Oh, the Lengths Hick Goes to While Trying to Kill Me!

For the past few days, the kitchen door has been sticking when I try to open it. With our record-setting rainfall since Sunday evening, I figured it must be the wood framing swelling with humidity. When I came home Tuesday afternoon, and tossed the dogs their treats... the door didn't close. Oh, it looked like it closed. But I didn't hear the "click" of the lock. I pushed, and that door swung open. 

Welp! We can't have that! I tried again, several times. Nope. The door still pushed open. A good slam didn't even work. I looked at the door frame. Aha! The metal plate with the hole in it for the doorknob latch thingy to fit into was sticking out! The two screws in it were loose!

How did THIS happen? I'll stop short of accusing Hick of loosening the screws a little bit every morning as he leaves. Perhaps those screws just vibrated loose with the daily opening and closing of the door. Of course I did not have a screwdriver handy. Scarlett kept walking into the house. It doesn't bother me all that much, because she just stands in the kitchen beside me, hoping for another treat. But Hick freaks out when a paw crosses the threshold. So I had a furry supervisor as I was figuring out how to handle my lack of a barrier to keep out... oh, I don't know... maybe an inmate escaped from the prison who might want to enter and kill me?

These were screws that needed a Phillips screwdriver. But wait! There on the kitchen table was my metal letter opener with its pointy flat end. It worked like a charm. I repaired the door, and it shut just fine, latching as a respectable door should. Otherwise, it's only as effective as the doors of the Long Branch Saloon. 

Hick gave me this letter opener when I said I needed one. He found it in a bunch of his junk. It has no meaning for either of us, but it works great for opening letters!

When I went to the kitchen to turn on HIPPIE on Wednesday morning at 10:00, I saw light coming from the door frame. The door was not closed! Hick had left at 7:00. I hope he didn't already pay off a prisoner for future duties...