Thank you for teaching me the difference between being burgled & robbed. I am glad to know that your hubby packs a mean suitcase, those may be handy skills some day!
I have never been robbed but burgled a few times. Things were taken but, unless you count my expensive flatiron, nothing as precious as your ring (so sorry to hear that, it sucks a lot).
I am not sure what would make a good alarm sound -we are still trying to get in the habit of simply locking our doors (we've lived in this very safe neighborhood for 20 years so are slow on the uptake).
Catalytic Converter of a 2007 Prius (very cliche) so we bought a used Nissan Leaf EV, so I wouldn't spend the rest of my life listening to see if I could hear anyone stealing the replacement. Loved this post.
Love Dreamweaver but cannot for the life of me understand the space-age opening instrumental.
Yes, to being burgled. i went to a lunch and came home to met at the door by my terrified terrier (a different one to The Terrier) who ran through the door with her tail between her legs. I spotted the trail of muddy boot marks and followed them right to our bedroom where the bedroom window stood open and the curtains flapping in the breeze with mudmarks over them.
They had forced a window to get in and out.
It was the brickies from a building site across the road as on the same day, they stole all the builder's equipment, along with my engagement ring - a beautiful Ceylon sapphire with diamonds and sundry less expensive jewelry. They also took our TV, computers and some other electrical stuff.
We felt violated and it took a long time for the dog and I to trust anyone.
We don't have a burglar alarm on the assumption that they go off so often these days, folks rarely pay any attention.
In Australia, it's illegal to carry mace or capsicum spray, (let alone guns which I wouldn't have anyway) so I often wonder what happens if it occurs again. I'll err on the side of caution I think, and just run!
1. I'll raise you. Those screams would be a standout ringtone.
2. Mercifully, not physically. My dad went for a whole identity theft gambit, but lacked the attention span for the details.
3. My sister mostly heard Nelly in her headphones. I've never seen loyalty to an artist like that. I can only hope to inspire similar dedication someday.
4. My Wright-fu is weak. I'll dig in more this weekend.
I love this essay. So we’ll written. Of course I wasn’t home that night to help you with your fears and karate chop the monsters! My wedding ring got stolen right from under me in the drawer in my closet, while I was home! We knew who took it and hired a detective who gave a lie detector test to the guy, who failed. The ring was long gone but we did recoup a bit of cash.
Glad you are secured, CK! I was burgled 25 years ago and, to this day, I enter my home (or anywhere I'm staying) to be sure everything is where I left it and no one else has been there. Back when I was in film school, my car window was smashed to steal the removable stereo I so smartly slid beneath my seat (that's when it was the whole thing, not just the faceplate) while it was parked in my condo carport (right after it had been in the shop for over a week). There was a clear palm print on the window...the cops didn't care. I had a younger brother who annoyed TF out of me, but one of the things we enjoyed doing was hiding then jumping out with a "Boo!" and scaring the sh!t out of each other. Scared him so good once, he took three steps back and fell on his butt. If either of us end up with heart issues, that might be the cause. And "Dreamweaver" is a classic. You have to at least appreciate a classic. PS - I miss my jewelry, too. Great post. xo
Super funny, though I'm sorry you were burgled. Someone broke into the house I lived in as a young adult and stole all of our CDs. The police managed to track most of them to a used CD store--but by most I mean all of my roommates' and none of mine! (Mine were classical, which apparently don't sell well in the used market and get tossed in the trash by theives, according to the cops.) My main question, though, is why would anyone want to steal towels from Target? I mean, if they're going to go to all the trouble, why not a nice toaster oven?
This is my favorite story of yours I have read. It shows off your wit and vivid reminiscence. For those of us who create a draft and build a story around it, this felt like you had a number of storylettes layered inside this single story. With all that, it moved along, was entertaining, and turned out memorable. Great! I laughed at so many of the observations about your memory of a false alarm. I have only been robbed once. I had graduated from college and was enroute to relocating for my first job. Everything I owned in a VERY subcompact car. The rest would be purchased when I arrived. Car got broken into overnight. It is best to get robbed when you are young and don't have much worth stealing :) I am so sorry you lost family heirlooms. I am on the wrong side of 60 and our memories and our history are some of our most precious possessions.
I wonder if the occupants or the burglars are more startled by the alarm; ours is piercing and overwhelming. Also, an edit (unsolicited): "...finding Debbie and me cut into tiny pieces" would be correct. [I don't know how, when or why this trend to use subject pronouns in object clauses began...but it is a peeve...With respect.]
I definitely think a burglar alarm should sound like a woman screaming. 😂
I never got burgled, but I did get pickpocketed in Hawaii.
Thank you for teaching me the difference between being burgled & robbed. I am glad to know that your hubby packs a mean suitcase, those may be handy skills some day!
I have never been robbed but burgled a few times. Things were taken but, unless you count my expensive flatiron, nothing as precious as your ring (so sorry to hear that, it sucks a lot).
I am not sure what would make a good alarm sound -we are still trying to get in the habit of simply locking our doors (we've lived in this very safe neighborhood for 20 years so are slow on the uptake).
Catalytic Converter of a 2007 Prius (very cliche) so we bought a used Nissan Leaf EV, so I wouldn't spend the rest of my life listening to see if I could hear anyone stealing the replacement. Loved this post.
Love Dreamweaver but cannot for the life of me understand the space-age opening instrumental.
Yes, to being burgled. i went to a lunch and came home to met at the door by my terrified terrier (a different one to The Terrier) who ran through the door with her tail between her legs. I spotted the trail of muddy boot marks and followed them right to our bedroom where the bedroom window stood open and the curtains flapping in the breeze with mudmarks over them.
They had forced a window to get in and out.
It was the brickies from a building site across the road as on the same day, they stole all the builder's equipment, along with my engagement ring - a beautiful Ceylon sapphire with diamonds and sundry less expensive jewelry. They also took our TV, computers and some other electrical stuff.
We felt violated and it took a long time for the dog and I to trust anyone.
We don't have a burglar alarm on the assumption that they go off so often these days, folks rarely pay any attention.
In Australia, it's illegal to carry mace or capsicum spray, (let alone guns which I wouldn't have anyway) so I often wonder what happens if it occurs again. I'll err on the side of caution I think, and just run!
1. I'll raise you. Those screams would be a standout ringtone.
2. Mercifully, not physically. My dad went for a whole identity theft gambit, but lacked the attention span for the details.
3. My sister mostly heard Nelly in her headphones. I've never seen loyalty to an artist like that. I can only hope to inspire similar dedication someday.
4. My Wright-fu is weak. I'll dig in more this weekend.
I love this essay. So we’ll written. Of course I wasn’t home that night to help you with your fears and karate chop the monsters! My wedding ring got stolen right from under me in the drawer in my closet, while I was home! We knew who took it and hired a detective who gave a lie detector test to the guy, who failed. The ring was long gone but we did recoup a bit of cash.
No robburglaries here thankfully but I did sing Dreamweaver on the train to school many times, good times.
Glad you are secured, CK! I was burgled 25 years ago and, to this day, I enter my home (or anywhere I'm staying) to be sure everything is where I left it and no one else has been there. Back when I was in film school, my car window was smashed to steal the removable stereo I so smartly slid beneath my seat (that's when it was the whole thing, not just the faceplate) while it was parked in my condo carport (right after it had been in the shop for over a week). There was a clear palm print on the window...the cops didn't care. I had a younger brother who annoyed TF out of me, but one of the things we enjoyed doing was hiding then jumping out with a "Boo!" and scaring the sh!t out of each other. Scared him so good once, he took three steps back and fell on his butt. If either of us end up with heart issues, that might be the cause. And "Dreamweaver" is a classic. You have to at least appreciate a classic. PS - I miss my jewelry, too. Great post. xo
Super funny, though I'm sorry you were burgled. Someone broke into the house I lived in as a young adult and stole all of our CDs. The police managed to track most of them to a used CD store--but by most I mean all of my roommates' and none of mine! (Mine were classical, which apparently don't sell well in the used market and get tossed in the trash by theives, according to the cops.) My main question, though, is why would anyone want to steal towels from Target? I mean, if they're going to go to all the trouble, why not a nice toaster oven?
This is my favorite story of yours I have read. It shows off your wit and vivid reminiscence. For those of us who create a draft and build a story around it, this felt like you had a number of storylettes layered inside this single story. With all that, it moved along, was entertaining, and turned out memorable. Great! I laughed at so many of the observations about your memory of a false alarm. I have only been robbed once. I had graduated from college and was enroute to relocating for my first job. Everything I owned in a VERY subcompact car. The rest would be purchased when I arrived. Car got broken into overnight. It is best to get robbed when you are young and don't have much worth stealing :) I am so sorry you lost family heirlooms. I am on the wrong side of 60 and our memories and our history are some of our most precious possessions.
I wonder if the occupants or the burglars are more startled by the alarm; ours is piercing and overwhelming. Also, an edit (unsolicited): "...finding Debbie and me cut into tiny pieces" would be correct. [I don't know how, when or why this trend to use subject pronouns in object clauses began...but it is a peeve...With respect.]