A post with lots of links and a great story, too

today is wednesday.


remember last wednesday when i told you that i think there is someone watching out for me? well, i still think that. and then on thursday i told you why. i'm sure that it was pretty annoying to have to wait a whole day to find out why i thought someone was watching out for me. and so, today i have decided to let you know that i know that someone is watching out for me and i'm also going to tell you why. all in the same day. you're welcome.


do you also remember that this morning i told you about oldest daughter and the stainless steel bowl? right.


because of the bowl, i was kind of feeling like i was in for a day of un-delightsome tasks- with the maximum excitement being washing out the bowl and cleaning up after the throw-ups. but, as you may recall, someone definitely is watching out for me- and gave me a little bonus excitement for the day. in the form of a robbery.


the husband happened to be working from home today so as not to pass on the yucks to anyone he might encounter at his office.


when he works at home, he is situated in our bedroom upstairs that has a desk facing the window in our room, and this window faces the street in front of our house. and from here, he has a clear view of many of the goings on of the neighborhood. and also from here, he has involved himself in preventing a few crimes in the neighborhood. like the time when a kid (around 17 yo) was walking down the street, checking in the garage windows of every house he came to. the husband observed this for a bit and then went out to confront the kid, who insisted he was looking for his dog. because usually when dogs run away, they are hiding out in someones garage. however, soon after he was confronted by the buffness that is the husband, the kid took off quite speedily down the street. (maybe you can understand my concern recently when our house alarm went off unexpectedly. remember that time?)


around noon, i was in the kitchen, cleaning up. you know, the usual. when the husband runs downstairs and tells me to call 911. because he was on a conference call and couldn't. i had no idea why, but i have learned not to question why- especially when my husband asks me to involve the police- and especially in my neighborhood.


so, i began to dial the police station (because i asked if normal dispatch was ok, and he mouthed that, yes, that would be fine.) as i dialed, i followed him back upstairs to find out what i was supposed to tell the local police department once i reached them. and he proceeded to tell me (while muting his call) that our neighbor's house across the street was being broken into, he thought, by the local hooligans.


as i was talking to nina at dispatch, i was in little son's room peering out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the action. i was explaining all that the husband had told me: there were three boys, all minorities- hispanic or black, and they were checking in windows and looking altogether suspicious.


then, right as i am talking to her, i see a kid on the roof. he is wearing a white muscle shirt and blue jeans- and i give that description to the dispatcher. and then, he goes in the window! i couldn't believe what i was seeing: a robbery in broad daylight- with entry from the roof! no, not too conspicuous.

then the dispatcher told me that another call was coming in on the same burglary. from my next door neighbor. we were witnessing the same thing.

finally, after what seemed like forever but probably no longer than three or four minutes, the cops showed up. and they surrounded the house- and the house next door.

they weren't able to catch the guys in the act. they probably jumped the back wall that backs up onto a main street. and they probably had their getaway guy waiting there. i went outside and told the cops my story and my neighbor told her story and then after the husband's call was completed, he came down and put in his two cents.

as we were talking to the officer, another officer pulled up and had the husband get in his vehicle to go and identify one of the suspects. and the homeowner came home around this time as well. (my good neighbor had called him and told him what was going down.)

when the husband returned, he reported that he had made a positive i.d. yay! get those bad guys!

so, in total, the bad guys got a plasma t.v., an xbox and playstation and a digital receiver- and perhaps more they haven't realized yet. you wanna know the really sad part? the homeowners had been robbed in january and at that time, the bad guys had gotten away with two plasmas and other stuff. and then, you wanna know the really, really sad part? today is the homeowner's birthday. (we got some gourmet treats to take over tonight.)

as i was leaving to run errands this afternoon, my neighbors reported that their xbox, playstation and receiver have been recovered.

anyway, i know i am being looked out for. in all the ickiness that goes on in our neighborhood, my family has been really protected and watched over. and for some reason, i don't worry. and then, another reason i know that i was looked out for- i was provided with an adventure to break the monotony of the stainless steel bowl.

we also wonder if the husband had run out and confronted the bad guys, what would have happened? it could have been dangerous. and perhaps the guys wouldn't have been able to be caught.

except, i personally believe that if the naked ninja had made an appearance, we may never have bad guys in our neighborhood again.