Life in the burbs

You know, I take for granted how nice and peaceful my neighborhood is. We have the occasional stupid kids who ride their motorbikes on the street illegally and the neighbors who toss their cigarette butts in my yard. Ok, I can live with it.

Staying up late tonight to work, when I heard the distinct sound *bang, bang* of handgun fire. I seriously had to go pee immediately. It just terrified the crap out of me.

My father-in-law happened to be online and reassured me that likely a neighbor popped a cap in a racoon or some other critter that was snatching the dog food or something. That sounds likely as we have little critters scampering around the neighborhood.

But, it still doesn't bode well for my nerves. I did call 911 and peeped out the window when I heard a car door open. He was talking to my neighbor across the street who was out in his garage. I assume he heard it, too. I just keep wondering if my bachelor neighbor got tired of living with his mom and put a cap in her ample ass.

I'm voting for shooting a feral cat or something ... But, if I start smelling something bad from next door, don't say I didn't warn you. I know that smell. I caught a whiff of it once while living in Bonham and working for the daily paper there. Went out with the sheriff to a house where the dude had died in his chair watching TV. The neighbors called the SO when the smell got real bad. Dude probably died a week before, but man, it was ripe. I was in the street and his house sat way back from the road. I felt really bad for the first responders to that one. No face mask was holding that smell out. Full HAZMAT suits might've.

Anyway. Hearing gun shots while writing about homeland security. Sort of weird.