Honked Off!

Tonight I felt like the biggest fool EVER. I ran to the drugstore and picked up some envelopes, we were out, and I loathe running minor errands with kids, it takes longer to get them out of the car than to just run in and get the item. Following my envelope run, I stopped by the post office...it was closed at the late hour I was there, but I have to send my letters by certified mail tomorrow, so I decided to pick up the forms tonight and pre-fill them out. I loathe taking children to the post office even MORE than minor errands, so the more time I can cut out in line, the better. I got back in my car, locked my door, and then turned on my car, somehow setting off the alarm. The honking was so loud. I frantically hit the panic button. No luck. I opened and shut the door. No luck. I turned my car off, the honking continued. A woman pulled up next to me, and offered her assistance. "Honey, I think if you just hit that red panic button it will stop honking." I tried again, and it miraculously stopped. Breathing a sigh of relief, I turn my car back on, and lo and behold the thing starts honking again. I wanted to crawl under my seat. I called my husband and begged him to tell me how to turn it off, his helpful response was, "I don't know. You are the one with the owner's manual. What did you do?" I thumbed through the book, nothing. The honking continued. I couldn't drive home like that. In exasperation, I slammed my phone shut, and tried to think, but it is very difficult with a horn blaring in your ears. Moments later my husband calls back. "Turn the key forward, and then press the valet button under the dash." I could do that. I turn the key forward, and reach for the valet button only to not be able to find one. "Where is it?" My voice was rising with hysteria. Our post office is maybe a quarter of a mile from the police station, and I just pictured my car being surrounded by cops. Helpful response number two, "I don't know...it says UNDER THE DASH." Nothing. Seriously. Finally, the car stopped honking again. It timed out. So my husband advises me to just drive home, and we will deal with it here. Easy for him to say. I put it in drive and the stupid thing did it again. I tried to look composed, but I felt like an idiot. Everyone kept staring at me, and it was so much louder than a regular horn honking. About halfway home it stopped, and I could at least enter our neighborhood quietly. But, we had to figure out how to turn it off, or else in the morning I would have the same problem. So, we shut the garage door, and my husband went in search of the elusive button. I am pleased to say he could not find one either. Finally, I did another search on the internet, and I yelled over the noise, "Try unlocking the car door with the key!" I want to note here that my husband looked at me like I was insane, but he tried it. Silence never sounded so good. I am sure our neighbors were starting to wonder what the heck was going on in our garage. Now I know what to do if it happens again, but I am hopeful I don't have to relive that experience again anytime soon.