September 5, 2008 | Filed under: Stuff
First up, winners from earlier in the week (I drew random names) are: Jenn C, Kate, and Donna M. Congrats, and email me with your snailmail and a few book choices!
Now for my ridiculousness. I locked myself out of the house. I’ve done this before, and given how disorganized and scatter brained I can be, no one should be surprised that I did it yet again.
But this time I had a problem. I’d left both dogs alone inside. Together, where they could have a pow-pow and eat things. Big things, like my manuscript. Or the cat. Plus, I hadn’t meant to go anywhere, I was only taking out the trash, so I was in my bunny slippers, shorts and tank. Hair wild. I could get in my car and drive to Alpha Man’s jobsite and get a house key but I’d scare his crew. I could drive to Oldest’s job and borrow her keys, but she’d kill me if I showed up looking like a homeless bag lady.
So I did the sensible thing. I climbed the tree to the second story, managed to get over the deck railing without dying, and . . . And found that I’d actually locked the sliding glass door to keep the raccoons out.
Damn, I hate when I’m efficient.
I pressed my face up against the glass and found Mountain Barbie and Ashes staring back at me. Mountain Barbie had one of my favorite flip-flops in her mouth. “Drop it!” I told her. She did, and then went and got the other one. I thunked my head on the glass. This was not going well. “Unlock the door,” I begged them.
No go. I think they were laughing, to be honest. I climbed back down, against without dying, and faced facts. I was going to have to get help. Cute Next Door Neighbor wasn’t home. Just as well, really, given my appearance. So I drove to 7 Eleven to get an ice cream. That helped a lot, and no one at 7 Eleven ever judges you when you’re looking a rough around the edges. The sugar burst reminded me that I had another deck I could try. There’s no tree close enough to that one, but Alpha Man had a ladder nearby, so I used that.
And found yet another locked door. Jeez, I was on top of things lately. With a sigh, I climbed down and leaned against the back door—
Which fell open. Just that easily, I was in.
I’d be really, really glad if it hadn’t made me drop my ice cream. I really hate it when that happens.
(and now for a bit of a P.S. . . . after you leave a comment here, and trust me, your comments make my day, every single day, please feel free to come visit me at Brava authors today, I’m guesting over there and giving away more books)
Posted by Jill @ 1:00 am | Make a Comment
Judy F says:
Poor Jill. Glad you finally made it in and didn’t drop your icecream
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 2:40 amStacy ~ says:
Jill, everyday is an adventure with you. That’s why I love stopping by here. And I like it when you stop by too
Heading over to Brava…
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 3:12 amAsthmagirl says:
Poor Jill! That sounds like a tough day… especially with the ogs inside!
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 5:26 amDru says:
I’m glad you were able to get back inside. Was your manuscript safe?
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 5:42 amAshley says:
It’s always the easiest way that we try last, why is that? (A little something to ponder over today!!)
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 5:53 amNow you’ve got me craving my new favorite ice cream, Ben & Jerry’s Willie Nelson’s Peach Cobbler (yummy), and it’s only 9 am!!
Have a great weekend!!!!
Amy M says:
You make me laugh. I read daily wondering what adventures might be happening in your life.
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 5:57 amOn a separate note, when does oldest leave for college? I watched my 3rd and 4th (twins) enter kindergarten this week (feeling a huge amount of loss and sadness at my babies growing up) and thought of you and Alpha Male. I know she will be leaving soon. How are you guys holding up?
Patty L. says:
Glad you made it back in the house. You should have gone and got another ice cream. :rotfl:
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 6:05 amCaryn says:
LOL! That actually sounds a lot like something that would happen to me. We have several doors whose knobs can still be turned from the inside even when they’re still locked on the outside — and the locks don’t all face the same direction, so we have to either remember the way that particular one works or test it each time if we want to get back in that door without a key. I think it’s for safety, but being locked out isn’t exactly safe, either.
So have you hidden a key yet? (No. Don’t answer that. It’s a rhetorical question…)
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 6:10 amsls-rainey says:
Um… if this happens alot you may want to teach Ashes to unlock the door. I don’t think it would be safe to teach Mt.Barbie (just saying
)
Maybe the cat…um she may not decide to let you in.
(sigh) Hide a spare key. That’s what I ended up doing. Not anywhere obvious of course. Then the racoons could find it and get back in :rotfl:
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 6:15 amLiza says:
Thanks for the laugh, but sorry you dropped your ice cream. I don’t tend to lock myself out of my house, but have locked myself out of the car several times.
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 6:43 amJill says:
Don’t worry, I promptly got another icecream.
And yes, Amy, Oldest is leaving soon, sniff sniff. I’m not ready. So not ready . . . I’ll blog all about it when it happens.
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 7:28 amAllie says:
I love the dog trying hint that you are wearing the wrong footwear for being outside.
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 7:40 amRobin says:
Because I am the way I am, both my neighbor across the street, and my neighbor two doors down have a key to my house! I haven’t needed to bother them lately. Oops, I probably shouldn’t have thought that. And now you’ve got me thinking about ice cream for breakfast.
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 7:42 amTreasia Stepp says:
You made my morning at your own expense. How funny the way it happened. I can just picture you climbing in your bunny slippers up a tree. :rotfl:
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 7:53 amHélène says:
I have locked myself out quite a few times also, mostly due to the fact that i would change handbags,and forgot to put in the keys or assume that my keys were in my coat pocket. It’s happened so often that I ended up putting a note on the inside of my door that says “Do you have your keys?” I kid you not!
Everyday I walk to work, which is about 8 blocks. It’s usually a very nice walk thought the park.
Up until a few weeks ago there had been no more incidents. Until…
A few weeks ago i ended up walking home & it’s just pouring out. I do not realize until i got to my place that i had left my home and car keys on my desk at work..
One one of my co-workers tried to get hold of me on my cell, just has i had gotten out of the building where i work, but phone was in my purse and on vibrate.needless to say, I did never got the message until it was too late. Got home, no keys. Did not even have a spare key for my car which was sitting there right in from of my condo.
(*insert scream of frustration here.)
Ended up walking having to walk all the way back to work, in my sandals. (Did i mention i had also forgotten to put on my sneakers which were underneath my desk at work?)
Needless to say i was soaked, and had blisters from hell.
I now have a sign at my desk, supplied by my co-workers that says:
“ Do you have your keys?”
Man, just thinking about this is making crave a a chocolate chip muffin…
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 8:01 amHélène says:
Please forgive spelling and grammatical errors. Just thinking about it brings back bad memories.
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 8:30 amKaren Erickson says:
**That helped a lot, and no one at 7 Eleven ever judges you when you’re looking a rough around the edges.**
That line made me literally laugh out loud. Because it’s so true…
Glad to hear you got another ice cream! :bananadance:
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 8:35 amnaomi says:
I used to lock myself out of the old house all the time. The door knobs were the style that you could open the door from the inside even when it was locked from the outside. We got to the point where we had a lock box by the shed so I could get back in after I locked myself and the dog out.
It’s impossible to lock myself out of the current house. But much easier to forget to lock the doors. Which I’ve done. Often.
Glad you got more ice cream. Ice cream and cookies make life so much better.
And I would visit you over at the Brava site but work has it blocked as pornography so I’ll have to wait to check from home in an hour. Stupid office. Grrrr.
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 8:49 amDonna M says:
Been there, done that!!
Had to climb in a window once, while the neighbors watched & never offered to help!!! 
After my friend moved away I got a garden figure that hides a set of keys, it was a smart thing for me to do!! 
I left it for the new tenants that move in. There is no place here to hide something like that! You dropped your ice cream, oh no! Nothing like adding insult to injury! 
By the way thanks for drawing my name for a book. I’ll check out your backlist. :heart:
Everyone have a wonderful, fun weekend. :wave:
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 10:56 amjeanne says:
I’m sorry but I haven’t laughed so hard in a while
The first time I locked myself out I was able to get in our back windows in a matter of seconds which scared me to death that it was so easy so we fixed it so that wouldn’t happen. So of course the next time I did it there were no windows I could get through but luckily I only had to ruin a screen door since the large sliding doors were open. The next time I had to use bolt cutters to cut the chain (I was able to get into the garage). But our funniest story is when my daughter locked herself in the garage and literally kicked the door down – put a hole through it and bent the door knob so we had to go buy a whole new door. A metal door is now required because of fire safety so who knows how we’ll get in next time (oh there will be a next time lol).
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 12:23 pmBrandy says:
I never know what I’m going to find when I visit here. Too funny, and only you. *G* Glad you got another ice-cream.
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 1:19 pmCryna says:
Recently I got out of my truck to run into the house and pick up something. Since the truck was in the alley I jumped out and locked the door only to remember that the house keys were laying on the front seat next to my purse which had my cellphone, and spare keys in it. They were all safe, they were locked in the truck. I had to go over to the neighbours house and ask if I could use their phone to call my Dad to bring me over the spare keys to the house so I could get in.
Dad just laughed at me and came with the keys to the house and also the spare key to the truck – but his ribbing is non stop. :rotfl:
So glad you finally got in and then got another ice cream. Have a great weekend.
Congratulations to the winners….
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 1:23 pmSuzanne says:
Bummer! LOL!!! Did you save your flip flops?
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 1:29 pmSusan says:
On the bright side Alpha Man won’t be laughing at you. :thumbsup: Oh, unless he reads your blog.
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 1:32 pmVictoria says:
I really can picture you doing that… It’s hilarious. I’ve only locked myself out once… It was raining and I was barefoot in my pajamas. But I remembered the door in the back of the house and luckily it was unlocked. I was soaked by the time I got inside though!
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 2:01 pmJackieToo says:
I just wonder why you write fiction when your own life is so interesting?
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 4:10 pmJackieToo says:
Not that I don’t enjoy both!
(Note to self: Don’t click “Submit Comment” until finished.
)
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 4:12 pmMichelle B says:
I’m worried about locking myself out, but I think because I’m so overly paranoid about it, it helps me remember. I’ve only locked myself out once at an apartment. Like you I ended up outside in boxers in a t-shirt in winter (thank goodness it was a So-Cal winter even if it was a bit chilly that night). I had to call a locksmith who got in the door in under 30 seconds (for $80!!)
I’m thinking about hiding a key, but I’m not sure where to hide it.
And Jill, how did you end up with your car keys and not the house keys?
I had my car keys when I got locked out, but only because the reason I went out was to get something from the car!
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 5:04 pmDiana says:
Glad to hear you weren’t stuck outside for too long and that your doggies didn’t do too much damage around the house.
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 5:54 pmMary says:
Oh how hilarious! I SO feel your pain! I’ve never locked myself out of the house, but I once locked my keys in the car on campus, and who should drive up while I was trying to figure out a way to open my car? Of course – campus police! I guess they thought I was trying to break in….(well I was trying!) Anyway, it took a long time to live that down, since several of my friends worked at campus security!
Find some place to HIDE A KEY!
Posted on September 5th, 2008 at 10:20 pmNicole says:
Well, last year we had this huge ice storm, and I kinda locked myself out of the house in the middle of it.
Everything was covered in ice. It was a chore just to slip and slide around the house to get to the backdoor. There were branches falling everywhere, so it’s not like I was going to try a neighbor’s house to use their phone to call my husband.
So I ended up breaking a window in the garage and climbing in.
The moral of the story is beware those locks that automatically lock behind you and get a keypad lock on one of the doors so if you DO lose your key again, you can easily just type in the code and get in. I have had to use it. Oops.
Posted on September 6th, 2008 at 7:02 amSarah says:
Glad you were safe climbing the tree and ladder!! We’ve been locked out one time in our new house… in true alpha-man fashion, DH kicked in the door (from the garage to the house). I thought that was better than breaking glass. But instead of the little knob popping loose, as we expected, it ripped the whole frame and sheetrock off on the inside. Fabulous.
Posted on September 6th, 2008 at 8:46 amKarin says:
That sucks about the ice cream. *sigh*
Posted on September 8th, 2008 at 2:07 pmunincenquig says:
Thak you for the news
Posted on December 19th, 2008 at 11:34 am