Day 25: Pick another lock

Today, we embraced winter family fun at home by going out in our backyard with a toboggan (or sledge as I called it in my youth). We all had a go down the small slope at the back and it was surprisingly effective, and just right for a first sledging experience for the junior exiles.

Earlier we had been to new church number four and once again had a great welcome, and once again felt like we didn't really fit in (sigh). At least we're not worrying about the kids eating well as we were back we visited the first couple of churches in our grand-tour.

So anyway, we finally had enough of ten-second toboggan rides and went back to the back door to get back inside only to find that it had locked behind us. Now, I have never been a fan of doors that can lock behind you leaving you without a key and I have largely avoided them since leaving college. I have been quite concerned about these ones, but since uniting door keys with both sets of car-keys this hasn't been too much of a worry, as all our outings have been by car. However, playing in the garden is not an outing and we did not have keys. The cars were safely in the garage and we were locked out in the cold. At this point as any man would I put my pride aside and looked to see who could help us. No, of course I didn't. I started making plans to break into the house, non-destructively at first then by breaking a window. Fortunately, Exile #2 was more reluctant to start smashing up a rented house and after finding her phone (mine was inside) and making a call or two, eventually went to see if the one set of neighbours we have met so far knew the owner's contact information.

By this time the rest of us were starting to get a bit cold. The picture sums up our feelings pretty well.

As you may have guessed by the fact I'm writing this, there is a happy ending, in fact a pretty miraculous one. The neighbour had an access code for the garage door-opener and we were very soon back inside.

And we know the house is pretty secure.

Unless you know the code.