hood latch question

[Hoffman Anthony J A1C 552 CMS/MXMVC]

>anyone have any tips / tricks on popping open a hood that is stuck shut?  
>Let's suppose the entire front of the car is assembled. I put my eurolights

>in last night which required loosening and then retighten [and subsequently

>realign] all of the hood / radiator supports. when i went to close the hood

>i must have turned my brain off because i pushed it shut without re-lining 
>up the left+right side catch's. Now the hood wont open. Oops. Needless to 
>say i want to hack all of my fingers off with a rusty spoon.

>I tried gently prying under the hood with the latch held open but no dice. 
>Anyone have a clue as to how the latch mechaniism actually grabs the post?
I 
>dont know what to reach for under the car to 
>pop/pull/yank/bend/molest/sever/etc.



Don't hack your fingers yet, there's still hope! 
	As you know, there are two latch mechanisms on the 5K. I'd attack
them one at a time, unless you have several friends handy. The pins are
shaped like an arrow, and there is a piece of spring steel that holds
against the top of the "arrow". You have to get the "arrow" past the spring
steel, so if you can see which side the spring steel is on, and you know if
the pins were too close, or too far apart, that might help. Then you can see
which side to start on. 
	In other words, since the tube where the pin slides into is smooth,
I would try to keep the first pin against the smooth side, then once it's
out, the second "should" pop right out. 

Good luck, and hope this helps,
Tony Hoffman