Excitement Abounds

Some days just start out like this. Actually, I'm pretty sure I will NEVER have another day start like this, but it's worth the story.

Yesterday morning I had to take Chuck to work because Honda "dropped the ball," which is code for lieing to my husband about having a loaner car ready for him. For the record, they've dropped at least 4 balls in our 7 year relationship with them. Anyway, we packed everyone into the "Big Van" and had to explain the entire way why we were taking Dada to work. Jack thought it was pretty amusing, and also very confusing. We dropped him at work and headed off to our next stop - Jack's daycare. After a short discussion with Miss Kay about Jack's recent biting rampage (okay, not exactly a rampage), and the cutest hug ever from Claudia, my officemate Rachael's daughter who now attends Chrysalis also, I headed off to work with Rachael right behind me.

Just another day.

I saw a police man and police tape and a cruiser blocking the street I normally park on right outside the museum I work at.

Thought #1: Maybe the Dalai Lama decided to come here, or the president, so they are blocking it off.

I kept going to the next street and went north. From that street you can see through the campus to the street I normally go on - there were ambulances, police cars, etc.

Thought #2: Dalai Lama got sick.

I turned east to come in front of the building - news crews and their vehicles were lined up all along that road.

Thought #3: Slow news day.

Continue to the only parking lot the multitude of cops would let us in to. Notice that about a 6 block radius has been blocked off. Park, get out, walk up the hill towards the museum and see my coworkers all walking straight past the police tape. See National Guard troops and a SWAT vehicle.

Run under sniper fire from my helicopter with Chelsea at my side. Oh wait, no, that's not how it happened.

Thought #4: Someone stole our Van Gogh.

Get inside, coworker walking with me explaining that it's a hostage situation in a residence near our building with a gun that had been fired earlier that morning, etc.

Thought #5: Does this museum EVER close?! I know Minnesotans aren't nearly as liberal with their snow days as St. Louisans are (read - I have not had one thing cancelled in the 11 years I have been up here), but come on - SNIPERS ON THE ROOFTOP?

The negotiators got the suspect to come out peacefully awhile later, ending the standoff.

No harm done, except my car was parked much farther away than I'm used to, and I scared my mom half to death by 1) calling her and asking her to get on her computer and find out why police were barricading the museum off, 2) not picking up my cell when she called back the first time, and 3) picking up the second time but losing the connection and hanging up on her without saying anything. It was exceptionally bad timing considering I called her a few weeks ago when I was REALLY sick with the stomach flu and I feebly said "I'm dying" into the phone, intending to follow that up with an explanation of my awful flu - except my phone cut out and dropped the call right after that. Oops.