STAY AWAY!!!

Since Rafa entered my life I have ventured out in my neighborhood at hours previously unknown to me (before 7am and after 10pm). And as I have mentioned here , this has led to some interesting but rather disturbing encounters. Even after Rafa and I survived the naked dude, creepy encounters persisted. Enough to definitely make me leery of venturing out of my apartment at odd hours.

So, I relay these and other stories to my father over the phone last week. My father is not one to overreact. In fact, his response is typically so laid back some might mistake it for neglect or indifference. Apparently, though, telling your dad that creepy men are approaching you at night is enough to get a reaction. After a completely not kidding conversation about whether or not I would consider purchasing and carrying a gun on my walks, he settled for pepper spray.

He called the next week to follow up to see if I had purchased the agreed upon pepper spray (i had not....Wawa doesn't carry it FYI). In the intervening week, he'd had time to think up some alternative self-defense strategies for his pumpkin. Had I considered carrying a big, heavy umbrella with me, he asked. I explained to him the impracticality of walking a puppy while carrying a giant golf umbrella/weapon. (I kept to myself the other downside of looking like a total lunatic and thereby canceling out and cuteness Rafa adds to my image!). I promised him I would get the pepper spray ASAP.

While out walking Rafa the next day my phone rings again....Big B two days in a row (mind you he has now called me more in this month than the last 4 months combined).
CB: "Hi Dad".
BB: "Carly I have been thinking about your safety some more"
CB: "OK"
BB: "You carry your cell phone when you walk right"
CB: "Yep"
BB: "If that guy comes up to you again, I want you to pull out your cell phone and stick it right in his face and take a picture and say STAY AWAY!!!!"
CB: "OK Dad. Will do"

I kept to myself that I would have to pull out the cell phone, hit MY PIX wait for it to load, get the perp in sight, and then forcefully ask him to stand closer to the street light b/c this thing doesn't have a flash.