No ER Visit

Uncle Todd will be proud to know we didn't have to go to the ER during Hudson's birthday.  This was partly because we were at the police station for so long.

It happened like this,  Hudson got to pick where he wanted to go for his b-day supper and he chose Burger King.  Unfortunately the mashed potato machine was empty this time but it turns out it was the least of our worries.

First we picked up a couple of guys from a bus station (including our own Josh D) and then headed to BK.  While we were there we enjoyed lively conversation and BK food and a sort of play area.  Then when it was time to go, we went outside to find this:

Yeah, that is our NEW car with the passenger side (not the driver side) window busted out.  While we merrily ate our deep fried goodness a few yards away a person or persons unknown busted out our window just outside this busy gas station/fast food place on the side of a busy road.  There were no witnesses.

This is the seat in which one of our friends (not Josh D) had stored his back pack.  Had stored...past tense.

This is the place that HAD STORED our beloved GPS device.  HAD!!  Can you believe it, somebody busted out our window and stole that awesome backpack (which actually contained his passport) and our GPS.  They did not take my back-up GPS batteries, though, stupid crooks!

We got the BK manager and brought him outside and I said, "Can you call the police?" Then I called my friend to find out what to do.  When I got off the phone the manager asked what the police said. "What? YOU were calling the police."  I tried to explain to him that as of now I do not know how to call the police (actually, I still don't).

So he called the police for us then informed us that we needed to go to the police station.  So we got from him some bags to clean out some glass.  When we finished I took the leftover bags and sack of glass inside and he said, "No, no, no.  You keep it."  That is when I give my confused-foreigner-look and think, "What am I supposed to do with a bag of broken glass?"

So then we get to the police station and we are ready to have our statement taken. It turns out its like an IKEA police station (you do it yourself).  The Police Man says, "Can you type?" and tells the guy to have a seat at his computer and fill out the form himself.  I am thinking of those signs in IKEA (Q: Why do I have to fill out my own forms?  A: Because then we don't have to pay someone to do it for you, so you save money).

Anyway, we get it all done and then we get to talk to another police station on the phone.  The question comes to our friend, "Why did you come to fill out a report?" My answer, "Uh, cause a crime was committed."  Thankfully I didn't have to talk to them.  Friend just says, "My backpack was stolen when someone smashed out his car window.  My passport was inside."

After all that gets sorted out we find out we have to drive to another police station about 30 minutes away to get an official stamp that the embassy will need for a new passport.  I tell them repeatedly, "There is no way I can find that place."  Which it turns out is a bad idea since then we needed to wait a LONG time for a policeman to come from there and show us.  It turns out these particular police are not allowed to leave the station, I think.

Then, we get our stamp and head back home for some 10pm Happy Birthday singing, cake, and glass vacuuming before we drive these fine young men back to where they came from ... about four hours away.  If you count from our 3am arrival time at their place they got to spend about 10 hours with us.  But those memories and being a part of H-man's birthday?  Priceless.

The one thing I learned is this: my children do not trust me.  Standing around in broken glass Hudson asks, "How are we going to get home since Dad lost his GPS?"