To serve and protect

Today, I went to the mall with a couple friends. 

I know!  I have friends!  Hooray!

I'm actually feeling quite thrilled about that fact.  I dragged two of them with me to see a movie (side note:  If you have not seen this movie yet, get yourself to a theater STAT.  The BEST movie I have seen in ages.  Thank you Annie, my long-time BFF and movie-buddy for the recommendation.  Sobbed my way through it.  So phenomenal). 

ANYway, I dragged these new friends of mine to see a movie and have some lunch. 

When I got out to my car, there was a note on my windshield from our local police.  It looked like this:  

Apparently, I had failed a spontaneous inspection of my vehicle.  The reason for the failure was that my Property was in Plain View (and so important they felt the need to capitalize the aforementioned Property in Plain View). 

I looked around the car and wondered what Property was in Plain View. 

Internet, I give you my very valuable, very-worth stealing, lucky-I-still-have-it Property. 

(Try not to rush here all at once to break into my home and steal it.) 

First up is the bottle I fill with pool water once a month and drive to the pool store for water testing.  While this item is extremely valuable in ascertaining the correct acidity of our pool, I doubt anyone would want it badly enough to steal. 

But I could be wrong.   It definitely takes all kinds to make the world go 'round. 

Next up is this ratty, fraying, mate-less glove.  Worn by me two nights ago at the football game where it was FREEZING cold.  We lost, in case you wondered.  Which made it all the more worthwhile to sit in the stands and freeze my ever-expanding arse off.

While a matched set of a ratty, fraying glove might be worth something at auction, I doubt thieves would risk incarceration for a single. 

Also of little worth is this pile of old receipts, one of which was the dry cleaning receipt I had my daughter dig through the trash to find.

But then forgot to use at the dry cleaners when I picked up the clothes.   Oops.

[Has anyone seen my Mother-of-the-Year-Award?  I've been watching the mail and it hasn't come yet.  Hmmm.... odd.] 

Lastly, and probably the most valuable item I own, is this antique treasure.  It has been in our family for generations and is an heirloom that I hope to pass onto my own children someday.  I have often wanted to take it to the folks at the Antiques Roadshow and get an appraisal, but I've honestly worried about damaging it in the process. 

Internet, meet my most valued possession. 

It really isn't a surprise that I failed the inspection.  Any one of these items are worth the risk of staph that you'd likely get by smashing the window in to steal them. 

Thank you, ever-diligent police, for keeping me on my toes. 

Also?  I'm pretty sure we live in a great area if this is the way our officers' time is spent.  For that, I am legitimately thankful.