Random Monday Memories ~ 1981

Bill's parents retired to Florida in 1981 and we moved into their home in Michigan. It was an older home and my in-laws didn't make a lot of changes during the 2o+ years they lived in it. I loved it! It had a really nice built-in cupboard in the master bedroom and a breakfast bar in the kitchen that my boys loved to eat at. It also had a really old door leading into the bathroom ~ at one time there was a skeleton key that fit in the lock of that bathroom door.

Unfortunately we didn't live there very long ~ Bill's job took us to another state less than a year after we moved there. BUT, that allowed for plenty of opportunities to meet the local public servants.

One morning I was getting breakfast ready, 5 year old Kevin was sitting at the "bar", newborn Katie was asleep in her crib and 3 year old Joey was headed to the bathroom ~ through the door with the empty keyhole ~ to wash his hands! "Come on Joey, breakfast is ready", I said. CLICK, I heard! I guess he decided he needed some privacy, so he closed AND locked the door. As I mentioned ~ it was an old door. I don't mean old as in worn-out, run down or less than sturdy. I mean old as in a sturdy, strong, well made door ~ a door with hinges on the inside and no visible means of entry on the outside. There was a little "knob" on the inside of the door ~ it made the click that I heard. I bet that Joey could have figured out how to UN-click it, but he wasn't at all interested in doing that. I'm in a new neighborhood, my husband is thirty minutes away and he keeps his toolbox in his car! So ~ I called the non-emergency # for the police and a policeman arrived within 10 minutes.

Joey and I kept up a steady stream of conversation...at least it was steady on my part...there were a lot of pauses on his end. Pauses filled with sounds like water running. "Joey, what are you doing?" "I'm brushing my teeth Mom!"

Sounds like water running harder. "Joey, what are you doing now?" "Oh, I'm taking a bath Mom!"




Then there was the sound of things clattering into the sink. "Are you done with your bath, Joey?" "Yep, I'm putting on some make-up now Mom!"

Now bear in mind ~ Mr. Policeman is hearing all this ~ and in between prying the plate around the door knob off the door ~ he's wiping tears from his eyes because he's laughing so hard (as quietly as possible though...I thought he was going to burst)!

He got the door apart, and we rescued the bathroom from Joey. He was fully clothed, very wet and beautifully made up ~ he was also very excited to see a policeman!

That night, Bill replaced the door knob hardware and life got back to normal ~ until the next time we got to invite Mr. Policeman to our home...and there was a next time!!!