House Call

May 31 - June 1, 2010

It's 1:00 am and I'm wondering when it's going to be late enough and when I'm going to be tired enough to forget about all the "excitement" (for a lack of a better word) will fade. 

I had the police knocking on my door tonight.  Of course, I called them there!  It was like 9:00 pm (maybe 10), dark outside, hubby not home yet, Monkey in bed...I was just sitting watching The Bachelorette (shhh...don't tell my husband, he hates that show!) when I heard a noise.  I couldn't quite place it at first.  It sounded like it was outside.  Immediately I called my husband wondering if he would be home soon to check it out.  He was wondering why I hadn't called 911 yet...

I didn't think it was that big of a deal, honestly.  Sounded like a cookie sheet fell off of the dryer, except my dryer wasn't on.  Or like my ironing board had slipped on the hardwood floors, except that it hadn't moved.  When I called 911 they asked for a description of what it sounded like, and after narrowing down what it wasn't, I realized the closest thing it sounded like was someone had opened our screen door and then let it slam close.  Of course there's no peep hole on my front door and I was NOT about to open the blinds.  In fact, I ran around the house making sure everything was locked and all the curtains were closed.  My heart was definitely pounding by the time the dispatcher told me police were on their way and to call them if I heard ANYthing else before they got there... 

Soon I heard the patrol cars pull up (gravel driveway) and saw flashlight beams flickering over all the windows.  After several minutes (oddly my heart was still pounding even though that was BY FAR the safest my house had ever been - even the K9 showed up!) I heard a tap at the door and "Police".  I opened it to hear the Sergeant explain that they were going to check the neighbors yard as well (I wasn't sure if they were home or not) and that he would be back (and of course, to keep my door locked). 

A couple minutes later he came back to let me know that someone had opened my screen door, but that they weren't too concerned b/c if it was serious they wouldn't have left it at just that.  But while they were searching our yard, they heard the neighbor's gate close.  When they went to check it out they found out my neighbors were home, but sleeping (they startled them when they knocked on the door) and then they heard someone jumping the metal fences (OTHER neighbors).  So someone's wondering our neighborhood  and the police and keeping a close watch.  All you criminals better WATCH OUT! 

My husband walked in the door soon after that and reminded me that we do have a gun.  Not that I ever want to have to use it...

So moral of the story?  Don't hesitate to call the police.  What I thought was SO not a big deal turned into a kind of a big deal.  And honestly, the police really are looking out for us and they really don't mind searching our yard to give us some peace.  And REALLY really...if I hadn't called the police, who knows what this hoodlum would have attempted in my neighborhood?  *Sigh...*  What can I say?  I'm just an everyday hero.  =)