The Wisdom of Elders

To get into our apartment is no small feat. First, one must have either a gate opener (like a garage door opener) to drive through the gate, or a key to open the walk-through gate. After entering the grounds a key, a different key, mind you, is needed to access the service elevator and stairwell. This elevator opens up on each floor to the kitchen, or back, door of each apartment. If one wants to get to the front door of an apartment, a third key is needed to operate the second elevator. This elevator provides access to the front doors of both apartments on each floor. In addition to the aforementioned 3 keys and one gate opener, we have four, count 'em FOUR, more keys to the apartment. Two to the back door and two to the front door (and no, none of the locks are the same). Lastly, we have a key that opens the gate, in case the opener is out of commission or missing and one more that opens a door between the service entrance and front door. That makes 9 keys and one opener. Oh, and did I mention that two of the keys are weirdly large and ancient looking. I have a very heavy key ring.

That being said, Chris has drummed it into the kids' heads that they are not to open the front door without Mom or Dad, as they don't know who might be on the other side. In the case of our apartment here, the chances that ANYONE might be outside our door are slim and none. But the girls are very serious about not letting the bad guy in. As Katie, the elder, so eloquently said this morning, "Bad guys don't knock. They are not very polite." I should say not.