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SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | MAY 2021 11 By Cindy Ponce de Leon, Resident Like other "Islanders," my husband and I have nights we turn in early. What happens in your house when the doorbell rings after 10:30 pm and you're sound asleep? Sudden panic? You try to awaken the sleeping bear and he's having nothing to do with it. "Wha? Huh? Go see who it is… Sleeping." Heart racing as I get to the front door and look through the peephole. OMG! At the end of the entryway is a man bobbing and weaving, waving his hands in the air. Quick! Back to the bedroom to wake Sleeping Bear. "Honey, honey! There's a man outside bobbing up and down, waving his arms, dancing around. He's probably drunk. Wake up!" "… Call the police." "Yes, there's a man at the end of my entryway. He's wearing dark pants and a long-sleeved white shirt, like a chef. I think he's drunk. He's waving his arms in the air dancing around." I give them the address. Sleeping Bear joins me at the peephole. "See? He's there at the end," I whisper. "… I think that's our security guard? … I wonder if I left the garage door open?" Yup, it's part way open so the bear closes it and goes back to bed. The police call back to say they've searched the area and don't see anyone of the description walking around. Wow! They must have been close by! I tell them we have a security guard that drives around at night, maybe he's at The Lodge? The police say they will try to meet up with him. Now I feel really guilty. What if it was our guard? Months later my customer at the DMV is renewing his license. Of course, the system goes down! He tells me he works in a "retirement community." I tell him I live in a 55+ community. Where does he work? He says "Hemet." "I live in Del Webb in Hemet." "That's where I work. I'm the security guard there." "Maybe you know my husband?" We talk in detail. He replies, "Yes, I've been to your house before. You left your garage door open and I stopped by to let you know. I walked up to ring your doorbell and birds came flying out attacking me!" "Oh my gosh" I laughed. "I felt so bad that night! I called the police because I thought there was a drunk man, dressed like a chef, dancing around outside the wrong house!" "Did the police find you?" "No, but that's really funny," he said. "I walked up and rang the doorbell. Birds came flying down at me and I was trying to defend myself!" So goes the saga of the Swallow Special Forces! MISTAKEN IDENTITY

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