Do you know how hard it becomes not to talk about something when specifically directed not to talk about it? Argghh. I never would have thought about it, but now THAT WORD won't leave my mind.

There's something to be said for leaving thing unlocked, but then it's your fault if something gets stolen, so you're in a catch 22. The honest people stay honest, but the criminals still create more work for you than they're ever worth. Hope the vehicle incidents calm down soon.

I had a nice 1991 Lumina Z34, she was a beautiful car (I sold her sniff sniff), last year, just as someone was trying to break into it, my neighbor called out and they took off. Fingerprints on the car, smashed in driver’s handle broken in trunk and that's about it. One neighbor called the police another one took off after the almost thieves and soon the police showed up. They caught two of the guys and I had to press charges. Ask me if I ever heard a thing about it since, nothing.

I asked the police officer who was taking down my report "do you ever get tired of the system you're working for" since he had told me the guy would be arrested and released the next day. He replied "you have no idea and please don't get me started, I risk my life everyday and people get sent free, yeah sometimes I really hate my job". For some reason that made me feel better.

You totally have tea coming to you tomorrow, honey. And chocolate. And probably shortbread, too, preferably the kind with crystalized ginger bits in it (and that could be dipped in dark chocolate, too, actually).

And put on fuzzy sox while you put your feet up, and browse magazines and silly catalogs and look at picture books. Valium haze goes really well with fuzzy sox and picture books, I think, and especially well with not driving.

[mwah] the other robyn

robynbender,

You are a good friend!

she is indeed a very good friend

Sorry to hear about your bad luck with the cars. It's sad to me that the people that we depend on every day(police, teachers, many others I'm sure I cant think of right now) to protect us, to teach our children seem to work the hardest yet get paid the least. Maybe some day we'll fix that.

And by the way Rosina if it were my child who ever did something like that they would become your unpaid personal assistant to do what you said, until you felt their debt was paid. Sheesh what my Mom would have done to me if I had ever done something like that.

Last year one of our neighbor's kids had a bonfire and his idiot friends pulled up our post & rail fence because they ran out of wood for the bonfire. (Idiots!) The cops found the smoldering fence remains in their backyard the next day, so it was pretty obvious who did it. I was indignant, and wanted them to replace it with their own two hands in addition to paying me back and doing all my yard work for a month. Alas, all they had to do was pay for a new fence, and I had to fight for that. And the parents never even apologized! Not surprisingly, we don't talk to those neighbors. I was amazed, and not in a good way.

(Wanting to comment on the other topic, but trying to restrain myself... let me just say that I sympathize, completely.)

You do have to wonder about some young people.
I'm all for them having to actually do something positive for the person who they have taken from.
I don't know if it is getting any coverage in the States, but yesterday there was a story on the news about a group of 16 & 17 years olds in Melbourne Austalia who videoed themselves doing all manner of stupid things including harrasing and degrading a developmentally delayed 17 year old girl. They have been selling copies of the DVD they made at local schools. The latest update is that after it was televised the parents of these boys have been taking them and turning them in to the Police. I can only hope that the punishment fits the crime and at the end of it all , they actually have some remorse and understanding of what they have done.
I would be appalled if my sons got themselves involved in anything like that.

When teenagers act like that it's usaully a sign that there's somthin missing at home. There at an age where they think there invincable or just don't care about the consequences of what they do.Not defending them I'm just explaining there motivation behind what they do.It's easy to get upset about there actions and rightly so. Teenage gangs are a real problem here and I applaud the local YMCA and other organizations that try and give these kids a lil guidance and a constructive outlet for there overabundance of energy and hormones.