Trapped in my Shed

This weekend I finished the outside gable, added a vent and fan, and sealed the other side of the shed with clear plastic to keep the rain out until I completed Phase II of the shed construction.  Happy with my progress, I thought about the next steps of Phase I - wiring, peg board, lighting etc. I thought about moving stuff from the old shed over, but not until I knew that what I had built was waterproof.

This evening it started raining, and after everyone had been tucked in for bed. I went downstairs to let the dogs in and do a few miscellaneous chores before I went to bed myself. After I let the dogs in, it crossed my mind that this would be a good time to check and see if I had any leaks. So I got my flashlight and walked through the rain to my shed. I opened the door, went in, and then shut the door so that no rain would be blown inside. With my flashlight I looked around for any leaks. I checked the plastic, the roof, and floors. Everything was as dry as it could be. After admiring my handiwork, I turned back to the door and realized that I had a big problem. The latch was on the outside! And the door latches automatically when the door is closed. I pushed on the door and it didn't budge. 

How was I going to get out?

Maybe I had my cell phone and I could call and have Jo Ann rescue me. I checked my pockets.  Nothing. How would I let anyone know where I was?  Maybe if I banged on the door someone would hear me? Probably not, but I did it anyway. Nothing. When would somebody find me in my shed? Am I going to have to sleep here tonight? Sawdust was everywhere and the treated wood floor wasn't looking to inviting as a bed. I pushed the door again. Nothing. The kids will be late for school because I wake everybody up in the morning, and I am going to be stuck in my shed. Would anybody know where to look for me? I pushed one last time.  Whew!!!! the door opened.  I don't know why or how, but it did.  Relief.  

Tomorrow, I am going to drill a hole and make an inside latch release. I am so glad I'm getting to sleep in a real bed tonight.

History of Getting Trapped

Believe it or not, this is not the first time I have been trapped. I don't remember this, but I've been told that once while my Dad was walking me when I was a toddler, I fell and was trapped in a street drain. He somehow got me out and that was the last time that my Mom let my Dad walk me unsupervised.

When I was little older, I remember getting stuck and trapped in a toy box.

One of my more interesting trappings happened when I was in college. I worked at the University of Georgia Agricultural Engineering Experiment Station as a summer intern which required that I write and present a paper at an ASAE convention. This one was in Quebec City, Quebec. The elevators were slow at the hotel where the convention was being held, so I decided to take the stairs down to the meeting rooms. I had just opened the door and entered the stairwell when I remembered that I left something in my room. I tried to catch the door before it closed but was too late. When I pulled on the door handle I was surprised to find that the door was locked. Oh well, I'll just go to another floor and take the elevator back up. The next door I tried was locked too. I soon realized that all of the doors were locked, and I was trapped. When I reached the bottom of the stairwell I found double doors, and I could hear people on the other side. It too was locked, so I knocked hoping someone would hear, open the door, and let me out. Sure enough, someone did and when the doors opened I realized that I was in the hotel restaurant where everyone was having their breakfast. I straightened my jacket and tie, and confidently walked through the doors and out of the restaurant trying to act as if it was normal to have walked into and out of a hotel restaurant through mystery double doors. 

Oddly enough, this was not the last time that I was to be trapped in a stairwell. When Jo Ann and I moved to Mississippi, I had gotten a job with SkyTel.  My office (cubicle) was at the South Tower of SkyTel Center, and I had been taking the stairs when I arrived in the morning because the elevators in this building were incredibly slow.  One morning seemingly started off the same as most others had with me getting to work a little early and taking the stairs to the seventh floor.  When I finally got to my floor, the door was locked. Just like last time, I went to every floor looking for an open door but could not find one.  Apparently no one had unlocked the stairwell doors that morning.  Fortunately, since I worked for SkyTel, I did have a pager, so I started paging everyone I knew who worked on the same floor as me but wasn't having much luck. Finally I got somebody and asked them to let me out when they got to work.  Saved again.

I probably need to make sure I always carry a cell phone with me and learn to pick locks.