Because I Am Just Mad As That Hot Place Down Under And I Ain't Gonna Take It Any More, THAT'S Why!

UPDATE BELOW!!!

Well folks, let it never be said the fun here at Singer Central ever ends. Because it doesn't.

Ever.

Case in point:

Coming off of a rather bad vacation, which I may or may not highlight at some future point in time, I went back to work on Monday. The head of the accounting department came in to my office with a bill in hand and a worried look on her face.

Asking me if I was sure we had canceled ALL of the "company" credit cards when my purse was stolen, and receiving an affirmative answer from me, she then proceeded to show me a bill from Wal-Mart.

Now, bear in mind I work for a not-for-profit that helps needy people each and every day before I tell you this. Bear in mind the credit card used to make purchases at said store was a Sam's Club card that had been canceled at Sam's Club but that Sam's Club had not had the foresight to cancel completely when we reported it stolen, so it could still be used at Wal-Mart.

Bear in mind it had my picture and the NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION ON THE CARD IN BIG, BOLD LETTERS.

And then hear me when I tell you that Wal-Mart let the thugs who stole my purse use it to steal THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS' WORTH OF GOODS. Around $5,000.00 more or less. And that was from a bill that ran only through the 19th of June. My purse was stolen on the 7th.

Among items purchased were an X-Box, digital camera, DVD players, gift cards totaling hundreds of dollars each, a changing table, clothing, food, and almost anything else the store carries.

I was livid.

I was a wild woman.

The organization for which I work will not be responsible for the purchases made, but that did nothing to ice down my fury. These people deserved to know they were NOT getting away with this without being called on it.

And I decided I was just the person to do that.

You see, there are only two detectives for every 200 cases each month in my part of town. Because of this, only the "important" cases get assigned. My case obviously did not, and even if it did, the detectives are so far behind that it might never get brought to justice.

When the crooks were stupid enough to use my checking account to pay for calls for one of their friends or relatives to call out of jail to their home number, however, I had all the information I needed. When I tried to give it to the police they were uninterested.

But it made great material for a little bit of retribution.

After finding out about the spending spree, I made a little call.

I asked them how they were, if things were going well. Then I laid into them. I told them the police knew all about the robbery they'd committed and where and when it happened. I told them they had videos of the robbery, the places where purchases had been made with the stolen credit cards, the exact place where my purse had been found, and the phone number, address, and names of the people who did it. I told them they'd better be watching for the authorities to show up at any time, because I made sure to tell them everything I knew and I'd been researching it since it happened.

And I shamed them for stealing from people who had no food to eat or home to live in, which was what they did when they used the credit card with the organization's name on it.

And then they hung up on me.

So I called back and left voicemail, because they wouldn't answer the phone again.

When I tried to call again the next day, the voicemail message had been taken off. The next day the phone was "temporarily disconnected."

Yes, I lied about knowing the names and addresses. And I know I said I forgave them. I did, for what they did to me. But I haven't yet for what they did, or thought they did, to an organization that only tries to help those in need.

For that I'm doing the Scarlett O'Hara. I'll ask forgiveness for that one tomorrow.

UPDATE:

I honestly don't know if something is in the water or the moon has been full for the past couple of months or I'm hormonal or all of the above, but here's the latest...

Tonight I took my son to the movie theater with me.

I went in to do my weekly job and gave him the money to buy his ticket to see the movie he wanted to see. We met up after I'd finished my job and he finished seeing his movie. We left through the doors at the end of the theater that were clearly marked EXIT ONLY.

There was no mistaking them for entry doors. No way, no how.

A couple of young men who resembled the ones who ripped me off casually tried to enter as we left by holding the door for us as we exited, thereby gaining entrance to the theater without paying.

Little did they know with whom they were dealing.

However, rather than screaming at the top of my lungs

"HEY!!!! YOU'RE TRYING TO STEAL FROM THIS THEATER BY COMING IN THE BACK DOOR TO WATCH A MOVIE FOR FREE!!! POLICE!!!! MANAGER!!!!"

I instead kept my cool and said

"ExCUSE me. You have to enter

through the FRONT DOOR."

And then I made sure the door shut firmly behind us before we walked away.

And I muttered a bad word that described the young men as we walked, and I asked my son for forgiveness.