What a Morning Part II

And yes, of COURSE it involves the police.

Only this time, I wasn't speeding and I called them to my house....

I was coming home from taking the babies to school. As I got close to my house, I noticed this red stuff on my fence. At first I thought it was yarn or something hanging on it and as I got closer, my heart sank. It wasn't yarn...it was red spray paint - and black spray paint.

It says and I quote, "SUCK IT" some spray painted lines and "FUCK."

I didn't know whether to be angry or cry...or both.

See, that fence means a lot to me. When husband first deployed to Iraq in 2004, I needed something to do. Husband and a buddy had promised to build me a fence, but ended up deploying to Iraq instead. With dogs, I really needed a fence. So, before he left, I got online and found some fence plans. I read up on how to set posts and the best way to attach rails and pickets. I looked at the yard and decided where the fence needed to go and contacted the city to see if I needed a permit. Husband had said there was NO WAY I could build a fence myself. No way I could dig the post holes etc. Well, tell me I can't and guess what? I will.


He left and I gave myself a week to cry and toss myself one helluva pity party. After that, I drove down to the local lumber store with my plans in hand. The gentleman who owned the store took pity on me and helped me figure up how much lumber I needed. I bought enough to do the back stretch first (which now has wordy durds painted on it). I didn't want to waste money if it did turn out I couldn't put in a fence. Well, I took my time and before I knew it, I was sending husband photos of the posts, then the rails, then the pickets once they were up...

I was so proud to be able to show him that fence...I put so much hard work into it and ignored a WHOLE LOT of pain while I did it just because I refused to quit. I'd drop daughter off at school in the morning and not even go into the house when we got back home. Instead, little guy and I were out in the backyard at 8 in the morning working on that fence. I'd stop to feed babies and would work until it was too cold in the evening to keep going. I was trying to get that fence up before the really cold weather arrived and it was a race against time. I did it though...and had a beautiful, custom built picket fence. There's not another one in town that even remotely resembles my fence.

So, the fact that I BUILT that fence and the fact that someone's snot nosed BRAT felt the need to spray paint four letter words on it just JERKS my chain. That's ok though...this weekend I'll be watching for them. They haven't been caught according to the police. However, rumor says these were sixth or seventh graders.

I have to hand it to our local police department. I called right after 8 this morning to see if I could get a policeman to come take a report. I figured it'd be late this morning or early afternoon before anyone stopped by. So, I called my Dad and was telling him about it when the doorbell rang. They were here in less than ten minutes, no lie. Really impressed me.

Anyhow, we walk around the house and start down the sidewalk. I tell him I noticed it this morning after I dropped my babies off at school, so I guess it happened last night sometime. He said, "Actually, it happened over the weekend. When I came on shift Monday morning at 6, the officer who had worked the night shift drove me around town showing me all the places that had been vandalized and your fence was one of 'em."

I was stunned. I guess my mind was a million miles away yesterday...I drove by the fence TWICE and neither I, nor my babies, noticed the spray paint. The policeman said he'd assumed a report had been made and I told him that I'd not spoken with anyone about it because I just noticed it.

So, the report has been filed. I guess tomorrow, instead of going and getting my hair cut, I'll be out painting our fence. Damn.

posted by Shannon at 6:44 AM   |    |  

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