Extra keys: an important prep

If spare keys have been discussed here as an important prep item, I'm not aware of it, so I wanted to bring it up.

Getting locked out of your house or your vehicle could be a disaster, depending up the particular circumstances. I've always been one to keep several sets of keys in various places. In spite of this, though, I came close to a dangerous lockout situation recently. This is what happened.

That morning I was mucking around in my basement. My basement is unheated, and I was in the coldest area of the basement. In this area there is a door with two locks (a regular lock and a deadbolt lock); this door gives access to the heated part of the house.

Having finished what I was there to do, I attempted to open this door to get back into the heated living space. The door wouldn't open.

Normally I wear a key on a lanyard around my neck; this key operates the locks on all the doors in the house. However, I wasn't wearing the lanyard that morning. I'd removed the lanyard the previous evening because I'd been dressed in a scoop-necked outfit for a social engagement!

Outside it was a few degrees below 0 F; inside it was about 20 degrees F. We had 18 inches of snow on the ground. I was dressed in pajamas and flimsy little slippers. My feet were bare.

I do have a set of keys hidden outside, near the house, but to get to these keys I'd need to walk about 80 feet up a slippery hill, around my house, across my driveway, and into some very deep snow. In my PJ's, slippers, and bare feet.

Things were not looking good.

FORTUNATELY, I was able to open the door after jiggling the doorknob a bit. The door hadn't been locked - the lock had just gotten stuck a little.

But needless to say, this experience was pretty scary. I now have a house key hidden in the cold part of the basement, so I'll be okay if the situation comes up again.

I have learned my lesson.

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Extra keys: an important prep