Not Such a Ho-Hum Day After All

I'll think twice before I complain about my boring life again. This is what I saw out my front window earlier today - and it got worse, much worse.


I was just finishing up my morning's work around 11:30 when I kept hearing what I thought were lawn mowers next door - kind of droning on. I got up to check on it because that's where my yard trolls start - outside my bedroom window - and they were just here Saturday. I didn't want them coming twice in one week, so I went to the front window to see if their truck was parked there. What I saw were these 2 cars and a familiar black dog running down the street. I huffed and muttered my way out back to see how she could have escaped, and when I looked at my (former) fence, this is what I saw.


I was just standing there in shock, wondering what could have happened. There was a small breeze blowing but no great wind, and I know Darby thinks her new haircut gives her supernatural powers, but really... I turned around and saw a policeman running toward me behind Darby, and the thought crossed my mind that they were kind of overdoing the animal control today.

The policeman was making all kinds of gestures and acting frantic, so I thought I would mention that my fence was down in case he hadn't noticed. He said, "I realize that, but you need to get inside. We have something serious going on here." Darby, to her credit, ran inside and didn't sit there barking at him, and I followed her. By the time I got to the front window to peek through the blinds, there were maybe 20 vehicles parked and rushing up and down the street, concentrating on the cul-de-sac in front of our house that ends in woods. And the helicopter was still circling.


If you click on this picture, you see the guys in camouflage with lots of guns and dogs that started arriving and pouring out of their vehicles. Lots of black vans with black windows and men on phones.

Mama and I had a little bit of fright, thinking that maybe the person they were looking for had gotten into the house and was hiding in the garage - since Darby was obviously too busy running down the street with her tongue hanging out to bark at strangers.

But I had to think they were concentrating enough on this one spot that someone must have seen the person running that way. According to the WSFA news, there was an attempted break-in on the street behind us, and the person either ran through my yard or tried to get into the yard when the fence fell. I guess that slowed him down a little.

So as of right now, all the cars and trucks are gone, and I don't hear the helicopter, so I have to assume the robber is caught.

Two funny conversations: Mama and I were sitting in the living room watching the excitement and at that point wondering about someone hiding in our house. She said, "I think you ought to call the police." With 20 police cars out front, I told her I wouldn't have to yell very loudly.

Then Mike was telling me I needed to go find the gun he had left me - which scares me so much I won't go to that side of the room. He made me promise to go get it and know where it was. I said, "Well, I wouldn't know what to do with it," and he said, "Pull the #%#%# trigger." It's not that easy for me.

I also got invited to smack one of the "Executive Directors" of my company. While this was going on, I noticed I had an Instant Message on my work computer that said, "Executive Director." Hmmm. I hear from coordinators and quality assurance and friends but executive director? It was someone I used to work with 15 years ago in Atlanta who has obviously made better career choices than I have. She was IM'g about a hospital that's getting angry with us for making so many mistakes (I still don't know why Beth was passing along unhappy information, but I didn't ask). She said that I had bolded and capped the Allergies heading on a report and that that was wrong. I apologized and explained about the police in my yard and we chatted a little bit. Then I went and checked to see why I had bolded and capped anything, and there it was in the RULES for this hospital. So I wrote her back, she checked, I was right, she apologized and offered to let me smack her. I declined and went back to my robber watching.

So here's hoping for a calmer afternoon. I'll update when I know anything. In the meantime, a little black dog gets to stay in the house until we get the fence fixed

Later: I hate more than the fence that my pretty vine that I got in Lubbock was destroyed. It didn't bloom last year, and I had high hopes for it this year. In Lubbock, this vine covered fences and telephone poles and anything not moving with the most beautiful red flowers. I bought one and brought it home and planted it by the fence. The first fall Darby chewed it down until I started putting Tabasco on it, and now I just need the Tabasco bottle to sit there beside it. Last summer it was pretty and green but didn't bloom, and I figured this year would be the one.

 

The way it's supposed to look:



When I was trying to find the name of the vine - which is a Trumpet Vine - I found this interesting bit of information: Here's a tip for the lady whose trumpet vine won't bloom. I heard this from an elderly lady when I was on a garden walk in mid-Michigan. Her advice, "Beat it with a broom!" Just as some trees like to have their trunks kicked, trumpet vines can be stubborn and may have to get knocked around a bit!

So maybe if the vine survives, this will be the equivalent of a good beating, and it will come back next spring and bloom like it's supposed to. Or maybe it's the Tabasco.