Maui, I've Got A Feeling We Aren't in Wyoming Anymore

As the weather turns colder and the sun shines fewer and fewer minutes every day I am becoming more safety conscious. H and I spend a lot of time walking the mean streets of Baltimore, between our walks to work and taking care of lil MauMau, safety is becoming a huge concern. 

Today, at work I received (yet another) "Security Alert" from the Security Department reporting that an assailant robbed a fellow colleague. A "teenager" grabbed her iPhone out of her hand and sprinted away while she was on her way to work. These occurrences happen almost biweekly. 

Then on my way home from work I passed another colleague standing by her SUV with her husband/boyfriend, a police officer, and shards of broken glass at their feet. Her driver's side window had been shattered and she was listing objects that she noticed missing. "...Oh, and my EZ Pass too." 

Photo Credit

After I was home for about an hour I heard some noise in our street. The commotion was coming a few houses down. An ambulance, police car, and a lot of shouting were what I observed. I tried to apply investigative techniques (err, sitting on the floor hunched down with my ear to a cracked window) to gain a better perspective of what was happening. I do believe I missed the majority of the action and I wish I had more details to share. All that  I gathered was it seemed like some sort of domestic dispute had occurred.

Those events occurring all within a few hours of one another plus the usual hum of the Ghetto Birds flying around the city was enough for me to spend the remainder of the night looking up personal safety devices and tips.

Photo Credit

I have an old key chain sprayer from college but, it may not be good anymore. We also have bear spray (duh, I'm from Wyoming!) which, I will probably start toting around until I purchase something more easily concealed. 

I found this Mace Pepper Gun. It seems to be a happy median between the key chain pepper spray and the full on, huge a** can of bear spray. 

Photo Credit

It even comes in Black, Blue, Silver, Navy, and Pink. If anyone is thinking of sending me a, hmmm... Halloween (?) gift this may or may not be on my wish list.

Here is the video that accompanies the Mace Gun.

Looks kind of spiffy right?!

To recap, here is a list of things I learned or were reenforced today: 

• Electronic theft is on the rise
• Victims are being targeted as they talk, text, or use other features on their phone while not paying attention to their surroundings
• Keep your phone or other valuables secure and out of view 
• Always pay attention to your surroundings while out and about
• If you are robbed: stay calm, listen and observe, give up your property, and report the crime ASAP. (do not chase the suspect as apparently, my colleague did today)
• Keep the interior of your care clean. Don't keep expensive or important items inside but, if you do make sure they are well hidden. Remember my car break in?
• Don't play with (some of) our neighbors. 

For more Charm City safety tips go here:

Last week was numer-o nine-o errr, I mean número nueve, over at our new house. (Trying to brush up on my español so, I can borrow a cup of sugar from the neighbors.) 


Things at the house are coming along just swimmingly. 


As, I mentioned in the previous post, the stairs have been built. 
Here is picture from the second floor.

Going up?! (and out to the RTD)



The HVAC has also been installed. H=heating, V=ventilation, A=air, C=conditioning. I don't know much about HVAC but, I do know that the 'AC' is my favorite part of that acronym. Mostly because I truly despise hot temperatures and humidity (yay for living on the east coast and dreaming of cool mountain breezes). 


H: *

V: *

 AC: *

*I actually have no idea which HVAC part is which/can't get onto the roof to see the all of the equipment. (Yes, our HVAC outdoor parts are located on the roof. So people don't steal them or pieces (copper) from them- you think I'm joking don't you?! Welcome to Baltimore folks.)

Take A Bite Out Of...

Exciting news! 

No, the house isn't finished. 

No, we didn't get a puppy.

No, we aren't expecting.

No, we didn't win the lottery. 

Sheesh, you aren't very good at this guessing game.

What's exciting is that I made the Annapolis crime map! 

My waSaabi was broken into last week. In case you missed it or need to jog your memory, you can jump back here.

Below, is a picture of the Annapolis Crime Map website. My crime is flagged by one of those little blue men doing the robot dance across the city. 

Annapolis Crime Map 

Until this week, I didn't even know that Annapolis had a crime map. Silly me thought crime maps were reserved for larger cities like, Baltimore and Washington DC. 


In comparison, the Baltimore Crime Map is shown below. This is a website that I typically check a few times a week. Mostly because I like to torture myself. 


As I mentioned here, Baltimore was rated the eight most dangerous city in the US last year by the FBI.


Super.


If you notice, there is a lot of pink in Baltimore, 100% more pink than in Annapolis, in fact. 
Pink ≠ Flowers, lemonade stands, or candy stores.
Pink = Bad. 
Pink = Shootings (or sometimes stabbings)

Baltimore Crime Map 

There wasn't much pink near the location of our new house until earlier this month. Boo. 
If you don't already know which block we will be moving to and you would like to, please email me. Happy to fill you in. Then you can type the address into the site using the link above and get excited to come visit. Don't forget to pack your Kevlar. 


Special note to our parents: you may want to pretend like you never saw this.

Hot WaSaabi

Two things I am diligent about doing: hiding the goods I have in my car (if I even have any in there in the first place) and locking my car doors. Something I got into the habit of doing when I was 16 and started driving. Even when I was parked at home, wayyy off the beaten path (where being charged by a mama moose was much more likely than being robbed). One of my little OCD traits I suppose. 

So, yesterday morning, I was pretty surprised when I woke up to find my driver's door slightly ajar. At first I thought H had to grab the EZ Pass or something and forgot to shut it all the way.

Until I saw this.

 

OCD me would never leave my car in this state and my rather well trained H would certainly not purposefully rock the marital boat by rand-sacking my car so, I knew something was up.


Oddly, neither H, nor myself, nor any of our neighbors heard my car alarm going off last night and there were no signs of forced entry (thankfully). I do not believe this burglar was cleaver enough to break in without a little dumb luck. One of my rear door's locking mechanism works when it feels like it. I (again) am pretty diligent about making sure this locks but, I may have missed it just this once (dang!). The night before H and I returned from a long weekend visiting family. My exhaustion may have gotten the best of me.


So, why don't I think that this was the brightest robber on the burglary tree? Well, here is a list of my reasons why.


Things the robber took of mine:

• $60-$80 uncirculated dollar bills (Santa always brings a pad of $100 dollar bills when we are visiting H's hometown for Christmas, funny he never did this in Wyoming -silly Santa)

Things the robber left of mine:

• GPS
• Digital camera
• Patagonia jacket
• Maui Jim sunglasses (2) 
• EZ Pass
• Car

Things the robber left of his:

That my friends is a KA-BAR knife with a 7" blade. It looked like this (I peeked when the cop took it out of its sleeve). 

Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside now doesn't it?!

The police officers took a lot of photos, fingerprints, and of course the KA-BAR. The crime lab will process the knife, take more fingerprints and DNA (it was dirty, ew).

At least it was a beautiful morning for some fingerprint dusting. Which, is rather messy by the way, had to take my lil WaSaabi to the car wash so I didn't continue to get fingerprint powder all over myself.

I'll leave you with a little exchange I had with the nice police officer.


PO: Are you from around here?
SL: No Sir, I am from Wyoming. So, this is my first robbery.
PO: Well, hopefully it will be your last.
SL: I hope so too but, my husband and I are moving to Baltimore soon.
PO: In that case, this wont be your last.


Awesome. 

Framing

Last Thursday afternoon, H decided to take a quick drive by the house. Mr. Contractor happened to be there and invited him in to take a look-see.  

This is what was going on.

 The first floor framing had begun.

On Friday afternoon I had a scheduled meeting with Mr. C at the house. 

This is what I found, 24 hours after H was there.

The carpenters were framing out the second floor. 

While we were touring, Mr. C, his head foreman, and I played some tick-tack-toe. (Naturally, I won)

Not really. We were discussing the second floor layout. I will draw up the second floor for you, much like I did the first floor soon.

As of yesterday the framing was completed. Count it: one, two, three (and maybe a half) days! 

Things I love: framing (its fast, in an immediate gratification kind of way)

Things I don't love: burglars (I'm not talking about the hamburger kind) 

Check back tomorrow to see what I am referring to.