Of Rats and Thieves and a Lost Cell Phone

Lots of rats around my house Thieves, too. Most of the time, the rats stay outside, but in the winter they want to come in and live with me.

Now, I don’t like to kill any living thing, but have limits. If they’re trying to eat my food; or me, they gotta go.

So in winter time I set out traps and kill rats. The best bait I have found is a small piece of Hershey bar. They cannot resist that chocolate smell.

Also; there are a bunch of thieves hanging around the house; picking up my stuff.

Mostly it’s small things; tools and hardware. These no-count rats steal because I have it and they don’t. And, also because I can’ t do much about it.

“Aw, he’s old and weak,” they think, “what’s he gonna do, run us down with his three-wheel bike?”

These are rats I know; not random strangers.

Lately they’ve slacked off a bit. Probably because they’ve gotten most of the easy pickings. But, wait; not so fast. They got a brand new Frigidaire window air conditioner around the first of September.

I had ordered it from Amazon; they shipped it and left it on my side porch. It was out there; maybe three or four days.

And then; it was gone.

I reported it to the La Grange Police, they were not enthusiastic about recovery. I have a pretty good idea about who took it. Just have to wait and see what happens.

Last week my almost new iPhone disappeared. I loaned to the Amazing Michelle; hers was broken and she was still waiting on repair parts.

It just disappeared. Together, we tore this place apart; thinking it can’t just get up and walk away. Or maybe it could.

After several days of a fruitless frustrating search, AM remembered how she had once tracked her daughter’s lost iPhone to a moving bus with the help of Apple’s Find My Phone app.

So; called them up and told my sad story.

They were also not enthusiastic about recovery. “Did you buy insurance?” asked the gentleman.

“Well, no I didn’t,” was the answer, remembering when they had offered the insurance program, and having said, “No, thanks.”

Apple wanted almost $10 a month. So, figuring that I would be careful and save that cash; around here, $10 a month is real money .

Smart thinking; yes? Maybe not!

After talking to Apple, I felt a little better. They showed me how to put a trace on the phone; how to find where it’s been hiding and maybe where it was. All of which I did; but to no avail. The phone was turned off.

Then, the next morning came a notice, that around 11 a.m., the phone gave a signal of its location. It was right down the street, only 900 feet away.

So, like any red-blooded American male; I called the police.

What, did you expect me to go down there, guns blazing, yelling out, “ Hey, gimme my phone, you rats?”

No way! Do you think I’m stupid? Don’t answer that.

Pretty soon, a knock on the door; it was Officer Kevin Carrington, from the La Grange Police Department.

After hearing my tale of loss, he also was not enthusiastic. Telling us that Apple’s mapping system was so weak they couldn’t get a search warrant based on its reliability.

He returned in about thirty minutes, with a sad look, telling us that the address was a restaurant, and that anyone could have been there.

So, I was contemplating a new iPhone, which I could not afford.

I paid $500 cash to Consumer Cellular for the last one and did not have another five hundred.

It took me a long time to save up for the first phone and no way could I do it again.

So be it. Guess I’d have to make monthly payments on the new phone.

Later that evening came another knock on the door. It was Officer Carrington again, asking, “What color is your phone?”

“Red, in a gray case,” I answered.

“Is this it?” offering my phone.

Jumping Jack Frost! There was my phone.

He’d gone back to look around and found it outside; laying in the grass.

How and why it was there; no one knows. Was it stolen; did I drop it, I cannot say. After having it back for a few days; I did notice a few changes in the phone operation.

On the other hand Apple is constantly changing things around; so maybe they did it. Was it lost; or stolen? I’m so paranoid from previous thefts; my mind is broken is half.

Either way, I am happy. That’s what really counts; right?

Thank you so much to Apple and especially Officer Kevin Carrington.

Now, if I can just do something about those four legged rats.

As Always, Love from La Grange, Tex Parker