Journal mcgrew's Journal: Insecure 8
"Hi, this is Andy. I just wanted to give you a heads up, I'm sending some tree trimmers by tomorrow to take out those trees that are too close to the house." Andy, if it isn't already apparent, is the landlord. Hippie looking guy about forty with a long ponytail and a perpetual grin, like he's hopped up on something. He's never given me any trouble, though.
"Yeah, I told you when I moved in those trees were going to screw up the foundations." So when a short, skinny young black guy showed up when I was home for lunch the next day I thought it was the tree trimmers. I'd eaten, and was sitting on the couch reading slashdot on the new netbook I'd just bought less than a week earlier. It was another Acer Aspire One, only with a smaller battery. I didn't like that; half the time before recharging, and the way the old battery was made it like a handle.
"Hey," he said when I opened the door, "I haven't seen you in a long time. How you been?" There was a petulant looking brown haired white girl sitting on the lawn chair onn my porch. I didn't know this guy or the woman with him from Adam.
"Well," I said, "I really can't visit now, I have to get back to work." I closed the door, shut the lights out, and left for the office. Two hours later the bank called.
"Are you mising any checks?"
"No," I said, "why?"
"A guy came in with one of your checks, and it was obviously forged."
"What was the check number?" I asked. She told me, and I looked at the checks in my wallet. It was the next number after the last one there. She said I should change my account number for security's sake, and even though that would be a hassle, what with having direct deposit and all, I said I'd come in after work and take care of it.
When I got home, to my horror I saw that the back door had been kicked in, the door frame's moulding hanging loosley. The brand new netbook was gone, my DVD player was gone. I went into the bedroom to look at my checks, and they were all gone -- and it was a brand new box. I called 911 to report it. The dispatcher told me to wait outside in case the burglar was still in there. As I was waiting for the police, I called Andy and told him about it. He said he'd send his handyman by.
Then I called Tammy to give her my sob story. She was, of course, horrified. "I wish my car was working," she said, "I'd come into town." She lives about 30 miles away.
The police came by and looked at the door, took a list of the missing items, etc. I told the policeman about the strange visit at lunch, the mising checks, and the call from the bank, and he said he'd go there to view the video and get the guy's plate number when he left. He talked to the neighbors, one of whom had seen some strange looking characters in my back yard -- but it was obvious to me it was the tree guys. But there was one other suspicious character that sounded like the asshole that had come to my door. The cop gave me some paperwork and left. I then called the bank again and told them about the burglary.
"We have him on security video, and we have his licence plate number," she said. "If you could, would you not accept any checks from anyone except businesses?" I asked. She said she'd put a hold on the account until I could come in and change its numbers. "Do you need to take any money out before you do?" she asked.
"Well, yeah, but I can't leave. My back door's busted open, I'm stuck here until the handyman comes by."
When I got off the phone with the bank, I called my daughter, Patty. As I was talking to her I noticed that my bass was missing -- my beautiful Epiphone I'd had for five years or more. "My bass is gone!" I exclaimed.
"Oh, no," she said. "Look in my closet and make sure my clarinet's ok." I looked, and it was. She started berating me, rather than sympathising. Kids... what are you going to do? Shit!
I put a tape in the VCR, which luckily has no resale value since most people consider them obsolete. An hour later the phone rang -- it was the policeman. "I arrested a suspect!" he said. He'd been on patrol after leaving the bank, and not fifteen minutes had passed when he saw the guy in the security video sitting in a yard drinking a beer, and he arrested him. No sign of my property, though. He said a detective would come by my work the next day with mug shots, since the suspect swore that someone wrote the check out to him for some work he'd done. The cop didn't believe the guy, but "we have to have proof, of course."
Of course.
The handyman came by and screwed the door into the frame. It wouldn't open, but I was at least no longer a prisoner in my own home. I drove down to Felbers. Of course.
Mike loaned me twenty bucks, at least I'd have breakfast the next morning. The next day when I was at lunch, I called one of the numbers from the paper the cop had left to tell them about the missing items I hadn't noticed at first. It was the State's Attorney office, and I spoke to one of their lawyers. "Look," I said, "I want this guy in JAIL! I'll take off work to testify at his trial if I have to!"
"That's what we like to hear," she said.
The handyman fixed the door frame the next day, and did it in a way that was less prone to being kicked in. It's been a week, and still no sign of the detectives. Considering how some Springfield detectives are, I wouldn't be surprised if the damned detectives broke in. The policeman who came out after the 911 call was thourough and professional, but it seems few cops in Illinois are. Tammy came by and stayed the weekend with me, but that's a story for another journal. She's having worse luck than me. "I feel so bad for you," she said. "That's a real violation!"
"Well," I said, "you know what Jesus said, don't put your treasure on Earth where thieves can steal it and moths and dust can corrupt it."
But somehow I missed church Sunday...
Bass (Score:2)
You are also a sometimes player?
Sorry about the troubles. I hope they find most of your stuff stashed at a suspect's girlfriend's place, or something.
Epiphone. The EB-0 style, with Gibson SG shaped body? Or the EB-3 with 2 pickups? I'm a sucker for playing short-scales.
Re: (Score:2)
It's an EB-1. Thing has (had) great action and beautiful sound. It's worth a lot more than I paid for it; one evening Patty was working in a now-closed record store she called me up and asked if I was still looking for a bass. Of course I was. "We have a Gibson for eighty bucks!" Seems they were ending sales of musical instruments. I was really pleased to find out the "Gibson" was an Epiphone (as you know, Gibson bought Epiphone a long time ago). Probably worth more than the netbook, certainly worth more th
Re: (Score:3)
Long comment? Yeah. I think these things leave a traumatic effect that we're hardly conscious of. Look at the long trail of memories and feelings that are somehow partially bound to that bass.
Ripping-off your bass exposes all of these things - these associations - to that vulnerability. Things mean something to people. And you aren't just short a bass and a netbook. You have your personal life violated in a way that can't be dismissed as "aw crap, they took some stuff".
I'm glad you took the time to re
Re: (Score:2)
Hey McGrew, Sorry to hear about the theft-I am a long time player myself. I liked what you said about crappy guitars, it certainly does help when you get better ones.
In the last few years I have bought a few good guitars, and they are great. I got a Takamine EN-10 acoustic which impoved my playing by 30% instantly. ALso bought a cheap but vey nice Shecter diamond deluxe 4 bass, great sound and playability for about $300 US new.
Hope you can get a new one!
Dave
Holy shit (Score:2)
Is that the second Aspire One that's been stolen now!?
I hope this guy goes to PMITA prison. I think violating your back door and then trying to write himself a check with your checkbook has earned him some backdoor violation in return.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, that's the second one. I imagine the guy'll do some time, the cop said he already had warrants on him for other stuff.
Damn (Score:2)
Sorry to hear that :/ I hate when scum do this kind of thing, hope he at least gets put in prison. Seems you have pretty good evidence anyway with the banking video.
Re: (Score:2)
All the banking video shows is hime trying to cash a forged check, and the guy says he was paid that check for some work. I don't believe it, the cop doesn't believe it, the DA doesn't believe it, but they have to prove it. If the damned detectives would show up and have me look at mug shots like the cop said, they'd have an open and shut case. But so far, no sign of detectives.
Since he already had warrants, I doubt he'll be back on the street.