The Death of 10^3 Cuts, 2007 edition

[Robert_Moriyama]

While others are faced by tragedies (Dan's recent losses; a co-worker whose mother just passed away), I am doomed to be (as Captain Janeway once put it) "pecked to death by ducks".

To wit:

a job reclassification scheme that will freeze my pay for at least two years, and effectively freeze the pay my pension will be based upon for three to four years beyond that;

the slow decline of my mother's health -- decreasing mobility due to arthritis and weight loss due to lack of appetite (her weight down to about 72 pounds), resulting in a few weeks' hospitalization, and in-home visits by a nurse upon her release;

Nate being mean to me (just kidding);

and today,

the theft of my car (locked) from the controlled access underground parking garage of my apartment building! This car, mind you, was the replacement for ANOTHER car that was stolen from a subway station parking lot a few years ago. (That car was found, reeking of cigarette smoke, doors open in the rain, just after I had arranged the purchase of the currently-missing vehicle.)

Individually, these things would be moderate irritants, but certainly survivable. For them all to occur over about a month and a half, however, just seems to prove my suspicion that there is a God, but he is a perverse and sadistic creature who enjoys tormenting the little clay creatures he has made (viz. Clemens's "The Mysterious Stranger").

:P

[kailhofer]

It's too bad about your mother and the job thing. My sympathies there.

As to the car, man, what kind of neighborhood do you live in, anyway? Whatever it is, maybe you should consider moving. :o

Nate

[Robert_Moriyama]

It's too bad about your mother and the job thing. My sympathies there.

As to the car, man, what kind of neighborhood do you live in, anyway? Whatever it is, maybe you should consider moving. :o

Nate

I think the largest part of the population is Russian Jewish (although there is more of a mixture now then ten years ago). It's probably some kind of sophisticated Mafiya operation that targets aging Japanese sedans... David Cronenberg could make "Eastern Promises II" about the terrible impact of their ruthless activities. (On the bright side, it needed a new timing belt. That more than compensates for the $500 deductible on my insurance -- assuming that they don't find the car within a few weeks.)

Or ... the car was ABDUCTED BY ALIENS, who beamed it out of the garage, thereby eliminating the need for the special key required to open the garage door. My poor car -- who KNOWS what they might be inserting into its tailpipe, even as I type this? :'(

(The subway station parking lot where the other car was stolen is about 10 kilometers from here -- different crowd. One of the perpetrators was apparently of Japanese ancestry, so I might have to move away from myself to avoid the untrustworthy elements.)

RM

[Robert_Moriyama]

UPDATE: Amazingly enough, the police called and said that the car had already been found in Oakville (around 60 or 70 miles from where it was stolen). It has damage to the steering column and (I think) has had its airbags removed.

On the one hand, yay! On the other hand, I'm kinda insulted on behalf of the car. All they wanted was the AIRBAGS? I knew the car wasn't exactly flashy, but jeeeeeeez.

RM

[Robert_Moriyama]

UPDATE: I now have a rental car -- a Malibu with power everything. When I parked it, the car next to mine was gone (presumably not stolen, just gone), and in the corner where it was hidden by that car there was a pile of stuff -- pretty much everything that was in the stolen car, including the trunk, back seat, and glove compartment. This is a good thing, but now I'm really insulted. Not only wasn't the car worth keeping, none of my stuff was good enough to steal either!

Among the pile of stuff I found something that looks like it might be the ignition assembly from the steering column. This would certainly explain why the police officer who called to say that the car had been found would think that it wasn't driveable!

Now we'll see how long it takes to get the Honda fixed and back in my hands...

RM

[Robert_Moriyama]

And let's not even think about the insult implied when burglars ignore your favorite electronic gadgets, furniture, etc. At least the thieves liked SOME of your clothes.

(Of course, maybe they were attending a costume party as Fashion Victims ... ::))

RM