outside looking in

(the essential keys left behind today)

I spent many hours today locked out of the RV. As I'm not going up to the office so much this summer, it's occurred to me that I don't need to lug around the ten or so keys that open various doors in the Social Science Building. So lately I've been gallivanting around town with only my Essential Keys: the keys to my car and the RV. This afternoon, I bounded out of the RV and realized about six steps later that I had grabbed the ring of Nonessential Keys rather than the essential ones. I didn't have my cel phone with me, and it was not-pouring-but-not-sprinking-either rain. I could basically conceive five possible ways of getting back in:

1. A neighboring couple had an extra key. This was plainly the best option. Except they weren't home. I worried that they were gone for the weekend.

2. The balcony door to the RV was unlocked. If I had a ladder, I could climb up onto the balcony and get inside. Alas, despite trying a few incantations, no ladder presented itself.

3. A neighboring balcony was close enough to my balcony that if I could get onto their balcony I could channel my inner Lara Croft and jump from their balcony to mine. Alas, that neighbor wasn't home either. Indeed, the rumor is that neighbor has gone to Las Vegas to get some additional "spiritual training" by moving in with the founder of this new religious sect that she has joined (really, truly).

4. I could try to bludgeon my way past the lock and into the RV. Even if the RV were pregnable in this way, it would require replacing the door at considerable expense. Not to mention that I would almost certainly break, sprain, or hyperextend something.

5. I could hire a locksmith to get me inside. This would be less costly than #4 but far from cheap, especially since it was the weekend. I also am not sure how it works to tell a locksmith to get you inside a residence (i.e., do you have to prove it's your residence?).

Not knowing what to do, I ended up walking a couple of miles in the rain to a friend's house. I left a message for the neighbors with the spare key and hoped-hoped-hoped they would come home. I thought I was going to have to either spring for the locksmith or find somewhere to spend the night. And, of course, I got nothing accomplished on the paper I'm supposed to be putting final touches on and giving back to its co-author on Monday.

Finally, circa 10pm, the neighbors call my friend's house and tell me they have unlocked the front door to the RV for me. Tomorrow I am going to go out and get a spare key made and figure out some clever hiding spot for it.