I have an old shovel handle in the slider. It is a little short of the entire length, so I can leave it open for air, but not big enough for an adult to get in . My windows - which also are slide style have similar things - not dowels but little block with a bolt. Nothing will stop a detirmined person, but anything that will slow people down, force them to make noise, etc - is a good thing. I always lock the door, - which i sn't the case for everyone I know in my area.

I should do the dowel thing. I just figured it wasn't worth it because the glass could be broken. But it's true, that would take time and make noise.

I'm a weird combination of paranoia and hopeless fatalism.

Do the dowel thing- burglars and other criminals are just just like the rest of us - they look for the easy way

I am kind of bad about wandering off and leaving the door unlocked if I'm just stepping out for a minute or walking the dog, but I live on a quiet cul-de-sac and my worries run farther into someone breaking in while I am home than when I'm away. I'm making a concerted effort to close the back door when I leave the house, at least, coming home to find it gaping open is troubling even when I'm pretty sure it was me that left it like that.

I'm paranoid about my car, my purse, and my home. I have been less so since living in this apartment with TCG, but I will probably become more so again until I get used to the new place.

We signed our lease, paid our money and have our keys. The only two annoying things is we have to pay to have the rugs cleaned when we leave, and we cannot copy our keys (they're made in a way they can't be copied). I wonder how long it will take me to lock myself out of the new place while TCG is an hour away with the other key?

Hooray for lease and keys! No more people traipsing through your place or expecting you to leave so they can poke around while you're gone.

Yay lease and keys!!

I skipped 100+ messages for lo! I am sick. At least, I am pre-sick.

Hurty throat all day, end of day achiness starting to come on, and I slept most of the day away.

I wouldn't be so concerned but I have TWO interviews tomorrow. One with a company I really want to work for and a second interview with my second choice company. I need to be well.

Todd's hair looks fantastic!!

Yay for a lease and keys!

I should do the dowel thing. I just figured it wasn't worth it because the glass could be broken. But it's true, that would take time and make noise.

Yeah, the thing to remember is crime makes you stupidlazy. Make it a pain in the ass. Someone determined is going to do what they're going to do. But I'd guess that's not that actually that big a subset of the criming population, despite what it may seem.

Oh. My god. My family is driving me INSANE. My sister is buying a lovely house near the college her daughters are at, and since OlderNiece hates her current neighborhood, she planned to let her move in there, still paying the same rent, which is an awesome deal. But sister wanted the place as an occasional getaway home, for herself and me. Instead of being happy to have a big lovely house for the same rent as a dinky 1-bedroom with drunks in the driveway, OlderNiece is throwing a FIT about having to let us stay at "her" house, ever. Because we'll make such a mess, with our cooking and using the bathroom. They're both rather hysterical people, not good listeners, and they've been screaming at each other over this for days. Luckily I'm not there to actually hear it, but it's almost as bad having my sister call me and tell her side of the story and then expect me to tell her what's wrong with her daughter and what she should do. (Of course, when I do advise her to do something, like, back off it for a bit, and send her an email instead of calling, she doesn't do it.) I should have known this family couldn't have something as cool as this house and share it like reasonable people who cared about each other.

Oh god, she's calling me again.