lake forest shores

Who's Watching You?

September 21, 2025

It's official, summer season has ended; even though it still feels like it’s in full swing. To be honest, I’ve never been a big fan of the heat and you probably won't find me walking around outside during these hot days. But the last several times that I did go out, I had been thinking of a way to fix my doorbell. It hasn't worked since I moved to Lake Forest Shores back in 2010. Luckily, there were a few condos at Lake Forest Shores that gave me ideas on how to fix my dilemma and surprisingly it all worked out.

It's strange, but while looking around, that 80s song by Rockwell, "Somebody's Watching Me" popped into my head. Not that anyone's life is dull enough to spy on me, but it kind of felt that way as I got closer to see how several doorbell cams had been installed. It was probably even more weird for the residents to view footage of me looking at their doorbell cams and taking pictures...Hahaha!


Anyways, Rockwell must have been ahead of his time or simply paranoid. Nonetheless, it’s a great song with a catchy tune and let’s not forget the backing vocals by the great, “Michael Jackson” with his brother Jermaine Jackson. FUN FACT: Rockwell was connected to Michael Jackson by marriage and through his father Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records. It was Michael Jackson’s brother, Jermain Jackson, who was married to Rockwell’s sister, Hazel Gordy, which made them in-laws.

So, after having done some so-called "investigative work", I decided to install my own doorbell cam. Once done, I was kind of ecstatic about it. It's something I had thought about for a long time, but didn't quite know how to approach it. Doorbell cams seem to be a necessity these days. Actually, it isn’t only for keeping track of package deliveries and screening visitors, but doorbell cams serve as a deterrent for anyone with nefarious intensions. They’re not a foolproof safeguard, but they do provide some peace of mind. Luckily, Lake Forest Shores is a great little “safe” community where most everyone is aware of what’s happening within the neighborhood. In a way, we have our own “neighborhood watch” without realizing it.

In my opinion, these doorbell cams are a bit behind the times. The frames per seconds needs to be increased for smoother motions and less blurriness, but it’s somewhat helpful to see everything that is at your front door; if it is less than 7 ft away and moving slowly...Ugh!

Interesting stories, or at least I think it is, but I used to see the pest control company truck parked in the parking spaces by the Albertsons. I kid you not, but the guy would sit in his truck for a good 30-40 minutes before getting out to spray the area. The questionable part is it only took him about 5 minutes to complete the job. Once done, he would leave right away. So these days, I'm able to see the exterminator spraying right at my front door and it feels refreshing to know the job is actually getting done. I really believe that the rise in home surveillance has had a positive impact on how service workers operate. The added visibility seems to keep things more accountable, or maybe the last guy got fired. Who knows???

As for our other service provider, Courtesy Patrol Specialists, I’m having doubts. There's been plenty of times when you know that no one has patroled the area, plus my doorbell cam isn't picking up any activity at night time. Let me rephrase it, my doorbell cam picks up activity, but it's hardly ever the Courtesy Patrol Specialists vehicle. This is not to say that they don't show up, but it leaves you wondering as to the frequency. I did submit an email to the company to obtain more information and unfortunately, I got no response.

I guess that's another added bonus for having a doorbell cam, it allows you to keep an eye on activities surrounding your home 24/7; especially the handling of packages by delivery personnel and the quality of work, or lack of, performed by our vendors.

Actually, I’ve just now come up with a great topic for the next post. It was originally going to be more Halloween-themed, but now I’m thinking about sharing some online reviews of Courtesy Patrol Specialists. Look for it within the next couple weeks or months, depending on how I feel. It should make for an interesting read, so make sure to check back again.

That's it for now, see you around the block...