Annie Get Your Gun!

Saturday night Mandy and I stayed at my Mom's in preparation for our Sunday morning marathon in Dallas. Being an experienced competition athlete, my step dad (Peepaw) sent us off to bed around 10pm so that we would be well rested for the race. I was wired with excitement and could not force myself to drift off to sleep. Finally, sleep was conquered for me sometime around 11:45.

The next thing I heard was a loud crash sounding like glass breaking. I jolted awake and my mind began to process the sound. Was it a cat? No, I am not at home and Mom has no animals. My brain scanned the rational possibilities and could only come up with the idea that it was an intruder. At that moment there was another crash that sounded like glass breaking once again. I glanced at the clock and noticed it was 3:30 AM. No one in the house should be up, so who is it?

I ran into Mom and Doug's room and told them someone was breaking in. I grabbed the phone ready to call 911 and asked for the gun. This is the second time in my life I have had no problem using a gun on an intruder. And the funny thing is, I hate guns. Mark has taken me out to the farm many times to teach me how to shoot and reload. Each time I begrudgingly listen and learn. But a few years ago I was home alone and I heard a noise at my bedroom door and with no fear I grabbed the gun (I sleep with a shotgun if Mark is out of town!) and headed for the criminal. As I rounded the corner and pointed the gun, I almost shot our cat. Poor Java. She really does have 9 lives!

Back to Saturday night, Peepaw ran into the living room to fight off the prowler and I devised a plan. Mandy was still in her room so I was going to call her and tell her to climb out her window. Mom and Savannah were with me at the back of the house and I was about to open the window, bust out the screen and escape.

As I was about to initiate my plan of action Peepaw came back and said he forgot to close the window above the kitchen sink and the shades blew down and knocked several things into the kitchen sink. He searched the house several times but there was no perp.

Whew! That was a close one! No need to implement my Charlie's Angels routine. But do you think any of us went back to sleep? Oh, no. My adrenaline (which needed to be saved for the following day) was flowing like Niagra Falls.

At 5:20 AM I was still awake so I decided to go ahead and start preparing for our big day. My concern? If the wind was already blowing hard enough to break things inside the house, what was it going to do to us for 26.22 miles outside the house?

To be continued...