remotely interesting

There’s a reason this looks a bit manky.  Apart from the faffing, that is.  I dropped it on the garage floor, it fell apart and now it won’t open the door.

This is not the first garage remote we’ve owned.  Anniemay has often been in the habit, when rushing to the gym, of throwing her stuff in the car - and the remote control in the car door pocket.

Last winter she came home a little distressed because she appeared have lost it.  Banging on the garage door eventually alerted me to this fact.  We looked every where; “are you sure you took it with you/looked in the car/looked in your gym bag ……?”  No such luck.  

A week later, she happened to park in exactly the same spot and as she got out, found the remote at her feet.  Wet, mucky and smashed to bits (the remote, not Anniemay) from rain and frost and various cars having driven over it.  She triumphantly scooped it up and brought it home; “found it.”  Smiley face.

Now this is the interesting bit; I cleaned it up, put the bits back together and then wrapped it with gaffer tape.  Tried it - and hey presto - it worked.

A few months later, the motor that opens the door failed and we had to have it replaced.  The new motor came with new remote controls; like this one.  But this, having fallen just a few feet on the floor and not had to endure a week outside and all the terrors associated with that, does not have the resilience of the old one.  They don’t make them like they used to.  Not even remotely.