Lockdown

Fans, we know: we've left you hanging. We have so much to report! And we shall get you all caught up with all the bambini's doings. For tonight, we bring you a news bulletin from this afternoon that resulted in the St. Louis Park KinderCare, where Our Birdie goes, being on lockdown from about 1pm until its close-!!! A repeat felon was on the lose and as part of the as-yet failed efforts to apprehend him, police had converged on Byerly's, a large grocery store quite near the KinderCare. (The Grandparents Trump may be interested to know that Highway 169 was briefly shut down in the northbound direction, on a stretch encompassing the exit leading to the Marriott at which they sometimes stay.) The manhunt has since moved far south, and not long after 3pm, KinderCare Director Lacee had said they would remain on lockdown, but that they would open the doors to authorized pick-up people. (A "soft lockdown"?)

So the lockdown represented more an abundance of caution than a response to a true threat.  One can see this fact clearly in hindsight, now that Rational Brain is in the driver's seat again. At the time, Julie's Emotional Heart shoved Rational Brain in the back seat and floored it right on down Oh-My-God-A-Person-With-A-Loaded-Gun-Could-Be-Walking-Into-Clara's-Day-Care-Right-Now! Road, while Rational Brain screamed from the back seat, "Oh for the love of GOD! Get a Big Gulp of perspective and take a sip!" Had she been able to reach Ted, she feels certain that he would have said the same thing then as he all but did later: when she reached him later to discuss estimated times of arrival home given the snow that began falling around 3pm, and said, "Did you hear about this lockdown thing?!" he said, "Yeah?" So see, he probably didn't need the Big Gulp.

Rational Brain eventually managed to clamber up to the front seat and at least ride shotgun and the bambalinos are tucked in, safe as houses, in their White House.