It was a normal night at the Antonello residence as we left the house a mess before we cashed in. We got home from our small group meeting just before 10pm, Joe had a bowl of cereal and we put the kids to bed. I turned the lights out to a counter that was hosting two cereal boxes, a half eaten cup of yogurt, Silas' left over oatmeal from breakfast and a sink full of dishes. Not to mention the random toys scattered on the floor and the counter piled with mail. Pretty classic at our house!
We were all sleeping by 11pm, then at 4am I woke up to a crying Veda. I brought her to our bed and went downstairs to get her some water. As I stepped foot on the main level our security alarm went off. This is not the first time this has happened, so I ran to the keypad and punched in our code to silence the alarm. Got the water and as I was walking up the stairs our land line phone rang. No on knows that number and the only calls we get are advertising (the phone line is only for emergencies). I thought it was weird, who would be calling at 4am? Then as I snuggled in bed Joe's phone rang. I thought for sure it's an emergency. Joe looked at the number and it was a 1-800 number. Weird. Then my phone rang, same 1-800 number. I was too tired to try to figure it out.
Then.
THEN.
Then I hear a loud male voice yelling from INSIDE OUR HOUSE. Yes, inside the house. I freak out (that's an understatement), shove Joe awake, tell him there is a guy in our house, and then hide under the covers (naturally.). Joe runs out the bedroom door and yells back. I turn the bedroom light on and peek my head out the door to see Joe, in his boxers, walking down our stairs slowly with his hands in the air. (I laugh now thinking about it...)
I assume it's the cops, but what if it's someone pretending to be the cops? And how in the world did they get in our house?
I then hear the guy ask Joe for his address. Joe rattles it off.
Then he asks for his ID.
Joe can't remember where he put it (kind of goes along the lines of a messy house...we just don't have it together, people!).
Joe yells for me to help him find his wallet (story of my life.)
I put on a sweatshirt (so my bra-less self wouldn't be so noticeable), my glasses and throw Veda on my hip before heading downstairs to see the cop(s)....or the bad guy, who knows at this point?!
Three cops, two are roaming my house with their flashlight looking for an intruder, and one waiting for me to give him my ID. And Joe is standing in our kitchen in his gingerbread man boxers...both of us are literally shaking. And then another strolls in. Four cops in my kitchen at 4 am and our house is a total pit. I almost made a joke about how someone must have come in and ransacked the house and left. But I refrained.
Apparently the three calls (house line, Joe's phone and my phone) were from the security company because the house alarm went off. I didn't answer and give my secret pass word so they sent the cops. And it turns out we left our sliding door unlocked and there was our broken deck umbrella stick/pole (from the storm three weeks ago...again, we are all class!) sitting next to the door. The cops thought it was fishy and just came in and stared yelling. That is when the drama began.
I explained me setting off the alarm to get water for the kid, and the phones ringing and they got annoyed that I did not answer the phone calls, and then I got annoyed at them because...hello, who answers a 1-800 number at 4am? Or ever? And then they understood, kind of, but were still too cool to say they understood. And I explained how I punched in my code right away and how this is not the first time this has happened. The one cop got out his little Sherlock Holmes notepad and took down my name (including middle initial) and my DOB and then Veda said something funny and we all chuckled and then the four cops left and I locked the door behind them.
And of course it's impossible to fall back to sleep after something like that.
But hey, at least we know the alarm system works and if there was a problem the cops would be there in minutes.
Go Lake Elmo cops!
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