Thank God Friday is over!

**Warning:  There could be some cursing in this post

So, no I have not blogged all week, mostly due to the Brit being away on business until yesterday and when I am single parenting, the kids tend to wear me out a bit, plus Aunt Flo was visiting this week.  I also really didn't have much that was blog worthy until last night.

Thursday nights are praise band rehearsal at the church, so last night, we rehearsed and then the three of us sat around and gabbed for a bit.  The church is usually pretty busy on Thursday nights, because the cub scouts also meet that night in the basement.  Now, I don't practice irresponsibility regularly, but there are just certain places, ie. a church, where I feel pretty safe.  I have left my purse on the floor of my car at the church literally HUNDREDS of times in the past and have never felt the least bit concerned. 

Until last night, when the three of us went to exit the building.  The scouts were already gone, and we were all laughing and joking on our way out to the parking lot.  I was still chattering with Paula when I unlocked my door and that is when I realized that there was glass on the passenger seat of my car.  My passenger window had been shattered and my purse was gone.  I said a few choice words, as Paula and Dave realized what happened.  Dave started to scour the area looking to see if the culprits might have at least tossed the purse out after taking what they wanted from it.  Paula and I headed back into the church to first call the Brit ("Start cancelling stuff, honey, stat!") and then the police.  While waiting for the police, I just kept exploding.

"Damn it!  My ipod was in there!  My cell phone!  Damn it!"

What I didn't have in there was cash, as I rarely carry it.  But there were a few credit cards and a book of checks. 

The police arrived and he took note of what had been in my bag and he asked me to call him the next day with the serial numbers for the phone and ipod. 

I was absolutely livid while driving home that night, wind rushing in through the non-exisitant passenger window and glass covering the passenger seat and floor.  I will never, ever understand why anyone thinks they have the RIGHT to take something that does not belong to them!  I felt angry and vicitimized and I hated it.  They had my license and knew where I lived.  They had  my medical card and the kid's medical cards, library cards.  Fine, take the credit cards (I can cancel them and already had) and my phone (cancelled that service too) and hell, even my ipod, but damnit, leave me my personal things that are simply a pain in the ass for me to replace! 

I didn't sleep well at all last night...too angry, stunned and a little afraid.  Rationally, I knew that the asshats who broke out my window IN A CHURCH PARKING LOT and stole my stuff, were probably not out to murder me and my family, but it was still a wee bit unnerving. 

This morning I made the appointment for noon to have my window replaced and while that was being done, the Brit took me to get my driver's license replaced.  Then it was to the Sprint store to see how to get a replacement phone.  Once I picked my car back up, I had an hour and a bit before I was to meet Paula and Kirk to go see "Across the Universe", so I headed out to the mall early to try to find a new purse and a new wallet.  I couldn't find a bag I liked for a price I was willing to pay and no one had my Stone Mountain wallet, which I dearly loved, so I was just getting more and more pissed off.  I decided that even more than the ipod these idiots would get, I hoped they kept and read the little Bible I carried in my purse....I hoped they either read it or that someone beat the snot out of them with it (I am not always rational).  I finally found a knitted bag at Old Navy that I could live with and then it was time to meet the friends for the movie. 

They were walking up to the theater about the time I got there and my first words were "There has not even been a word invented to describe the level of pissed off I still am."  To which they replied in unison "The Brit called; the police found your bag."

I was stunned, but skeptical.  Of course they had discarded what would be of no use to them, so maybe at least the medical cards would be there.  I went to the police station after the movie and what was totally amazing was that everything was there other then my now cancelled credit cards and my book of checks.  They didn't take my ipod or my cell phone which totally confused me.  But I was still thrilled to find most of my personal cards and my ipod (I love my music).

So let this be a cautionary tale...don't think you are safe even in what you perceive to be a safe place.  Apparently even in small towns, there are people who think it is their right to help themselves to someone else's stuff.  Oh and if anyone needs an extra driver's license, I now have two.