My husband travels off and on all the time to refineries around the world. Usually not for more than a couple of days at a time, but sometimes it's for a week and he's actually been gone at one time for a year and a half - coming home every six weeks or so. It was rough. Actually one time (okay, I just deleted a whole story because it might make you more scared instead of less...sorry).

Anyway, from one irrationally chickenshit girl to another, here are the ways that I keep peace of mind: Always keep all your doors and windows locked (including the garage if it is attached), if you have an alarm USE IT, and keep the cordeless telephone and your cell phone right next to your bed. I always sleep with the television on and lights on around the house. I change the lights I leave on daily. Before I had kids I even slept with my bedroom door locked, but, sometimes they need me...Besides buying a guard dog, which I did when he was away for the long stretch, that's all you can do. You can try to call your local Constable, Sherrif, whomever has jurisdiction over your neighborhood and ask for additional patrols. They usually do this when you're on vacation, why not when you're chicken? It's worth a try. If you get really spooked, say when you come home to a dark house, you can call them and they will do a walk through for you as well. I used to do this with my dog - I'd walk her through the whole house on a long leash with the phone in my hand. Tell ME I'm not irrationally chickenshit!

You'll get through it. I never sleep very much when my husband is gone, but I always make it okay.

Sending you much good MOJO! Chin up! Lights on! Doors locked!

You're probably already well aware of this but don't watch anything even remotely scary on the TV. It will just freak you out all the more.

Besides, you never know who's living in that closet already.

Two words...

Alarm system and gun.

I keep my armed while I'm home no matter the time of day/night. That gives me a little piece of mind.

Yeah, but now you have kitty with you! Whenever I was home alone and scared, I would keep my cat close by because I knew that if one of the scary noises in the night was anything out of the ordinary or anything that actually warranted fear on my part, my cat would let me know by freaking out first. If kitty was cool, then I knew I didn't have to worry that there were intruders lurking nearby. But if kitty suddenly makes a mad dash for cover...that baseball bat might come in handy after all. ;o)

I'm retired military as is my husband. We've had lots of separations and I agree that having locks on everything and in use is a good idea. I even have a lock on the basement door in case some future fatality decides to try and come in the house through a basement window. I do have a dog and before bed, I block the doors with things that will make a racket if they are moved at all but more importantly I keep a handgun and phone in my room. Do what you have to do to feel more secure 'cause the bottom line is, even if he's home, there's no guarantee he'd be able to save you or himself.