Friday, January 04, 2008

MacGuyver Doug

My brother came over to pick up his wood splitter. He backed his sizable van and trailer up to my garage, then his kids jumped out and ran in the house to play.

I always wondered how he got that sucker up onto the trailer. It's big. It's heavy. Tonight I learned how. He gets a good running start and tries to push it up the ramp before it rolls backwards and runs him over.

Bear in mind it's winter in Wisconsin, my driveway is icy, and his trailer has about five inches of snow covering the bed. I was just a little concerned.

He got it up there on the third try. I stood by to help push on that last effort, but he did it.

He hollered in the back door for his kids to come. They were heading to the cottage. It's going to be very cold.

So Donna gets to the door of the van and says, "Dad, why did you lock the door?" She ran around to the other door, then came back. "Hey! Dad! Why did you lock the door?"

My brother looked at his extra-large vehicle, still running, and its locked doors. He tried them all. They argued amiably about whose fault it was, then my brother headed back into the house.

"All right, I need a flashlight and a coat hanger," he said. No wimpy locksmith for him.

I found him a hanger, and he tore the hooky part off, then started straightening it. He trotted out to his van and started poking the thing here and there. It took him about 10 minutes to get it unlocked. He didn't even swear.

(I gotta find out what drugs he's taking.)

It's scary how easy it is to break into a car.

Anyway, that's the excitement around here.

10 comments:

the rotten correspondent said...

My kids were watching some show on Discovery (I think) where ex-burglars break into homes just to show the homeowners where the security weak spots were. It took about two minutes in the most secure house.

I haven't slept well since.

laurie said...

a manly northern man!

Amy said...

RC, I saw part of that, too. It was fascinating – and disconcerting.

Doug is definitely a man's man. He was probably even wearing a plaid, flannel shirt.

MJ Krech said...

Definitely a plaid flannel shirt! In fact, I distinctly remember meeting him for the first time--he wore a blue plaid flannel shirt!

Potty Mummy said...

Without being too much of a doom-monger, if they want to get to your house or car, they will. I've never been burgled, although we have lost a car or two; fingers crossed, but I don't imagine that will be the extent of our losses in the long term. My only recourse is to make sure we're insured and wear any expensive jewellery. Unfortunately I don't have enough to be mistaken for bling-tastic Beyonce...

Loved the previous post about your rich friends, by the way. They clearly don't have enough to do...

Anonymous said...

I had to get my next door neighbour to break into my car once. I locked Amy in it when she was about 3 months old.

Crystal xx

Amy said...

Marcia, I don't doubt it. If he's not wearing flannel, he's wearing some other shirt of a similar style. Shortly before Eric and I got married, my dad had a cardiac arrest. One day in the hospital room, Doug was wearing a blue oxford, and my dad kept shouting, "Is that a blue chambray shirt you're wearing? I had a blue chambray shirt once. I remember it distinctly." Five minutes later, same thing: "Is that a blue chambray shirt you're wearing? I had...."

PM, you've lost a car or two? Holy heist, Batman! My manly brother Doug of the Flannel Shirt Clan had his van stolen once. He runs a telephone repair and installation company, and they got all his tools and equipment. The police found it a couple of weeks later. All that was in it was a screwdriver and one of Doug's old shirts. Guess they had different fashion sense.

CJ, it was one of my biggest fears that I would lock my children in the car. Eric always uses the key to lock the door so he knows he has it on him. He used to carry an extra key in his wallet, too. Apparently, at one time, he was quite good at locking his key in the car.

Eric said...

This makes me want to get some keys made and put them in my wallet again.

MJ Krech said...

I'll bet you're glad to be home, Eric! I know Amy missed you. You did an awesome job helping Dad out. Thanks from the bottom of my heart!

Amy said...

Good idea, Eric. House keys, too.

Marcia, I'm very glad to have him home. And he is very glad to be here.