Me, spilling out all my thoughts, inner and outer, on just about anything! Lots of poetry, short stories from past experiences, anecdotes about teaching elementary school, music, relationships....garage sale type thing...Something For Everyone!

Saturday, November 25, 2006

An Inconvenienced Convenience Store

Last week, just as I was taking dinner out of the oven, the power went out.
Of course, I hadn't a clue where the flashlights or candles were. The emergency lighting came on in our office and my husband came in to get his headlamp and candles for the massage therapist so she could finish up a patient's treatment.

We had our dinner by candlelight and then decided to go in search of a coffee somewhere in town. Our whole area was out and many people were walking the streets just to see what was happening. Turned out we had to drive to the next town to reach any coffee shops that had power.

Upon approaching our house, we saw the police blocking the road and were stopped by 5 militia in full camouflage, carrying rifles. We have never seen this before in our town! Something big was underway. They told us to turn around and detour.

"But we just live in that second house in!" we said, pointing.

"Just turn around - you can't go past here," they waved their rifles.

"Our driveway is right here!" we argued.

Finally they okayed it but told us to go right into our house. That's when we discovered that our house was open. We had locked it but when our one cat appeared at the door wanting in as we were leaving, my husband unlocked it, let her in and just shut the door without re-locking it.

The whole tone and words used by the police, as well as the fact that the forces from the local army base were there suddenly hit me.

"Did those guys have rifles?!" I asked my husband.

"Yes, I'm going out to find Mooky," (our other cat) he replied.

"Wait! No! You're just not gettin' it are you? There's obviously been a robbery or something and we're locking our doors! And you're not going anywhere!"

I was starting to get a tad worried that maybe someone was hiding out in our house. It was the perfect escape route from police - they could nip down along the river that runs through town at the end of our yard, come up to the house and BINGO! Ours was open and ready for them to enter!

After an hour, the blockade was removed and traffic was moving in both directions once again. The power came back on an hour later and it was not until the next day that we heard the details of what had transpired.

The Mini Mart almost directly across the street from us had been robbed by two 17 year-old guys who were armed. With the aid of dogs, one was caught and they were searching for the other one when we were stopped.
Of course, being a small town, everyone had their own story to tell of encountering police who told them there had been a robbery and to get a move on, go straight home and lock their doors.

Why didn't they tell us that? They probably should have escorted us home. It could have had a much different outcome.

The Korean couple who run the store are the sweetest people in the world. Unfortunately, their type of business is highly targeted in a power blackout. They were advised to lock up and go home next time.

I know what I'm doing next time - staying put...Tim Horton's be hanged!


**Tim Horton's is the Canadian equivalent of Starbuck's**

Mother of Invention, organizing all my flashlights and candles for future use!

23 Comments:

Blogger meno said...

Well damn, that's a little too much excitement for me on a weeknight! It's scary when that sort of stuff happens and you get to thinking about what really could have happened, if you know what i mean.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

 
Blogger Lynn said...

Wow I have never heard of the military coming. I guess the power failure requires them to aid if the police are busy at intersections with lights and at malls etc. That whole thing is creapy for such a small town as yours.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

 
Blogger Mother of Invention said...

Meno: Yep! Coulda been far worse an ending! I'm just locking up and staying inside next time!

Lynn: Yeah, our town is coming into the new age I suppose. Couldn't believe we were still in Canada. Good to have the army guys just up the road!

Sunday, November 26, 2006

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

At least you had a romantic dinner!

Sunday, November 26, 2006

 
Blogger RennyBA said...

What a scary experience! I'm glad it ended well for you though and good to know you had a romantic dinner in the beginning after all!

Wish you a great week ahead:-)

Sunday, November 26, 2006

 
Blogger Mother of Invention said...

Old Lady & Renny:

Yes, romance strikes at strange times! Ya gotta go with that one!
Weird that a romantic time for us, was someone else's most terrifying time just across the street at the same time.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

 
Blogger Barbara said...

The not knowing is the hardest part of any of these situations. I hope Mooky was OK and I hope the Koreans were unharmed in the robbery. Unfortunately convenience stores are often the target of these robbers. I never completely understood why the power was out -- was that just a coincidence?

Sunday, November 26, 2006

 
Blogger Mother of Invention said...

Barbara: Mooky was oblivious to all that happened and came bouncing in later. The Korean couple were fine....very lucky. The power was out in a wide area around us because of a switch problem that dominoed. I guess looting is the natural follow-uo to power outages, sad to say.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

 
Blogger brooksba said...

Yikes! What a scary situation and I figure if I'd been there, I wouldn't have slept a wink.

And isn't it always the way that when the power goes out, flashlights and candles are the last thing you can find? I've picked up the habit of grabbing my cell phone and iPod and using their lighted screens to find the candles.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That was too close for comfort! I bought a grille with a propane burner on it just so I could make tea when the power goes out! I don't know anything about grilling.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

 
Blogger Richard said...

While you may live in a small town, you do not seem to lalck for excitement.

Glad that no one seems to have been hurt.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nothing like turning the block and running into a full bank of militia complete with artillery...reminds me of my days living in Guatemala......we'd be driving around on a peaceful Sunday, upscale area of town and then boom, straight into a band of armoured tanks, complete with gunners, guys on foot.........protecting "national Security" is what I was always told.........but weird nonetheless...

Monday, November 27, 2006

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Glad you folks are ok.

Monday, November 27, 2006

 
Blogger Diana said...

Yikes! See, here, in the crime-and-gun-toting States, such a robbery wouldn't have garnered more than a cop or two and a small write-up in the paper.

I'd have been scared witless with all that.

Monday, November 27, 2006

 
Blogger Mother of Invention said...

Brooksba: That's a great idea for finding light! I'm pretty incapacitrated by the dark and I don't own a cell or i-pod. I just have to try to keep a flashlight in several places and NOT move them!!

Colleen: Another good idea. We've used a gas BBQ to cook with in a power outage and we have a propane heater for heat in winter.

Richard: Me too! Sometimes things are more exciting in a small town because these things are huge events and seem larger than when they happen in the Big Smoke!

RDG: Now that sounds exciting and would have me permanently on edge! Did you live there long?

San-Jay: Thanks....I shudder when I think what could have happened..but when you're in the situation, you just respond to whatever you think should be done and hope for the best.
Thanks for visiting andf commenting.

Diana: Well, I did think for a bit that this would happen more in the States but no, we're catching up there. And my husband was worried about our cat!!

Monday, November 27, 2006

 
Blogger bulletholes said...

Sounds like ya'll get after them up there! Would have given me the Willies thinkin' the scumbag might be in the house!

Monday, November 27, 2006

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Scary stuff! We had something similar in our neighborhood with a homicide suspect one time. Yeeks! Thankfully, the local cops caught him.


Peace,

~Chani

Monday, November 27, 2006

 
Blogger Annelisa said...

Reminds me of when I lived in London, and this guy went crazy with an axe in a church round the corner (where my kids went to playgroup) - the street all cordened off... And the back of the house facing in the direction of the church.... It was such a horrible feeling it taking place right where my children played everyday. I don't think anyone was killed, but certainly people were maimed (proof trailed our street, and marked the walls until the rain finally washed it away... :-( ) But it left an insecurity for a long long time...

Glad you're ok!

ps I have pairs of candles hanging on nails on the walls- so I know where to find one. Matches is a different thing though :-)

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

 
Blogger Mother of Invention said...

Steve: Yes, scumbag is right! Where do these people get the idea they should actually get away with it?

Thailand Girl: We never think of it being close by.

Annelisa; Yikes! That's even scarier! Do you feel any safer out of London?

Good idea about the candles! Now..about those matches!

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

 
Blogger Kilroy_60 said...

Quick Note, my friend, I got up early the day after your suggestion to shoot a sunrise. It was too cloudy. 8-(

One night in Washington, D.C. we were returning from Southern Maryland and the police had a car stopped. Suddenly it took off...just as quickly there were four cars surrounding them, police out with guns drawn. My first thought, GUN PLAY! There was just enough room to drive behind the one police car and we were gone!! The next day we found out the car was stolen.

About Tim Horton's; they've been opening in The States. Good stuff; love the strawberry pies.

--- Guest Columnist Kilroy
:-)

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

 
Blogger Annelisa said...

Yes, I feel safer out of London... there was always something going on - sounded like NY the way the police sirens were constantly passing. People hanging round the street and shouting at you (not in the wolf-whistling way! :-) ), following you up the road... hmmm, I think I can quite happily live without that!
Lots of lovely neighbours though.
Here, I can forget to leave my car door unlocked, and it's still there in the morning. In London, the car was nailed, painted, bashed...

I wonder if you can stick a couple of non-safety matches into the bottom of the candle; or perhaps have one of those candles in a jar, with a little book of matches in as well? Guess we'll probably both forget to sort that one out before then next power cut! :-)

Thursday, November 30, 2006

 
Blogger Mother of Invention said...

Kilroy: Hey, you tried...I'm sure you'll wake up to a sunrise some day soon, having taken your camera to bed just in case!

You were lucky to speed away from that situation! AND NOT getting a ticket in the process!

Great news about Tim Hortons! Betcha get hooked! And there go your HEALTHY snacks!!

Annelisa: London doesn't sound like my CUPPA at all! Toronto is not that bad ..yet! I love my small town, but I guess this junk can happen anywhere.

Good invention! Market it under the name, "Candle Kit" and make your millions! You could get into specially decorated ones for the different seasons and holidays! You could call one, "The Power Outage Special"! But you have to give me a cut for thinking of the name!!
I expect that your cheque to me should be in the mail soon!

Thursday, November 30, 2006

 
Blogger Annelisa said...

I've started up a website selling 'The Power Outage Special' - candles are going out like lights! Your cut so far...
$200,000




[Don't you wish!!! :-D]

Friday, December 01, 2006

 

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