A Memory From Last Fall

Today has reminded me so much of last year's weather. Rainy and chilly. Not only has it made me recall the weather but also some funny memories. I thought I'd share one in particular. I hope you get as much of a laugh at it as I do. :)

 I wrote the following account last year on October 19th, just 10 days before going into labor with little F.

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We've almost finished the baby room's floor (yes, it's taken us forever and a day...but we're near the end :). Last Saturday Z was able to Polyurethane the floor. So, my job this week has been to sand the old base boards and repaint them. I got them well sanded yesterday and did the first coat of paint this morning. I figured since I already had the paint trays/brushes out I might as well work on the trim and the doorway to match. :) I wiped down on the walls and trim that were still covered with dust from sanding down the floors and took off the door handle. I grabbed my paint roller, brush, and tray, and decided to start on the doorway first. I know a good painter would actually take the door off and paint it but, who has time for that?! I started on the backside (inside of the baby room) of the door but wasn't able to quite get in the corner, so I shut the door. It was then that I realized I had just locked myself inside the room. I tried to grapple the inside of the door knob with my fingers, but it proved to be pointless. My first thought was, "Oh no! I have to be at SCA today..." I had no phone and no way of knowing what time of day it was. I just knew it was close to lunch time because I was hungry...and boy, was that commode calling my name, too. I sat there for awhile wondering what do. I had two options: wait for Z to get home or climb out the window and either contact a neighbor or walk to the church.

I chose the latter. I climbed/jumped out of the window (the window sits about 5 feet from the ground outside, so not too bad). But, none of the neighbors that I know well enough to go ask for help from were home. All of the windows and doors to our house were locked. The one spare key we had had outside was in my purse (inside :) because I had used it last week when I couldn't find my keys, and I obviously failed to put it back outside since then. So, I stood on the porch and considered whether I should go make a new friend by meeting a new neighbor to see if they knew how to pick a lock (there are these guys redoing the house catty-corner to us, and I figured surely they would know how to pick a lock)- or if I could at least use their phone to call the church and tell them that I wouldn't be able to make it to class. Instead, though, I decided to just walk to the church. My lesson plans consisted of the students doing peer reviews with their rough drafts. So, while I wasn't dressed for the occasion, I could at least go and tell them my predicament and get someone to possibly cover for me or see if they would let me teach with shorts (shorts are a pretty strict no-no at SCA).

I set out with my head up and smiling. Honestly, I couldn't help but laugh at myself, so the smile came naturally. But, I decided to hold my head up that way people wouldn't stop to ask if I needed help. In the rainy, 40-50 degree weather I had on shorts, an over-sized, paint covered, holey, red, "JC Penney's Biggest Sale of the Year" t-shirt, with black socks and slippers (thankfully my slippers have rubber bottoms...though, I found out that there are holes in those too). I thought about taking off the slippers before jumping out the window, but in the end I was thankful I didn't. :)  I knew I looked 9 months pregnant and homeless. I realized that I missed the "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" walk-a-thon to help the homeless several months back - this was my best attempt to make up for missing the event. The 2.4ish mile trek went quite nicely, actually. I was thankful that it was rainy - that meant that no one was outside to comment on my appearance (normally I get several comments on my preggo-ness on my walks around town). I did have one lady who stopped while going through downtown. She asked if I was okay or needed anything. I told her I was fine...just locked myself out of my house while painting. She, apparently, had seen me earlier in the day as well, so she knew I had been walking for awhile. I told her I was almost to my destination. The only other comment I got was from a couple of teenage boys who were like, "Dude! What are you thinkin'?! Shorts?! Man, I gotta have my hoodie!" By that point my fingers and toes were numb, but I didn't know what to say, and they were obviously slowing down for an answer. So, I just replied with a chuckle, "Well, I have an interior heater," pointing to the kiddo as I waddled past them (and by that point I was truly waddling).

When I finally got to the church I was quite the site. My slippers and socks were soaking wet. My hair, which had been straightened, was now curly, and my arms/hands were purple. Thankfully everybody was in class or study hall, so I was able to escape from all the questions. I went to office (after I visited the commode, of course) and Mrs. C. and Sidney couldn't stop laughing when they saw me. I couldn't either. I laughed so much I started crying. I asked her what she thought I should do - I had one hour before my class was suppose to start. Then Mr. D., who was at the church working on some repairs, walked in and offered to help. I told him I didn't know what he could do unless he could pick a lock...then he suggested going back in through the window and taking the hinges off the door. I hadn't thought of that. :) So, Mr. D. volunteered to drive me back home and help me get back in the house. I told Mrs. C. I was hopeful to be back within the hour, but if I wasn't, Sid was willing to sit in for me with the kids.

Mr. D. quickly got a few tools together and a small ladder, and we were off. When we got to our house I showed Mr. D. around back to the unlocked window. He set up his ladder and had a little bit of trouble getting the window to open. But, we finally got it up, and he started to climb in. When he got about half way in, however, there was a big bang that echoed in the empty room. The window that was up had fallen on the floor inside. Mr. D.'s feet were pretty much dangling out the window (barely touching the ladder anymore) and his other half was leaning awkwardly inside. My heart stopped beating for a minute, and I thought we'd for sure lost Mr. D., for sure. When I saw him lay across the window motionless, and when he didn't respond to my frantic, "Mr. D?! Are you okay?!" the only thing I could think was "Mr. D. is dead!" I should have remembered that Mr. D. just always takes a little longer to respond. He finally lifted himself up a bit and said, "Oh...my head'll heal. I just wanted to make sure the glass didn't break." Apparently, while leaning over the window sill, he was just examining things (I have to admit, I was thinking about this last night when I couldn't sleep...it gave me a good chuckle to remember this scene of life). The  bottom window had somehow become detached and fallen off. The window frame was chipped a wee bit, but he thought it would be easily glued back together (he later tried to explain to me how to do it and what to use...but, my brain was fried already. I figured if Z didn't know what to do, we could just ask Mr. D at church). He got a better foot grip on the ladder and was able to get in and use his screwdriver as a door handle. I was sooo glad when we didn't have to take the hinges off my door and possibly mess up my paint job!

Mr. D. left with his tools and headed back to the church, and I scrambled to get dressed, get some of my books/grades/papers together for class, and sloppily put together a sandwich. I was quite famished. I also was able to talk to Z for a few minutes in here. After I told him briefly about my days unexpected schedule of events he suggested that we hide 10 keys outside. :) Well, then I bundled up, grabbed my purse, locked the front door from the inside, and slammed the door behind me as I walked out. Then I realized my car wasn't in the driveway. Z had taken it to work because his car has been leaking oil and doesn't want to take it too far without having it checked out first. Well, with my car keys are also my house keys. I thought, for a moment, I'd locked myself out again. Then I remembered the spare key in my purse that I hadn't ever put back in place. :) So, I ran around and went through the back door and hopped in Z's car. I pushed the garage door opener while eating my ham  sandwich, but when I looked up the door wasn't up. I thought for a minute that maybe I didn't push the button (I figure my mind has obviously been in la-la land all day, so it'd be easy to forget whether or not I pushed a button), so I pushed it again. I started the car and found again that the door still wasn't up. I tried to push it again and this time watched as the door started to open and stopped after two seconds. Of all the things to go wrong. I recalled trying to open the garage door from the outside earlier in the day when I was checking all the windows and doors (just to see if it would open :) and, apparently, I had detached it from the automated system. Not only had I managed to lock myself out of the house, but now I had also locked the car inside the garage.

I called Mrs. C. to tell her that I wouldn't be able to make it and to just have Sidney fill in for me...but, then she said she would send Mr. C. to come get me. Another person to rescue me. :) I did make it to class. By the time I got out of class everyone and their brother had heard what had happened and wanted me to tell the story. I felt quite popular. I'm glad everyone got a good laugh out of it. Then the C.'s offered to drive me home instead of waiting at the library for Z...I thought that was pretty nice of them, too.

I'm pretty sure that this kiddo (my interior heater :) wants to jump out and join the excitement after my little adventure.

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