I’m starting to get a little freaked out.

The other day I went for a jog. I put Phizz in the kennel and left Trooper inside with her (I needed a Mommy break). I left the door unlocked. I live in the quaint little town of Hampstead plus I’ve had a very sheltered life – so I don’t proactively think about locking my doors to my car or my house.

When I got back half an hour later, I walked up to my porch to find a single shoe sitting on the front door mat.

Weird.

I walked inside and said, “hellloooo?”

No answer. So I proceeded to walk around the house and look under every bed and inside every closet.

Surely Trooper or Phizz would be barking or acting weird if someone came in the house, right?

I got ready and left… and upon leaving the front door – I noticed the shoe was GONE.

Weird.

So then, yesterday, I’m inside the house with the dogs – getting ready to head to campus – when the cleaning folks who come by every couple of weeks walked right inside my front door. Phizz and Trooper didn’t bark at all.

Sweet. Nate’s deployed. I’m by MYSELF and I have two BROKEN dogs who can’t bark to warn me that STRANGERS just walked into my house without knocking.

So last night after a long MBA class and birthday celebration afterwards for Michael Stark with Jenn and friends – I got home late to get some much needed rest. I was lying in the dark, trying to fall asleep – it was about 1am… and I just let my thoughts get the best of me – and I became totally freaked out.

I thought I saw images in the dark. Trooper acted strange – kept getting up and down to walk outside the doggie door. I thought maybe someone was in the house with me? I turned all the lights on. I just lay there awake – weirded out.

Finally I fell asleep (with some sleep aids). I woke up this morning deciding that I’ll never leave my house unlocked again. I need to made adult decisions… ones that keep me from being freaked out for no real reason.

Because, afterall, being scared is definitely NOT badass.