Preterit or imperfect, ser or estar?
I would like to understand the Spanish grammar more fully (in practice) and hopefully other members will be helped, too.
Full context, part 2 of my vaciton
Fui bloqueado y mi tarjeta de AARP fue en mi bolso en la furgoneta y así que fue mi teléfono celular.
I was locked out and my AARP card was in my purse in the van and so was my cell phone.
Corrections: M: Estaba bloqueada y mi tarjeta de AARP estaba en mi bolso en la furgoneta y también mi teléfono celular.
C: Estaba bloqueada y mi tarjeta de AARP estaba en mi bolso en la furgoneta, al igual que (fue) mi teléfono celular.
Q1: “Estar” is used because the state of being locked out implies my position is outside the van?
Q2: “Estar” is used because the location of the card is in my purse?
Q3: Why not “estuve”? The lock out happened once, with a specific beginning and end, my stay at Cave-in-Rock?
My second attempt:
Estuve bloqueada, y mi tarjeta de AARP estuve en mi bolso en la furgoneta, y al igual que (fue) mi teléfono celular.
6 Answers
Background action or stream of conscousness take the imperfect. This rambly tale sounds a bit like stream of consiousness..
The card and the mobile and the bag were all in locations, in the van, in this case. Location= estar.
It makes no difference where you, yourself were, were at the time. The things were in the van. Location.
also my mobile.. también is the easiest option.
Also: Do you mean your credit card was blocked, or that you were frozen or that there was a naval blockade?? Irrelevant, we understand you had problems, in English, constipation?? (sorry irresistible point to make)
Maybe this will help. Grammar is not my strong point.
Bandita asked:
I use the imperfect, “estaba”..... the actions of being locked out and my card being in the car are still on-going, the reader or listener doesn't know the ending yet.
Yes!
Estaba haciendo algo (imperfect) cuando algo pasó (preterit)....
I was doing something when something happened (story with an interruption).
Example,
I was locked out of my car when I suddenly realized that.....
My third attempt:
Estaba bloqueada, y mi tarjeta de AARP estaba en mi bolso en la furgoneta, y al igual que (fue) mi teléfono celular.
Since I’m telling a story and do not want the ending known yet I use the imperfect, “estaba”.
Also, the actions of being locked out and my card being in the car are still on-going, the reader or listener doesn't know the ending yet.
Did I get the sense of this finally? Probably only until the next time I goof up! 
Yes, I understand ¨también¨ is easiest for beginners. I was happy to see ¨al igual que¨ because it goes beyond the beginner level. Hopefully this will be a new phrase for members.
Also, ¨background action or stream of consciousness¨ came from what resource? That is pretty good.
But this is not background, this experience was not made up, it was real and happened in a specific moment of time.
One common misunderstanding that people have is when use the preterit over the imperfect and vice versa. Technically, in a way, both can make sense in a certain context.
The way I look at it, the imperfect describes actions in progress, the preterit focusing on completed actions. But of course you already know that.
In your case, both can work (I believe), it depends on context and your point of view.
Well, a small thing: If your credit card was in the car , estár, imperfect, why is the móbil in the same car in ser, preterite? I think stick with estaba!
