Basement Unlocked. Bicycle Stolen

The problem with getting in to the basement was resolved with a few twists and turns. For all last week I didn't hear from the neighbor (I'll call him G) whose guest was responsible. I was using tepid water because I couldn't turn up my heater. I went to buy a lock, knowing we had to have something on the door after we cut that one off. I found they were too expensive, at least the ones I found at the hardware store. I'm sure I could have found another cheap one at target. I went back to G. Follow the jump for the rest of the story.



Turns out his ugly, obnoxious guest was even worse news than she seemed with her bickering with him at night and puking outside the door in the morning. She stole and sold his saxophone, and he was a musician (A very good one. You have heard his work, on vinyl if you're old enough.) She got his debit card, bullied his pin number from him and cleaned out his bank account. He's been depending on his church to support him until his SS check comes tomorrow. G is in poor health. He's had throat cancer. It would take an especially calloused grifter to steal from him.

When we got into the basement and my bicycle was gone. That isn't a huge loss for me. A friend gave it to me for free, her son no longer wanted it. A search of its reviews on the Internet revealed it was Yugo of bikes. I hadn't yet even pumped its tires and ridden it. Yet, that only means my loss is mitigated, it doesn't mean the joke was on her and whoever she sold it to. Moreover, once we got the lock off, we discovered she had no belongings stored down there. The padlock was on a chair just inside the door. That means she put the lock on it to delay us finding out what she stole. I didn't really have anything else of any sale value stored down there, fortunately.

My loss definitely wasn't as bad as G's. I've had roommates, that is, people I put up to help, take and/or wreck every material thing I valued, people I was in the hospital with. They stole my handspring, my jacket, my DVD's and mechanically wrecked my car, and brought in a cat off the street that gave mind feline AIDS. He eventually died. It's a wrenching experience.

I don't know what his exact relationship to her was. It might be a delicate topic. She would come in and stay a few weeks, then leave. A transient. She wasn't young, at least she didn't look young, and she ugly tattoos on her face.

Then Saturday G lost his key, and I had to assist him breaking into his apartment. Actually, that was the original plan. We discovered it was probably a better idea for me to crawl in rather than assist him. I'm younger (if not young) and healthier. I quickly learned just how much agility I've lost. Times were I would have enjoyed that.

Lately my weekends have become work days, and never tell me I don't work. I wrote and read the entire day, and most the night. I scheduled myself very tightly today, and the main reason why I have time to write on this blog is because I met my production goal today on the novel. I'm close to the end.