I had planned on writing about my weekend, including my much anticipated company holiday party, but I am instead compelled to write about the events of this evening. You see, I managed to lock my keys in my car.

Already home for the night, I returned to the car, entered on the passenger side to access the glove box and somehow both left the keys in the seat and pushed the lock button before closing the door. Unable to locate a spare and unwilling to pay for the services of a locksmith to come and remedy my stupid mistake, I decided to try the next best thing: break into my own vehicle.

My first thought was to try using a straightened-out coat hanger slipped between the weather seal and glass in an attempt to "pop" the lock. I did not hold high hopes for this method and abandoned it rather quickly. I instead decided to acquire some tools and try to pick the lock itself.

As a child, I used to pick small padlocks for fun and had become pretty decent at it. Of course, I am sure those locks were rudimentary as far as real security is concerned. With a set of dental picks and a few small flathead screwdrivers, I went to work. I decided to attempt my lock picking in order of the locks I felt most prone to tampering and simultaneously of least usefulness to me should I inadvertently cause damage. The passenger door was first, followed by the trunk. No luck. The last chance for my easy out was the driver's door.

I kneeled next to my car working the tools with my hands and holding the flashlight with my legs, all the while mindful of the cars driving past most certainly thinking twice about what they saw. Then, just as I was contemplating surrender, the pins of the lock and the universe aligned.

Needless to say, I am fairly amused by all of this. When all was said and done, I had successfully broken into my car in just over thirty minutes.