My Jack Bauer moment

If you've ever watched "24", you know who Jack Bauer is. He's the counter-terrorist agent that always saves the day and goes to great lengths to get the job done.

One of Jack's trademarks is driving around at high speeds while talking on his cell phone. His cell phone can do anything: download pictures, interface with classified spy satellites, etc. They always process data faster than you can imagine, but sometimes when chasing the bad guys, they find out their cheese has been left in the wind.

So my family and I went to dinner the other night. I had to run back to work, but we had switched cars at the restaurant. We pulled out of the parking lot, and we went separate ways. Then I remembered that my parking pass was on the window of the OTHER car.

I swung a U-turn and called Anne on her cell phone. "I need the parking pass off of your rearview mirror."

I could see her car. She was stopped at a traffic light in the left hand turn lane. I could pull up in the straight lane, get the pass before the light turned green, and we could be on our way.

But I had to get to the light--fast. I gunned it.

"I see you. Put your window down, I'll be there in 3 seconds."

It was perfect. I unbuckled the seatbelt, screeched to a halt, and jumped out of the car. I swung around and knocked on the window of her car, why hadn't she put the window down?!

Then I noticed two latino men sitting in the driver and passenger seat, staring at me wide-eyed.

The wrong car! Faulty intel!

The light turned green.

I half-waved at the two latino guys.

Then I noticed Anne's car, three cars ahead, boxed in. We finally met up in a CVS parking lot. In the end, Jack Bauer saved the day, but it wasn't nearly as cool as it could have been.