A 'for rent' notice was posted on our duplex fence today, and on the big oak, as well. Mimi (my landlady) and I talked, I told her of our (mine and Jordan's situation), and we decided it would be best to give notice, and let her get new tenants.
She came by, heard my concerns about several aspects of the rental, and even agreed with me, which was great! She's been a wonderful landlady. After we'd chatted, I needed to go into Solvang for a few minutes, and then into the Vet for Misty. And then I was going to return home. Lots to do, and all that rot.
I left my house at 1:10 p.m., a bright, breezy spring day. I returned to my house at 2:23 p.m. (roughly speaking). In that short space of time, my home had been robbed.
Since the dogs were with me, there was none to give the alarm - the "Intruders!" alert that was always being given to Will Rogers, along with 'Danger!' Nope, no one here to offer any resistance.
Someone, or someones, walked in through the back gate, came into the house, stole a MacBook 2009, 13" screen, a MacBookPro, 2011, 13" screen, two iPods, a digital camera, contents of one jewelry box, and another jewelry box complete with contents.
It took me a second to even grasp what had happened. I came into the house, and noticed the kitchen table was all cleared off. Oh, that's nice, I remember thinking. Right before panic hit me, a blow to the gut. The kitchen table was not all cleared off when I left; nope, when I left, it held my computer and my iPod and speakers. Now, it held a candle and a slate menu board. Okay, I've not been sleeping well; I'm sure I moved the computer, used it somewhere else, and don't remember. I visualized everywhere I'd used the computer this morning: in bed, right when I woke up; sitting on the bench at the end of my bed, taking a break from painting; at the kitchen table, playing solitaire, taking another break from painting. Then I visualized where it was when I left the house: kitchen table, closed but on. And the table was all cleared off.
I did what any rational woman would do in my circumstances: I moaned, right before tears flooded my eyes. My computer - six unpublished novels. Countless snippets and starts. Poetry. Photos - photos I can never get back, unless they've been published in another forum. Luckily, my professional file and my writings file had recently been saved to a stick. Photos? Gone. My silver bracelets, the trio Jordan gave to me when she was still in high school, that I wear damn near every day, even if I'm not going anywhere - gone. Not worth even a nickel, to anyone except me. Jordan's diamond solitaire I gave to her when she began her college career - gone. The diamond ring Nanny (Mrs. Presley - my first mother in law) gave to me, which I gave to Jordan - gone. Silly gold hoop earrings, same monetary value as my silver bracelets, gone. The ring given to my mother by Pat Lamont, a woman we called 'Aunt Pat' while growing up, because Pat and Bob Lamont were my parents' closest friends - said ring subsequently given to me - gone.
The sheriff department sent one of their men out to check for fingerprints - bastards wore gloves. Nothing. And, even though Jordan and I were able to get the serial numbers of our Mac computers, everything else was just ... gone.
Jordan kept telling me 'it's just stuff'. And she's right - it IS just stuff. But damn it, I have very little 'stuff' in this world as it is ... we live in a duplex, for cryin' out loud! What did they think was here that they could possibly benefit from?
The sheriff, and my next door neighbor, for that matter, think it's someone who knows us, whether we know them or not. Timing is too tight for it to be anything but.
All I know is - I've lost more, in the loss of my computer, than I ever thought possible. Jordan's prom; all of my Cleveland photos; my trips around California on my days off from the winery; my recent trip to DC. Gone. I'm not even going to think about what writings may be missing, not included in my last update. That thought really makes me want to vomit.
So, as Jordan takes these lemons and makes lemonade, I take these lemons and make Lynchburg Lemonade. Mine will at least let me sleep at some point in the near future.
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