Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Stolen

Do you know how I have been lamenting that there was nothing to write about?   Well.....be careful what you wish for, or so they say.

I didn't bother mentioning it in my 12 of 12 yesterday, but none of that post was done on my MacBook.  Why, you ask?

Oh, because during the daylight hours, while I was working at home, someone came into the house and stole two MacBooks, an iPad and a GPS.  THAT is why.

It was this weird confluence of events.  A mid-afternoon power outage (that ended up lasting almost 12 hours) and someone walking into the house, ground and second floor, all while I was in my office, which is above the garage. Connected to the house, yet separated at the same time.

Totally ballsy that they got through the locked front door, then into another door (unlocked) and free to roam the house.

The "joke" is, I didn't even notice.  I went about my day, and when the power and internet went out, I was kind of stymied doing work. I did what I could in the office and then I went out to the end of the drive and talked to neighbors.  With the doors locked, I sat outside, as it was lighter out, than in. 

Denton came home he wanted to look up why the power might be out but his iPad wasn't where he normally leaves it.  I tell him to just use his MacBook.  It's not there either.  I look for mine and it too is gone. 

Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck.  x 100.

It's like losing my iPhone all over, but billion times worse, and no, that is not hyperbole.  There is nothing worse than hyperbole!!!!   (oh hey, I still have a sliver of a sense of humour, who knew?)

I was figuratively sick to my stomach over all of this.  And not for the immediate reason you'd think.  It wasn't that someone was creeping around the house while I was there.  It was that I had somehow failed.

Were the outside doors truly locked?  Did I forget to do to something?  Why weren't the devices hid more effectively? What could/should I have done differently?  Because now, it wasn't just my stuff, it was Denton's stuff too.

Not only that, we all know it's not about 'stuff'.  It's about the loss of security and feeling safe in your home and that has been violated. Yeah, the thought process of what if someone had been hurt and thankfully no one was, but that wasn't it...........it will be, but I haven't started down that path yet. I'd have felt horrible if something had happened to Sophie.

For a few hours, I thought they stole my wallet too.  I realized this after we did our bad Scooby-Doo bit. 

Sitting there, Denton thought 'do we think they are still in the house?' , because at some point I did lock the inner door.  So off we went with Coleman lanterns in hand like Velma and Alan (you decide which one is which) - and a wrought iron bar - announcing ourselves and whipping open closets for "surprise" when clearly the only one's who'd be surprised is us. 

As we were each on the phone furiously cancelling my credit and bank cards and fuming over having to stand in the DMV line, the perfect end to the day:  the cat ralphing right there in the kitchen and then loud knocking on our door at 22:00 - in the pitch black.

It was the cops.  Police had been called.  Police arrived and were nice (one was cute....so, there's that), and very helpful.   Hint:  write down your serial numbers of all your electronics - don't store them electronically - because if they find stolen stuff and they don't have those numbers, you don't get those items back.  Oddly enough, we had the numbers for the report..

After assessing that no prints could probaby be taken, not only by what might have been touched, we went through everything to see what was missing, effectively wiping out any useable fingerprints.

I hate to say it, but one thing went silently through my mind:  we should get a gun. 

I've always been a big non-believer in firearms. I know it was a not-so-fleeting thought and a reactionary one. And then out of Denton's mouth, he said something similar.  At least mine was in my head, but I immediately felt better for thinking it. 

Yesterday, in our email group, when I mentioned a dog or a gun, Morty mentioned the gun would be less messy, that is until I used the gun.   True.

But the blood splatter is only one clean up.  The dog barfs, sheds, poops and pees daily.  And I don't have to walk the gun.  The reality is, I'd have to be packin' and come across the perp (yes, I'm using Law & Order lingo) for that gun thing to work.   ....and it's a five day waiting period and I'M MAD NOW!!!!

So I have yesterday I emailed all neighbors (I head that list) to let them know to be vigilant.  Naturally, a few stepped up to say the same thing happened to them over the last week, but never bothered to say anything.  UGH!  Then I spoke with the police again and our insurance agent, so all those wheels are in gear. 

And to add insult to injury, I can't go to iTunes today to purchase Blondie's new release.  That will have to wait until we get clearance (Clarence) from the insurance company and then make a trip up to Apple to make one heck of a purchase that should pay their mortgage for next month. 

So, we are safe.  I can't say we are sound, because sleep did not come Monday night and doubtful it will tonite.  Each sound has my ears pricked up.  I snap at little things and it's only day one.  I still have like 4.5 more stages to get through until acceptance.  As if!

There. I have something to blog about.  Happy???                 I'm not.




Song by:  Dashboard Confessional

17 comments:

Buddy Bear said...

I'm sorry to hear about the theft .... terrible! It must feel like such a violation to think that someone like that was prowling around your house.

On a side note, the burglar in your picture wears his jeans really well... his ass is really hot.

AJohnP said...

Good God...I disappear from the blogosphere for a week and all hell breaks loose.
I'm so sorry to hear about this...I can only imagine the nightmare of it all...I'd be losing my mind. I'm glad to see that you still have your humor and that you're all safe - albeit a tad unnerved. xoxo

Pac said...

Don't beat yourself up, Blobby, you're the victim here. Your experience certainly reminds me to take more caution and not let my guard down at home. It's too bad your neighbors didn't share their recent experience. Maybe, thanks to you, the perp will be less successful next time or maybe even get caught. Glad you're okay.

Birdie said...

We got an alarm system after we were robbed while we slept. Have to say the dog does an even better job, being pre-emptive to entry. Even the husband, The World's Most Careful Man, feels safe with the dog around. She helps him sleep at night.

So sorry this happened to you! The bliss with which you slept is gone, but you learn to live with this heightened awareness. Life will seem "normal" again, but it may take some time.

Cubby said...

That is some pretty serious shit. Deciding to buy a gun is a big decision (unless you live in the South -- my asshole brother has an arsenal). If I was in your position, my decision would already be made.

Are you thinking about a motion-activated webcam for the front door?

don said...

Did you trace the location of the iPad using Mobile Me or iCloud?

Will J said...

I'd recommend the dog over the gun. The gun knows no loyalty and can be used against you. The dog is loyal, works when you are not there, and is also a companion.

anne marie in philly said...

I am so sorry, blobby.

WTF is up with your neighbors NOT SPEAKING UP?

alarm system STAT for your house!

Anonymous said...

I am sorry this happened to you. Its an awful feeling. I agree with Will. A dong will love you more than a gun.

Birdie said...

I forgot to add that I have HiddenApp on both our MacBook Pros. Google "This guy stole my Macbook" to see how it successfully retrieved a laptop.

Erik Rubright said...

I'm sorry to hear that you both were violated like that. I can't imagine what the aftermath of going through that must be like, although it's crossed my mind a few times on "what do I do when...". I tend to be a pessimist.

As a gun owner, you should realize that it's not that you actually have a gun, it's whether you're mentally prepared to use it to potentially take a human life. If you can't answer "Yes" to that question, then owning one will never make a difference.

tornwordo said...

Oh man that sucks. Sucks! I so know the feeling. We once had both our wallets stolen while we were sleeping in the back of the pickup truck in a national park campground. At least the insurance will take care of everything. Did you have your hard drive backed up on a non-stolen device? Hope so for your sake.

Cubby said...

I l-o-v-e Anonymous's comment.

Ur-spo said...

dear me !
dreadful news indeed!
I too am sorry - this feels so frustrating.

Theaterdog said...

Thank you for this post, it has made me think a lot.

I know that this is no consolation, but that fact that neither of you were harmed by some drug starved nut, caught in an act, is a really good thing, and now you can protect your home a little more and maybe all your readers can.

And thanks to all the rest of the comments, I found some good prevention tips here.

Brettcajun said...

OH MY GAWD!!! I would be super pissed. It must be someone in the neighborhood that has been scoping you out.

cb said...

Wow... creepy. But they could have been in and out very quickly. You don't know and you were ensconsed in your office.