A week without sleep

Officer kills agitated man holding knife, police say

Tucson Police draw their weapons at the scene of a shooting at the 2300 block of N Elaine Blvd on June 2, 2011 in Tucson, Ariz.

Tucson Police officers and fire paramedics take a person out of the scene of a shooting at the 2300 block of N Elaine Blvd. on June 2, 2011 in Tucson, Ariz.

With Grant gone is it any wonder that I couldn't sleep well this week?

By Thursday I needed a break so I worked up the courage to ask our neighbors to babysit so I could run a few fun errands... But  they decided to go to the dentist instead.  (The nerve!)

So I brought the girls with me.  I needed new  

since I had literally walked holes through the last pair.    

We went to Payless, just across the street from us, and had fun trying on shoes (Cairn wanted me to get the sparkly heels instead) until I found what I needed and it was time to go...  That's when Cairn decided to melt down.

To make a long harrowing experience short... she screamed and hit and threw shoes (her own) for the next eternity it took to get someone to ring us up and pay and walk home.  I left her buckled in the stroller and locked in her room and she screamed.... until she fell asleep and then some more in her sleep.

That's the sort of day it was.  We cooled down and were starting to have a better time of it by bedtime... 

But apparently the day wasn't done for yet!

I walked out to sweep our piles of dirt and rock off the porch and saw something...

   

Now, what you don't see here is Grant's bike that is usually locked to that rail.  A little back history of our neighborhood and bikes:

Grant bought a nice bike from a friend.  The frame was too big for a standard U-lock so we got one of the "normal" chains to lock up his bike.  At this same time our neighbor had two bikes, not locked.  

The chain got cut and Grant lost his transportation. AJ's bikes were untouched.

So we went to the Pawn Shop down the road and bought a ghetto (probably stolen) bike for $25.  It was purple and didn't have any thing on the seat (I stitched some jean and cotton batting on for cushion).  Also, huge plus, it was small enough for a U-lock (which can't be cut with anything inconspicuous)!  

This just meant that after 4 attempts AJ's two bikes were gone.

Back to last night though... the bike was gone.  It was the last straw and I did what any self-respecting woman would do: I called my mom and bawled it out.

Since last night was another sleepless night I woke up and made brownies... a double batch to put into a pan that only fits a 1.5 sized batch so I could eat the excess batter.  Of course I shared my chocolate induced stupor with Cairn and Cerise.

And just as the sugar perked me up a bit and the chocolate smoothed out my gruffness there was an urgent sounding knock at the door.  Our neighbor, Shalla.  

Shalla: I don't know if you realized it but Grant's bike is...

Carrie: Yeah, it happened last night when I was putting the girls to bed

Shalla: Oh, I didn't notice anything then... but that's not why I'm here.  Grant's bike is down on the corner...

In the words of Cairn's favorite Sesame Street character, Super Grover, HAV-A-WHAT?!!

That's right everybody. My husband locks his bike up the right way

And for some strange reason that good-for nothing, idiot of a thief couldn't ride away.

This is going right up with the rifter with a bike asking everyone for gas money at the bus stop.