On the Outside Looking In

 

                                            Morning Walk at the Riparian

The day started off nicely even though I woke up at 3:17 and was not able to get back to sleep. I rested and took my time getting out of the house. I took Poppy to the Riparian Preserve for a walk that was mostly peaceful and quiet. 

 

I returned home feeling productive and after starting some laundry, I went outside to hose down the back patio leaving Poppy inside to cool down.  When I was finished and the patio was clean, I went to open the sliding glass door only to discover I could not. The wooden pole I use had somehow rolled back into the door frame effectively preventing me from getting inside. Either the dog or my robot vac (leaning toward the robot vacuum) had pushed it and I was stuck on the outside looking in.

 

My phone was inside the house and I had nothing on me. I tried jiggling the door, coaxing the dog to use her paws and pull it back. She is definitely not Lassie! My cat could have done it, he regularly plays with the pole for entertainment but he was nowhere to be seen. I later discovered his day wasn't going much better than mine because he was stuck in my daughter's room.

So, I sat down and breathed, considering my options. I got up and did some weeding. I looked for a vulnerable window. Finally, I walked around the corner and asked my neighbor if I could use her phone. I called my ex-husband because he works from home and there was a good chance our daughter (she's currently with him) had left her key to my house at home. No luck. I went back home for some more weeding and problem solving.

 

My neighbor came over and offered to drive me over to see if my kid had left her key at her Dad's. Again, no luck, he wasn't home. So my neighbor dropped me off at rec center where I teach classes. My boss was amazing, letting me use his phone to call and text, logging me onto a computer and sharing a similar experience he had.

I was able to reach my daughter via text. She didn't have her key and thought she had left it at my house. I'm renting and I thought the owners, a couple, would be able to unlock the door. Since I didn't have my phone, I didn't have their contact info. They own a business and I called and asked the receptionist if she could call them. They responded right away but were out of town and recommended a locksmith.

Out of options and luck, I called the locksmith they suggested and left a message. Then called another with a five star rating. Jacob from Sundial locksmith was amazing! Was able to come about a half hour I spoke with him and had the four locks on my front door open in five minutes. Another instructor from Freestone graciously gave me a ride home and commented at how calm I was. Hysteria never helps and I know how to focus but on the inside I was anxious and angry with myself.

 

I was locked out for about two and a half hours and the whole fiasco cost $279.00. I'm a pretty solid problem solver but the kindness of others lessened the time and the burden. If I had had my phone which I did not expect to need while I was hosing down the patio, I could have opened my garage door with an app. I don't like being so reliant on technology. I couldn't even check my email while at the rec center because everything requires two step authentication. You confirm you're logging in by getting a notification on your phone.

Many people suggested a hide a key but I'm not comfortable with that. Having had my house broken into and been attacked years ago makes me nervous to put a key someplace. This was a freak thing and is unlikely to happen again however, I do plan to put my phone in my pocket even if I am just going outside. Talk about a ball and chain!

I still managed to pick my daughter up from school in her car so she could drive it back to her Dad's (she's got her permit but not her license) teach 3 classes and keep up with work email and household stuff but much chocolate (dark with almonds) was consumed! I was so tired when I arrived to teach my classes this afternoon but I felt much better afterwards. Regular exercises know what is on the other side of a workout. Today that was burning off the fight or flight adrenaline.