We are an armed society. We have to be. There are too many goofballs out there.
A machete beside a dragon skull enhances any bedroom/Photo Ryn Gargulinski
One creative way to keep weapons at hand without feeling or looking like we live in an arsenal is to use weapons as home décor.
They can enhance the cozy feel of any abode – while serving a life-saving purpose.
Tucson police statistics from Jan. 1 through about the end of Sept. of this year contain a pretty hefty tally of crimes.
These include:
923 aggravated assaults
151 forcible rapes
14 attempted rapes
48 other sexual assaults
171 residential robberies
84 carjackings
43 “miscellaneous” robberies
3, 258 burglaries with forced entries (that’s roughly 12 each day)
992 burglaries using no force to get in
23 attempted forcible entries
Please don’t take this as an invitation to live in fear – just live in awareness. And no, I’m not trying to depress you.
Please also know that most crimes are crimes of opportunity. So don’t offer any.
One of the most recent home invasions was on Sept. 13 when a guy attended a party in the 2800 block of North Tyndall Avenue, near East Glenn Street and North First Avenue.
He left the festivities only to return with three or four of his buddies – wearing masks and armed with handguns.
They proceeded to pistol whip and rob the guests. Have a nice day.
Suspect Manuel Nunley
Police issued an arrest warrant for the main suspect, 24-year-old Manuel De Jesus Nunley. He’s wanted for armed robbery, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault and first-degree burglary. Robbery is generally defined as taking something from a person, while burglary is taking things from a structure, such as a home.
Make sure that guy’s not any of your future invitation lists.
Now if the guests had been in a home with an interior design scheme that included an ornamental gun rack, machetes, sledgehammers and Medieval maces, the tale may have had a different ending.
Yes, some weapons can look creepy and ugly. But spruce them up by hanging them next to art. Better yet, hang art from them. Just make sure you attach the weapons in such a way they can be easily removed for use but are not hung too flimsily that they fall on your head.
Another clever tactic is to pick home décor that can double as weapons, such as a cast iron plate collection or candleholders that come complete with ornate, 10-inch iron spikes.
Just make sure you get to the weapons before any goofball does. Stuck for ideas? Check out the slide show with interior weaponry design ideas below.
[tnislideshow] [tnipoll]
What do you think?
What kind of weapons do you have in your home?
How do you protect yourself?
Have you ever been robbed, mugged, assaulted or burgled in Tucson?
How has that changed the way you live or view society?
See what I missed out on by having children? Just can’t have imaginitve and deadly art around when there are youngsters. It’s even worse once they are teens! lol
Is all that stuff yours Ryn?
My Dad fell on a hayhook when I was a kid. I thought he was going to die. It went into his side. (He had a feedstore in town, and he fell of a tower of hay to the pavement below)
hey azmouse -ouch!! on the hay hook. yes, all that stuff could be deadly. so glad dad survived.
no, not all the stuff is mine. i would not have a john wayne painting (haha). i will admit to the medieval mace and bright pink sledgehammer, though!
you are certainly right that weaponry art would NOT be a good idea around kids! it should also be placed high enough so the dogs can’t get too curious about it, either.
Mornin’ Rynski. Do you live it the Armory Park area? Just kiddin’.
Looks as though Fortress Rynski is ready for any situation.
I especially like the meat hook with a peace sign.
Myself, I’m trained to defend myself, though I do have some ‘backup’ if required close by…
mornin’ radmax – is that a meat hook or hay hook with a peace sign? and how do we know the difference? or does it really matter?
glad you are trained in defense. also glad you have backup!
all the photos are not from my fortress but thanks for thinking so!
When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
thanks for the chuckle, kevinp!
Looks like the only thing I have for protection is my trusty pepper spray. Unless of course you want to include my fists of doom!! 😛
I have been robbed a few times in my life…all of those revolved around my vehicles. My first car was broken into twice and the stereo was stolen once. I guess they couldn’t get it out the first time, so they came back a month later more prepared. Jerks!
More recently, someone decided to steal my entire car while my friends and I were swimming about 10 yards away. Of course, the pool was surrounded by a wall, and I couldn’t see my car from where I was. Boy, did that suck when we all tried to leave. Luckily, about 4 days later, the police found my car a few miles away, out of gas, and abandoned. It was undamaged, and still driveable. The thief did make a pit stop at a Taco Bell, judging from the empty cup and crumpled taco wrappers. Slobs!
jeannatoolz, if you have fists of doom, you got all you need!
how awful your car is a constant target. but what a stroke of luck you got it back – and drivable. most cars quickly end up in the scrap heap or trekking on down to mexico.
that is rude, however, to leave taco bell garbage and no gas. they should have at least refilled the tank and cleaned out the car for you!
Hahaha, yes, I didn’t think I’d ever get it back, as it was a Honda Civic, and those cars are often stolen. I was surprised when I got a call at 3:30am letting me know that it has been found, and towed to the opposite side of town. I had to pay $70 to get my car out of the tow yard…and it was only there for about 3 hours!! The “nice” woman I spoke with reminded me that “it was there for protection…you don’t want your car to get stolen again do you?!”
Not only did I lose my purse with the little money I had, they took my stereo system, my ID, my license plate, and I had to PAY to get my car back. When I finally broke my car out of Car Jail, I had barely enough gas to make it to the nearest gas station. When I got to the gas station, I noticed my hands and arms were covered in black! I’m assuming it was fingerprint powder?? Who knows?! It was such a pain…but I got it back at least.
Another lesson learned…don’t leave your purse in your unattended Honda Civic. 😛
wow – what a migraine! yes, i, too, have heard hondas are prime targets. didn’t know the civic in particular…
you should have told the ‘nice’ woman the car couldn’t get stolen again since it had no more gas. who is going to steal a car just to push it to the gas station? well, you never do know.
i am worried even leaving DVDs in the car – or anything unattended for a millisecond. but then again, i lived in nyc for 17 years…you learn a lot about robbery over there…
I wanted to show the ‘nice’ woman my fists of doom…but that story would have a MUCH different ending. One in which I would not have gotten my car back. 😛
By the way, nice house Rynski!! Lovin’ the leopard print ceiling! 😀
thanks, jennatoolz, on the house compliment. going crazy with paint is my middle name!
and you did the right thing by restraining your fists of doom from the ‘nice’ woman. the ending would have been ugly, for sure – and probably one that did not include getting your car back. you have to be nice at least until they unlock the tow yard gates. (haha).
Years back, one of my brothers was in the Bum Steer for less than 10 minutes when he decided to go home after realizing he forgot his money. When he got to the parking lot, his car, a ’66 2 door Chevy Nova, was gone. The police found it the next day in a wash, upside down, with the trunk lid, hood, doors and wheels gone.
He had it towed back and put up on blocks. Soon after, he accepted a high paying job in California, so his roommate inherited the car. She was not happy about it, and badgered me for months to remove it.
Out of 8 voters, 5 have guns? Wow!
“It’s a grand old flag, it’s a high-flying flag, hooray for the red, white and blue….”
hahhahah! but the same amount also have dogs! heeere poochie poochie! good boy, i love animals therefore i am good, here boy!
Ryn I’m shocked to see that you have some white walls in your house. What gives?
it’s actually an eggshell beige that got left that way since the ceiling is an overpowering leopard print. Click here to see leopard ceiling and other fun paint designs.
Wow! Cool paint. Nobody can call you boring! I like it and the ceiling turned out really cool.
I bought my house about 6 years ago, and I still haven’t painted any desired colors yet. I figured I wait till all my kids moved out (with their grubby hand prints…even big kids!) before it’s even worth it. I might have to come to you for some color advice.
I’ll help you paint it! Lol…I love doin’ that type of stuff. 😀
It makes me wish I was buying instead of renting. 😛
Better watch out, I might take you up on that, Jennatoolz!!!!
I love my kitchen, but it’s so white! Off-white walls, bright white cabinets, white appliances…
A great wall color would really make the white cabinets pop!!
your kitchen sounds like a brilliant dose of sunshine, azmouse – but you bet, i’d love to help you pick out colors and such – and jennatoolz already offered to do the hard labor (haha). just let us know when you want your house remodeled and we’re in!
Good morning Ryn and all y’all
I just use my attack cat.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30812470&l=eff825f044&id=1244873230
hiya andrew –
so glad you got that cat for protection! the photo made me laugh. he looks like a real killer. i’ll bet even sawyer would cower from that one.
Hi Andrew!!!
I love that cat of yours. I’ve told you before, he reminds me of one of my cats, Domino…except Domino is almost 30 pounds…now he would make a good guard kittie! lol
“We would gladly feast on those who would see us dead, these are not just pretty words.”
– Mortisha Adams
go, mortisha!
what a wonderful quote. i think i’ll hang it from my bathroom mirror – thanks, eric.
I prefer a chain saw.
(Electric – the gas ones take too long to start)
Keep it charged and keep lots of plastic drop cloths – although Satan is always happy to help with the clean-up.
hahahha. yeah, but the neighbors sometimes get all nosy when there’s so much noise.
satan sounds like such a good puppy!
“but the neighbors sometimes get all nosy when there’s so much noise.”
Not a problem – I live in D-Ms flight path, and those who aren’t already deaf are entranced with the Sound of Freedom
vroom vroom
hahahha! you lucked out, chainsaw man! vroom away….
One of my neighbor’s property looks like a cross between old Tucson and the Bum Steer (they have been on Extreme Houses and several other national TV programs). One room has several hundred antique knives and cleavers hanging from the ceiling. It produces interesting responses in first time visitors.
wow. how cool is that? ask them if they want to be featured in snappy or crappy!
Will do.
Salted thoughout my house are the leftover handles from old pickaxes (Tucson dirt is very hard), lengths of closet pole, etc. I’m fully prepared to dish out a headache to anyone foolish enough to break in. My teenaged son has a sword. I’m not a fan of guns.
I won’t keep any guns in my house either. Not just because I still have kids here, but their friends as well. In the summer, my house is the neighborhood hang-out because we have a pool. That, and the fact I like to cook and bake. lol
No guns in my presence either, azmouse! It has nothing to do with having kids around though, just my own anxieties about them. My boyfriend has a friend that carries a handgun, and it always makes me very nervous when that guy comes around.
Like I said earlier, my weapon of choice is my pepper spray…and/or my fists of doom! 😛
Say, I just remembered that my little sister has a really cool lookin’, semi-sharp battle axe. Maybe I should borrow that from her, haha. That might scare off any potential attackers!
I’d rather throw punches, if needed, than weapons too, but don’t let Ryn get her hands on your sis’ battle axe. Bet she’d paint it like a zebra! LOL
Hahah, so true! But would that really be so bad? 😀
Nope! But who knows what sis might think?!?
I still can’t wait to see your new Ryn tattoo…..
doug – if you EVER want to get rid of the leftover pickax handles, please send me an e-mail! also love your phrasing of them being “salted” rather than “peppered” through your house. tell your son he’s cool because he has a sword.
jenna – can i just LOOOOOOOK at the battle ax…or maybe BORROW it for a day or so? hahahahhaah
AZMouse – Ok, Ok!! I’ll post a tattoo fest of sorts next week that shall include jennatoolz’ new tattoo. promise!