Shuffle On. To The Great Big Playlist in the Sky.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010 I'm really really good at dropping things. A discriminating expert, if you will. If an item incorporates any kind of delicate soldered wiring, wafer-thin circuit boards and liquid crystal displays, it will meet an untimely end involving acceleration at 9.8 m/s2. With few exceptions, every cell phone I have ever owned was upgraded by reason of kissing concrete.
The first time I opened the box to my iPod Classic back in 2006, I knew our relationship was doomed. What Apple designers may call slick, compact, modern design, I call "slippery heavy sucker." But amazingly we survived, against all odds. Through 3 jobs, commutes on the LA Metro, cross country flights and a gadget obsessed child.
Maybe I got comfortable, maybe I got complacent, or maybe that movie Final Destination also applies to consumer electronics. But it finally happened. Right before Christmas. I was walking to the car, iPod and Blackberry in one hand (first mistake). I spied a piece of Fury's toy helicopter on the walkway and decided that maybe he'd want it (second mistake). I bent over to pick it up (3 strikes, you're out). That mo-men-tary loss of muscular coordination sent the iPod and Blackberry on a irrecoverable slide. I hope I'm never faced with grasping onto 2 of my children over a cliff's edge with only the strength to rescue one of them, because now I know what that feels like. I caught the Blackberry.
They say the first stage of grief is denial. As the internal drive of my iPod clicked and sputtered in a futile attempt to finish its last Guns n Roses song, I placed it in the cradle next to the car stereo. I drove with that clicking iPod for a week. Like a dead hamster you leave in its cage in hopes that maybe tomorrow it'll wake up, I got in the car each morning and flicked the iPod a few times.
The second stage of grief is plunking down $224 for a replacement on Amazon.com. And donating the old one to science.
"Fury if you can fix this, it's yours."
"I think it needs a paperclip to join the wires, dad."
"Have at it, son."
At least he had fun.
Then the shiny new iPod arrived. And in the cradle it went. It didn't fit so well, or maybe it was all in my head. I put some new music on it, added some new playlists and forged the beginnings of a new partnership.
Until yesterday:
Look a little closer.
We hadn't even gotten to Guns n Roses yet.
The real crime here isn't that someone came onto our property, snooped around, smashed my window and stole something of mine. Because as violating as that feels, I'm sure it was just a couple of punkass kids who were at the right place at the right time.
The real crime here isn't that the timing was so bad. Had they done this just a week ago, they would have stolen a broken iPod and the joke would have been on them.
The real crime here isn't that I'm now out $224 for the iPod and $245 for the replacement window. It sucks, but at least my family is safe.
The real crime?
I now have to listen to L.A. radio.
They drew first blood.
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Reader Comments (41)
Oh, so unfair. So, so unfair.
Reminds me of the last time my car was broken into, and the joke really was on them. They spied a brown purse in my front seat (I know, dumb me) and smashed the window to get it. The happy part of this story was the reason the purse was there - I had brought it in the car with me to change purses on my way to work. There was a small amount of change in the purse, but the good stuff was in the black purse, the one that matched my outfit, the one that made it to work with me that day.
$10 or $20 deductible later, and I had a new window, too.
You left it in the car?!?
That's a hefty math equation you've got up there. Just sayin'.
That sucks!
Too bad you didn't catch the punkass...like I did. In 10 degree weather. In my robe. In my Suburban! Actually, my kids scared them 1st, which caused the punkass to shove my now stolen wallet in the snowbank. But I didn't know that & chased them 6 blocks. And blocked them with my truck. And made them get out of the car & searched for my red wallet. Couldn't find it. Was freezing at that point. Took down the plate# and let them go. By the time I got back home the cops were there. Cop did everything not to laugh at what I was telling him. And with as stern a voice he could muster (because my kids were standing there) told me not to do that again.
Took the cops 6 weeks to track the car because it was a company car, but needless to say the dad was pissed! 60 hours community service for the kid. And I don't leave my wallet in my truck anymore. Lesson learned.
That really is one big fail, my friend.
The happy part?
We have the SAME CAR! :)
Okay, so that doesn't make it any better.
Damn.
Aww that's so sad. Almost as sad as watching my best friend drop her iPhone in the parking lot and see the glass crack into a million pieces and then look up at her poor face.
But man wouldn't that have been awesome if they had stolen the broken iPod? Man!
Sucks dude. Happened to me too about six months ago. iPod? Gone. Digital head unit? Gone. In my case they left behind a nice screwdriver though, so I win in the end.
Also. That first pic looks a lot like me on any given Saturday night on Sunset about ten years ago.
I pity the punk ass kids. They had no idea they were messing with the karma of BusyDad. I'm kinda picturing a Sons of Anarchy-style payback myself. Plus, little did they know they were helping Momo Fali's cause by giving you blog fodder...
That totally sucks! LIttle bastages! Hope you get a new iPod soon and are saved from bad radio/
That truly sucks, listening to the radio and the loss of a new iPod + property damage to your car.
Punk ass need their punk asses kicked. Call me if you find them, I'll come get the job done.
No respect...
You got me at the end: LA radio. And you and the big ass gun. :D
Oh, SUCK!
Go get 'em, BD! We'll stay right here and take up a collection for the bail money.
Oh that DOES suck! But I am amazed you leave anything in the car in LA. Even up here, we take everything out of the car; even a pack of smokes. Give them NOTHING to take; including the car (I have the Club and an immobilizer).
ooooohhh nooooo!!!! That sucks so bad!!!!
I've only ever had my car broken into once... it was a REALLY old K-car. Some stupid kids took it on a joy-ride. They made it two blocks before running out of gas.
Bahahahahahahaha.... I was overjoyed until the transmission crapped out a week later... seems that they ahem... decided to help me out with my "gas" situation and added their own "personal" donation... cars don't run so well on urine....even if it IS mixed with a now almost-full gas tank...
Poor Jim. I'm sorry, hon.
I'm glad y'all are all okay.
But, dood.. you left it in the car???
{mom moment over}
I'm so sorry.
Ahhh, That sucks so bad! I hope that whoever stole it one day gives you twice as much in return due to a major guilt trip- fat chance, but it's something you can look forward to your whole life :). Really man, I am sorry that happened to you.
Am I the only one thinking it's a good thing there wasn't a mirror under the technology guts in the first photo?
Well that bites. Sorry man. tWas cool to let Fury have at it with your old one though... You are a kickass dad.
DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate them so much for that! Being stolen from sucks ass in a bad, bad way. I am so sorry that happened. I wish they got the broken one :(
You took a negative and turned it into blog fodder. A round of applause for BusyDad! You know how to work it, I must say. Sorry about your car, and that iPod... glad nobody got hurt.
Hey man, thanks for the iPod!
kidding.
I guess from now on you will no not to leave ANYTHING in the car. Unless it's a Pit Bull, then THAT would have been funny.
Dude! My reader just coughed up, like, 50 of your posts. WTH?
Remind me to NOT get on your bad side.
wow, busydad- btw the volvo (my fave) and the nerf gun, I'm all hot and bothered :)
sorry to hear about the car and the ipod.
I am so sorry for your loss!
Are you sure that Fury and that paperclip can't ressurect the old one?
An alternate idea, if and when you get another new one - is to make a shell out of the old one and use that as camoflauge.
Oh mannnn.... That sucks. Beyond sucks. Sorry, man.
That sucks ass.
I really hope you catch them. Busy Dad bustin' heads.
I'm so sorry to hear (and see) this. That's awful! Love the armed picture at the end, you rock!
Just wanted to say that I literally just found your blog via a comment on another blog, and though what happened sucks, u r hilarious! Am subscribing. :)
NOOOOOO!!! Not LA radio!
Hope your insurance covers it. If so, do me a favor and hit the Apple web site. Click on the Education link and get yourself 10% off anything you buy. Even though you're not a teacher. It's a handy little discount not a lot of people know about.
Just FYI...if you paid with a credit card then your credit card company may reimburse you. I had a watch stolen once and Citibank paid me back. It's worth checking out.
Also, wipe the butter off of your fingers.
I'm totally going to pretend the break-in DID happen a week ago because I love the thought of the criminals stealing a broken iPod. Not that you care that I'm mentally revising your story, but I thought it only considerate to let you know that I am.
Ha! Ha! Stupid kids! (that's me, still with the mental revision)
Mucho suckage.
You know the little turds will totally wipe your kick arse playlist and add their Emo music, right?
THAT is the true injustice here.
Oh, Jim. That's the suck. I'm sorry, but am glad no one was hurt.
Dude that sucks! The same thing happened to me a few years back and the little butt holes stole a sony mp3 player, a subwoofer, and some other random junk. They literally stuck a screw driver into the window and pryed it out! The stupid thing was that I turned off my alarm the night before to work on the car and didn't turn it back on.
You're right about your family being safe! I'd rather have someone take my stuff then personally confronting them and possibly getting hurt.....because at the end of the day I still have to work and getting hurt or injured isn't going to pay the bills.
However..Im sure it would have been satisfying to catch the little assholes in the act, landing a sold Thai kick, and watching them crumple to the ground. =)
-B
the moral of the story is ... don't leave that stuff in the car!!!
And somewhere the gods gathered in the great hall and one said, "How many ways can I tell one guy that he shouldn't have an iPod?"
And then they laughed and drank wine.
That sucks. I hate thieves.
What a royal DRAG, Jim!
Years ago hubs left his beloved university jacket in his car and the same thing happened not - not nearly as high tech as the i pod but of major sentimental value -imagine, someone stealing a beatup leather jacket. He prowled the neighbourhood for weeks ... maybe it would have been helpful to have a terminator sized weapon like yours, there...
Dude. Dude. That sucks. Maybe your auto insurance covers the iPod too? If not check eBay out 'cuz $224? Ouch.
My condolences.