Live, from Singapore, it’s the Comedy Hour!
Something funny happened to me yesterday, 3 October. I was running late for my usual Wednesday evening teleconference that starts at 8:30 PM so I started the oven and threw a frozen pizza in it. Just as I was leaving the kitchen, I noticed a large cockroach so I got my can of “Raid” and zapped it. Since the smell was bad, I closed the door between the kitchen and the living room, and relaxed while getting organised for the phone call. After 15 minutes, I went back to the kitchen, only to find out that the door, some how, would not open. It seemed locked as the handle refused to turn.
No problems, I have the key to open it. Tried one key labeled ‘kitchen front’, without success; tried the other key labeled ‘kitchen back’ with the same lack of result.
Only solution, since now there is smoke coming out of the oven, is to go out the front door, in through the back door and into the kitchen from the “maid’s room”. However, since I have been running, and just took a shower, I better put something more on than just the robe I am wearing.
I get dressed and go out, than back in and rescue the pizza. When I try to get back into the living room, the door still will not open. The handle refuses to turn from the other side as well.
It is now time for the call to start, so I rush, with the smoldering pizza, back out the back door, and back in through the front door and dial in to our weekly call.
An hour later, and most of the pizza eaten, I am back where I started – with a locked door between my kitchen and my living room. None of the keys (I try them all several times) work. I go back into the kitchen (out the front door, in the back door again) and try from the other side still without success. I try to take the lock apart, but there is no way to do that. I try to take the hinges apart, but that too is impossible.
In desperation, I decide to try again the following day – today by now.
When I get back from the office, I try several ways to open the door but still without success. I repeat the maneuver of “out-the-front-in-the-back” and back again several times to prepare my dinner and finally call a repair man, who fortunately can come tomorrow to try and rescue me.
It is not until you cannot do something that you realise how much you need it. I never realised how often I end up walking into the kitchen over one evening.
Now I sit here and write this post, pondering if it is worth going “out-the-front-and-in-the-back” and “out-the-back-and-back-in-the-front” just to get a piece of chocolate from the refrigerator. Knowing me, the answer is obviously “yes!”, so I better go now.
I wander what my next-door neighbours think of this strange behaviour?
Added on Friday 5 October
Saved by “Magical Mr. Mestofeles” – aka Mr. Lam. He is a do-it-all repairman who works for the agent managing my apartment. I am very happy that I kept his number and he was very happy to get a little money on the side.
The lock is replaced – the door works, and for now, I plan to leave it open ALL THE TIME. I am not ready for another episode of “out-the-front-in-the-back” and back again any time soon!
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That’s really funny, Pierre. I have to admit for these small annoyances in life, it’s nice to have a spouse for some relief. Diana is actually much better about getting things done around the house, than I am. My mind tends to work somewhere between 1 week to 5 years ahead, so little things for me accumulate … until I schedule a few hours to fix everything.
I think you should have done the running around outside in your bathrobe. The neighbors would probably called the authorities to complain about the Caucasion Flasher! Could you imagine if you had gotten locked outside too! I dunno….perhaps I would have kicked the friggin door down and tell the landlord that the Pizza Police came to rescue the pizza. A broken door is much better than a burned out kitchen, nest pas?