Ripping the Band-Aid Off

There's a lot to be said for ripping the band-aid off quickly, thereby combining the pain of fifty hairs being ripped out into only a moment of suffering. Unfortunately, my day was like painstakingly pulling the band-aid off one hair at a time.

It started when I left this morning to go work for my dad. I got into my truck and couldn't help but notice that my passenger window was shattered. I wasn't sure whether I should suspect foul play or if it was just some crazy thing that had happened. I stopped to get the mail, and I started to notice the static noise coming from the radio that indicates that I'm trying to listen to my iPod but haven't actually turned it on. (Side note here, I notice things very slowly. I'm sure any normal person would have noticed everything at once). I went to push "play" on my iPod and discovered that there was no iPod in sight.

Ok, so foul play it is, and my iPod, its adapter thingy that plugs into a cigarette lighter, and my car charger for my phone are gone. Great. Well, I think to myself, I really shouldn't have left my iPod in the truck in the first place, so there's really no one to blame but me.

Then I start to realize that what's strange about my shattered window is that my truck doors were unlocked. I'm not one much for routines like locking vehicles. Apparently, the theif didn't bother to even try the doors before smashing in my window.

Fastforward several hours to when I'm talking to my brother about his costume. (Another side note, my brother went as Hitler, and his costume was made from an old US Army shirt and his scout shirt. I hope he didn't get struck down by lightning tonight.) He asked about Adam's costume, and I told him I could show him some pictures on my camera... "which is sitting on the front seat of my..." My heart sinks. I go out to the truck and search for what I know I won't find. My camera - complete with pictures of Adam putting a spider ring on the finger of his brand new "cousin" Brielle's hand - complete with a little video I took of Adam singing at his school yesterday - complete with irreplaceable memories (though thankfully not too many of them, since I am diligent downloader of pics) - is gone.

Later, I start to think that it was really weird how Adam & Alex's shoes were sitting on the backseat. I swear they had been in the diaper bag. And I swear I had put the diaper bag on the backseat. And I swear I didn't bother to take it in the house last night. And I swear, the idiot who didn't bother to check for unlocked doors stole my diaper bag. Whatever. At least he was kind enough to take my boys' shoes off the top and leave me those.

Fastforward again several hours to a time when I'm managing to ignore all the hairs pulled from my arm throughout the day... I'm getting my kids ready to go trick-or-treating, and I start gathering Adam's clothes. At this point I realize that his pants and shirt were in the diaper bag, because he'd worn them to school yesterday and changed at Aunt Marie's. The idiot who stole my diaper bag stole half of my three year old's costume.

As far as the costume was concerned, all he needed was black pants and a white shirt, which we were able to borrow. But beyond the scheme of Halloween, those black pants were part of his church suit, and the white shirt was his dress shirt. So I'm now left with an adorable black-on-black pinstripe suit, sans pants. I can't for the life of me remember what Alex was wearing yesterday, but whatever it was is gone, too.

I am fairly certain that the last few hairs were ripped from my skin with the discovery of the missing suit pants. I really hope the band-aid is off. I really hope tomorrow will be a better day.