I am not hiding my errors in this post; I am noting them as teachers in high school did.

I was up in the attic rearranging stuff so more stuff could come up. A noble endeavor, I know. And then I heard ‘Moonlight Sonata Serenade coming out of a box; that tune is my ringtone. I knew my phone had fallen from my belt, but I clutched at my waist (speaking without a nod to truth) and yes, it was gone. And the tune was no longer playing.

“Hey!” That’s what I yelled down the attic stairs. “Hey, call my cell phone.” Someone did and I found it and then I called the missing call person back. It turned out to be Key Bank and I blurted out how thankful I was he had called, that otherwise I would have been looking for my phone in the usual places and then (would have) remembered . . . oh no, the attic.

A couple of hours later I was raking up some stuff (You use the word stuff too much.) after we had thrown a lot in the dumpster and it occurred to me to check for my phone. It was gone again. This is when you breathe calmly because it is really, really necessary. I got the house phone and called my number. I listened from the attic ladder; I listened in the upstairs lobby: I listened on the stairs; I listened in the kitchen and then in the vestibule; I listened in the driveway . . . and then I listened at the dumpster . . . twice. Alison said, “Maybe hit it hit something it and it is turned off.” Oh, great. Dumpster diving for a little quiet phone.

However, I remembered I had walked into the backyard, so I did so again, dialed and listened and heard nothing. I dialed again as I approached the corner of the garage and, yes, I heard Moonlight Sonata Serenade. I didn’t have to work hard at breathing calmly anymore.

I guess I am going to have to rig up something that will circle my belt so the case can’t slip off, especially now that summer is coming up. Let’s see, I’m mowing and I realize my phone is gone and then something shoots out of the blades. I wouldn’t breathe calmly then. I think I would swear.

After the sleeper sofa mattress went in, we captured these vignettes.