my car's run-in with a criminal.

I had been at a workshop during the school day.
I had a sub and told my kids that anyone who didn't get ANY card flips during the day would get a special treat from me the next day.
I was pleased to return at the end of the day to see that 18 of 24 would get a treat.
I wanted to make it something special, so I headed to the local Wal-Mart to get some popsicles.
I parked, went in, and got the goods.
I was in there for 15 minutes at the most.

After I paid, picked up my bags, and headed out the door, I saw this.

There were about 7 police cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck.
I start to walk toward my car...and notice THIS.

My car is the tan SUV.
Notice the man laying on the ground right next to my car??
Yeah.
Apparently he had tried to shoplift a hard drive.
When the police came after him, he tried to attack an officer.
So then they tased him.

Obviously, I couldn't go to my car.
So I stood outside, holding my grocery bags...just waiting.
Next thing I know, I see a student from last year with her grandmother.
We chat about what's going on, and they go inside.
About 20 minutes later they come back out, ready to head home.
I'm still waiting.
Then I see the mother of a current student. She gives me a weird little wave (probably wondering what kind of involvement her son's teacher has in this) as she goes in.
{Perhaps this is why I try to AVOID this particular Wal-Mart.}

Eventually they get this guy away from my car and walk him toward the ambulance.
To say he was bloody would be an understatement.
He was basically gushing.
But that's gross, so let's move on.

So then I waited some more.
Did I mention that it was about 9 degree outside?
Well it was.

After about 45-50 total minutes of frigid temps, an offer from the Wal-Mart manager to buy me a cup of coffee, and a new-found friend in a middle-aged woman who waited with me the whole time for no real reason, other than she figured I'd like some company, I was finally allowed to go to my car to leave. Side note: my new friend not only opened my car door for me, but hugged me before I got in. Weird.

I was on the phone with my mom on my way home, telling her about all that had gone on.
As I was pulling on to the by-pass, I noticed that my side mirror was pushed in.
No big deal...it's made to do that.
But as I was looking at it, I noticed that there were little drops of blood on my window!
Somewhere in the scuffle with police, this guy my have been slammed into my car.

When I got home, I walked around to the passenger side, and this is what I saw.

GROSS!!!!!!
The dang criminal's blood got all over my car!
I drove 20 minutes home with blood on my car.
Other drivers had to have noticed.
Sick!

Later that night, I told Ty, "I need to go out and clean that blood off my car."
To which he replied, "Oh, just park it outside...the snow will take care of it."
Yeah right!
Snow wouldn't have done the job.
I had to scrub pretty hard to get it all off.
My poor car.

To wrap this up, there are a few things I'm thankful for.
1. That I wasn't walking to my car when all this happened. I probably would've been hurt.
2. That there was no permanent damage to my car.
3. That I had an interesting story to tell at work the next day.

And that, my friends, is why you probably shouldn't shoplift.

xoxo, wife.