Duct tape and bobby pins. A must have for all new homes!

Funny story:

First night in our house we noticed that the bedroom door was locked, and could not be unlocked. It couldn't be unlocked from the inside- or the outside. "Don't close the door." we told each other.

That night, with kids tucked into bed, Dustan and I lie in our own bed, discussing the niceness of having our own place for the next few months. "I should check on the kids", he said.

Only, when he tried to do so, we found that we had forgotten and closed the door.

So. We were locked inside our room.

"We can climb out the window", I said.

"And what then?" said Dustan. "The house is locked up, the kids are upstairs and won't be able to hear us." (The doorbell is also broken)

"Well, we have to do SOMETHING".

"No kidding. I will try to take the door off the hinges."

Unfortunately for us, the door hinges had been painted, and that didn't work.
Neither did using a credit card on the latch.
Neither did trying to remove the doorknob (we were prepared to unscrew the thing with our fingernails)- only, there were no outside screws.

So, in a state of hysteria, we considered kicking the door in. We live in a duplex, and it was almost midnight. I was worried about waking the neighbors, but what could we do?

If only we could pull that latch in. If only... (If only we hadn't closed the dang door!!!!!)

And so, I looked for anything I could use. I considered my hair, but how would I get it wrapped around the latch? I needed something stiffer. Maybe I had a piece of jewelry that would work?

And there, in my jewelry basket was the answer. A bobby pin. So out of place, and so ready to be unfolded and twisted into a hook.

After a couple of tries we were free! And fortunately maintained a good sense of humor throughout the entire thing. It took the rental agency a few days to fix the problem. meanwhile, duct tape kept it from happening again.