Sunday, July 2, 2006

It's So Hot...

"How hot is it?"

It's so hot I damn near locked myself out of my home last night.  It's that whole door-expanding-in-the-heat thing.  Couldn't unlock the door.  I can usually get the lock to release by giving the door a slight tug when I turn the key, but it wasn't going for it last night.  "Slight tug" my butt.  I had to put down everything I was carrying, and apply full force on the doorknob.

At which point I could feel the key turn in my hand, but not the lock.  Or, putting it more precisely, the top part of the key was turning, but the remainder of the key was stuck in vertical.  Came real close to snapping the damn thing off in my hand.

I ultimately got in after much cursing, cajoling, and pulling like crazy.  I heard frustrated meowing from the other side.  Perhaps Jasmine was helping by throwing all of her eight pounds* against the door.  I don't know, but I finally got in.

 

 

*Yes, eight pounds.  This concerns me somewhat, as she's been around 9 1/2 pounds in the past.  But I got on the scale with her the other day and cheerfully remarked, "Hey!  One of us has lost weight!" ... and then I put her down, looked at the scale, and realized, "and it isn't me."

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just make sure she's still eating plenty--my fat cat started losing weight last year and I was like "oh, yea", but then he was rapidly losing more and more, became jaundiced, and ended up having fatty liver disease.  I was able to nurse him back to health but not without about $1000 of vet bills and having to feed him with a syringe every 4 hours for about 3 weeks.  So check her out.

Anonymous said...

I second the emotion above in support of a trip to the kitty doctor, regardless of how inconvenient and time-consuming. Cats don't up and start losing weight for no reason. Do tell about the excessive hairball coughing up and barfing episodes, too.

And while you are out and about, a visit to the hardware store / locksmith for a couple of replacement keys should be very high on your list -- once you start tearing a brass key it's only a matter of time before it twists off in the lock -- costing you a HEFTY fee for an on-site emergency visit from the same locksmith. Replace the key and toss the twisted one out in your office trash. Or at McDonald's -- anywhere someone finding it won't associate it with you personally. Or donate it to the locksmith's brass pile...

And don't forget to get a can of WD-40 while you're at it and give the outside perimeter of the door a good spray to aid in reducing the "stickies." Just watch out for overspray -- the oil and silicones in the overspray will stain paint and make it damn near impossible to get a good finish the next time you (cough, cough) paint.

Oh yeah, Happy Independence Day. Aren't you glad you're such an independent woman? LOL!

Anonymous said...

Maybe she eats less in summertime?  Loss of winter coat, perhaps?  Maybe she needs a tonic/vitamins?
Lori

Anonymous said...

I third the suggestion to take Jaz to the V-E-T.  A cat losing weight when you haven't put her on a diet is seldom a good thing.