Is this real life?
The past few weeks have been anything but normal. It has been a whirlwind of emotions. If you are connected with me on social media you are most likely aware of what has been going on but you may have missed my posts thanks to how social media algorithms are set up.
Before Memorial Day I joined a community pool since I do not have a pool at my house (the downside of being a home owner I suppose). I had been there a few times before and have truly enjoyed it. The pool with the sunshine is my happy place. It is where I center myself and truly relax and recharge myself.
My plans for the weekend of June 11 was to basically spend the entire weekend at the pool. I even inflated my raft to really enjoy the pool and enhance my tan. I arrived at the pool when it opened at 11 (I really wish they would open at 10) and set up camp.
I decided to start the day on my raft in the water. I got in and began to float away and then let loose the expletives. I forgot to remove my insulin pump which is not waterproof. The day was not off to a good start. I managed to get out of the pool without getting my pump more wet. I dried it off and called Medtronic's help line. We ran some tests and it seemed my pump survived my stupidity. Phew! I watched my pump very carefully the rest of the weekend and it worked.
Crisis averted. I worked on my tan and laid on my raft a few times. Around 2 p.m. I decided it was time to head home as I had a lot on my to-do list and I knew I'd be back at the pool the next day. I prepared to leave and gathered my items. As always, I went to pull out my keys before I left. I'm not sure why I have this habit but I do. And cue panic. My keys were not there. I dumped out my tote bag and turned it inside out. No keys. I looked under the lounge chair I'd been laying on. No keys. I walked over to the pool staff and asked if someone had turned in keys or perhaps I had taken them with me when I asked them for medical adhesive tape to secure my infusion site. No keys. They thought I was nuts and helped me look through my items again. Still no keys.
We went inside and up the stairs to the main desk. Nope. No one turned in any keys. They still didn't believe me when I said my car had been stolen so they told me to go look in the parking lot, confident I'd see my car. I walked out to the nearly empty parking lot and my car was not there. I returned to the main desk and called the police to file a report. While we waited for the police to arrive, we speculated about who took my keys. At that point the other lifeguard brought up a baggie from the pool. While dumping out my tote bag, I had left my ziplock bag with my CGM receiver in it. Whoops.
I speculated it was the kid who had been on the one side of me instead of the more adult (around my age perhaps) lady on the other side. The kid was 13 or 14. He had been in the pool, playing with a mom and her toddler and seemed like a good kid. The staff and I shared info we had heard him say and what we knew of him (basically nothing). The police arrived and I filed a report. The Sergeant put out an APB for my car. After he left I called my insurance agent to give him a heads up, called my mom and the guy I've been dating. I also had been texting my sisters. You have to love the first time they hear from me in at least a week is me sending them a message of "My car has been stolen." At some point while all that was going on, and I hadn't quite processed what was next, the Sergeant called and left me a voice mail. They had found my car and were in pursuit of it!
Squee! They had found my car. He said he'd call back and come and get me if it was still drivable after they stopped it. Since he said that I decided to chill at the fitness center until I heard back. He eventually called back and informed me how they had lost my car but then with the help of a suburb's police department, had found it again...down south by the airport. He also mentioned it was not drivable. He gave me the info of how someone would be in contact with me as to where my car would end up and what not. He did verify it was a 14-year old they caught with my car (as well as others).
From there I called a cab to take me home and scheduled a locksmith to meet me at my house to change my locks. The Sergeant had informed me they weren't sure where all my keys were nor when if they were found when I'd get them back.
My car made the news. I didn't see it on all the channels but many friends sent me messages saying they saw it on the news on Sunday morning as well as Saturday night.
The follow up has been crazy. I've tried to get the police reports but even though I was the victim I can't get them because the juvenile is protected as he is under age. A little frustrating but after hearing conflicting stories from one of the police departments, I may be able to get it. The other department requires me requesting the report from the legal team.
I filed the claim with insurance and they arranged for Enterprise to bring me a car on Sunday. Turns out the Enterprise won't due that on Sundays and I ended up walking 3.3 miles to go get a rental car because I needed a car to get around, especially to work.
On Tuesday night as I was nearly home, the insurance adjuster called and informed me unfortunately my car was deemed a total loss. Cue the tears. My car had been my first true adult purchase. It was a 2007 Toyota Camry XLE V6. It didn't even have 80,000 miles. I did everything I could to take care of it. I wanted it to last me 10 years and it nearly did. I had paid it off in 2011. Ugh!!! It did not deserve to be killed like this.
On Friday, I went to the lot where my car was and collected my belongings. I tried to make the best of it but the entire time while driving thee and waiting for them to bring my car to the front I just wanted to vomit. I was very confused because none of my belongings were in my car except for the manual in the glove box, my garage door opener in the spot for it on the roof and gum in the center console. I wasn't able to check the console in the back seat (or the pockets behind the front seats) because my missing tire and bumper were shoved into the backseat. I did start my car to write down the radio stations I had programed into it and to pull out the CDs in the CD player.
I popped the trunk because I knew I had had items in there. SURPRISE! There was the suspect's book bag as well as some of my other items (there were manila envelopes with my papers/license plate on the dash) so I grabbed all that and went back inside. We proceeded to call the police so they could take the kid's stuff and go through it so I could get my stuff. The zipper wasn't full closed on it and I saw my umbrella in it. I'm not sure if the kid had put all my stuff in his bag or if the people at the lot had done that. Either way, I'm out about $10 since I had that in the drawer on the far left of the dash and it was found no where. A moment of hilarity though, besides his book bag, he had left his towel, swim trunks, shirt and cell phone in my car. The police office and I parted ways and I made my way home with a few stops to inquire about potential new vehicles.
I am exhausted from all this. I managed to find a wonderful new car so that is exciting but damn it, now I'm going to have more expensive car insurance and let me tell you -- car insurance in this state is not cheap. Although state law says I can go after retribution I'm not sure how because there is no way for me to obtain the kid's info or his parents' info. I plan to request insurance to go after it though to keep my name out of court records so the kid will never know my name. There is still plenty of other little things to deal with. I've lost out on five pool days. I'm going to attempt to work up the nerve to return to the pool this holiday weekend but I'm pretty apprehensive, especially with a beautiful new vehicle.
Before Memorial Day I joined a community pool since I do not have a pool at my house (the downside of being a home owner I suppose). I had been there a few times before and have truly enjoyed it. The pool with the sunshine is my happy place. It is where I center myself and truly relax and recharge myself.
My plans for the weekend of June 11 was to basically spend the entire weekend at the pool. I even inflated my raft to really enjoy the pool and enhance my tan. I arrived at the pool when it opened at 11 (I really wish they would open at 10) and set up camp.
I decided to start the day on my raft in the water. I got in and began to float away and then let loose the expletives. I forgot to remove my insulin pump which is not waterproof. The day was not off to a good start. I managed to get out of the pool without getting my pump more wet. I dried it off and called Medtronic's help line. We ran some tests and it seemed my pump survived my stupidity. Phew! I watched my pump very carefully the rest of the weekend and it worked.
Crisis averted. I worked on my tan and laid on my raft a few times. Around 2 p.m. I decided it was time to head home as I had a lot on my to-do list and I knew I'd be back at the pool the next day. I prepared to leave and gathered my items. As always, I went to pull out my keys before I left. I'm not sure why I have this habit but I do. And cue panic. My keys were not there. I dumped out my tote bag and turned it inside out. No keys. I looked under the lounge chair I'd been laying on. No keys. I walked over to the pool staff and asked if someone had turned in keys or perhaps I had taken them with me when I asked them for medical adhesive tape to secure my infusion site. No keys. They thought I was nuts and helped me look through my items again. Still no keys.
We went inside and up the stairs to the main desk. Nope. No one turned in any keys. They still didn't believe me when I said my car had been stolen so they told me to go look in the parking lot, confident I'd see my car. I walked out to the nearly empty parking lot and my car was not there. I returned to the main desk and called the police to file a report. While we waited for the police to arrive, we speculated about who took my keys. At that point the other lifeguard brought up a baggie from the pool. While dumping out my tote bag, I had left my ziplock bag with my CGM receiver in it. Whoops.
I speculated it was the kid who had been on the one side of me instead of the more adult (around my age perhaps) lady on the other side. The kid was 13 or 14. He had been in the pool, playing with a mom and her toddler and seemed like a good kid. The staff and I shared info we had heard him say and what we knew of him (basically nothing). The police arrived and I filed a report. The Sergeant put out an APB for my car. After he left I called my insurance agent to give him a heads up, called my mom and the guy I've been dating. I also had been texting my sisters. You have to love the first time they hear from me in at least a week is me sending them a message of "My car has been stolen." At some point while all that was going on, and I hadn't quite processed what was next, the Sergeant called and left me a voice mail. They had found my car and were in pursuit of it!
Squee! They had found my car. He said he'd call back and come and get me if it was still drivable after they stopped it. Since he said that I decided to chill at the fitness center until I heard back. He eventually called back and informed me how they had lost my car but then with the help of a suburb's police department, had found it again...down south by the airport. He also mentioned it was not drivable. He gave me the info of how someone would be in contact with me as to where my car would end up and what not. He did verify it was a 14-year old they caught with my car (as well as others).
From there I called a cab to take me home and scheduled a locksmith to meet me at my house to change my locks. The Sergeant had informed me they weren't sure where all my keys were nor when if they were found when I'd get them back.
My car made the news. I didn't see it on all the channels but many friends sent me messages saying they saw it on the news on Sunday morning as well as Saturday night.
I filed the claim with insurance and they arranged for Enterprise to bring me a car on Sunday. Turns out the Enterprise won't due that on Sundays and I ended up walking 3.3 miles to go get a rental car because I needed a car to get around, especially to work.
On Tuesday night as I was nearly home, the insurance adjuster called and informed me unfortunately my car was deemed a total loss. Cue the tears. My car had been my first true adult purchase. It was a 2007 Toyota Camry XLE V6. It didn't even have 80,000 miles. I did everything I could to take care of it. I wanted it to last me 10 years and it nearly did. I had paid it off in 2011. Ugh!!! It did not deserve to be killed like this.
On Friday, I went to the lot where my car was and collected my belongings. I tried to make the best of it but the entire time while driving thee and waiting for them to bring my car to the front I just wanted to vomit. I was very confused because none of my belongings were in my car except for the manual in the glove box, my garage door opener in the spot for it on the roof and gum in the center console. I wasn't able to check the console in the back seat (or the pockets behind the front seats) because my missing tire and bumper were shoved into the backseat. I did start my car to write down the radio stations I had programed into it and to pull out the CDs in the CD player.
I popped the trunk because I knew I had had items in there. SURPRISE! There was the suspect's book bag as well as some of my other items (there were manila envelopes with my papers/license plate on the dash) so I grabbed all that and went back inside. We proceeded to call the police so they could take the kid's stuff and go through it so I could get my stuff. The zipper wasn't full closed on it and I saw my umbrella in it. I'm not sure if the kid had put all my stuff in his bag or if the people at the lot had done that. Either way, I'm out about $10 since I had that in the drawer on the far left of the dash and it was found no where. A moment of hilarity though, besides his book bag, he had left his towel, swim trunks, shirt and cell phone in my car. The police office and I parted ways and I made my way home with a few stops to inquire about potential new vehicles.
I am exhausted from all this. I managed to find a wonderful new car so that is exciting but damn it, now I'm going to have more expensive car insurance and let me tell you -- car insurance in this state is not cheap. Although state law says I can go after retribution I'm not sure how because there is no way for me to obtain the kid's info or his parents' info. I plan to request insurance to go after it though to keep my name out of court records so the kid will never know my name. There is still plenty of other little things to deal with. I've lost out on five pool days. I'm going to attempt to work up the nerve to return to the pool this holiday weekend but I'm pretty apprehensive, especially with a beautiful new vehicle.
could it have been that Nebraska plate on the front that attracted that young man?
ReplyDeleteKristin I am glad you are OK, and the good thing is cars can be replaced.
I referred your blog to the TUDiabetes.org blog page for the week of June 27, 2016.