A snippet of my adventure for the day as told via an IM conversation:

Justin: I go downstairs to eat lunch, pop a burrito in the microwave and notice that we had a piece of mail from our neighbor, so I grab the mail to put it in his mailbox … only as I’m closing the door, I realize that the lock is on, so I try to just semi-shut it but I accidentally shut it all the way.

Locked out.

Eric: no way

Justin: I have my cell phone, but nothing else. I realize that if I had a credit card, I could probably jimmy the lock as I have done this before with some success. Only, I don’t have a credit card or anything for that matter.

I pretty quickly decide to call my landlord who works out of the house in hopes I could catch her admin to let me in. Too bad for me — no one is answering.

I start looking around on the ground for stuff I might use to jimmy the lock … first item I see remotely useable: an empty nicorette chewing gum wrapper (like the plastic/foil/pill-type wrapper). I figure it’s worth a shot.

Eric: huh, well that is resourceful

Justin: It didn’t work. I even managed to get it stuck in the jam!

At this point, I look to our trashcan with disgust, but figure I have no other real options. I pull out the lone trashbag in the can and start rummaging. Everything is mildly damp and smelly. I try using some containerboard from a yogurt box, doubling it over on itself for extra strength …

Nothing. Too flimsy.

At this point, I try calling the landlord again. STILL NO ANSWER.

Cursing commences.

Eric: this story is outstanding. haha

Justin: I then decide that I’ll just walk out on the street and look for things that might be useful to jimmy the lock. Mind you: today was trash day, so I was hoping that by some odd chance some piece of refuse will come to my aid.

Justin: I see *another* nicorette gum wrapper (And wonder who is chewing so much nicorette near our house), and then imagine if I can use the battery cover of my cell phone to jimmy the lock. As I walk back to the house, I see on the ground a pull-off top from who knows what kind of canned food item.

Salvation.

I grab it, and a few cuts to my index finger later, I’m back inside.

Eric: hahahaha, you used a little metal top. that is outstanding — all b/c you were being nice and giving your neighbor his mail

In case you’re wondering, I do have a deadbolt on this door, which is used whenever we leave the house!