Mukilteo Musings

Stupid Stupid Stupid

I know some of my neighbors read this blog. So do not do what I did. We have lived in Mukilteo for 17 years and have felt safe here. But please do not do something really stupid like hanging a big sign in front of your house that says "Come and Look for What You Can Steal...And Help Yourself!"

Essentially this is what we did on Monday evening July 24. I went out in the garage to my car at 10 AM to leave to meet with some of my friends from church to plan our participation in the Mukilteo Festival Parade. Lo and behold, my purse was not in the car where I left it. My purse was not in our UNlocked car where I left it. My purse was not in my UNlocked car in our OPEN garage where I left it.

We have been having a heat wave and nobody around here has air conditioning. We have been leaving our garage door open until late for coolness. Our bedroom is right above the garage. Usually, we close the garage door when we go to bed but on Monday night we did not. I know I shouldn't leave my purse in the car but when the car is in a locked garage, I figure it is just as safe as in the locked house.

Imagine what you have in your purse or wallet and you can guess what I was doing yesterday instead of planning for a parade. Lucas, if you read this while you are in Missoula, do not use the credit card to buy gas---it will not work now. I dashed into Starbuck's to tell my friends what I was doing and why I couldn't meet with them. My friend, Sue, told me she had received an e-mail from someone else in the neighborhood who also was burglarized in the night up on 64th and another on 62nd. Somebody was very busy in the night of July 24. The person on 62nd had left her car unlocked and the thieves used the garage door opener to open the garage and take their bikes. They did not hear a thing because they had fans going.

The crimes were so easily preventable. Mukilteo has very little crime so we have become complacent and careless. The police were questioning me about my purse and asked me what "kind" it was. I realize now, they were trying to up the value. In response, I described my purse as big and white. "No, what brand? Coach?"

I guess because of my address, he was assuming maybe we were talking about a $400 or $500 designer purse. "Ah, no. How about a $20 Target special?" I am not really into purses. That purse ain't gonna show up on ebay--that's for sure.

I just hope the robbers get good use of the tampons and the pepto-bismol left from my "out of my comfort zone" moments on our trip. And oh yes, the church bulletin from Sunday was tucked in there. Father Peter's sermon was especially moving about the devastation in the Middle East and I took notes. He had some memorable lines. The church phone number and address were listed clearly. Maybe the person or persons who took my purse will join us on Sunday.

That would be cool!