Top This (or don't)

Poor Psychobob has had a rough week.  I can empathize on the carpenter ants, and even tell him that he should be glad there aren't termites, too.  And the rotting wood, bummer.  But no excuse for resuming smoking--don't come blogging to ME for sympathy when your health is suffering!

But anyway.  Here's MY story.

I went for a 6 month review yesterday at the facility where my son is staying.  As I raced along the winding, narrow road in the rain, mentally rehearsing excuses for why I'd be 5 minutes late, my cell phone rings and it is...the Probation Officer.  "I'm running a little bit late and I wanted to catch you before you left work."  Gee, thanks--I wasn't AT work--I'd just driven 30 minutes from home for this meeting..."HOW late?", I ask him.  "I'll be there in 35 minutes".  AARGH!

So, maybe, had I known this, and left my house 30 minutes later, today's disaster could have been avoided.  Or, maybe not.

After the meeting, and a couple of on-the-way-home stops, I arrived home and noticed a sock on the floor of the entry hall.  This was odd...the cats and/or dog have never dragged my socks out before.  Stepped into the kitchen and noticed that all of the drawers, and some of the cabinets, were open.  A familiar feeling and a mild terror came over me.  I had set down my packages, and cell phone, but was overcome with a need to LEAVE THE HOUSE RIGHT THAT MINUTE.

Drove to a pay phone, called my husband who verified that he had NOT been home, and he left work to meet me.  I dawdled, stopping for unnecessary groceries, and when I arrived home he met me in the drive.  Policed were on their way and we were NOT to go in.

The little cop who arrived first remembered our house.  He entered, and we heard him calling out in a loud voice to no one.  At length, his partner arrived, and went in, and then they said we could join them.

There is no carpenter ant who can inflict the gut-wrenching feeling of seeing your clothing pulled from drawers, your personal effects dumped out (and rejected!) and the other unmistakable signs of an uninvited intruder.  And it got worse as we realized what all was missing.

My laptop, for one.  My step-daughter's laptop, with us for safe keeping while she is out of the country.  Cameras, credit cards, passports.  My mother's old jewelery.  My jewelery.

Larry is calling "Hello!" "Hey Lar!" (kiss kiss) as usual.  Honey trots by with her stuffed white kitty in her mouth.  They were witness to our burglar but they aren't talking.  I suspect they even knew him, and Honey probably greeted him like an old friend.

After the police left, I wandered room to room, didn't want to even touch the socks and underwear on the bedroom floor, found myself closing the kitchen drawers with my hip rather than touch them. 

Found myself thinking weird thoughts, like, why didn't they take my whole box of collected business card?  Damn, wasn't my stuff good enough?  They took my husbands...

They weren't even creative...the police said that the sock I'd first noticed was probably used to cover the person's hand--said thieves often take a pillowcase to dump the stuff in.  I looked again--sure enough--one bed pillow was minus a case.

I had to think, what if I hadn't left the house so early?  Could the P.O. have set me up, somehow (no--that is ridiculous).  What if I had come back while they were in the house? 

We went out later, to replace my computer.  As we drove back up our driveway, I had a strong urge to not go in.  Wished that we could move...right then.  Felt almost a loathing toward the house.  It was not ours anymore.

Today is a little better, but it is still not right.  What people say when this happens...that you feel as tho you've been violated...is exactly right.

And now we can gear up for identity theft...a woman tried already to use one of the credit cards...

So, PBob--let's just call it a "No Good, Very Bad" Week.  I hope that it improves (could it get worse?  well, actually, yes...).  Good luck with your course...just remember how to eat an elephant...

Comments

[psychoBOB]

Wow! Now I know I must get a security system, a big dog, a gun, a body guard, and more.

You are right. You have topped my bad week. It's just a no good, horrible week for us all.

Peace,
Bob

[Beth Ann]

I am so sorry that happened to you! I remember being a kid and going to our weekend cabin and realizing some hitchhikers had broken in and had a party. I was only like 8, how weird to go to sleep there later that night. Hope things get better.