The title of this blog sounds like the opening to a Sunday morning church sermon. I guarantee that is not the case. In fact, my reactions to this ‘true to life’ blog adventure is causing me to use words that definitely should not be uttered in a church!

Let me explain.

I’m always amazed as I drive down our driveway and hit the garage door opener. I smile as the garage light comes on and the garage door springs to life and begins to open.

Now I know you probably realize I was a biology teacher for forty-two years so with that science background why would an opening garage door seem like a miracle you ask?

It’s very simple, I was a life science teacher and not a physical science teacher. Opening garage doors cannot be explained by using life science terminology.

So, all my life I have wondered how the garage door opener is able to send a message through the car body, through space, through the garage wall and end up entering the garage opener to finally cause the door to open.

That seemingly garage door opening miracle came to a crashing end two weeks ago when I was approaching our garage and hit the garage opener tucked up on the car’s sun visor. The garage light came on, but a stubborn garage door did not open even an inch! 🙁

I could hear the garage door running through its opening cycle but the garage door remained in the unopened position.

After a closer examination I discovered the chain that lifts the garage door was not functioning. My guess is some gears on the garage opener are probably stripped and not able to engage with the chain that lifts and closes the garage door.

However, proving or disproving that hypothesis was way above my pay scale so I resorted to calling the garage door company that installed the door in the first place.

A friendly young lady answered my call and listened attentively as I explained my dilemma.

I was assuming she would put me on the ‘garage door opening’ repair schedule and I was ready to write the day of their arrival on our new 2023 calendar.

Instead, she sympathized with me and then asked me my name and phone number. She made no move to schedule me into their garage door repair schedule. Instead, she said we’ll call you and her call ended.

So, for the past two weeks my exercise schedule has included riding my stationary bike for thirty minutes, doing twenty pushups and opening and closing our garage door many times a day! 🙁

Because there is no handle on the outside of the sixteen- foot garage door I have a crowbar leaning up against the garage. When we arrive home, I jump out of our car grab the crowbar, push it under the bottom of the garage door and lift the door several inches off the garage floor.

I quickly slide my hand under the tiny opening and lift with all my might and so far, my back is holding up and the sixteen- foot garage door opens.

Fortunately, my hand has not been pinned under the door as the door tends to descend rather quickly.

My wife is sitting snuggly in the warm car and gives me a round of applause as the door rises. What a woman! 🙂

I’m still waiting for the garage door repair lady to call me back, but I suppose with temperatures below zero no garage door repair men are excited about volunteering to drive eighty miles to repair a garage door opener in an unheated garage.

Meanwhile I did go to our local hardware store and purchased a metal handle that I attached to the front of our sixteen- foot garage door.

So, the danger of severed fingers or a back going out as the door is hoisted has lessened. Now the possibility of a hernia developing has been added to the mix. 🙁

So, what is my next move I’m asking myself?

I believe I have two options. Continue as I have been doing and just consider the door opening activity an addition to my daily exercise program. Possible hernias be damned!

Or I could call that young lady at the garage door opener place and turn on my charm and get her to place me on her garage door repair calendar. Hopefully before the snow melts. 🙂

I believe contacting the garage door opener repair people a second time is the most appealing option.

Meanwhile I’ll continue the ‘opening/closing door policy’. Open garage door in the morning. Back out car and open car door. Close garage door. Close car door.

Return home and open car door. Open garage door. Jump in car and close door. Drive into garage. Open car door. Close car door. Close garage door. Open house door. Close house door.

Finally, I settle into my easy chair and rest up until the next opening and closing door activity begins.

Of course, if a blog reader has skills in repairing malfunctioning garage doors and offers to come to our house and make the repairs I certainly wouldn’t ‘close the door’ to that offer either. 🙂

Happy New Year! 🙂

Until next time.