How I Spent My Night Off

Realizing the year was nearly up, I figured I should take my personal day today, since there really wasn't time to take it before the year was up. I lounged about, did some reading, watched a little TV and waited for my mom to get here. We ducked outside for a few minutes before setting off for dinner and some shopping. She pointed out Chaplin, jumping up and touching the sliding glass door to get my attention. Then, with Charley at the door, I went to open it.

Nothing.

No budge.

Chaplin, in his jumping fits, had locked us out. Now, I'm a compulsive door locker, so the front door was locked. I have not re-set the keypad on the garage door. Not that that would matter, since the door inside from the garage is locked. I tried to lift and slide the door, it would move. Chaplin lounged about inside and I told him I was going to beat the you-know-what out of him as soon as I could get in.

We had no cell phones. No keys. Oh, and I had no shoes. Mom suggested we get the cop next door to help us. I thought my friends, The Gerbers, had a spare key. I was angry. I thought it would be a good idea to walk there - in my socked feet. So off we went.

We walked a few blocks away and I felt a little less angry and a little more scared that my backup plan wouldn't work. The closer we got, the more afraid I was that I would ring the bell and the dog would bark, leaving us to walk back with no hope. Luckily, I caught Anne and her neighbor just as they were about to leave. Problem: no key. I called a locksmith who met us in 20 minutes. We got a ride back to the house. Poor Charley had been in the backyard by himself. he was cold. He was angry. So was I, buddy. So was I.

The locksmith showed up in a kidnapper van. The guy (who had a very thick accent I couldn't place) and what appeared to be his brother both had accents. Within 3 minutes, they had my front door open. My emergency cost $120. While he filled out the receipt, I asked where he was from. He said Israel. The paranoid girl in my head said, "Great. He's probably some Israeli military assassin who will break into my home, abduct me in his kidnapper van full of mystery tools and kill me without a trace." I did not express such concern to the locksmith. I did make sure to point out that my alarm is always set, but since the kitten locked us out, at least we didn't have that to pierce our eardrums. He smiled and shook his head. Awesome. Now he thinks I'm crazy. Well, I am, but still...

We left (alarm set, keys in hand). I came back. I growled at the cat. I spanked him (not too hard - promise). He had no idea why I did that. Charley was a little afraid to go back in the backyard again. So now, I have the following on my "to do" list this weekend:

• Program code for garage
• Make extra copies of house keys
• Stash them around in place(s) where I'm able to get to them without much trouble
• Kitten for sale?

Kidding about that last part (I think). I just hope he doesn't lock me out before I get that key thing taken care of!

There you have it. Not at all the way I wanted to spend my evening. Certainly not how I wanted to spend $120!