Let's walk through yesterday's afternoon together. I drove out to the schools to pick up the kids and Brandon drove out to finish up the electrical on the house for inspection (which is sometime today). On a whim I called his cell phone and asked if he wanted us to come out there with him for a while before Jason had his Youth Activity. Apparently we were only a few minutes behind him anyway, so we headed his direction.
As I drove down the LONG, straight strech of D Road, I passed a Sheriff Deputy along side the road. I thought to myself, "Hmmmm, I'm going to remember he's here..." Not even sure why that thought came to my mind (at the moment anyway). Just as I crossed the last intersection before our home, my cell rang. I answered and Brandon said, "Someone was here." My stomach instantly hit the floor of the van. And I'm pretty sure I could have crimped metal with my teeth! When I could finally talk I said, "Did they pull the wire?" He answered, "No". WHEW! "Did they break out our windows?" Again, "No, but they did take the appliances and a few other things from the basement!" WHAT!!!
Just this summer we found some great deals on a double oven, dishwasher, gas stove top and fume hood! Then later this summer, we found a wonderful set of brand new kitchen aid appliances.
The refirdgerator is still there (but we could see that they had tried to move it - it had been slid a few inches from it's original place) and the new double oven is still there. I guess they figured they didn't need 2?
Luckily, no other damage had been done - the morons had pried a piece of plywood siding off the front of the house and climbed in that way - then went straight to the basement and out the basement door. We're puzzled that they didn't just break the basement door (glass french doors), but we're glad they didn't. Very kind of them to be so thoughtful and all. But really, why go to the trouble of prying off plywood walling when there is a glass door just screaming to be broken? Dorks!
Oh - so back to my phone call with Brandon. When he told me what had happened, I turned the van around and drove right back to the deputy on the side of the road. How strange that he would be there even. As we were talking he was called to a crime in progress, so he gave me a phone number to call - which I did. I got to the land and pulled into our driveway. FYI - our driveway is still to soft and muddy to drive on in a big old van full of people! I almost instantly sank up to my nostrils! I seriously could have cried! Brandon came out with a shovel and we made no progress. Finally he tied a rope to his car and to mine and started pulling and miraculously, we got off the driveway just as another deputy was walking in.
He was a very nice guy - he was frustrated for us...which really didn't make me feel any better, but I appreciated that he was trying! lol He stayed for about an hour and finally mentioned where he lived (which was near where I grew up). I asked him if he ever drove Ambulance in S County. He said he did and had for years. I told him I recognized him from the divey resturant I worked in when I was in High School. All of the ambulance drivers, sheriff deputies, state patrol, and city police officers would break there b/c we gave them free food! LOL
It was so good to get home last night. Of course all Brandon and I could talk about on the way home was who we thought had done it, when they did it, if they would come back, etc. I hate the violated, paranoia you feel when you've been robbed!
We sat down to a late dinner of thrown-together-tacos! Naturally, the night couldn't just end, the plumbing had to back up. Poor Brandon! Of course it can always be assumed that nobody wants to fix plumbing - ever! But I could just see the last bits of sanity drain from his face as he looked into the sink. Just for fun, we poured some drain-o in while we ate dinner. His plan was to fix it after the kids were in bed. As we finished up dishes and did "brush your teeth and use the bathroom" routine, we heard the drain chug and bubble and finally empty! What a blessing!
I did go out to the house this morning and everything looked fine. We left Brandon's Jeep parked against the french doors in the basement so if they came back for the oven and fridge, they'd have to lug them up 2 flights of stairs and then drop them out the hole in the wall! (Or, just push Brandon's Jeep back into the huge septic hole that was right behind the Jeep, LOL).
I'll go back out this afternoon and lock it back up and hopefully find a sticker on our meter that says we passed the electrical inspection! Now we feel like sitting ducks! If we passed, we have an insulator lined up to come on Tuesday and he said he'd be done by Wednesday night - then it has to be inspected. Then drywall - which I'm sure will take a good couple of weeks. Then we're going to have to move in as-is, otherwise we're afraid they'll keep coming back and helping themselves to the Lee Family Free-For-All!!
