Thursday, July 13, 2006
I am my own burglar....
Ok, this has gone far beyond the bounds of fibro fog and is now squarely in the realm of brainlessness. Don't know if I mentioned it or not on this blog, but we have a security system in the house. It's one of those ones that works independently of the telephone line, so if someone cuts the phone wires behind the house, the system can still go off in the event of a break-in. It has direct communication with the monitoring company through the console so you can tell the company verbally if you need assistance and what kind. We got this mainly to protect me in the event of a medical emergency because it doesn't require me to get to the phone and call someone.
Anyway, one of the hallmarks of a fibromyalgia/Sjogren's flare-up with me is worsening of my cognitive dysfunction. So a few days ago, the dog wakes me up all distressed because he needs to go outside to pee. I can barely walk, much less think, but I hobble down the stairs and open the sliding glass door, completely forgetting that I had the security system armed from the night before! The alarm goes off, I disarm it as fast as possible, but not in time to prevent the monitoring guys from switching on the intercom and asking if I'm ok. I apologize for the mistake, give them my password, and think I'm good to go. But a few minutes later, the alarm company calls and asks the same thing. How embarrassing!! But nothing compared to last night.
I always switch on the security system right before bed as I'm going around downstairs switching off lights. Last night, though, after I'd done this and all the lights were off, I notice that I hadn't shut the screen door and that there were bugs all over the sliding glass door. I decide to quickly open the sliding glass door and pull the screen shut. Did I turn off the alarm system first? No, because I completely forgot (AGAIN) that I had set it! So the same scenario plays out all over again. I tell the monitoring guys through the console I'd made a mistake and then tell the alarm company on the phone the same thing. But unbeknownst to me, while I was on the phone with the alarm company, someone else from the monitoring company was trying to call me to see what was going on. Since they got no answer, they called the cops! Next thing I know, there are two patrol cars at my house, and officers with flashlights have surrounded the house, looking for intruders! I was mortified! I had to sheepishly open the front door in my night shirt, flag down an officer, and explain that I had unintentionally set off my own alarm!
The worst part about this is that this is the SECOND time the cops have come to my house on a false alarm within a year! The first time happened in January when I wasn't home. I got fined $50 for that incident. I don't know what a second offense is, but I bet it's more than $50. I'm pretty sure my permit to use the system will be suspended. I'm probably also going to be fined by my alarm company. I can tell them that I'm disabled and have memory problems, but I don't think it's going to help the situation.
So now I have this expensive alarm system, designed to protect me, and I'm scared to death to use it! I don't dare arm the thing if I can't trust myself to remember when it's on. But I also dislike being alone with no protection (ok, maybe Chip would lick an intruder to death, heh heh). And it pisses me off to think I'm paying a hefty monthly fee for alarm monitoring that I probably won't ever switch on again. I have a three year contract with these guys with at least two years left on it. Don't know how I'd be able to get out of it.
Most of all, I just feel like an idiot.
Anyway, one of the hallmarks of a fibromyalgia/Sjogren's flare-up with me is worsening of my cognitive dysfunction. So a few days ago, the dog wakes me up all distressed because he needs to go outside to pee. I can barely walk, much less think, but I hobble down the stairs and open the sliding glass door, completely forgetting that I had the security system armed from the night before! The alarm goes off, I disarm it as fast as possible, but not in time to prevent the monitoring guys from switching on the intercom and asking if I'm ok. I apologize for the mistake, give them my password, and think I'm good to go. But a few minutes later, the alarm company calls and asks the same thing. How embarrassing!! But nothing compared to last night.
I always switch on the security system right before bed as I'm going around downstairs switching off lights. Last night, though, after I'd done this and all the lights were off, I notice that I hadn't shut the screen door and that there were bugs all over the sliding glass door. I decide to quickly open the sliding glass door and pull the screen shut. Did I turn off the alarm system first? No, because I completely forgot (AGAIN) that I had set it! So the same scenario plays out all over again. I tell the monitoring guys through the console I'd made a mistake and then tell the alarm company on the phone the same thing. But unbeknownst to me, while I was on the phone with the alarm company, someone else from the monitoring company was trying to call me to see what was going on. Since they got no answer, they called the cops! Next thing I know, there are two patrol cars at my house, and officers with flashlights have surrounded the house, looking for intruders! I was mortified! I had to sheepishly open the front door in my night shirt, flag down an officer, and explain that I had unintentionally set off my own alarm!
The worst part about this is that this is the SECOND time the cops have come to my house on a false alarm within a year! The first time happened in January when I wasn't home. I got fined $50 for that incident. I don't know what a second offense is, but I bet it's more than $50. I'm pretty sure my permit to use the system will be suspended. I'm probably also going to be fined by my alarm company. I can tell them that I'm disabled and have memory problems, but I don't think it's going to help the situation.
So now I have this expensive alarm system, designed to protect me, and I'm scared to death to use it! I don't dare arm the thing if I can't trust myself to remember when it's on. But I also dislike being alone with no protection (ok, maybe Chip would lick an intruder to death, heh heh). And it pisses me off to think I'm paying a hefty monthly fee for alarm monitoring that I probably won't ever switch on again. I have a three year contract with these guys with at least two years left on it. Don't know how I'd be able to get out of it.
Most of all, I just feel like an idiot.
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