Disturbing

1:00 a.m. laying in bed
me: Peter I think I hear someone in our driveway
P: No, just go back to sleep*
2 minutes later....
me: There are people in our driveway right now!
P: You're right. What should I do?
me: I don't know, maybe go turn on the outside lights?

So last night/early this morning, there were definitely people in our driveway, near our back patio. We have no idea what they were doing because by the time we looked out the window, they were gone. We could see some strange vehicles outside driving around and we also could make out about four people on the street. They were being pretty loud, which is why I woke up in the first place. We called the cops, but by the time they came, every one was gone.

This is disturbing on a few levels. First of all, our back patio is about 120+ feet from the street. It's not something you just "wander" on to. Second, after this happened, it kept me awake the better part of the night because I realized that we have absolutely no way to defend ourselves. I'm guessing this was probably some high school kids running around the neighborhood, but what if it had been a real intruder with the intent of doing some type of harm?

The best that we could come up with is to turn on the outside lights. Oooh...that will really scare them away. Or call the cops...who knows when they will arrive. I'm absolutely anti-guns, but how else should citizens protect themselves in their own homes? We don't even own a baseball bat to keep next to the bed. I think I might have a miniature can of mace lying around somewhere. If I wanted to get really neurotic, I guess I could bring one of the kitchen knives upstairs and keep it in the nightstand. Although, those things have a hard time even cutting chicken.

I guess my point is that it's pretty scary to think of how defenseless we are capable of being in our own home. The only alternative that might make me feel a little safer (besides Peter pumping up so that he looks like Daniel Craig), is if we get an alarm system. Other than that, let's hope for the best.


*Peter has said this exact comment to me before when I woke up in the middle of the night hyperventilating and told him that I thought I was dying. Thankfully, it was just a bad case of heartburn.