we were gonna use this somehow to get back inside.  So we all put our brains together and concocted this idea.  We gathered up all the lawn furniture from the other condos and stacked it on top of this garbage can, which btw was on wheels.  We figured that if we could reach the deck of the condo, then we may be able to get up there and get through the door on the deck that goes inside - obvi and then unlock the other door.  So we start stacking and now we're all giggles and happy and loving each other.  Question - who is going to be the pour schmuck that has to do the climbing?!  Well Sydney is too short and Ruby and I are both tall, Ruby is scared of heights - enter ME!  Let me also have you know that this deck is about 15 feet off the ground (that's just to the bottom/floor of the deck), we have no cell phones, I'm climbing up a "makeshift" ladder, that is not stable, and if I fall/die, I'm done for because we couldn’t even call 9-1-1.  So, sweet.  And before I go any further, let me give you a few visuals of the condo complex and just how high we're talking…
I say a prayer and "trust my sisters" (we were all sorority sisters and that is what they kept chanting to me).  Ruby & Sydney are planted firmly on the ground arms as tight as possible trying to hold our "ladder".  I climb up onto the garbage can - it's not to sturdy.  Then Ruby is trying to grasp tightly onto the patio chair that we have on top of that.  I climb up - again wobbling - I'm getting pretty scared.  I reach up hoping that I'd be able to reach the rungs of the deck so I can hoist myself up and over the railing.  No dice.  I need another chair.  Sydney grabs one and we stack that on top of the other chair (on top of the garbage can with wheels), I'm panicking at this point.  Still can't reach.  I look down at the girls and tell them I love them.  I'm gonna try to jump so if I fall to try their best to catch me.  I leap up grab the rungs and with some super human strength, I pull my body up the rungs, lodge my foot in between, stand, and hoist my body over the deck.  I get up - walk over to the door - and thank GOD we neglected to lock it before we left for the bar.  I opened it up, ran to the front, let my friends in.  We all stood in a huddle crying, laughing, and cheering for a good 5 minutes.  We then shut the oven off, took out our charred pizza bites and called it a night.  None of us spoke and we all went to bed. 
That night, words were said, tears were cried, friendships were tested.  However, the bonds of "sisterhood" triumphed and I went from the worst person ever to the Hero of DCL! 
P.S.  Ruby obvi told her parents about this situation and her father promptly fixed that lock and a new "spare" key has been re-instated in a secret location that only Ruby's parents, Ruby, myself, and Sydney are privy to.

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