Nearly Near Death Experience

So, this has been one crazy week and I am so grateful for the long weekend ahead.

Most of you may know what this week held for me. It started out wonderfully, with a long visit with an old friend that reminded me of the type of women I like to be around. Friendship should never be work. Yes, all relationships take effort, but never work. At least not to me. This old friend is exactly the type of person I enjoy being around. We don't have to see each other every day, or talk on the phone, or text, or IM. We can go months without seeing each other and fall right into place. I have been questioning my views on friendship for a while now, but she showed me that we all SHOULD have separate lives and sometimes those lives take us in separate directions just to bring us full circle again.

Anyway, completely off topic. That was on Sunday.

Monday morning I went to leave for work, and something made me turn my head to look at my parking spot. Normally, I'm lighting a cigarette, turning on my morning radio show, or just plain focused on getting out of our lot without hitting another car. Where my car was parked, near the rear passenger tire, was a huge puddle. Not a wet spot, but a puddle. I immediately put my car in park and got out.

I walked first to the puddle, which smelled like gasoline, but I couldn't be sure. I then walked around my car to the rear passenger side, and there I found my car profusely leaking fuel. I took a few steps back, because even though Myth Busters says it's not really possible, I was smoking and didn't feel like exploding after such a nice reunion with my friend. I grabbed my phone and called Jero so he could come down and look at it. He agreed that I was really leaking gas.

While at work, one of the gals at the bank told me that her dad is a mechanic and gave me his information so I could find out if I could afford to have it fixed. When calling him, I asked if he thought it was safe to drive and he told me that he'd be worried about a fire. So, I had it towed. This was the second time fate had my back.

Yesterday, I find out that my car had been tampered with. Four of the five lug nuts on the tire by the gas leak had been removed. Had I not seen the puddle, had I driven my car to work, the tire would have come off, causing sparks. Sparks and gas. Far worse than oil and water.

I have not stopped thinking about what could have happened. I no longer feel safe in a place I have lived for five years. What if I'd had my son in the car? My mom? Jero? A friend? What if the mechanic had been less than superb and told me to drive my car. I live at the top of a hill. I have sharp curves and hills to get anywhere I go. God. I am so freaked out.

Today I picked up my car. He says he believes someone was trying to take my tires.

This is how I know it was more malicious than that.

My tires have covers on them. The cover was put back on my tire. No way for me to see the lug nuts missing. If someone had been trying to steal my tires and had been caught up with my one locking lug nut then surprised someone, wouldn't you expect the cover to my tire to be lying on the ground? Instead, it was neatly placed back on my car. When I look around my well lit, covered parking, I see numerous cars without covers. Numerous cars with the same size wheels, and many of them much further away from any traffic. Easy pickings compared to my car.

Jero's car was keyed recently, and all of this so close together made me realize that in all the years we've been here, we've only had one other incident and then Jero was parked on the street.

I think I have a stalker, and I think I know who it is.

I'm almost sure I know who it is.

With the police involved, I'll have evidence soon enough. If they've ever been finger printed for a job, a background check, or anything else, it is only a matter of time. I have informed my neighbors both in writing and verbally to please keep an eye out for strange happenings concerning our property. To immediately call the police.

This is not just a prank. This was done to do harm to me and others in my life. I don't mess around with the safety of my loved ones. I don't take things like this lightly. Yesterday I was afraid, today I am pissed. I will be moving, and if I share my address with any of you, I ask that you not share it with anyone else. Once we are out of this place I do not want this person to know where I am, EVER AGAIN.

I am thankful for the universe having my back. I am thankful for a mechanic that took his time to find out exactly what happened. I am thankful for puddles, and tow trucks and locking lug nuts. I am thankful for being here and not in the hospital or worse. I am thankful for not driving my car to meet my friend. I am just so damn thankful.

I might still be a bit afraid, but I WILL take that power back. Ask six guys from my high school how I deal with bullies. I will give credit that I didn't think anyone could be this evil, but I won't make that mistake again. Me and mine won't take this lying down, and the next time this person will get caught.

Check your lug nuts, hug your babies, thank the universe.

Later, skaters.