First Night In A Brick House

First night in the new home. our piano has made it down two flights of stairs at the old place and up two flights to our new place. Dozens of boxes of books have migrated, 3 lemon trees too, and it all ends in pizza and beer on the front patio as the sun goes down.

Later friends who helped with the move are long gone, there are good faith efforts to unpack a few boxes before finishing a bottle of Chambolle-Musigny and heading to bed. A cat is taking the move hard. Doesn't move, doesn't support any of his weight when you pick him up. We carry him upstairs to bed with us and pass out.

Until 3:00am. Cat is awake, meowing loudly. The meows echo in the mostly empty space. Take him down to the basement where we put the litterbox. Climb back into bed, and then a high pitched noise sounds. An alarm. As it sounds there are sirens and a helicopter overhead. Or is it just nearby? This is Oakland after all.

Downstairs, turning on lights as you go, you reach the control system for the alarm. The system panel has a yellow light next to the word "armed". Somethings going down in Zone 3, and Zone 4. Looks like that might just be you though as you take in the various sensors.

You hit some buttons and the alarm goes off, make it back up to bed and the alarm starts in again. A neighbor said there car was stolen the night before, that her sister's radio had been snagged recently. Are you really going to have to go down into the basement at 3:00am?

After some discussion, calls seem in order. 911 will send an officer over for a security check, though you have to mention sirens and helicopters before they commit. Then dial information for the number of the security company. The automated voice connects you to the wrong number, before you get through to the alarm company.

They diagnose the problem: the system realized the phone line was disconnected. The alarm company operator can't help without the previous owners' code for the alarm. They tell you that hitting the star key will temporarily disable the sound.

Everyone back to bed, until 4am. A knock at the door. A young police offer says that he is sorry to disturb, you there in your sweats and sweatshirt. A security check is this - they ask if everything is okay.