I used to collect key rings.
Somewhere in storage I have a huge wad of all-connected keychains from any number of places. A lot from vacations (pretty sure there is a Yellowstone keychain and a Washington DC keychain at least), some I just liked, at least a few that I made (remember lanyards?).
But that was all before I really had any keys.
Now that I have to be responsible for locking things behind me, I just don’t have the pocket (or brain) space for fancy schmancy keyrings.
Andrew is even worse….
Andrew’s keys (above)
- 2 keys to our apartment (1 for the common-area gates and one for our apartment)
- 1 mail key
- 2 (or 3?) keys for our storage unit
- his car key
- my car key
- key to his parents’ house
- 1 whole ring for work keys (I think there are 4 or 5 different keys for his work)
- Ralph’s rewards card
- library card
- This does not include the entirely separate key ring he keeps at work for a different studio he occasionally works at.
My MAIN keyring:
- Ralph’s rewards card
- library card
- Border’s rewards (that I never use)
- 2 apartment keys (common-area + apartment)
- 1 key to Andrew’s parents’ house
- my car key
- 1 key for my office (I also have an access card for the building but I almost never need it, so it’s not on the keyring)
- ’99 keyring given to my entire high school graduating class.
My secondary (never used) keyring (honestly, I only have a vague idea what these are):
- bike lock keys (1 or 2? I wonder where those locks are)
- I think one of those keys is to my parents’ house, but I have a vague memory of them changing their locks. So maybe not.
- Those (in the right of the image) *might* be keys to the storage unit. Or might not. I really don’t know.
- All kinds of rewards cards. Including to my college bookstore. And Fry’s (in Phoenix)
- Andrew’s childhood ID bracelet
- Amy and Andrew heart tag (made by Andrew on one of those dog-tag vending machines years and years ago)
- TFS (Target Financial Services) bone-shaped clamp keyring. From when I worked there.
I did a post like this once about the contents of my purse and wallet. It was a long post.
Also, I just realized I have 2 keys on my keyring that I have no idea what they go to . . . maybe our old apartment? Maybe one (or two) of my apartments in SLO?? No idea . . . I should probably remove them.
Speaking of Key rings, here’s a good key ring story.
Dusty and I drove down to this lake in Pena Blanca, it’s near the Nogales/Mexico border. We spent a lovely day at the lake, I read Harry Potter to Dusty and swam with Rocky dog while Dusty fished.
After the lake Dusty wanted to go to the border to pick some booze and other items (if you buy them at the border and then walk across you don’t pay sales tax and it’s cheaper). Because we had Rocky with us Dusty parked at a Burger King in Nogales and Rocky and I waited for him at the car. I decided I was hungry so I went into Burger King bought some burgers and drinks. Well 5 or 10 min later I had to use the restroom. So, I lock Dusty’s car and go into the Burger King to use their restroom. I put the keys in my back pocket and as I’m buttoning my pants I hear a clank and realize immediately that Dusty’s key’s are in the toilet. So, I spun around and tried to grab them but their toilets had automatic flushers so the flushing started right as I tried to grab them. The key’s got pulled into the drain and I could hear them going up the pipe. I stood there for what felt like forever waiting for the keys to come back to me. They didn’t. I went to the Burger King Manager and she said they were gone. That the water pressure in that one toilet is very high and that people lose a lot of things in it. This is not the first time it has happened. But I kid you not Dusty’s key ring had: his house key, his parents house key, his grandma’s house key, A key to his shed, a key to his front door, a key to his side door, a key to his gate, a key to his old Subaru, a key to his truck, a key to his boat, a key to his bike lock, a huge car door clicker, and a larger car door key. And yet it was still flushed!
Later the Burger King owner came by as I was sitting outside still waiting for Dusty and told me that people have lost sunglasses, wallets, money, keys in that ONE toilet. So, I didn’t feel so stupid. But they should put a sign up “Please stow your personal belongings away in your purse or put them on the ground. They will get flushed in the toilet!”
When Dusty got back he was so mad. Luckily he did have a spare of all of his keys and his dad drove all the way down to give them to us.
We collect magnets from cool places instead of keychains. We’ve started it as a tradition…themeparks, vacations, just any special place that’s memorable and sells magnets. That way your keys can stay light. lol. And every time you open that fridge, you are reminded of cool things and great memories of the places you visited. Our fridge is getting pretty full. oh and I still have way too many things on my keychain. Key cards for ralphs, petco, my gym membership, NY and company, a pic of my niece and nephew, a mini flash light, a Las Vegas keychain with Beth’s name, a circular locket that beth gave me long ago, with the picture inside missing (it went to a separate keychain, with a copy of a key for me when I moved in with Beth years ago. It had a heart attached and engraved “our home”). Even though the picture is missing I don’t have the heart to remove that keychain from my keys! lol! The rest of my bulky keys consist of apartment key, common area key, mail key, 2 keys I use for work, a key to my parents house, 2 car keys one for each car along with their individual clickers to unlock and lock, hmmmmmm.. A key chain tells the story of your life! And p.s. I did this all without even looking at my keys, I just impressed myself.