Mild disaster struck this week. When most of your creations are confined to two-dimensional space on a pretty small scale it's proportionately rewarding to create something at a human scale that's also functional. I had constructed a two-part hinged screen to keep cats sequestered to the second floor of my parents' house after numerous elaborate baby gate blockades had failed to contain them. It worked for many weeks as it was intended and I was rather pleased with myself.
Enter: my brother's Border Collie. He had recently arrived at the house and wasn't aware of the dogs live downstairs/cats live upstairs setup. Neither was he aware of screen doors in any context. In a fit of exuberance he bolted upstairs, straight into the bottom screen, tearing the material and compromising the frame's structural integrity. Duct tape to the rescue for now. But duct tape can't mend my deep sense of failure.
Border Collie: 1
Lauren's Screen: 0
