Violated!!

I'm finally calming down. Actually, I calmed down a couple of hours ago, but this is my first opportunity to sit down at the 'pooter and put fingers to keyboard. So last night (Sunday), at about 10 p.m. we were sitting in the living room watching TV when I heard a rustling in the bushes outside the living room window, four thumps on the dining room window in rapid succession, then a car speeding away. We were both confused and surprised; I put on my shoes and went outside. I looked up and down the street, but saw no sign of anyone.

Someone shot our front window with four bright orange paintballs. I didn't even notice them at first, nor did Michelle. I was furious. What in the Hell is wrong with people? I really wish I'd reacted a bit sooner. Maybe if I'd been out the front door a little faster, I could have gotten a license plate or the make/model of the car. I called the police. They sent a cruiser to check out the neighborhood. He must have been a really great cop because he flew through going about 45 mph. Only the finest cop eyes could carefully inspect the other houses for orange paintball marks at that speed.

I took a pass around the neighborhood to see if anyone else got hit and see if, just maybe, I could spot the petit merdes that were, at that point, the tiny little center of my rage. There weren't many cars out on the street and I didn't see any marks on the other houses, but many of them did not have their exterior lights on. When I got home, we wiped the paint off the window and cleaned up the splatter. In the light of day, we noticed more orange splatter in hard to reach places. Thankfully, the paint doesn't seem to dry very quickly and has an oily texture.

There's something deeply personal about this event. I don't think these kids would have any understanding of what it is to make a home and to feel an emotional connection to it. They obviously do not grasp respect for other people or the sanctity of their homes. I don't expect them to get caught, but I would really like to discuss with them and their parents how their actions affected us. Really, I'd like to kick them in the balls, but I'm trying to take the high road here.