I HUFFED and I PUFFED and...

(Don't worry, the volcano story and a few others are still in the works as we sort through some photo storage obstacles...thanks Teesh!)

So last Friday we got home from school at the usual time, around 1:15pm just in time for lunch. We removed the padlock from our bedroom door and pushed. Nothing. We pushed a little harder and gave it a good shake. Nothing. The door would not open. We looked at each other and laughed, knowing that the other door into our room from the courtyard was definitely locked from the inside.

Liz went to get Martha while I tried to see what might be keeping it from opening. I could hear Liz in the kitchen where Martha and Angela were preparing lunch: "Yo tengo uno problema con la puerta." Remember the post about the Terrible Two's?? As is often the case, it was an amuzing (and quick!) conversation.

Luckily, we are REALLY good at charades these days and Liz and Martha soon returned. I stepped aside and Martha, our four foot six inch host mother, stepped up to the plate. Now Martha is adorable and has graciously opened her home to us for these past three weeks....but this was hilarious. She grabbed the little handle and just started shaking away -- head swaying with each shake, jewelry clanking -- she really gave it her all.

Nothing. Door still closed....more laughter.

Off they go again, headed somewhere to get something that would hopefully help us get into our room. I checked out the door just a bit more and it appeared to my Handyman eye that the door had been pulled shut harder than usual and the lock on the door itself was pushing on the doorframe. I just need to push a little harder...yeah, that will do it...

One more good push and, sure enough, the door opened. And with it came the door frame and large chunks of the sheetrock-like wall crumbling to the floor! Uh-oh...

Whoops!

A few seconds later Martha and Liz, ignorant of the events that just took place, come leisurely around the corner. I was still standing in the doorway, mouth wide open and stunned that there were actually pieces of the wall around my feet. I felt horrible.

Liz, attempting to console her saddened husband, proceeded to fall on the floor laughing. Martha took a moment to assess the situation before joining in...whew! Angela, hearing all of the commotion, came to see what was going on and, of course, joined in.

I can't tell you how many times I said "lo siento" the rest of the day. But Martha just took it in stride and told us that the next morning she would go talk to the carpenter across the street while we were on our Volcanic adventure (Of course the carpenter lives across the street...but hopefully she didn't feel the need to see the lawyer next door to him.)

It made for a lively conversation at lunch, during which I earned the nickname "super hombre" among others. Angela continues to make fun of me to this day.

When we got back from the Volcano on Saturday afternoon, the door frame and wall had already been repaired. All things considered, minor costs for a great story.

all better!