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Post by 3piggles on Oct 24, 2017 14:52:04 GMT
We locked the house when we weren't home, as in we drove somewhere, but not if we just went for a walk or out to bike around the neighborhood, work in the garden, etc. We didn't lock the house when we were home until home invasions became all too common.
A woman was killed, and her daughter badly injured, in the next town over from us back in the early 2000s. A group of machete-wielding boys invaded the house, just to see what it would be like to kill someone. I had already started locking my doors when I was home, and was really glad I did! Reports of home invasions are getting way too common. Since we're now in a 55 and older community, young people tend to think the elderly are easy targets. Add to that the overwhelming percentage of locals who voted for our current king, and I'll keep my doors locked!
If I were expecting people, and knew they would probably arrive before I got home, I would leave the house unlocked for them, but only in that situation.
I have tried to not use the a/c when it got hot, just running the fans, but I'm giving up. It's 70F in the house, with 73% humidity, and the guinea girls and I are dying. Time for the a/c, in late October, in New Hampshire! Maybe my glasses will stop fogging up!
We are getting some much needed rain. We could get as much as 3 inches, most of it tomorrow, but we always seem to be on the edge of weather zones, so we'll have to wait and see what we get in the rain gauge. We're 2" short for the month, so it would be nice to at least get 2".
Jo, I think there was a greater respect for personal privacy and property, when we were young. A lot of things are done, now, that simply weren't acceptable then. Everything changes.
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Post by Bean on Oct 25, 2017 7:36:06 GMT
With reports of opportunistic burglaries constantly going up (people just going round looking for open windows and trying doors to grab some car keys or a wallet/ tablet), we're pretty good about routinely locking our doors. I'd not want the sort of house where people you know just walk in (I like my privacy too much), but still find it's sad it's something you have to do because some people think it's okay to let other people work for the things they want and then to just take them.
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Post by jolovespiggies on Oct 25, 2017 12:00:02 GMT
Oh God Piggles love, that is awful. It makes you want every security there is on offer and armed guards!! Yes, you are right love, all respect for private property and indeed privacy we had as children has completely disappeared. We are pretty good at locking up when we go out too Bean hunni but Paul tends to leave the window open for the cat, which is annoying. We are never away for long but then it doesn't take long to break in and do whatever they want to do. We have nothing worth pinching but my main worry would be my animals if anyone hurt them I would not be responsible for myself.
Hugs Jo xx
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Post by 3piggles on Oct 25, 2017 23:48:44 GMT
I don't have anything that can't be replaced, except the guinea girls, and I don't want anything to happen to them. So I lock my outermost doors, so I can answer the door without anyone getting in. I also haven't answered the door unarmed, for years. I can be drying off a kitchen knife, just a normal act, and anyone at the door who had thoughts of trying to force their way in, changes their minds quickly.
Back in the 70s a coworker was getting ready for work, answered a knock on her door, a man told her his car broke down, and asked to use her phone. When she turned her back to get the phone, he forced his way into her house, produced a knife, and tried to assault her. She fought back, and he ran off, but she got her hands pretty badly cut up. That's when I started looking the storm doors.
Women shouldn't have to walk through parking lots with their keys between their fingers as weapons, and lock themselves in their homes and cars, but I'd rather do that then become a statistic.
Home invasions are different from convenience robberies. People who invade homes usually bound and gag the residents, sometimes rape, torture and kill the residents, often trash the house as if destroying what was important to the residents is very important to the invaders. The elderly are often targets, and it doesn't seem to be about robbery, just about terrorizing and hurting people.
We've been researching home security alarms and video surveillance, as people also follow delivery trucks, and steal packages when they're left on people's front steps. The older we get, the more we realize we can't really fight off anyone, so we figure it's best to have some security.
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Post by jolovespiggies on Oct 26, 2017 8:49:41 GMT
That is a good idea Piggles love, arrive at the door with a knife and most would think twice. The thing is I would have no trouble using it if my babies were threatened. That is awful about your neighbour and I think that is why people are less helpful to strangers these days, there is too much of that sort of thing going on an no one can be trusted. Yes you want to help but it just isn't worth the risk. Home invasion is very different from burglars and I must admit the thought of it terrifies me. I just don't answer the door anymore unless I know for sure what is, I don't even like answering the telephone which is silly. I had a burglar alarm when I had my nice house but it seems hardly worth it here. It is not our own place and we are out very seldom. Good luck with your search love, I think it is a great idea.
Hugs JO xx
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Post by shades on Oct 26, 2017 14:29:05 GMT
14 hours?!?! That's an immense amount of time and beats any traffic jam I've ever been in. Hope the trip was good enough to make it worthwhile! That was only half the journey. The next day we had another endless drive - took about 12 hours - but there was more moving than stationary traffic. The biggest problems were the traffic queues to get past an accident. Just horrendous. Chinese drivers are not the most skilled or disciplined Finally we got to our destination and here's what we saw: It was a killer trip - the amount of traffic and people was just unbelievable. But once you're at an attraction, it's not so bad. It's the getting there that's the challenge! Going there and back was around 2600km/1600miles - that's about the same as driving Edinburgh - London and back, twice
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Post by Bean on Oct 26, 2017 16:23:28 GMT
Fantastic photos (the Terracotta Army right?) and I'm glad the hours spent in traffic ebbed away once you got there. It must be such an interesting place to visit - no wonder so many other people want to go there too!
When we do longer trips, I like to break it up with stop overs to visit other places or people, as 5 hours sitting in a car in one day is pretty much my limit (three is my ideal maximum though)!
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Post by 3piggles on Oct 26, 2017 17:17:16 GMT
I would love to see the Terra Cotta Army. Such an incredible work of art! Wow!!! I hope it didn't take as long to get back home!
There definitely are some aggressive and irresponsible drivers in the world, and I think the more populated a place is, so it has the most traffic, the worse people drive.
I haven't been outside in a few days, but after over 4 inches of rain, I doubt we have much foliage left. I took some pictures, but the files are too big to load to Wheekers, and I can't get past the spam ads on Photobucket. Hubby said he might have a way to make the files smaller, so maybe he can show me how to do that this weekend.
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Post by Bean on Oct 27, 2017 7:27:08 GMT
Hope you find a way to post your pictures. With the storms and rain, most of our leaves got knocked off before putting on a good show which is a shame.
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Post by jolovespiggies on Oct 27, 2017 8:40:29 GMT
I am so sorry to hear about the jam you were in Shades love, I thought I had been in some dreadful one but this takes the prize. Thank you for sharing photos of the Terracotta Army, they are awesome and a little scary I must say. I notice that some of them haven't any heads, poor things lol!
Hugs JO xx
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Post by 3piggles on Oct 28, 2017 14:23:55 GMT
Yesterday was our wedding anniversary, so hubby took most of the day off. We did some shopping, and got take out from the local Chinese restaurant. It's not as good as the one we really like, but it's definitely more than adequate. We're quite pleased to have it as an option. We're in between rain storms, so he's getting the lawn mowed, and doing whatever he needs to do outside. It's not going to get hot, so he really has all day. My back is still on strike, so I'm no help at all. Our foliage is pretty much gone. We tend to get a big storm that takes all the leaves. Hubby needs to pick up all the pinecones that bombed the house during the wind gusts. We also have a Nor'easter coming in tomorrow afternoon into Monday, so any leaves left on the trees should be gone after that. The Fall weather has finally arrived. We set our clocks back next weekend, so the days will get a lot shorter. Every year, when it's time to Fall behind or Spring ahead with the clocks, there's a lot of discussion about not doing it. We're in the Eastern time zone, which is the earliest time zone in the US. When it's noon here, it's 11 a.m. in the Central time zone, 10 a.m. in the Mountain time zone, and 9 a.m. in the Pacific time zone(west coast). This year, Massachusetts, which is the state next to ours and well within the Eastern time zone, is talking about joining the Atlantic Time Zone ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Time_Zone ) I'm not at all sure what that would accomplish. Unless every state agrees to the same zone requirements, and to not changing the time in the Spring and Fall, it just messes up everyone's schedule. There are cities and towns within states, that don't change the time in the Spring and Fall, and they have a lot of problems with missed appointments, TV show listings not being accurate, and a whole lot of other little issues, because everyone around them is an hour ahead or an hour behind them. So once again, the time change is spurring all sorts of complaints and weird suggestions. It's a semi-annual activity over here
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Post by Bean on Oct 28, 2017 15:47:48 GMT
Happy anniversary! Glad you finally got your Chinese after the skipped birthday plans. Gives your back a break from cooking too - I'm sorry it's not behaving yet, this has been an extended flare up for you.
The clocks go back here tonight - woo hoo to an extra hour, hopefully spent in bed! I'd not be bothered if we didn't do it anymore though - I don't feel like it brings any major benefit to my life and having an hour pinched at the other side of the year is never fun! And I have a few watches so added to the clocks which need changing manually, gets confusing as I can't remember which ones I've changed so what time it really is! (That probably says more about how dopey I can be sometimes!) I'll look forward to all the conversations between us tomorrow which have some sort of 'So what time is it *really*?' thrown in!
As you say, within the US, it'd cause a lot of problems if everyone didn't do the same thing though!
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Post by jolovespiggies on Oct 28, 2017 16:38:31 GMT
I am glad you enjoyed your meal Piggles love, I like Chinese but prefer Indian on the whole. Yes our clocks go back tonight Bean hunni which will give extra time in bed. It feels strange to be the only person who loves this time of year, or I would if we didn't have so many problems. You are right though, it wouldn't bother me either if they didn't have clocks going back and forward anymore. I am at a loss as to what the real time is Bean sweetie, I do confess lol!
Hugs JO xx
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Post by Bean on Oct 29, 2017 9:15:23 GMT
I enjoyed my extra hour in bed - I woke up and checked the time and then dozed off again! So far I've only looked at clocks that update automatically, so I haven't confused myself yet!
I do like things about this time of year - the leaves (when storms haven't knocked them all off) and bonfires. But we get so much wet and windy weather in October and November, that after being outdoors so much, I feel kind of penned in! I have been enjoying catching up with stuff I've missed on tv though.
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Post by jolovespiggies on Oct 29, 2017 14:26:53 GMT
I enjoyed my extra hours too sweetie, it is lovely waking up and looking at the clock and seeing it is an hour in front of the real time. I want to go out before Christmas at least a couple of times and top up my Christmas atmosphere. I can find it here in the house but it is nice to see others happy and enjoying this time of year.
Hugs JO xx
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Post by Bean on Oct 30, 2017 8:28:05 GMT
I hope you manage to get out and see lots of Christmassy stuff, Jo. Do you have lights in your town? Ours are getting switched on next month. I don't usually go to the switch on (as part of my protest for Christmas not to start until December) but I have a soft spot for one of the people switching them on this year, so might make an exception! I'll take some pictures for you if I do (of the lights, not who I'm going to see!).
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Post by jolovespiggies on Oct 30, 2017 9:14:08 GMT
Thank you darling, I hope so too. Yes we have Christmas lights in Liskeard and a very rough looking tree. Poor thing is missing more branches than he has lol! I really hope that the lights go up soon and I am able to get out and see something of Christmas. That would be lovely Bean sweetie, you are a love. It would be great to see photos of your Christmas lights.
Hugs Jo xx
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Post by Bean on Oct 30, 2017 19:50:26 GMT
Oh that poor tree doesn't sound too healthy, poor chap! We always have loads of street lights and a big tree in town, but apparently we're getting a (smaller) tree in our little area this year which'll be a first. There are a bunch of people who work really hard to bring us stuff like this locally - I always intend to join in and help out more (I've helped with a couple of communal gardening jobs before - planting flowers out etc), but am rubbish and never get round to it!
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Post by jolovespiggies on Oct 31, 2017 9:54:21 GMT
He does look a bit sorry for himself Bean sweetie but he knows he is loved lol! I love the thought of helping out with things like that but I never got around to it either. Now I can't do it but just feel really good for the people who do. I am looking forward to seeing our town tree again, even if he looks a little worse for wear than last year lol!
Hugs Jo xx
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Post by Bean on Oct 31, 2017 10:42:00 GMT
If he gets a few lights and baubles, I'm sure it'll perk him up a bit!
I always feel bad seeing those winter wonderland places that set up business for kids over the Christmas holidays. There seem to have been so many that have been awful - muddy fields with a sad looking tree in the middle and a couple of rubbish stalls, and they've charged families loads of money to go.
We had one in our county last year that closed after 24 hours because so many people complained - it was something like £25 a ticket for an event that apparently left loads of kids in tears because it was so rubbish! (Although it could have been the parents getting stressed and angry that brought on the kids' tears - it doesn't always take a lot to amuse most kids but the people who have paid tend to expect a bit more than a toy from Poundland handed out by a weary Santa!)
I'm sure the people working on your local decorations are delighted to know how much pleasure something like that brings the local people, especially those who aren't able to do stuff like that themselves. That's what it's all about!
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