Every year for the last 7 years, I coordinate a reunion for a large group of people from my middle school class. In the past, it has always been an all-girls dinner, filled withs stories, laughs, and this-should-be-awkward-but-isnt-hugs. 2011, however, means that almost all us of are 21, so I thought for this year’s reunion, it could be fun to both include boys (gasp!) and go downtown. So, on Saturday night, a big group of us went to a few bars and caught up, had a few drinks, and danced. 6th street was especially busy because it was the annual Harley Davidson convention – which I didn’t realize when I planned the reunion.
After all the bars closed, we were standing out in the street rehashing the events of the night and saying our goodbyes. There were thousands of people around and I felt a pressure on my shoulder and then a release. I bet my phone just got stolen. Sure enough, I put my hand into my purse, which was a long, leather satchel, and my iphone was gone. I turned around to see the three guys that had been behind me power walking away. Stupidly, my friend and I sprinted after them and demanded for my phone back. Obviously, they denied having it. Aly called my phone while we were standing with them and the shortest of the three started to get really fidgety. Probably because my iphone was vibrating against his leg through his big, baggy pockets.
Since I clearly wasn’t going to get my phone back, we returned to the group and everyone went home. When I woke up the next morning, I was carless (I no longer have a car in Austin) and phoneless. My plan was to take a bus to Walmart and buy the cheapest phone I could find and then take it to ATT to get a sim card. I logged onto facebook chat to try to communicate with the world and saw that my friend Crystal (who was at the reunion) was online. She informed me that the person who stole my phone had been texting her asking for 300 dollars and nudie photos for its return. Wonderful. She felt terrible and called her parents to see if they had any advice. Apparently, they are the sweetest people alive, because they hopped in the car and came to pick me up from Courtney’s apartment. We drove to their home to pick up an old ATT phone they had and were willing to lend me for the week and make a plan. Crystal’s mom suggested we try to scare them into returning the phone. I figured that would never work because my iphone has been stolen before, and the old if you dont return it, the cops will arrest you line didn’t work. Still, I had nothing to lose (hah) so I used Crystal’s father’s phone to text my phone. I wrote something like Hello, this is the owner of the phone you stole. Because you have used my phone, the police were able to locate it via GPS. I will not press charges if you return the phone to a restaurant or hotel by 2pm. Otherwise, expect the police and possible jail time for theft and sexual harassment. We waited a few minutes for a response, and when there was none, we got in the car and headed towards ATT. As a last ditch effort, I decided to call my phone.
Ring ring ring….
Wahhh?
The guy answered! He sounded either asleep or out of his mind drugged up. Over the next 15 minutes, it became very apparent that it was the latter. I’m thinking heroine… I kept explaining over and over again that all he needed to do was leave my phone at a restaurant or hotel and then text or call me where he left it so I could pick it up. He just couldn’t understand, so he said “hang on, here’s Jeremy” and handed me off to another guy! Same process over again. I demanded that he leave my phone at the hotel or restaurant of his choice and he wouldn’t get in trouble. For a second, he got smart and was like ‘Why dont I just ditch it in the trash or somethin?” But I lied through my teeth said that if he did that I would have the police go to where the phone was last located, which was where he was. Literally 2o minutes later, he told me he was going to take it to Jack In The Box (this was before he had even done it… not wise). I asked Crystal’s father if he was down for an adventure and he responded by pulling out of the ATT parking lot. We drove 30 minutes to the northeast side of Austin. I used his iphone to find the only Jack in the Box on Rundberg and we went inside to see if the phone was there.
They had it.
They said a guy that looked homeless had come in and mistaken a customer for an employee and handed him the iphone. He apparently mumbled something about finding it in the parking lot. It seems to me that whoever stole my phone decided it was a piece of crap (because it is cracked beyond recognition) and either trashed it or gave it to a homeless guy. The person who stole it was definitely not drugged out – he was quick. Regardless, I think there was a 1 in 10,000,000 chance that I would get my phone back – and I did!
Hopefully I didn’t just bore you to tears. I accidently left my digital camera in California, so that is why I don’t have many pictures or recipes! I return on Saturday – so soon! I do, however, have a little meal idea to share:
a perfect lunch
4 oz salmon, 3 asparagus spears, and a handful of mushrooms & snap peas. Melt butter in pan on medium heat. Add ingredients and let cook for 2-3 minutes. Flip salmon. Once opaque, remove everything from heat. Rub with 1 oz goat cheese. Enjoy! (with a side of oatmeal and avo?….)
Every year for the last 7 years, I coordinate a reunion for a large group of people from my middle school class. In the past, it has always been an all-girls dinner, filled withs stories, laughs, and this-should-be-awkward-but-isnt-hugs. 2011, however, means that almost all us of are 21, so I thought for this year’s reunion, it could be fun to both include boys (gasp!) and go downtown. So, on Saturday night, a big group of us went to a few bars and caught up, had a few drinks, and danced. 6th street was especially busy because it was the annual Harley Davidson convention – which I didn’t realize when I planned the reunion.
After all the bars closed, we were standing out in the street rehashing the events of the night and saying our goodbyes. There were thousands of people around and I felt a pressure on my shoulder and then a release. I bet my phone just got stolen. Sure enough, I put my hand into my purse, which was a long, leather satchel, and my iphone was gone. I turned around to see the three guys that had been behind me power walking away. Stupidly, my friend and I sprinted after them and demanded for my phone back. Obviously, they denied having it. Aly called my phone while we were standing with them and the shortest of the three started to get really fidgety. Probably because my iphone was vibrating against his leg through his big, baggy pockets.
Since I clearly wasn’t going to get my phone back, we returned to the group and everyone went home. When I woke up the next morning, I was carless (I no longer have a car in Austin) and phoneless. My plan was to take a bus to Walmart and buy the cheapest phone I could find and then take it to ATT to get a sim card. I logged onto facebook chat to try to communicate with the world and saw that my friend Crystal (who was at the reunion) was online. She informed me that the person who stole my phone had been texting her asking for 300 dollars and nudie photos for its return. Wonderful. She felt terrible and called her parents to see if they had any advice. Apparently, they are the sweetest people alive, because they hopped in the car and came to pick me up from Courtney’s apartment. We drove to their home to pick up an old ATT phone they had and were willing to lend me for the week and make a plan. Crystal’s mom suggested we try to scare them into returning the phone. I figured that would never work because my iphone has been stolen before, and the old if you dont return it, the cops will arrest you line didn’t work. Still, I had nothing to lose (hah) so I used Crystal’s father’s phone to text my phone. I wrote something like Hello, this is the owner of the phone you stole. Because you have used my phone, the police were able to locate it via GPS. I will not press charges if you return the phone to a restaurant or hotel by 2pm. Otherwise, expect the police and possible jail time for theft and sexual harassment. We waited a few minutes for a response, and when there was none, we got in the car and headed towards ATT. As a last ditch effort, I decided to call my phone.
Ring ring ring….
Wahhh?
The guy answered! He sounded either asleep or out of his mind drugged up. Over the next 15 minutes, it became very apparent that it was the latter. I’m thinking heroine… I kept explaining over and over again that all he needed to do was leave my phone at a restaurant or hotel and then text or call me where he left it so I could pick it up. He just couldn’t understand, so he said “hang on, here’s Jeremy” and handed me off to another guy! Same process over again. I demanded that he leave my phone at the hotel or restaurant of his choice and he wouldn’t get in trouble. For a second, he got smart and was like ‘Why dont I just ditch it in the trash or somethin?” But I
lied through my teethsaid that if he did that I would have the police go to where the phone was last located, which was where he was. Literally 2o minutes later, he told me he was going to take it to Jack In The Box (this was before he had even done it… not wise). I asked Crystal’s father if he was down for an adventure and he responded by pulling out of the ATT parking lot. We drove 30 minutes to the northeast side of Austin. I used his iphone to find the only Jack in the Box on Rundberg and we went inside to see if the phone was there.They had it.
They said a guy that looked homeless had come in and mistaken a customer for an employee and handed him the iphone. He apparently mumbled something about finding it in the parking lot. It seems to me that whoever stole my phone decided it was a piece of crap (because it is cracked beyond recognition) and either trashed it or gave it to a homeless guy. The person who stole it was definitely not drugged out – he was quick. Regardless, I think there was a 1 in 10,000,000 chance that I would get my phone back – and I did!