Eskielover/Debbie...

Called me earlier this evening from Missouri! She's on her way back from Kentucky to California. She asked me to let ya'll know that her computer went down and that's why she just sort of fell off from the face of PC.

She's doing fine and as soon as she gets back to California, she'll have a computer again.

Says "Ya'll take care now, ya heah?"

I hope she has a safe trip!

((((((((((((( Debbie )))))))))))))))

Thank you Tomi for letting everyone know I hadn't fallen off the face of PC.....lol.

I thought I was doing so well. Had everything in control....just over 700 miles a day & I planned on getting to California in time for my Dr's appointment on Tuesday. (was supposed to leave on Thanksgiving but had so much I was trying to get done). I pushed leaving to the last minute thinking I could really make it.

Sunday evening started the downhill roll. I lost track of my gas level in the truck & the empty warning light came on after a town with gas. I figured there would be gas within the milage limit, but there wasn't. I ran out of gas in New Mexico. Sat on the side of the road waiting for the Allstate roadside service to bring gas. I was getting really tired, so when I got to Albequerque, I found a motel 6 to stay in (late, late at night). I had a room on the back side of the motel complex on the second floor. Took in the suitcases I needed for a shower, PJ's & change of cloths the next day......& some snack food.

I got to sleep after a nice hot shower & woke up fairly early on Monday morning....felt good, so planned on making it home that day. I took the picnic basked down to my truck & when I opened the door, the plastic ice holder I had taken from another hotel, fell out of the door at me. I thought how strange & then there were other things that weren't in the same place they had been the night before. A bag had fallen onto the front seat & my water bucked didn't seem like it was where it had been the night before.

I looked across the truck from the front seat passanger side & realized the back seat window in back of the driver wasn't there. I immediately went into panic. Walked around to the drived side & found the window had been completely smashed. I had left everything in the truck....my GPS, my CD's, DVD's, my video camera, my broken computer I had just picked up from Best Buy, 3 bags of cloths & a bag that was my throw it into bag with everything else that was important to me. I immediately thought the GPS system was missing. I ran to the office & they called the police while I went into panic mode.

The police officer came out within a few minutes & she walked up to my room with me & we started going over what had happpened. We walked back to the truck & I started taking everything out of the truck that was there. I found the GPS, the DVD's.......everything except for the 1 bag that had thrown everything into. Initially all I remembered was that bag had my flute in it. My flute I had purchased when in college. The flute that gave me so many chances to perform. My flute that I played at my Fathers funeral. My flute that helped give me something to do when I was so horribly depressed & suicidal after loosing my career. The flute that I was bringing back to California so I could practice so I could play at Church for Christmas in Kentucky when I got back there along with all my Christmas music that I had had for many many years that can't be replaced.

I finished the report then had to deal with the insurance & get the window replaced. As I was waiting for them to arrive at the motel, I started realizing some of the other things that were in the bag & the panic started to grow. I realized I had a book of checks, then I had checks I was going to deposit when I got back to California. I had a small box with jewelry in it....a couple of expensive rings. All my business cards from contacts in Ky. Basically my whole KY life I had thrown into the bag to sort through when I arrived in California....besides the flute that has me completely devistated in the first place.

Check=out time at the motel was noon & the owner said if there was anything I needed to just ask. I asked for a few more hours because I took some meds for the anxiety attack & he started giving me grief about staying longer. He finally begrudgingly said he would try to get me an extension so I could stay longer. I crashed for a few hours & when I woke up, the panic was there instantly. I couldn't stay any longer....but it's like I'm living in a nightmare all over again. When I turned in the door popper for the room, the manager told me he made it so I could stay the night. HOnestly, I was afraid to stay there. They hadn't taken my computer, nor my camera, nor my GPS. What was to keep them from coming back that night, see my truck & know what else was in it....especially if they had just gotten interrupted & took the bag they could grab....leaving the rest behind?

The panic was horrible while driving & I only got to the next town before I couldn't drive anymore. That hotel was nice. They gave me a room with my truck right outside my door. I took a hot shower.....felt like I had to clean off everything that had happened & somehow that would make it better (wrong), Took my meds & fell asleep....hoping it was all a bad nightmare I was dreaming.

Woke up Tuesday morning & called all the radio stations & TV stations, hoping to get someones attention. While doing that, I started getting calls about my credit card being used. I had the card & don't know where they got the #....I still don't understand that, so hopefully the police will help with that. Then I got another call that they had tried to use another credit card but it was declined. Then I started realizing all the other information that was in the bag, including the registration for my truck, checks to cash. I just threw everything into that bag for sorting in California.

The hotel was kind & let me stay until noon, so I could do all the calling from the quiet of the room. I left around noon with my head spinning. Then I realized that I had routing information to a wire transfer that I had done for a person in KY....that left that information all out there for anyone to get hold of. My head hasn't stopped spinning & the sick feeling in my stomach won't go away. The horrid feelings from going through the ID theft with my Mother when she was dying of cancer 3 years ago seems to make the situation even worse. Wondering what next is going to hit & what do I have to do to protect myself for the next move....& what is the next move even going to be Not knowing what information was even in the bag makes it even worse because I can't seem to even anticipate what the next move might even be.

I got a call from one radio station that is willing to broadcast the information. The police are willing to work with me on the credit card use, so maybe they can get a pointer to the people who used the card over the internet/telephone. Maybe it they can get that pointed, they will be able to find the flute.

I get so frustrated when everyone mentions how strong I am & how well I'm handling the situation......when behind it all, I can't stop crying hysterically, shaking & sick to my stomach. How that is being strong is beyond me??????

They had to be focused on the ID theft because they wouldn't have left my GPS, my digital camera. All I had were receipts in the bag, so how they got the complete credit card # is beyond me (I still have the card)? I am wondering if it might be tied with the night person at the hotel & they got the # from my staying at the hotel?

The police are going to work with me on the credit card usage & hopefully it will point to something that will lead me to my flute.

The nightmares won't go away again nor will the sick feeling. My head is spinning out of control. I just feel like screaming to make it all go away.

My broken computer is being looked at & hopefully a restore will do the trick, but realy looks like an intermittant hardware problem right now. How many more things can go wrong (I know....don't ask!!!!!) When will it ever end?????? I have so much to take care of including closing my bank accounts & doing all the fraud reporting along with gathering all the information & putting it together for the police to help them. My head is spinning so bad it's hard to even focus on what has to be done. I was taking notes while I was driving, so I have noted scattered all around the little note pad & have to sort through them all. I am going to call the radio & TV stations again & try to get some help from them. I feel like if I sit back & let it pass by without doing everything I can possibly do then I really stand no chance of getting my flute back. It is amazing how a little piece of silver can have so much meaning in my life.

I am devistated & struggling hard to have my mind even focus on what I have to do to get all the information that can help the police.

Thank you Tomi for posting to let everyone know where I have been. I really wish my computer had been alive so I could have been communicating across the country like on my trip to KY. I have really missed being here over the last 2 weeks.
Debbie

Eskielover,

What a horrible experience - you must feel so violated. Identity theft is horrible to have to deal with and I can only imagine how bad you feel about your flute - I'm so sorry it was taken.

I hope the police are able to help.

--splitimage

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Debbie}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

Maybe you don't want to hear this, but your strength shows in the fact that regardless of your feelings, you are still doing what needs to be done. You have thought of so many recourses that not too many people would have thought of.

I'm so sorry this had to happen to you.

oh debbie I am so sorry this happened. I hope they catch whoever did this to you soon!

((((((((((((((( Debbie ))))))))))))))))

glad you've made it back Eskie... hoping everything works out