First thing I had to do this morning, after getting out of bed and getting dressed, was hop in the car and drive to the office building where I work. Nothing unusual about that, ordinarily, except that I was scheduled to work from home this Friday. So why was I driving to work? Because my laptop was there.

Everyone in the unit has a laptop because we go out to the field stations to audit them once a year. Having laptops also means we can work from home when work conditions permit it. They did this Friday, so I packed everything up, or thought I did, when I left the office Thursday evening. It wasn’t until I was unpacking everything when I got home later that I realized I didn’t have my laptop. Nuts.

So, after I pulled on my pants this morning, I hit the road and drove across town. The office building was mostly dark at that hour. I saw nobody on my floor and the only lights still on were the ones that stay on all night. I went back to the corner of the office where I work and there it was, my laptop, right where I left it. When I packed up the night before, I even stopped on my way out and took a good look around at my desk and shelves to make sure I had everything. And you see how that worked out.

Half an hour later I was brewing coffee, usually the first thing I do after getting out of bed.