Last Friday, a detective from the Oklahoma City Police Department called to say that she might have a suspect in our larceny, and would I be willing to look at a photo lineup? And I said HELL YES because I am still pissed that someone would do that.

She came out to the house on Wednesday with some pictures, and when we sat down at my dining room table she said, “Have you ever done this before?”

“No,” I said, “but I watch a LOT of Law and Order.”

“Yeah, not the same,” she said.

I looked at the photos and didn’t see my guy; the detective thanked me and said that she had one other suspect and could she bring another lineup out later in the week?

Again, I said HELL YES.

This morning I got up early to work; I was crabby because my child care has fallen through every day this week, which has left me really scrambling and also tired of hearing about Star Wars. On Monday, Henry was sick; on Wednesday the camp outing was ice skating, which is questionable in the first place (this is OKLAHOMA not Minnesota, our kids know how to duck and cover but not ice skate) but was clearly a bad idea for Charlie, who JUST got the cast off his arm. Today they went to Pump It Up, which is fine but again, not for the kid who is still convalescing from being broken, or really for his mother who is easily freaked out. So Monday I had Henry at home, Wednesday both kids went to camp for exactly three hours, and today I had Charlie at home.

You know what is AWESOME? Paying for child care that you DO NOT USE! And then not being able to do the work that pays for the stupid child care in the first place! THAT is AWESOME.

Yesterday, when Charlie realized that Henry was going to Pump It Up and he was not, there was some sadness, so to make up to him for missing ALL THE FUN THINGS THAT HAVE EVER HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF FUN THINGS EVER (which encompasses roughly the past eight weeks), I told him I would take him swimming today. Because you know, already in a bad mood, might as well put on a bathing suit! Why the hell not!

I was a peach this morning, as you might imagine.

At 9:30, just as Charlie started asking if the pool was OPEN YET and COULD WE GO ALREADY and WHERE WAS HIS SWIMSUIT AND THAT TRANSFORMER TOY HENRY FOUND AT THE POOL LAST SUMMER AND COULD HE JUMP OFF THE DIVING BOARD AND WAS I GOING TO GET IN THE WATER TODAY BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE SO MUCH MORE FUN BECAUSE THE WATER IS REALLY REALLY COLD and I was thinking that I really needed some flask flops, the detective called again, to ask if she could come out with the second lineup. And again I said HELL YES but this time I was probably more crabby than socially minded.

On the back of the photo lineup (which basically lives in a fancy manilla folder with holes for the photos) are the instructions on How to Proceed (do not talk to anyone else, take as much time as you need, remember that hair styles are easily changed, blah blah blah). The first time we did this, she read through the whole thing with me; today she asked if I remembered the details and I said yes and she flipped the folder over so I could see the photos and there was the guy.

RIGHT THERE! THE GUY! WHO STOLE OUR AMP! AND THEN WAVED TO ME AS HE DROVE AWAY!

I looked really closely to be sure, but I knew it was him. I told the detective and she had me circle the photo and initial and sign the back with the date and time. It was hard to refrain from doing a little victory dance, because TAKE THAT, SUCKER! STEAL MY UPS PACKAGE WILLYA! HA HA!

Mature, I know, but justified! You have to admit, totally justified.

I’m still behind and still scrambling and still praying that this whole camp thing doesn’t fall through again, EVER, because OMG these kids canNOT stay home with me, but I’m feeling like I accomplished something today.  You know, since I may have helped put a man behind bars.

Ahh satisfaction.