LOCK-AND-KEY, n. The distinguishing device of civilization and enlightenment.-Ambrose Bierce

I locked the cat in the backyard a few days ago to force him to explore (so I could get rid of the cat box). After about half an hour I went to let him back in and he was MIA. I knew in theory he'd be back but I still felt like a total jerk for locking him out. He was missing for about four hours but did eventually show back up at dinner time. In the intervening time I went from slightly guilty to total panic and actual tears (about ten minutes before he came back). I kept going in to the back yard to call for him thinking he was lost and needed the sound of my voice to lead him home (Yah I know drama queen. What do you expect? This me we're talking about.)

Any way the point of this post actually has nothing to do with the cat or me being a worry wart it has to do with me getting in to a situation that is so cliche I didn't think it actually ever happened.

It was cold out and looked like it was going to rain so I left Fiona inside while I went out to call for the cat again. I was only going to be out there for a couple minutes and I could see her through the sliding door. I called for the cat and announced to the empty backyard that I was sorry I said nasty things about him not catching the mouse (it looks like Dave was right by the way and it was the same mouse because there haven't been any more) then went to go back inside.

The door was locked.

Locked from the inside.

Fiona had locked the door.

Hmmmmm what do I do? Quick mental door check. ALL the doors are locked and I can't fit through the dog door. I don't have my keys or my phone and oh is that a drop of rain? My only option get the attention of the two year old I can no longer see and convince her to unlock the door. Yeah that should be easy.

I pounded on the door calling for Fiona. Luckily she wandered over after about a minute. "Fiona can you flip up the lock?" Pointing to it through the door. Fiona got distracted by the tv. Pound on the door and call her name some more until she looks at me, ask her to flip up the lock, she gets distracted by the tv. Rinse and repeat for ten minutes until she did flip the lock and I was able to get back in. Frankly I'm surprised it didn't take longer or in fact until Dave got home from work.

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