I Just Found Out I Live In Gangstaville

I'm a little concerned that our neighborhood may be turning into Gangstaville. Let me explain...
Around 1:30 this morning I was awoken by very loud, angry voices shouting outside my bedroom window and then, what sounded like a couple of gunshots. At first I hoped my ears had deceived me and that it was a firecracker I heard but then I heard the noise again and knew it was a gunshot. I looked out the window and saw two men arguing at the top of their lungs with each other on the sidewalk by our house. There were also a lot of cars parked along the road so I assumed one of our neighbors was having a party. I was really freaked out by the gunshots (and all of the angry yelling going on) so I called 911.
After I explained what I had seen and heard, the 911 dispatcher told me they would send a police car out there shortly to investigate. Scott had fallen asleep in the basement watching TV so he missed all of the excitement but I woke him up after I got off the phone. One of the men who was arguing got into his car and took off down the street but a cop car came up behind him a few seconds later and pulled him over, so the cops got there really quickly. There were police cars up and down our street for a little while after that but I couldn't see a lot of what was going on so I finally went back to bed, my heart still thumping in my chest.
I finally fell back asleep but was woken up again around 4:30 by a dog barking and a voice on a loudspeaker saying: "Come out with your hands up now!" I looked out the window again and saw some people coming out of the house across the street from ours with their hands up in the air. The house was surrounded by police cars and one person was lying on the ground in handcuffs. The policeman on the loudspeaker then said: "If there's anyone left who still hasn't come out of the house, we'll send in the dogs and you will get bit if you don't come out now." (if that incentive doesn't work, I don't know what would!) It looked like they finally got everyone out of the house eventually, but none of our other neighbors were able to tell if the police were there for another reason besides the gunshots, and why it took so long for them to evacuate the house from the time I first called them. I don't think anyone was injured by the gunshots, thank goodness!
Our neighbors who had the party have lived in the house for years but we and our other neighbors don't know them well at all. They actually have their house up for sale right now. I sure hope someone buys it very soon so that our neighborhood can return to the safe, peaceful place it once was. I don't want to live in Gangstaville...

New Year's Eve and Day

Scott and I finally got to see "Valkyrie" on New Year's Eve afternoon while Leslie and Taylor watched Dawson for us. We both thought it was really good and appreciated the fact that it was based on a true story. Afterward, we went with Chuck and Suz to Trio for dinner and shared yummy rosemary flatbread before we ate our entrees. Since the old year wasn't over yet, we paid a trip to Cold Stone and gorged ourselves on ice cream one last time before resolving to "get in shape and lose weight" for the new year. When we got home, Dawson had what we think was an allergic reaction to something because his cheeks and chin looked like they'd been painted bright red. We gave him some Benadryl and waited for the redness to fade. He fell asleep really early but he kept coughing a lot in his sleep so we were both pretty worried about him. He finally stopped coughing a few hours later and slept through the night. We don't know what he ate or came into contact with to cause the reaction but his cheeks were back to their normal pink the next morning and he seemed just fine.
Scott and I both fell asleep around 10:30 but we were awoken for a few minutes at midnight by our neighbors' fireworks and pot banging.
We woke up early on New Year's Day and met Chuck, Suz and Ander for breakfast at Mimi's Cafe, then spent the rest of the day watching videos: "Ghost Town" and "The Duchess" (both good shows), and taking long naps.
Now that it's 2009, I figure that I should have at least one resolution this year (besides the perpetual get in shape and lose weight resolution) so my main goal is to get off Diet Coke FOR GOOD. Wish me luck!
Dawson's lovely "red" complexion and ice cream mouth. He looks a little out of it...

Yea! Ander finally became friends with Zeus on New Year's Eve. Leslie and Taylor helped Ander to overcome his fear of our overgrown dog. Afterward, Ander couldn't stop saying "C'mere, Zeus, c'mere, Zeus!"

Leslie reading to a fascinated Dawson

Chuck looks a bit like a psycho killer here. Taylor is trying to exorcise Chuck's demons.

Dawson and Ander playing in Dawson's toy box on New Year's Day. They were hugging a minute ago but I missed the shot.