Security

Today we joined the households that have security systems.

I have lived in this house since July 4, 1986. In those years we have had two incidents.

In the late 1980s juvenile delinquents went down our street breaking into garages and cars. They broke into our garage and stole a AM-FM stereo radio that my late husband and I had just spent hours installing in our Yugo also known as "the roller skate" because it was like driving one. (It was a car that I figured we could fix with a rubber band, a paperclip, or duct tape. Who knew that someone would actually be able to sell a book about it. Yugo: Worst Car Ever?)

They also tried to remove the one he had installed in the Landcruiser but to no avail because it was soldered to the frame.

Then in August, 2009, two young men were unsuccessful in their attempt to break into the house because of my hyper-vigilance of checking to see that all windows were locked. They cut small slits into the screens to reach in to push the windows up. When that failed on two windows in the back of the house, they climbed to the second floor, damaging a gutter in the process. They tried to gain access through one of the French windows in the sunroom but were stymied by the interior storms that we leave up year round because of the old, ill-fitting windows.

The police blotter in the weekly rag lists the burglaries and attempted ones. There seems to be an increase of break-ins during the middle of the work day. The one last August was 10:00 in the morning. They ring the doorbell first. If no one answers, they try to enter through the back of the house. On a few occasions that they have encountered a homeowner, they run out of the house.

I figured with the kitchen and bathroom gutted it would be too tempting for those thieves who specialize in stealing copper plumbing from vacant houses. Now I won't worry about it while we are away.

The building inspector was not pleased with York the Security Guy walking around on the first floor. (Tho later she did deign to sniff his hand since he is also owned by two cats. Yesterday she growled at the electrician.)



Definitely does not approve.



Now he is walking that way.



Wait! He switched directions.



And her trainee was not amused.



You, you did this. When is it going to be just the four of us again?