• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

“Two Recollections: A Burglary & A Leaf Blower”

BURGLARY

When I was around ten years old, our house got burglarized. My mother and sister were out somewhere, but my father, my brother, and I came home from Sears in time to hear that someone was in the house, more specifically, downstairs in the basement. We had just pulled in the driveway when my father noticed all the lights on inside the house. A licensed carrier, he immediately went for the pistol in his ankle holster. He told my brother and I to stay put inside the car. Then he cautiously entered the house.

Of course, we didn’t listen to my father’s instructions and followed along soon after. The kitchen was trashed. And there was commotion heard from down in the basement. When I went downstairs—I’m not sure what my brother was doing at this point, perhaps whimpering in the corner somewhere—my father and the burglar were nowhere in sight.

Our was stuff strewn everywhere. I immediately rushed to the other part of the basement where the bulked was and saw that it was open, the backyard censor light illuminating the area outside. And so, I was able to catch a glimpse of my father running through the snow, away from the house. The rest of the story goes that he chased the burglar a ways up the street before eventually losing sight of him. However, if you ask my father in the present day if this indeed happened, he’ll say that it never did, and that you don’t know what you’re talking about.

Did my father really chase a burglar almost a quarter mile up the road with a firearm in his hand? I remember that night and I remember it well. Perhaps Dateline might properly investigate the events of that evening so we can know the real facts of this mysterious cold case.

LEAF BLOWER

As I listen to the sweet symphony of my neighbor leaf-blowing a clean driveway in the rain, I can’t help but recall the time I went to look at a rental house and, after stepping out of my car, was instantly met by a guy no less than 100-years-old wielding a leaf blower on full throttle, his head down, quickly coming within inches of my face as I clumsily slammed the car door shut in shock. “What the hell!” I yelled as he resumed his activities by blowing dirt and debris up around my car in a complete state of obliviousness. My ears ringing, and still reeling from the trauma, I wobbled up to the rental house and peeped inside, waited a few minutes on the porch, and then went back to my car and drove off.
  • Like
Reactions: lenora

Comments

My daughter here in Dallas once had a next door neighbor who constantly had his leaf blower out. I mean the man was out there constantly.

My daughter had asked about and found out from the man's wife that he need it to calm himself down. (Heaven only knows what he was capable of if that was calming). He walked along with a cigarette dangling from his lips and that infernal blower constantly going. I'm glad it helped his nerves, b/c it did nothing for ours. Those things are loud!

Anyway, the neighbor did move away, hopefully somewhere close to his therapist or the person who gave him this bright idea. Yes, his yard was as neat as a pin, but there was a well worn path about the entire perimeter. He did also offer to blow their lawn for them....but they wisely declined.

Rod's now having a problem with a tenant property. I kept telling him (OK, I now he doesn't listen after probably the first time), that a racoon under a house could cause big trouble. But no, he kept letting it drag on, so now there is a nest of them and they can be impossible to remove. I'd say they've settled in for the winter. Ideas welcome, but mothballs don't work.

Pest control folks want nothing to do with them and their young, thus this is a bit of a problem. The very lowest quote (probably from a 12 yr. old boy) was $3,000 to remove them. (I didn't even ask if that included a guarantee). I also haven't even asked what he has decided to do.

I think it's possible that your father's encounter was with some 4 legged visitor....it was probably looking for the coffee. Yours, Lenora
 
My daughter here in Dallas once had a next door neighbor who constantly had his leaf blower out. I mean the man was out there constantly.

My daughter had asked about and found out from the man's wife that he need it to calm himself down. (Heaven only knows what he was capable of if that was calming). He walked along with a cigarette dangling from his lips and that infernal blower constantly going. I'm glad it helped his nerves, b/c it did nothing for ours. Those things are loud!

Anyway, the neighbor did move away, hopefully somewhere close to his therapist or the person who gave him this bright idea. Yes, his yard was as neat as a pin, but there was a well worn path about the entire perimeter. He did also offer to blow their lawn for them....but they wisely declined.

Rod's now having a problem with a tenant property. I kept telling him (OK, I now he doesn't listen after probably the first time), that a racoon under a house could cause big trouble. But no, he kept letting it drag on, so now there is a nest of them and they can be impossible to remove. I'd say they've settled in for the winter. Ideas welcome, but mothballs don't work.

Pest control folks want nothing to do with them and their young, thus this is a bit of a problem. The very lowest quote (probably from a 12 yr. old boy) was $3,000 to remove them. (I didn't even ask if that included a guarantee). I also haven't even asked what he has decided to do.

I think it's possible that your father's encounter was with some 4 legged visitor....it was probably looking for the coffee. Yours, Lenora
You should really write your own blog. I’d certainly read it.
 
Thanks @Cloudy Skies

Years ago, I did have a "column" (for lack of a better word) under "Chatting with Lenora but then started received some unfriendly remarks (PM) from people who were unhappy with movies I'd watched & recommended, or the channels they came in on, etc. Of course our tastes aren't all the same, but if someone recommends something to me, I try it and if I don't like it, then fine. We're all different ages, some like sci-fi, others don't...you get the picture.

I also received many nice comments about other things, but that's why if something is too long the Moderators are welcome to put it wherever they want...I understand. I just think we all need a break every now and again....and what better way? If you don't feel like reading it, that's OK. Perhaps on certain days I wouldn't be in the mood either.

I'm not in a great league of writers, love reading...I've always been in love with words, and do understand why some aren't.

As long as others are blogging, I'm reading them. In addition to questions being answered, we often just need to relax and enjoy a chuckle (Howard), learning experiences.....memories, whatever. But I don't recommend movies any longer. Your kind comments (and you) are most appreciated. Yours, Lenora
 

Blog entry information

Author
Cloudyskies
Read time
2 min read
Views
447
Comments
3
Last update

More entries in User Blogs

  • Daily doodal dandy
    Just testing this out
  • Covid day 75
    Well since my last few updates I started to suffer from exhaustion and...
  • Pray
    If you pray, will you pray for me please? I have covid pneumonia and...

More entries from Cloudyskies