Thursday, November 16, 2006

Security

There is no such thing as security. Once you accept this idea, you can settle down and get on with living. Life is a state of uneasiness, just some times are more anxious than others. Even if you are laying at the beach cooking yourself in coconut oil, there is a little sentry parading around in your head checking the perimeter.

Yesterday when I got home, I needed to get out and check out why the clutch was not working properly in the Z (Despite the fact that it was raining like a cow peeing on a flat rock at the time). When I opened the double doors to the basement from the inside, I heard a scraping noise. I looked down and it was little pieces of trim going to one of the two little windows.

Someone had attempted to break into the house!

When the house was burglarized four years ago, that is how they gained entry. The doors have a vertical latch, a sliding catch and a 2 X 12 cross bar that I installed, so you can't just bust the window, reach in, and unlatch the door. The fact that the bar was in place says they couldn't get through.

But upon thinking about it, I decided I didn't like having glass in the window.

I had some 1/4" plexiglass laying around that was left over from some other project, so I cut it to size. Tight enough that it had to be helped into place with a hammer and a board. Then replaced the inside trim to hold it in place. And added a couple of extra nails.

Sure, you can still get in that way if you are determined enough, but you can ALWAYS get into a house if you don't care how much noise you make.

So I feel a little more secure.

But the little sentry in my head is on alert.

And I have given him live ammo.

6 comments:

Rick said...

I had an alarm system installed a couple of years ago, got all the stickers & signs, paid for six months, then let it lapse. I still have the stickers, signs, and audible alarm (which still works), but no breakins.

Al said...

I ought to go get the stickers, to heck with the system.

PS: I have an alarm system sitting in a box......somewhere.....

Rick said...

You can always steal a sign from one of the neighbors. ;-)

Al said...

Rick: Now I like the sound of that.....

Michael said...

Everything I've read say that stickers are the big deterrent. I've got 'em on all my windows here. You can pick them up at Radio Shack. ;-)

Al said...

I'll stop in after work.