If Tote Bags Could Talk, chapter 1

Last Saturday, the kids and I headed out for some Saturday morning errands. We loaded my library tote bag with children's books at the library, went to the grocery store, and came home. Later that afternoon I thought to myself, "I wonder if Brian brought the library books in when he was bringing in the groceries?" And then an hour or two later I asked myself again if the library books were in the house. It was a simple enough query to answer, but alas, being the multitasking mother I am, I proceeded to complete a more pressing task like the dinner and dishes before the sitter arrived. Brian headed off to work and I was thrilled to be going to my old roommate G's wedding open house. I got the new sitter situated, reassured her I'd be back in 2 hours, she didn't even have to put the kids to bed, and off I went the Sugarhouse area of SLC for the reception.

I was SO HAPPY to see G and meet her husband L! It had been 7 years since I'd seen G and it made me so happy to catch up with her and another roommate, M, at the reception. After most of the guests had left and it was just us 3 old roommates laughing, reminiscing the good old days, a man appeared at the reception and asked if anyone was the owner of a white SUV parked in the North parking lot of the building. I said, "Yes, that's me," and Kind Stranger said, "Well someone just smashed your car window and stole your laptop bag out of your car."

I knew it couldn't have been our laptop, that was safe at home, I had my purse, I knew there were no French horns in the car, so what in the world had been taken? We all walked out to the parking lot and sure enough, someone had smashed the rear passenger window. Kind Stranger had been out walking his dog and heard a car alarm and got there just in time to see a man take a bag from my car, and jump into a charcoal gray Wyoming plated sedan with a woman behind the wheel and take off. He memorized the plate number, went home, wrote it down, then came to find me.

I called the police and when he arrived he called Kind Stranger to hear what happened. The police asked me what was stolen and I honestly wasn't sure. I told him it might be a bag of children's library books. I couldn't get a hold of Brian who was blissfully playing a pops concerts in the mountains to ask if he had brought the dang library books in from the car. I knew that I had put the tote bag of books behind the driver's seat and the window they had smashed was on the other side so that made me confused.

The police did not seem too concerned with the whole affair, (even though he had a plate number!) which having been stolen from before, I wasn't surprised by. He did give me some good advice to go the nearest gas station/car wash and use their high powered vacuum to try to vacuum out the glass that was shattered all over the back seat, especially covering Elliott's car seat.

I had to beg G and L to go on their merry way and please stop staring at my attacked car, I did not want their memory of that night to be related to my car! M stayed with me and we found a broom and dustpan so as not to leave shattered glass in the church parking lot for the Sunday morning crowd. At some point I told M, "Well my insurance will replace the window and books for free but where am I going to find another brown with turquoise flower Eddie Bauer tote bag?! I liked that bag! I paid $12 for that!" She lovingly rolled her eyes at me. I called my insurance and set up a glass repairman to come over Monday. I called my babysitter and apologized profusely for not being home yet. She said she had put the kids to bed. I called Brian about 9 times but he was still performing. M went with me to the gas station and helped me break out some more of the glass with the vacuum nozzle and then vacuum it out of my car, and then off the gas station parking lot. What a mess. My foot even caught a falling piece of glass and bled a bit. Then I drove home, a loud 20 minutes on the freeway with a missing window. At some point I did get a hold of Brian.

Brian: Hello?
Me: Did you take the library books out of the car today?
Brian: No.
Me: You won't believe what just happened....

So my totebag had been trying to talk to me! "Madelyn, come get me out of the car, Madelyn!!!"

Right next to where the totebag had been was Lily's favorite doll, Audreybaby. As we got into bed that night I said to Brian, "If only Audreybaby was a nanny cam, she would have the whole thing on tape! Audreybaby is a witness! Well I hope they're enjoying that Pollyanna dvd Elliott insisted on!" I said a prayer for the criminals that night too, poor lowlifes.

lessons learned: Park in the more heavily trafficked parking lot, be aware what is in your car and just because you know it isn't valuable, doesn't mean a lowlife won't hope that it is, and by the next morning I had figured out that they had smashed the far side window from what they wanted, so that the totebag wouldn't have a bunch of glass on it....thinking like a criminal I am now!, and Pay Attention to Your Talking Tote!

Stay Tuned....the story gets better!!!!