The keys

Not too long ago I was lecturing suggesting to a friend that she secret a key to her house somewhere outside giving her the ability to enter the house should she lock her keys in or lose them. It happens. She'd told me about a pesky gate to the side that, if it happened to blow shut and she was on the outside (street side) of it she'd be locked out should she not have her keys; a problematic situation.

In the course of the lecture conversation I made suggestions on methods she could securely hide keys outside, ensure they were not found by anyone and kept safe from the elements. It's a very simple thing.

She asked me, "so G-dog, how do you secure your spare set of keys outside of your house?"

This is a very good question and I applaud her for seeking information from a very prepared man who has spent many years making sure every aspect has been covered. I thought about the question for a while trying to come up with a suitable answer but...I decided to tell the truth. (This part is embarrassing.)

"I don't have one," was my eventual answer. I know, utterly pathetic!

It occurred to me the moment she asked the question that in the almost eighteen months since moving into this house I had failed to arrange an emergency key outside in the advent of, well, an emergency!

Now I just feel dumb

Her reaction was a lecture in return laughter, as should be expected; it seems my dumbassery knows no bounds! She gave me what I deserved and I owned my oversight and embarrassment.

In further discussion I also admitted to the fact I don't actually ever carry my house keys with me. I have automatic roller doors on my garages and the garages have house access so I click the button, drive my cars in and close the garage door then simply walk into my house from there; no keys required. Do you see the problem though? What if there's no power? Because I have no keys to open the actual front door I'd be stranded. Dumbass!

I've rectified the issue by placing a key outside of my house so I'm back on the straight and narrow despite feeling rather stupid. I'm yet to check with my friend if she's done the same however I hope she has. She's smart so I'd say she did it immediately.

Do you have a key hidden in some cunning manner outside of your house in the advent of being locked out or losing your keys? Don't give away and secrets, but if you want to share please let me know what your lost-key-locked-out-of-the-house-risk-mitigation-protocol is.