Last week was spent in recovery mode, mostly. The week before that I was in Texas from Sunday – Sunday, and in 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM training Monday – Saturday. Now, I will be the first to admit that it was FUN training. To be paid by my company to go learn lock picking, surveillance techniques, and electronic coding was a dream I never knew I had. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t mentally exhausting to sit in a chair for 8 hours a day listening and learning. So I am not entirely certain what happened to last week, but I”m fairly sure a lot of it was spent not doing anything.
But back to my class. I spent two days learning how to pick various locks and enter places you aren’t supposed to, two days learning how surveillance systems work, the best places to put them, and the different systems, and two days learning how electronic keys/fobs/access thingamajigs (yes, that is a technical term) work, including learning how to copy my hotel card onto another card.
Here is the overall lesson for you all: Locks can be defeated. Very easily in most cases. I don’t think I will ever again count on a lock to keep someone out, although they are a good way to make sure someone knows they aren’t SUPPOSED to be there. Electronic access is a little harder, but still totally crack-able if you have the right tools, and, in some cases, you don’t need any tools other than whiskey (Yes, whiskey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDl4AO4ancI). So, whenever I get my own house, I’m getting a surveillance system to go with it, because then at least I will usually be able to see WHO broke into my house.
The other thing I learned while I was gone is that Austin, Texas is not ideal for a woman by herself. Perhaps it was the time of year, or the area, or who knows what, but I haven’t been that uncomfortable and aware of eyes on me since I was a size 2. And, honestly, probably not even then. Once, I was on the phone with my husband in the elevator when the guy in the elevator with me asked me to have a glass of wine with him. He muttered something about it not scaring him when I pointed out my husband was on the phone, but let me go without any issues anyway.
So I didn’t go many places between the training room and my hotel room. But I still had fun, and there was a huge street fair my last day there that had too many people meandering around for anyone to single me out, so I enjoyed going to every single booth, trying most samples, and buying much more than I expected. Someday I would like to go back, WITH my husband, so I can explore the area properly.
And my (late) lunch break is over, so that’s all the update for now!
Forest Idylls 