STRANGER THAN FICTION

Warning there is no fashion news here. Just life happening in a big uncomfortable ways.

It’s been an interesting couple of weeks, truly stranger than fiction. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried. Where do I start, ah let’s start at the lock down at Laila’s school two weeks ago. Yes that was as nerve wrecking as it sounds. Her school sent out the alarming text below about an hour before dismissal:

“Our school has been placed on lockdown. We have no additional information to report at this time. All children are safe and secured in the building.”

No cause for concern right?! The safe and secure part is the only thing that kept sane. The no additional information part is what I was struggling with. Given what little information I was given, I was proud of the level of calm I maintained. I called my husband to tell him what was happening. He was his usual cool and collected self, nothing to see here. While he was doing his best to reassure me this was probably nothing, Laila texted, deep sigh of relief. She let us know she was just fine but her classmates were whispering loudly (point of fact they were not whispering at all) and if this was an actual threat she’d been done for.

This kids starts texting us her survival plan which consisted of playing dead and covering herself in someone else’s blood. Plan B was hiding in the coat closet. I immediately thought how sad is this. This kid is devising survivial tactics to make it through the school day. I never had this particular and peculiar worry. Sheltering in place, in case of an active shooter was unheard of when I was in sixth grade and I went to school in NYC, the shooters were usually outside. Different struggles, same sad world.

STRANGER THAN FICTION

Fast forward to the stranger than fiction part. This is probably one of THEE wildest things that has ever happened to me. I was born and raised in Brooklyn NYC, I’ve seen my fair share of extraordinary. Let me set the scene, it’s a sunny Tuesday morning, I’m working from home, under my heated blanket, minding my business, living my best life. Then I hear a ZOOM, SCREECH, BAM!!! It was like an old Batman & Robin episode, sirens blaring, helicopters hovering, and shouts of GET OUT THE CAR, GET OUT OF THE CAR!!! I peek out my bedroom window to find police officers, what I eventually learn are actually U.S. Marshalls arresting someone.

The Marshalls were attempting to execute an arrest warrant on an apparently dangerous individual on the DC side of my neighborhood (I’m right on the borderline of Southeast DC). The suspect decided he didn’t feel like going to jail today. He thought it a better idea to attempt to out run heavily armed police officers in SUVs in what amounted to a hooptie. The Marshalls pursued. Their pursuit ended in front of my house.

The Suspect was Arrested

The suspect was arrested, there was no gun-play, and everyone lived to tell the tale; still stranger than fiction as I said. My car however didn’t make (queue the smallest violin in the world). The boom I heard was the suspect smashing into the back of my husband’s truck. My husband’s truck than crashes into my car. My car is totaled. Also, my husband’s truck survived but still suffered a considerable amount of damage. The cops are paying for the damages but the timing, stress, inconvenience of this ordeal I could live without. Highlight the Marshall who knocked on my door was pretty easy on the eyes, just saying, I’ve got eyes.

I’m sure you’re thinking at least no one was hurt, you might get a new car out of this, yay!! No not yay!! My car was still running pretty well, she could use a tweaks here or there but she ran. To add insult to injury she was paid off. Now I have to hurry up (currently in a rental) and get a new car, which means a car note. Not happy about that at all. I’ve been car note free for some time and I’ve really enjoyed it.

I could buy something straight out but that would mean getting something I didn’t fund I intended to use on other things I suppose all good things come to end but this was premature. Yes I’m having a big fat pity party coupled with some low grade PSTD. I cringe a little whenever I see a Dodge Durango; law enforcement truck of choice. I’m in a real weird place of extreme gratitude and why is this happening to me???

So why am I sharing all of this?! Because it’s not always sunshine and rainbows over here, no matter how good I make it look. Stuff happens you bounce back, hopefully. But I would really like the stuff to stop happening. Follow me on Instagram for more updates.

Xoxo

-Andrea