B and E

What a day! Let's start with the break and enter.
A little history. My parents put in new doors a few years ago. The sliding glass door on the back deck used to stick and my dad was the only who could close or open it. They also put in a new front door since the old one had been there for approximately twenty years. All of the doors are quite lovely. We have started putting the Christmas tree in the kitchen now because the doors and the white snow outside are a gorgeous back drop for pictures. (I may have a picture on my website of this very door. I'm not sure). The only problem with these doors-well, maybe not a problem-is that they can lock from the outside, but be opened from the inside. Both of my parents have locked themselves out numourous times because of this feature. Usually when this happens though, there is someone home to let them back in. Unfortunately for me today, that was not the case.
My dad came home at lunch today, which he normally does not do. When I am home alone, I have all of the doors locked, but when I take the dogs out I am VERY careful to ensure that the doors get unlocked so I can come back in. Having dad at home for lunch threw off my routine and I let down my guard. As he was leaving to go back to work, he locked the front door to make sure I would stay safe. (It's probably not necessary since I have Jetta and Flash to protect me, but it makes him feel better). I headed out the back door at the same time to let the dogs go to the bathroom-Jetta has to stay on a leash, she's a runner-and when I tried to get back in, I realized I had locked myself out. I went running to the front yard in hopes that Dad would still be there, but he was gone. I tried the front door, but he had, out of habit, locked it. I tried the side door, but it too was locked. We rarely ever unlock it. There are spider webs all over it. That is a testimony to how often we use it. I went back to the back door, trailing Jetta on the leash and Flash dancing ahead of me. I thought perhaps I had not shut it tight, but I had. So, I did what a girl in her pajamas and bare feet can do-I broke in.
My parents weren't supposed to be home for another three hours and there was no way I was staying outside until then if I could help it. Still heeling Jetta, I walked along the right side of the house trailing the wall with my fingers, trying to find the window that can be removed. It leads down into our basement, which is not finished. I came to the first window and found that it had two panes of glass and the outer one was shattered. I figured this was not the window that could be opened, since you'd probably cut yourself up trying to get through it. I continued along the house trailing with my hand and Jetta eating grass as we went along. (She thinks she's a cow remember)? When I came to the second window I was disappointed to see that there was a screen on half of it. I crouched down in front of it, sure that this was the window, but could not see how I would get in. A breeze blew and I could smell the dank dusty smell of our basement and came to the conclusion that the window had to be slightly open. I started fiddling with the screen and found that it slid off. I felt around the window frame and discovered that the window was open a crack. I slid it completely open and then returned to the front of the house. I tied Jetta to the front door knob, closing the screen door on her leash as an extra precautionary measure and then returned to the basement window. I squatted on the dead pine needles and dried grass and swung my legs into the open window. It's a good thing I'm a small person because there is no way a guy would be able to get his shoulders through it. As I was lowering myself down in the chin up position, I heard "Hello?" It was the neighbour concerned that I was breaking into a stranger's house. (Yes, because a small girl, in a housecoat would be breaking into a house in broad light. Not to mention the house's dog was happily wagging her tail laughing at her owner). We have new neighbours and I'm not sure if they know what my parents' daughter looks like. I shouted back, "I live here," as I dropped to the cement floor below. Flash stuck her head in after me and licked my face the whole while I was sliding to the basement floor. I then slid the window back shut and navagated my way through the cluttered, unfinished basement-stumbling over an empty pail, crashing into support beams and sheets of floring that my parents are using to rennovate with. I finally made it badck upstairs and tried to let Jetta in, but realized I had locked myself in due to the way that I had tied her leash on to the door knob and then shutting it in the storm door. I ran back outside, through the back, making sure the door was unlocked and got back in. I then sat down to enjoy a cup of coffee and laugh. I phoned Ashley to tell her the news and the next trauma of the day occurred.