The Key

Today was a hard day in the life of one who has given up China. Practically every single object I picked up at Lowes was "Made in China." I was not happy.

Glass lampshade I liked - check
Every lampshade on the rack - check
Cedar sachets - NOT made in China! Oh happy day! But wait, I don't need any cedar sachets...darn.
Modern silver towel hook - check
Every silver towel hook on display - check
Mickey Mouse key - "Made in Italy." Wait...Italy?

We needed to make a copy of our apartment key. In a few weeks, Giedre will be moving here, while Drew and I temporarily re-locate a few blocks north to house-sit a bed & breakfast (talk about a sweet job!). This time it was Drew, not me, who remembered the embargo.

Me: "Let's just make a key and go. Do you want me to punch the button for assistance?"
Drew: "First we have to find a key."
Me: "Right, do you want me to punch the button?"
Drew: "We have to find a key."
Me: *light dawning* "Ohhhhh...yeah..."

Every darn key there - except the very large, very colorful Mickey key - refused to surrender its country of origin. All of them - including Mickey - were made by the same company, so Drew said that the entire collection must have sailed over from Italy. "But look at this Mickey key," I argued. "It looks nothing like the others. It's huge and it feels different!"

It was time for the next step: asking the salesman where the key was made. And I have to admit, I was embarrassed. He's going to think we're crazy, I thought inwardly. It's one thing to give up China. It's another thing to blog about it. But it's certainly something else to advertise the boycott to the guy behind the counter. The young sales guy scratched his head and said, "I think they come from someplace in Arkansas...or Arizona." Trying to be helpful, he pulled a sample key out and looked at the label. Nothing. We had examined, questioned, and learned a grand total of nothing. So the key was made and we bought it using a Christmas gift card.

It's funny how this has been working. Most of the time, I remember about the embargo and will find the clothing tag or turn an object over for the inevitable "Made in China." But sometimes, I have a mental stumbling block that kicks in and I completely forget. I guess it's good that I have a partner in crime help keep me honest. Apparently, I can't be trusted around keys.