Unlock the Door!

I’m switching gears here and writing today, not about Aaron, but about Andrea.  Hey, when you’re in this family, you’re fair game!  HeHe.    Actually, she gave me her permission, so all is well.  I hope.

Andrea has packed a lifetime of experiences into the less than a year that she has lived in Houston.  We’ve gotten so we say, “If it can happen, it will happen to Andrea, in Houston.”  I won’t even attempt to list all the events of her life that have occurred over the past 8+ months.  No one would read a blog that long.  But I do want to tell you about her latest…..at least her latest as of today, that I know of. 

It was this past weekend, on Sunday, that Andrea returned to her apartment after being out.  She put her key in the lock only to find that her apartment door would not open.  She soon realized the problem.  It seemed that her dead bolt was locked, but it only locks and unlocks from the inside.  Very strange.  But her mind quickly remembered a friend whose dog had managed to somehow jump up and lock her dead bolt.  Andrea was sure that one, or both, of her dogs had done just that while she was out.  Darcy and Oakley, in fact, were in the apartment wondering why Andrea wasn’t coming inside.

And Andrea was outside her locked door, realizing her situation, and grasping for straws.  “Come on, Darcy,” she said.  “Jump!  Unlock the door.”  Nothing.  

“Oakley!” she continued.  “Come on!  Jump!  Unlock the door.”  Still nothing but the sound of panting dogs, wondering why Andrea didn’t open the door as always and come inside.

She realized how ridiculous she sounded, but it was about to get worse.  She reached into her purse and pulled out her credit card, thinking that perhaps she could break into her own apartment.  There she was, bent over a little and working hard to unlock her door……with a credit card…….when the apartment door across from her opened and out walked the occupants whom she had not yet met.  They were somewhat shocked at what they saw, which was Andrea trying to open her door…..with a credit card. 

She gave an awkward little laugh, and said, “Ummm, I live here.  Really, I do.  My dogs locked me out.”

They looked at her with very suspicious eyes.  She thinks they believed her as they asked if there was anything they could do, but there really wasn’t anything they could do unless they knew more about breaking and entering than she did.  Apparently not, because they went on their way.  Trusting souls.  Their apartment could have been next. 

Her dogs locked her out?  Really?

Seeing that her breaking and entering skills were dismal, Andrea called the weekend apartment maintenance number.  Of course, there was no answer, so she left a message…..and she waited…..and waited…..and waited. 

She called again, reminding the missing maintenance person that darkness would be coming before long.  Then she called her friends, Joe and Eva, who are such sweet people.  Joe and Eva drove right over to assess the situation, which was fairly simple.   Jumping dogs had locked Andrea out of her apartment.  That was pretty much it.

Andrea’s apartment has a balcony and Andrea knew that she could get in the balcony door.  But did I mention that her apartment is on the third floor?  Yes, third floor.  So, a ladder was needed.  A tall ladder.  Joe did not have a tall ladder.  Joe called Home Depot, and asked a question.  If we buy a ladder, can we use it and return it?  And Home Depot said yes.  Really?  They said yes?! 

Andrea, Joe, and Eva were looking at the very tall ladders at Home Depot when Andrea’s phone rang.  It was the missing maintenance man, who said he had a tall ladder.  Off they drove back to the locked apartment without having to buy a tall Home Depot ladder……or return it. 

Andrea had to try to explain to the probably somewhat skeptical maintenance man that her dogs had locked her out of her apartment.  Yes, they really did.  He got his tall ladder around to the back of her building, which faces a busy street, and positioned it up against the balcony.  He wanted to do the climbing, and Joe wanted to do the climbing, but Andrea said no.  She knew that Darcy and Oakley would go crazy up there if they saw a man coming over their balcony.  And when he entered the apartment, it wouldn’t be pretty. 

That’s why many people driving on the busy street……and others inside the lower apartments who were eating supper or watching TV at that moment……must have wondered why they saw a young woman climbing a very tall ladder up to a balcony.  Then she carefully climbed from the ladder over her balcony railing, and landed safely on the other side.  Thinking of it makes me nervous, but not Andrea.  She’s as brave and calm as they come. 

Darcy and Oakley were beside themselves with excitement when they saw their girl coming up the tall ladder and climbing over the railing to the balcony.  They seemed to think that this was the most fun thing that had happened to them in a long time!  Andrea thanked Joe and Eva, and she thanked the missing maintenance man who had showed up with the tall ladder, and she tried to fuss at Darcy and Oakley.  But they’re just too cute to be mad at for long. 

 

Darcy seems to be laughing about the fun they had!

 

They’re probably wondering when their girl is going to climb over the balcony again.  She’s got the dead bolt doggie proofed now, she hopes.  But I wouldn’t put it past those two.  Not at all. 

Should have gotten her a tall ladder for Christmas.