Trouble In the Hood!

Fabio does not have school today so he had a couple of buddies sleep over last night. I was at work but I

"We Three Thugs" in 2010 with our get-away reindeer

guess I missed some excitement. The boys decided to "go outside" because that's what MIDDLE-teens do. My son and his friends are not trouble-makers, they do not do drugs, they do not steal...These are the kind of kids that will probably never even try cigarettes. The types that yell at their parents if they don't buckle their seat belts even if they're just moving the car out of the driveway to park on the street. They get good grades, they play high school sports and they are in school plays. I am a very, very good judge of character and I am keenly aware of just about everything (it's way more of a curse than a super-power) and these are really good kids. I am not delusional; I know "boys will be boys" and all but I know these boys. I see many "less-savory" characters just about every night of my life and the boys Fabio hangs around with are not anything near thuggish and I know they never will be this type. So, they and their buddy Sunshine, who lives near the back of our hood, decided to just walk around the neighborhood in their cargo shorts and Hollister and American Eagle shirts and go to the park at about 10:15 last night. While they were walking around near the park a city patrol unit pulled up and asked them for their I.D's and patted them down saying that someone called the PD about them walking around the neighborhood. I am not sure what statute that is but I would guess under suspicious behavior? The officer then proceeded to search the park to see if they had thrown any contraband out of their pockets when they saw John Law coming. I do not blame the officer or the PD because he/they was/were doing what probably should have been done but it is more of a testimony to the nervousness of the people in our neighbor"hood."  I feel like singing "Who Are The People in Your Neighborhood" from Sesame Street. There have been some items stolen from cars in our neighborhood recently and we have a neighborhood Facebook page that fuels everybody's fears. We should change the name of the subdivision to Salem, Massachusetts Estates. Who leaves a laptop in their car and parks the car outside overnight? The Facebook post even mentioned that this wasn't the first time either (or something to that effect). What in the hell do you think is gonna happen? It shouldn't but it probably will. Fabio had a Nintendo DS hand-held video game and a bunch of game cartridges stolen about six years ago from "the hood" when he was nine or ten but now he never leaves anything like that in the car. Steal from us once, shame on us... This person said it was like the third time having something stolen from their car. Based-on past history I am guessing it won't be the last time either. Don't you know the old saying "locks just keep honest people honest?" I better settle down. I can tell I am fired-up because I am writing this with no "background noise" (TV, radio, Ipod...). I must be a good writer because I am getting a rise out of the reader (maybe it's easier when the reader and the writer are the same person). Too bad I never mastered the rithmetic; I would then be a three-tool player.

In that photo I added up at the top there they both DO have hoodies on don't they?  Like winter in Chicago is any reason for a hoodie. Good thing during the pat-down they did't have Skittles in their pockets though this was the police and not a neighborhood watch person. Also, they both have much shorter hair now as do I - we all had our winter fur then.

Speaking of winter in Chicago what in the Helser is going on with the weather in the MIDDLEwest? Floods a couple of days ago, nearly 70 degrees yesterday and now winter jacket weather again today with rain and a chance for snow with a low of 29 degrees predicted for tomorrow night. We sure had better have some damn pretty April flowers. Our sump pump hasn't stopped singing for about two weeks - it's a great sound when it's wet outside. They started fixing our siding and fascia today from the wind damage a couple of weeks ago. They had to stop because of the rain but will be back tomorrow "weather permitting." I called "The Good Neighbor" when the damage occurred and found that our homeowner's policy has a $1000 deductible. That makes sense I suppose. Nine years in this house and that is the first time I had to consult the policy - knock on vinyl siding. But, guess how much the repair is gonna cost? $980. CAHOOTS! I call shenanigans! Whatevs. Actually, that has some other work we decided to have done while they are out here included in the price. The fascia itself was only going to be about $280. I would have done the fascia myself but it is about thirty feet up (probably more like 22 feet) on the house and I don't feel like dying in the rain. Who would write the blog? Who would co-host Dirty Laundry Podcast (which records tonight)? See how I always work that in here? Self Realized Media Whore here!

I have to start some laundry and clean up the kitchen. This IS my Saturday. We have lots of dirty hoodies - this IS hoodie season you know. Thanks a lot for being here. Hopefully you are someplace dryer than here unless you are a duck or a fish. I see ducks in people's yards and in the fronts of businesses all the time now. They are probably looking for a lake (front yard) rather than an ocean (formerly lakes and rivers). Have a great rest of your Tuesday and your Tuesnight. I will most probably blog again tomorrow because I will have to plug the podcast and somebody or something will Agitate me so I will have to blog it off of my chest. TTTT...MITM - safe in the hood(ie) TA!

P.S. - Fabio is still in hot water from last night because Cha Cha thought he and his buddies were just in the backyard. She, most likely, would have been okay with them walking to the park, though society has a problem with it, but not telling her was his mistake. I predict lots of yard work and a lot less X-Box in his very near future!