Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Potato Chips and Cheese


Saturday mornings at our house are pretty mellow except for the alarm blasting at 7:30AM so Husband can go play tennis.  It's not my favorite time of the morning and usually I try to fall back asleep, but today I pulled myself out from under the warm covers placing my feet half on and half off the rug causing my toes to curl and immediately go cold.  Then I practically cough up a lung thanks to yet another whopper of a cold I've been nursing for two weeks.

I made myself a cup of ginger tea, something I do not like but have been told repeatedly is "good" for my cold, and I grabbed a half eaten giant bag of potato chips because a cold, in my opinion, deserves "comfort food".  With laptop in hand, I made my way to the TV room with a view of the street, propped myself up on the sofa with a few blankets, and enjoyed my "breakfast" while I read blogs.

Then I heard sirens!  A police car came screeching to a halt in front of the house directly across from ours, guns at the ready, as officers rushed to the front door.

Long story short, the house which as recently purchased by a young couple, was burglarized sometime in the night.  The new owners hadn't moved in yet, but the previous owner left behind a big flat screen TV and a huge impressive looking safe bolted to the bedroom closet.  The safe was busted wide open but fortunately was empty.  Score one for the homeowner!

The robbers clearly knew what was in the house and came prepared with a dolly to lug their loot out!  What they hadn't anticipated was that they wouldn't be able to open the gate to the driveway at the back of the house which meant they had to actually carry the TV out the front door and down many steep stairs to the street!  This unexpected exit route caused them to forgot to take their dolly which police hope is covered with their fingerprints.  Score two more for the homeowner!

This all gave me pause because our house was burglarized in late October.  Although different scenarios, a robbery is a robbery no matter how you stack it up and our little neighborhood has had enough.

I sat on the sofa with a mouth full of chips thinking about what else I could possibly do to make my home safe in what is clearly a hotbed for burglars.  I have a big, loud, new alarm system with all the bells and whistles, except one-- video cameras.  But really-- do I want and need to go so far as to video record the activities in from of and in back of our home?  Apparently so.

As I pondered this thought, drinking now cold ginger tea and practically inhaling potato chips at a frantic stress-related pace, I heard a knock at the front door.  Mind you, it was about 8AM and I hadn't even combed my hair yet let alone changed out of my pajamas.   And I'm pretty sure I had potato chip grease on my face with crumbs all down the front of my robe-- Not attractive.

It was the police asking if Husband and I had seen or heard anything suspicious the night before.  My mind raced to even think where we were the night before when I remembered I was actually on the exact same sofa eating the other half of the potato chips ala the FEED-a-cold-starve-a-fever school of thought.  (At least that my excuse and I'm sticking with it.)

I heard nothing and was of no help, but considering how I looked, I doubt a middle-aged housewife covered in potato chip crumbs was a credible witness anyway.  But, knowing how the homeowner felt I promised to keep a watchful eye out.

To say I hate that yet another home was robbed is an understatement.  This was not a "smash and grab" burglary like ours and others in the neighborhood, rather it was probably somehow tied to the countless people who have been in and out of the vacant house doing repair work who mentioned a 50" flat screen tv and fancy safe to a friend who knew a guy, who knew another guy-- you get the picture.  Regardless, it's nasty and unsettling.

So in the very near future, if you ever come to visit me, be sure to look into the cameras and say "cheese".  And bring a bag of potato chips.  Please and thank you.

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com  -  Joanna Jenkins
Photo Credit: © greiss design - Fotolia.com

47 comments:

  1. Yikes! Sorry about the burglaries but you're a woman after my own heart with the potato chips!

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  2. dang...not again...ack...i am sorry jj...bringing chips...lots of chips...smiles...ripple kind..

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  3. You feel so violated when they take things...your things...from your home.
    Sorry you have such a nasty cold...surely has been going around. Me? I have very same cold and I do pretzels in front of TV with laptop. Salt down the front...hair uncombed. We must be related in some fashion. Ha!
    May you feel better soon!
    Hugging you
    Pass the chips please
    SueAnn

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  4. LOl! You are just too funny. I could really picture you, but don´t really believe you looked that bad. :)
    Sorry about your cold, hope it gets better soon.
    I think you did the right thing installing cameras. They will give you another chance at peace at mind.

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  5. So sorry to hear you are under the weather. Alarming about the burglary so close to your house, it's awful what people do. Fortunately no one was injured.

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  6. This is very unsettling, to say the least. I promise to bring chips when I come by to see if there's anything left! :-)

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  7. Nasty and unsettling indeed....no, no, not you, the burgleries. I'm sure you did not look near as bad as you say. I'd say the burglary across the street was unsettling enough to merit another bag of potato chips. I hope you get over the cold soon.

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  8. Man, that is terrifying! I have not had my house broken into in my adult life, but when I was growing up in So Cal, it happened several times. Gotta love Riverside.

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  9. So sorry to hear about the burglary, yours, as well as, your neighbors. The cameras are a good thing. Would love to spend any morning in my jammies with a bag of chips! Hope you get over this cold soon! Have you tried "garlic" potato chips?

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  10. It certainly does seem like a camera is what you need, not only to feel better, but the thought of catching a criminal on camera could mean a conviction and getting one more selfish person off the streets and put away. You sound pretty cute to me, pj's and robe and chips and grease. Cute.

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  11. Just found your blog - you are a great writer and I'll be back to visit again.

    As for the cameras - makes me mad to think this is what our society has come to - but you need to do what makes you safe.

    Good luck!

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  12. sorry to hear about yet another burglary just across the street. I trust you keep the door locked when you are home alone? Or even with the husband.

    Love the potato chip cold recipe -- perhaps I need to go buy some, my cold has been lingering going on 3 weeks now!

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  13. How scary that they're still burgling your neighborhood. Hope they catch the crooks.
    Take care of yourself--this viral stuff lingers and lingers, doesn't it?

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  14. How awful to have such goings on in your neighborhood! I don't blame you for installing an alarm and video cameras! Shall I bring dip along with the chips?

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  15. Makes me mad that all these burglaries are taking place. So sorry about yours in Oct and that you had to suffer this other one right across your road. They deserve to have their hands cut off!!
    Don't apologize about the potato chips - I would be terribly undisciplined the night before because I would have finished them then and started a new one (or two) in the morning.
    Comfort eating is indeed a reality - example being that yesterday Mrs Bluelights and I decided to pop into a restaurant on our way home from the hospital where she had a CT scan. I was VERY naughty - I had a Great British Breakfast comprising, twp sausages, two rashers of bacon, chips, baked beans, fried potatoes, fried bread, two fried eggs and mushrooms!! ROFL Over 1350 calories!! I asked the waitress if I had to sign a disclaimer and when she asked me what I wanted to drink I said a diet coke - that's the least I can do ROFL. I think I'd better do a post on it LOL

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  16. Yikes! We've had some robberies in our neighborhood, too - and it makes me so angry! Colds definitely need comfort food - the potato chip cure - let me know if it works. - We were talking about burglaries at work the other day and decided we might need to get a tiger - is that legal?

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  17. I had to laugh, picturing you standing there with your unkempt hair, pajamas and potato chip crumbs! But this also brought back those unsettling feelings of being burglarized. It's happened to me twice. Definitely get those cameras and nab those assholes!

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  18. Oh my goodness you cracked me up with the chip crumbs on your robe. But you were sick and one must feed a cold, right!! Sorry about the break in, dog gone your neighborhood has gotten more than your fair share. I hope it stops soon, glad you have a good alarm system. Stay safe, feel better and big hugs!!

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  19. Oh gosh - not another burglary. Sounds as if you might need a dog with a loud bark too!

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  20. Your neighbourhood sure is getting a lot of negative action lately. I hope things settle soon.

    What flavour chips would you like?

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  22. How unsettling! I would definitely go for the video cameras, and maybe a BIG dog, inside and out!

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  23. so sorry about the burglaries, but you are my kind of blog buddy (potato chips for breakfast YEAH).

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  24. Actually, baked chips in moderation 27-30 are not bad for you. David likes to eat popcorn which is even better for your health than potato chips.
    Hope you feel better soon. Dianne

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  25. Wow. Exciting, but not in a good way.

    I so rarely get to sleep even as late as 7:30 it's hard for me to imagine being woken up at that hour.

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  26. I always wonder about alarm systems and what their success rate is (on deterring burglars, that is). I mean, if the burglar is a pro, wouldn't they cut the power before they enter? I'm sure not all burglars are pros, but when they get into upper end neighborhoods, I would think they would have alarm systems covered. What do you think?

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  27. Oh,no. So sorry to hear about the burglary. MAN!!

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  28. I see you have an anonymous spammer too. I just today gave up and changed to word verification on my blog. It was driving me nuts trying to keep up with it!

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  29. I will bring Utz...they are the best chips in the entire world and only the best will do for you!

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  30. Oh, you poor thing - colds are ROTTEN, I really hope you manage to take it easy and be kind to yourself as you try to nurse your way through it (passing you a box of tissues).

    I hope I don't jinx myself by saying I only lock our doors at night. Well see, we only have one set of keys, and they stay permanently in the locks - I've never bothered locking up as I go out, I mean, how else then could the grocery guy manage to leave my shopping in the kitchen if I'm out, or the postie leave my packages in the hall for me??

    That said, I did live in London for most of my adult life, so I am aware of the realities and necessities required to keep a safe house in a busy city setting. I'm so glad you are, too.

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  31. That's terrible. I'm sorry. I also hope you feel better soon. If I come over, you better save some chips for me because I don't need the excuse of a cold to gorge on them.

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  32. So sad to not feel utterly safe in your own home. We have never been burgled (MY WIFE was, before she met me, but we never have been since we've been together) so I can only imagine how sick it must make one feel.

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  33. Sorry to hear about your break-in, JJ. Hope all is now well with you and yours.

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  34. no that irritates me. Not eating the potato chips. But breaking in. At least you have a sense of humor. That's what I love about you JJ. hope there's plenty of fingerprints to get down to the bottom of it and that those people are the same ones that broke into your house. keep your potatoes chips handy when I come to visit.

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  35. Sorry, I had to giggle at the fact you were in the same position on the couch with the other half of the chips. lol

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  37. Hi, I saw your comment on Simone's blog and came over to visit you. That is disturbing to have a neighbor's house burglarized. Well maybe you will catch one on your new cameras. Hopefully they will stay away from your neighborhood.
    I am your new follower.

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  38. Well, hopefully you will catch them on camera and your neighborhood will be safe again. I'll smile real nice and bring the bean dip. :)

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  39. Good weather. Bad economy. More buglaries. There are lots of them in our neck of the woods these days. It sounds like you've done everything you can (assuming you're adding the cameras). Most important is try to relax and put it out of your mind so it doesn't mess with day to day.

    Very sad that you're not feeling well. There has been a lot of icky sicky this year, myself included. I hope you feel better very soon.

    Cheers,

    Casey

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  40. I just can't believe it. It's very unsettling. Maybe cameras are a good idea.
    You're right to eat potato chips when you're sick. Bacteria dies in a salt environment.
    And ginger tea is cleansing.
    Resting on the sofa; 3 snaps up. Your body heals when you are in "rest" mode.
    Please give a call to your local police and ask them if they could patrol your neighborhood a little more frequently.
    xo d

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  41. Oh, I really enjoyed this post, made me giggle. I think I know exactly how you felt, having had to face a stranger at the door at this hour on a Saturday.;) I refuse to open the door of anyone ring it so early.;) Even police. But on the other hand I admire you that you can eat potato chips so early, I would rather snack on some fresh croissants.;)
    Sorry about the burglary, even if it was at the neighbors house. Maybe you should get a big nasty looking dog, ha.;))
    Have a great rest of the week and hope the cold is better now.;)
    xoxo

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  42. Keep some Doritos handy too...I use those suckers like Chinese stars !!! Stay safe JJ, I've been burglarized too and that sinking feeling always hits my gut when I hear it happen to others...hope all is well with your world otherwise my friend, Cheers from NYC ~ Edward :)

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  43. Dip, too? Onion dip. Yum. What a mess that all is. Home is supposed to be safe!

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  44. Dip, too? Onion dip. Yum. What a mess that all is. Home is supposed to be safe!

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  45. I love, love, love the way you write!
    Your sweet face, covered in chips.
    Made my week!
    Get well soon!

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  46. Add some yummy dip to those chips and feel better soon. So sorry about all the burglaries.

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  47. You make me smile. I was only eating potato chips tonight in a stress related frenzy as well. I haven't done that in a long time. It is terrible the burglaries are happening so frequently. It sounds though that you are now well prepared if anyone tries it again. I hate what is happening to society, it is making me angry all the time. I had to be. Witness in court a couple of weeks ago. All those episodes of Law and Order and the Good Wife did nothing to prepare me as I was a terrible witness. Stage fright. Courts are damn scary places but it seems criminals could care less anyway. I may be coming to LA this year Aug/Sep are you game for a blogger catch up? I think we may like the same kind of breakfasts lol. Great writing as usual.

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