Monday, December 12, 2005

The miracle door

I feel pretty sure many out there can relate to this one. You know how we are all so often busy mired in a BIG project? Sometimes those little things fall by the wayside.

Take the inside front door to our home. It's never shut properly ever since Steve moved in here in 1999. It just hasn't been catching. So you'd have the juggle the handle and try and get it to catch. Or else you'd have to have the deadbolt activated and then the tendency was to lock oneself out while accepting a pizza delivery while little naughty dogs bark like mad on the inside.

Well, this past weekend, Steve disassembled it and simply oiled it and voila- perfect functionality. They sure made things to last as this lock is as old as the house and works with a skeleton key, which we don't use. We use the deadbolt for security. But now, we can disable it and still shut the door.

That's why I call it a miracle door. If only every ill could be cured as easily with some WD-40.

The whole situation with the door reminds me of the part in "It's a Wonderful Life" where Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey keeps pulling off that knob on his staircase and wants to throw it when he gets mad. That is just too true.

We watched the movie on Saturday night. I noticed something different this time. Notice how Mary falls in love with that old house? And notice what happens to the house in the world where George was "never born"? The house falls into ruin. And wasn't the world in that movie a better place with George, Martini's bar, Bailey Park, and that beautiful old house?

Funny, how I never noticed that part of the movie so much before.

Here's our tree all lit up.... and here's my favorite Santa figure greeting people as they come to the door.

8 comments:

Greg said...

I just saw that movie 2 nights ago. That is not the first time I noticed the house. It killed me to see them brake windows the first time they walked past it. This may sound hokey but I like Zuzu’s Petals. It is the flower petals from his daughter’s rose in George’s coin pocket that assures him he is back in reality. He can’t find them when they get thrown out of Martini’s Bar and then as soon as the cop finds him on the bridge that is the first thing he checks for: Zuzu’s Petals. I always thought that would be a good name for a book or a band, or maybe a blog entry. It is sort of a touch stone.

Jocelyn said...

Greg- I still can't comment on your blog cause it says ony team members can comment now :(

anyway- here's my comment on what happened with your comments in case you come back here again...

"Greg- I thought it was something like that. We all have lots of other things to do than monitor our blogs.

I've said it before, your writing skills are very good in my opinion (and I read alot and was an English major). Who cares if you aren't the greatest speller in the world? I'm sure there are alot of smart people out there who don't spell so great either."

Greg said...

Damn those comments! I should have never screwed with it. I'll try and get it straightened out, and thinks.

Gary said...

OK I'll admit it! It was my comment that triggered Gregs descent into comment hell. I never saw his retort because he deleted it and my comment as well. In my defence I wasn't correcting his spelling. I pointed out that he may have possibly misinterpreted a common British exclamation. I spent 12 years in British schools and can't spell either but hey, if you're going to exclaim something to a Roman diety and get the name wrong, well, you should consider the consequences! I must admit, he did say "In your worst British accent".
Now, he may not know his Roman Gods but I know Greg knows his Greek Gods. He may want to make an offering of some well constucted wooden object (like a cabinet or a (dare I say it?) a pocket door)to Zeus. If he does this then his problems will likely cease. Of course he could have just called me an asshole like everyone else does and stuck another pin in his Gary voodoo doll. I've been called worse! Hey, what's that sharp pain in my arm?

K said...

I LOVE It's a Wonderful Life, but I haven't seen it since being an old house owner. Must watch it again (everyone in my family GROANS when I mention it, so I guess I'll watch it alone!).

I'm glad to see you had some success with your door problem. I examined ours a little more closely last night and think oiling might help at least one or two of them. I think if we get the master bathroom door working properly, I can deal with the rest of them.

Anonymous said...

I can't wait for a project that WD-40 fixes! I'm now going to have to watch the movie again & I will defnitely notice the old house. Your tree and decorations look beautiful!

Emerld said...

Your pics are beautiful!!!!!

christine said...

Oh, now that's pretty. It looks very inviting.

Tee-hee...Hey that's my movie! I have forced Seb to watch IAWL about three times every year since I came to France. How do you think I talked him into buying an old rundown, abandoned house? I had real déja vu. You know the scene with Mary where George threatens to throw a rock at the house's windows to make a wish but she stops him, Mary says "no, please don't," and then she says something like, "It's full of romance that old house. I'd love to live there someday." So she makes it her wish that they get to live there as he throws the rock.

Greg ZUZU Petals would be a great band name!