I don’t believe it!
You could be forgiven if you find this hard to believe – I do!. As Victor Meldrew would say, **I don’t believe it!** For those of you who are not familiar with the British sit com ‘One Foot in the Grave’ check the link for a small clip of the catchphrase.
Just two days after the ‘cat flap’ incident, we had another equally frustrating, and ‘it could only happen to us’, incident!
Mo was out doing some gardening. It was a lovely sunny day, and she decided to make the most of the dry weather. I heard the back door, rattling so went out to see what the noise was. I shot a quick glance at the cat flap and smiled at the beautifully working door for the cats. “The end result is good” I thought. Anyway, back to the incident of today. Mo was looking in the window impatiently, saying “Let me in please” I looked back and said “It’s not locked.” She rattled some more, I grabbed the door handle and pulled and wiggled, Mo pushed and wiggled (the handle, that is). No luck. She was locked out!
I tried every implement I could to open the door, but there was no budging it. Mo eventually had to kick the door in. I sometimes wonder where she gets her strength from. It’s a good job it was Mo locked out there because I could never have done it!
Needless to say, The door panel is now split, the door frame is broken and the door is generally in a bad way. I didn’t say much …. I didn’t want to add the the obvious bad mood of Mo. “I’ll fix that” I said, looking at the smashed door. “I’ll go and buy a new lock” Mo said. (30 minutes each way again).
While Mo was gone I chiseled all the broken wood out of the door and fitted a new piece of wood. I was pleased with my efforts, and waited for Mo to return with the new lock.
The nice new lock arrived and Mo got on with her gardening while I attempted to fit it. I chiseled some more and finally got the lock seated comfortably in the hole. Now I had to fit the second part. The piece that goes on the door frame. I needed to open the lock for this, so I get the key……it won’t turn! I wiggled, and wiggled but it still won’t turn. Mo came in and wiggled and wiggled……Nope, still won’t turn.
“I’ll have to take it back.” said Mo (there were a few other words in that sentence) “But I’m not going back there today, I’ll go Monday” Mo had also bought a new bolt when buying the lock, so we put that on the door, cleared up all the mess and quietly got on with other things. We’re getting rather used to these jobs that don’t go according to plan.
Part 2
It’s now Monday, and guess what? The new lock wouldn’t fit! We chiseled more wood out, then a bit more, then a bit more. This went on for what seemed like hours – Well it was hours! Finally we got it all done and it’s working fine. So is our cat flap!
We still have the split panel to fix but that sould be a breeze after all this chiseling and fitting!
Who would believe that all this would go wrong with one door, in a few days?
Stumble it!
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chat blanc
| 30 September 2008 at 3:01
Oh my! what a string of door troubles! I hope there aren’t any more lurking around the corner for you!
chat blanc´s last blog post..Random facts
Ana
| 30 September 2008 at 9:52
It seems like you are never getting bored. And if there is nothing to do you are searching for something to do
Hehe
Jaffer
| 30 September 2008 at 10:33
Bad luck I should say ! May be the door says it want’s to retire ! I hope it doesn’t give you any more troubles.
I used to watch One Foot in The Grave when it was airing. One of my favourite episodes is when Victor is waiting for a phone call but he’s busy in the bathroom.
Atleast watch the first five minutes of the following clip –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjDcm92IGwE
Jaffer´s last blog post..My little world in Twitterverse – TweetDeck
Sandie
| 30 September 2008 at 11:28
What a clever couple of old gals you are!! I would be completely lost!
beetle
| 30 September 2008 at 13:23
Chat Blanc: I can’t imagine anything else that can go wrong with it now – It had better not!
Ana: Yep, no time to get bored, that’s for sure
Jaffer: Don’t even jest about that! After all this work, that door batter last a long time now!
The clip was very funny. I can still watch the re-runs and laugh just as much.
Sandie: It a case of having to be really. Either that or pay a fortune out for every little bit of DIY.
Swubird
| 30 September 2008 at 14:38
Babs:
You guys sure have had your sure of problems with this door. Maybe you should just give it up and let a professional fix it for you.
Happy trails.
Swubird´s last blog post..THE RODEO KID
Paunchiness
| 30 September 2008 at 15:17
Woah…I’ve locked myself out a couple of times but I’ve never kicked the door in. I usually slide a credit card or something between the door jamb and the lock.
Either way good job fixing it.
Paunchiness´s last blog post..Win an Apple® iPod® Shuffle
Jay
| 30 September 2008 at 16:29
I’m really impressed with your ability to make do and mend between you, Babs! Chopping bits out of doors and sanding and fitting locks and all! Such a frustration to have it not fit after all that!
I’m glad you got it working properly in the end.
I think if one more thing happens to that door, you should rip it off and fit a new one, though! LOL!
beetle
| 30 September 2008 at 17:05
Swubird: We have everything working better than it ever did now ;O)
Paunchiness: The actual lock was broken and jammed, leaving us no option really.
Jay: If anything further happens it will probably mean a new door and that we will NOT do ourselves
Laura
| 30 September 2008 at 19:14
How do those doors keep out skunks and other creatures which are about the same size as cats?
Laura´s last blog post..Meme about Blogging
Jeff
| 30 September 2008 at 19:39
Maybe you ought to make your cat flap bigger so in case this happens again you can just climb through yourself! ;b
Jeff´s last blog post..Studio 101
Babs - beetle
| 30 September 2008 at 20:58
Laura: We don’t have roaming creatures in our gardens here. The biggest threat would be another cat, and that has only happened once in eight years
Jeff: Ha ha! great idea jeff. Except, so could a burglar!
Babs – beetle´s last blog post..I don’t believe it!
Kathy
| 30 September 2008 at 23:26
Oh for crying out loud! Babs, you know what I would do, don’t you? I’d move to a new house and don’t tell me I wouldn’t.
You both have a hundred times more patience than me. Also, I cry a lot when things go so wrong like that. And crying never helps the situation.
Kathy´s last blog post..Because We Planned on Speeding
beetle
| 30 September 2008 at 23:30
Kathy: It’s a case of ’someone has to do it’ and as the only ’someone’s’ are us we have to knuckle down to it.
Rattitude
| 30 September 2008 at 23:42
Sounds like you guys should just avoid doors in general for a while.
Rattitude´s last blog post..A Day of Firsts
beetle
| 1 October 2008 at 1:59
Rattitude: Oh if anything else goes wrong with that door it will be a new one for us
Laane
| 1 October 2008 at 11:39
Good that you could deal with it yourself.
When we would have a problem like that… ugh…I won’t even imagine.
beetle
| 1 October 2008 at 16:49
Laane: We have always been people that will ‘have a go’ at most things
Lynne Chapman
| 1 October 2008 at 17:30
I’m impressed at your speedy do-it-yourself skills.
Last time a similar thing happened to us it was in the wee small hours and we’d just got back from holiday. We’d left keys for a workman to lock up and neglected to tell him we don’t use the bottom deadlock, so only have the one key – the one on his set! John had to kick in the back gate and break the window in the back door. Great fun in the dark and the rain.
Worrying that nobody called the police…
JD at I Do Things
| 1 October 2008 at 20:20
That door is cursed — CURSED, I tells ya!
But seriously, I join in with all the previous commenters to express my admiration. It wouldn’t even occur to me to try to fix a broken door or fit a new lock. I commend you!
JD at I Do Things´s last blog post..I’m a Carnivore so you don’t have to be
beetle
| 1 October 2008 at 22:47
Lynne: Oh that’s no fun, in the rain AND late at night! Mo and I have always found DIY quite enjoyable – especially when we get it right
JD: Yep! We did wonder about that, but we beat it in the end!
Elron Wienkellskinnerd
| 1 October 2008 at 23:58
Would I fit through the cat flap?? … and if so, can I try it out
“SpeedyCat Hollywood”
beetle
| 2 October 2008 at 0:26
Speedy: It would depend on your abilities as a contortionist. You could try but it’s a long way to come for failure
Maureen
| 2 October 2008 at 1:57
Yikes! This reminds me of installing new dead bolts on our doors a few years back. How the heck can they come in so many sizes? It was a royal pain to get one to fit properly…
Good for you and Mo! I am very impressed with your skills.
Maureen´s last blog post..Thank you Morpheus
beetle
| 2 October 2008 at 2:33
Maureen: Why can’t they make these things standard? They are all just that little bit different. Such a pain in the proverbial!
Liudmila
| 2 October 2008 at 9:37
The special events in the life do not come alone. You had to admire the entire process to have the full pleasure of the life.
Liudmila´s last blog post..How To Buy Shoes Online
M. Pence
| 2 October 2008 at 21:21
Wowee, that’s a pretty stubbon cat-flap! But, I see that the two of you are just as stubborn!
Let’s hope–knock on wood– that the battle’s done!
M. Pence´s last blog post..Two phat geek’s simple secrets to a happy marriage.
beetle
| 3 October 2008 at 22:02
Liudmila: That is a very true statement!
M. Pence: Oh I think we are finished with that chore now – thank goodness
Lauren
| 6 October 2008 at 14:32
Um…that’s why I hire a locksmith.
Lauren´s last blog post..Because You’ve Been Asking For More Kitty Posts
beetle
| 6 October 2008 at 17:39
Lauren: You’ve obviously never lived here then ;O) You’d be lucky if they ever turned up, let alone the day they were meant to!