Almost KO-ed by my husband (not a domestic dispute!)

[clarionite]

I once had a nightmare about people intruding into our house, in my sleep I let loose with a left hook that connected with my wife's face. She started crying and I woke up feelin horrible( worst I've ever felt for my actions) and had to explain my self to her while checking her face out in the bathroom. She understood but had a welp on the side of her face. The ironic part is that in my nightmare I was defending her from the intruders. Now she sleeps with my left arm under her pillow.

Years ago in a prior life (prior marraige) my wife at the time had a nightmare, and was attempting to claw the eyes out of her attacker. It was unfortunate for me, that I just happened to be the one next to her when she had this nightmare. It was unfortunate for her that I apparently have good reflexes, and when her thumb went in my mouth as she attempted to claw my face I must have clenched down. We woke up with both of us trying to make sense of the situation. I felt bad for drawing blood on her thumb.

[Charles L. Cotton]

I once had a nightmare about people intruding into our house, in my sleep I let loose with a left hook that connected with my wife's face. She started crying and I woke up feelin horrible( worst I've ever felt for my actions) and had to explain my self to her while checking her face out in the bathroom. She understood but had a welp on the side of her face. The ironic part is that in my nightmare I was defending her from the intruders. Now she sleeps with my left arm under her pillow.

Years ago in a prior life (prior marraige) my wife at the time had a nightmare, and was attempting to claw the eyes out of her attacker. It was unfortunate for me, that I just happened to be the one next to her when she had this nightmare. It was unfortunate for her that I apparently have good reflexes, and when her thumb went in my mouth as she attempted to claw my face I must have clenched down. We woke up with both of us trying to make sense of the situation. I felt bad for drawing blood on her thumb.

Is this why you go by "Patch" now?

Chas.

[clarionite]

I once had a nightmare about people intruding into our house, in my sleep I let loose with a left hook that connected with my wife's face. She started crying and I woke up feelin horrible( worst I've ever felt for my actions) and had to explain my self to her while checking her face out in the bathroom. She understood but had a welp on the side of her face. The ironic part is that in my nightmare I was defending her from the intruders. Now she sleeps with my left arm under her pillow.

Years ago in a prior life (prior marraige) my wife at the time had a nightmare, and was attempting to claw the eyes out of her attacker. It was unfortunate for me, that I just happened to be the one next to her when she had this nightmare. It was unfortunate for her that I apparently have good reflexes, and when her thumb went in my mouth as she attempted to claw my face I must have clenched down. We woke up with both of us trying to make sense of the situation. I felt bad for drawing blood on her thumb.

Is this why you go by "Patch" now?

Chas.

It wasn't far from being that serious.

[TexasGal]

My husband now makes sure to whistle as he comes into the house. He recently returned home having forgotten his cell phone and when he closed a door in the garage, I went on high alert knowing whomever it was would be coming into the kitchen in a matter of a few seconds. He suddenly entered the kitchen from the garage to find me holding my gun at low ready. (there was not time to escape and I always carry even at home). I would never ever fire or even take final aim until I identified my target as truly being a threat requiring such action. Still, it was a while before my heart rate returned to normal. I really did not think it was anyone who had any business being there. We have had break-ins on my street recently that happened soon after the homeowner left. Assumptions are very dangerous. I have heard people advise women to "shoot through the door" rather than let whomever it is enter the house. That is a terrifying and stupid idea. I learned another thing...it all happened so fast that had I not had my pistol actually on me, I would have been cornered in my kitchen with nothing at hand other than maybe a hastily acquired kitchen knife. The look of color draining from my husbands face followed by a smile will stick in my mind a while too.

[OldCurlyWolf]

My husband now makes sure to whistle as he comes into the house. He recently returned home having forgotten his cell phone and when he closed a door in the garage, I went on high alert knowing whomever it was would be coming into the kitchen in a matter of a few seconds. He suddenly entered the kitchen from the garage to find me holding my gun at low ready. (there was not time to escape and I always carry even at home). I would never ever fire or even take final aim until I identified my target as truly being a threat requiring such action. Still, it was a while before my heart rate returned to normal. I really did not think it was anyone who had any business being there. We have had break-ins on my street recently that happened soon after the homeowner left. Assumptions are very dangerous. I have heard people advise women to "shoot through the door" rather than let whomever it is enter the house. That is a terrifying and stupid idea. I learned another thing...it all happened so fast that had I not had my pistol actually on me, I would have been cornered in my kitchen with nothing at hand other than maybe a hastily acquired kitchen knife. The look of color draining from my husbands face followed by a smile will stick in my mind a while too.

After his uh-oh moment, he thought he didn't have to worry about you being ok at home. That was the smile.

[kjolly]

I'm rather big and because of that I walk softly. I was constantly scaring my wife even through she knows I'm in the house so I've developed the habit of whistling or talking when moving. She is retired and always home. When I come home I always yell from the door.

At night we have a ADT alarm which works well. One evening I was out on a Ghost Hunt (usually a one a month activity) and planning on spending the night when circumstances sent me home early. Not thinking ahead I opened a door to sounds similar to a submariene klaxon and scared her out of a years growth. Fortunately she is scared of guns and will not touch one despite my continuing efforts to teach her. Last week I spent the night out for a sleep lab test and they realeased me at 5:00AM. I was on the way home when I started thinking about the alarm so I went to Jim's for breakfast and got in about 6:30. I then called the house about five times for her to wake up and had her disarm the alarm.

Moral of the story. A good alarm system can alert you early to intruders. If the alarm is not going off I don't assume a stranger in the house.

[Kythas]

I once had a nightmare about people intruding into our house, in my sleep I let loose with a left hook that connected with my wife's face. She started crying and I woke up feelin horrible( worst I've ever felt for my actions) and had to explain my self to her while checking her face out in the bathroom. She understood but had a welp on the side of her face. The ironic part is that in my nightmare I was defending her from the intruders. Now she sleeps with my left arm under her pillow.

I had a dream one night that someone was stalking me, and I hid under a stairwell. When the person walked by, I punched him.

Unfortunately, I also swung for real and connected with the side of my wife's face. It obviously immediately woke both of us up. We stared at each other and I said "Did I just punch you?" She said "Yeah, I think so" while rubbing her face. I apologized and explained about my dream and we both went back to sleep. We were both actually laughing about it at the time.

We both still chuckle about that night and how it seemed to be a metaphor for how our marriage eventually went.

[johnson0317]

Hmmm, I sense a pattern here.

I used to take benadryl on nights I could not sleep. One night I woke up realizing I had just hit my wife in the middle of the back. I said, "Did I just hit you?", and she said, "Yes, you did". The thing was, I was only about half-asleep when I did it. I looked up the adverse reactions for diphenhydramine the next day, and sure enough, that sort of involuntary muscle movement was listed. Have not taken it since then.

[GeorgeW]

My wife is always making me get out of bed and check downstairs for weird sounds. We have a dog downstairs that makes lots of sounds and would obviously bark if someone came into the house but apparently she still has a feeling someone has broken into our house. We had an alarm system on our old house and that seemed to put her at ease, so I may have to get one.

[terryg]

Hmmm, I sense a pattern here.

I used to take benadryl on nights I could not sleep. One night I woke up realizing I had just hit my wife in the middle of the back. I said, "Did I just hit you?", and she said, "Yes, you did". The thing was, I was only about half-asleep when I did it. I looked up the adverse reactions for diphenhydramine the next day, and sure enough, that sort of involuntary muscle movement was listed. Have not taken it since then.

Does it list 'Freudian Muscle Spasms'?

[Dragonfighter]

I used to work a deep night patrol job when I was first married and in college. We were still fairly new in the house and I had the only handgun at the time on. I kept the 30-30 loaded because of that. I get to work and realize I had the night off. I head back home, now about two hours later and fumble with the keys on the way in. She was in bed and heard the noise, with the front door between her and the kids' rooms, she grabs the rifle. I come in and she jumps out in her night shirt with that dude pointed right at my belt line. She proceeds to chew me out, all the while pointing the weapon at me. I, as calmly as I can muster and speaking as soothingly as I could, took the weapon from her. Just as she was saying that there probably wasn't one in the chamber (she had not cycled the lever) I started pumping them out onto the floor. I set the weapon down and settled to the floor...I may have thrown up later, I don't remember but I remember wanting to.

Now if I get off duty early or am otherwise coming home apart from being scheduled, she gets a call with an ETA. It has worked pretty well for the last 20+ years.

[OldCurlyWolf]

I used to work a deep night patrol job when I was first married and in college. We were still fairly new in the house and I had the only handgun at the time on. I kept the 30-30 loaded because of that. I get to work and realize I had the night off. I head back home, now about two hours later and fumble with the keys on the way in. She was in bed and heard the noise, with the front door between her and the kids' rooms, she grabs the rifle. I come in and she jumps out in her night shirt with that dude pointed right at my belt line. She proceeds to chew me out, all the while pointing the weapon at me. I, as calmly as I can muster and speaking as soothingly as I could, took the weapon from her. Just as she was saying that there probably wasn't one in the chamber (she had not cycled the lever) I started pumping them out onto the floor. I set the weapon down and settled to the floor...I may have thrown up later, I don't remember but I remember wanting to.

Now if I get off duty early or am otherwise coming home apart from being scheduled, she gets a call with an ETA. It has worked pretty well for the last 20+ years.

A friend of mine (a now retired LEO) had a similar situation, coming home unexpectedly during the middle of his shift while working graveyards. He learned that a .357 looks huge when you are on the wrong end of it.

That was the last time he made that mistake.