The Midnight Visitor...and Ultrasounds (Health Update)...March 8th, 2007

Hi All,

Hope this finds you doing well. I know I should be probably be doing something such as catching up on digital photo work or even telling you more about how my doctor visit on Tuesday morning, March 6th went, but I won't until I share somewhat of a more urgent concern which involved my mother and myself at home...as well as a midnight visitor....and no, I'm not talking about a rat, bat, or cat stuck inside of the house or what-not. Just read on...

I was at my computer late at night (early in the morning...24 or so hours ago) just browsing the Internet and at 12:15 AM (Wednesday, March 7th), I heard the doorbell ring. That sort of startled me. When I hear the telephone ring after midnight...and it has occurred, I'm still startled, but not as startled as I was this time hearing the doorbell ring. I immediately woke my mom up...I'm still at home...and I think I'll continue to be for a while. It's good for now. I told my mom someone rang the doorbell. Seconds later, the doorbell rang again. We then turned the hall light on and I searched the hall closet for an object like a heavy stick, but only found a dust broom. I knew something weird was going on.

My mom went to the foyer and DID NOT OPEN the door. She turned the outside lights on to see who was at the door. It was a boy in his mid-to-late teens and he kept mumbling something like...and I'll get this wrong I know, "I ain't being all religious and nuttin', but I need to use the phone to call my mom." My mom then started getting all irate at the boy and telling him to go somewhere else or she'll be the one using the phone and calling the police. (Remember, the house is still locked and the door closed. But, there are these windows on both sides of the door which aren't covered by curtains...but will be VERY soon. My mom and I could see the boy. He had on a black jacket with some turquoise striping on the sleeves. He was about six feet tall and 150 pounds. Dark hair, etc.) The boy then asked her again to use the phone. My mom told him to go to the other end of the road and ask the man in the last house to use HIS phone. The boy then asked if that guy was the police. (Actually, the man is a retired highway patrol officer.)

I then proceeded to my room where I found the keys to my Jeep and pressed the panic alarm button. The horn and lights were all crazy for a few seconds...and I then turned it back off. When I went back to the foyer, my mom was dialing 911 and the boy was running back to the road and when he got there, my mom said there were at least two other teens (one with a backpack) jumping out of the bushes and going down the street. All the while, the phone was ringing because the sheriff department was trying to call my mom to tell her that another person in the neighborhood adjacent to ours (a hop, skip, and jump away) called and panicked about a teenaged boy ringing doorbells and asking to use the phone. The sheriff department had already sent a patrol car on the scene and while my mom was talking to them, they drove by our house. The patrol car had the search lights on and continued to drive (patrol) the road for about a couple of hours. My mom and I were still up and looked outside to see if there was anything else going on. There wasn't. The person in the patrol car told my mom they couldn't find any abandoned vehicle and the teens were probably out to rob or hurt someone.

As of now, I don't know what happened to the teenaged boy and his posse. If they really needed help, they would've let the cops help them. Maybe. They still might be at large ready to attack when they feel like doing so. My mom said the boy seemed like he was hiding something in his jacket. I just don't know. But, I do know that this has NEVER occurred at home and my mom, dad, and I moved to Garner in 1986. We've always been safe and it's been almost two-and-a-half years since my dad's death. I guess now it's good that I'm still at home, right????? I say so!!

Fortunately, no one was hurt and there was no crime committed (except for trespassing). However, my mom and a few other people do think the teen and the others were out to rob or hurt someone. If they were, then they probably chickened out because they really could used a better plan such as forcing down the door and breaking windows. Oh well. (Don't get any ideas!) Maybe the boy really was in need??? Again, I just don't know.

I do want to ask you, though, to please pray for my mom. She was a little upset after this instance (even though there wasn't any injury or theft). I know that a few of you have been victims of loss from theft, robbery, and even fire. I personally do not know what that is like and I have been thinking of you. My mom and I are just trying to be extra-cautious now. Personally, I have gone to sleep (bed) with the back door unlocked...the most recent time being last week...and I FORGOT!!! I even have left a door on the storage building outside UNLOCKED before as well as the lights on inside the house. The most recent time the lights were left on was last week. Again, I FORGOT. I usually am not that stupid and don't do things such as that and am cautious, but not cautious enough. But, I do dead-bolt the back door when I'm at home by myself...and the back door is going to be dead-bolted from here on out. (Please pray for the measures of precaution my mom and I need to continue to do and even start doing more.)

Well...have I got your attention now??? Just to be careful, I probably won't be posting a blog entry about the Midnight Visitor...I could, but I'm not sure. In fact, I really wasn't sure to even share this with you. But, I did.

As for my doctor's visit on Tuesday...it went well overall. A good point of the visit was my blood pressure...which was 110/80....the same as it was on January 29th. As for the epigastric pain I've been experiencing, my doctor thinks my gallbladder could be part of the culprit....he asked me how the medication I've been taking worked, etc....and I told him it was okay, but it didn't help. Pepcid AC doesn't even help! I'm scheduled for an ultrasound today (Thursday, March 8th) at 9:30 AM at a clinic only a mile away from home. There's a new complex just across the street from the neighborhood complete with apartments, medical offices, stores, restaurants, a multiplex theater, etc. Six years ago, it was nothing but woods and a few homes. Not anymore! Talk about change. (Too bad I haven't gotten a job over "there" yet.)

Anyway, I'm not sure if the ultrasound might reveal that I have gallstones, etc. In a way, I wish I do so I can get to the culprit of my upper GI tract troubles...but, I don't need to wish something such as that. I know that this journey isn't over yet...and it's good that I'm able to share this with others. I know I could keep all this and everything to myself, but is that really healthy? Ha!

Honestly, I would share and write more, but it's getting late...and I need to go to bed. But, before I do, I need to check the house to see if it's safe. :-) Thanks for taking the time to read this...I know it's long. I'll be in contact with you again soon. Have a great day!

Sincerely,
Gregory <><