Ok, I was going to start doing posts about our vacation but last night's craziness was just too much not to get down for all time. It started innocently enough, as these things usually do, at around 8p. I had just served dinner when my friend called to say she was on her way over to grab our extra food processor after she grabbed a bite and I told her to just come over as I had plenty leftover. As I went to sit down I figured, hey, why not head over to the storage locker and grab the food processor so we don't have to do that when she's here. Save some time, right?
Or not.
I got there and now I admit, I can never remember if we are unit 5 or 6 so I usually look at the locks. Well, huh, neither one looks right. The one on 6 is the big round one they sell here which I didn't buy and the one on 5 is covered in black rubber and I'm pretty sure that ours was just straight metal. Well, I'll go try the key on 5 since maybe I'm just misremembering. Nope, doesn't work. I try a few more times. Still doesn't work. I call Mark to check with him and get told that yep, it's unit 5 and no our lock is not covered in black rubber.
WTF?!?!?! Someone has broken our lock off and replaced it! This is not the lock the storage company uses when you are in default, nor the way they put it on, plus we are totally current in our payments and the only letter I've had from them in ages is telling me that the rent goes up next month.
Ok, I'm totally freaking out at this point. Since we are in the process of showing our house the vast majority of our possessions are in that locker including baby clothes and blankets knit by my late grandmother, baby pictures, all our artwork, my books. None of it is really worth much to anyone else but it's our world and someone else has access to it and I don't!
I called the storage locker company and got the answering machine as I expected. I called my friend and begged her to pick up another lock so I could double-lock it at least so the other people couldn't easily get back in. She was almost to my house but like a true friend turned around and headed back into town to grab one for me and her only question was "combo or key". She was here with me when the Sheriff arrived. He listened to my incoherent story and confirmed that I had the legal right to cut that lock off since I pay the rent for the locker and the storage facility didn't put the lock on it. He offered to be there when we cut it off if we could find a pair of bolt cutters.
Then began the search for bolt cutters. My friend's parents had some so we went there first and searched the garage but to no avail. Then it was time for me, her, and her parents to start calling people we knew who might possibly have such a thing. It took some time but finally my friend remembered one friend who was close enough that might have access to a pair and we hit paydirt. In the meantime, another friend with a hacksaw had stopped by the house, grabbed Matt, and was waiting at the storage locker for us as well.
I called the Sheriff back and about 30min later he finally joined us and we all went in. He was asking if I was sure this was the right locker since, oh, boy would that be the biggest joke on us all if I was wrong. I assured him I was right and my friend cut the lock. I was terrified of what I might find but thankfully it opened up to all our stuff right there filled almost to the brim. I admit I haven't been there lately but it sure didn't look like it had been picked over. I was almost ready to collapse from relief at that point as I'd been a complete nervous wreck.
Oh, and the food processor was right there in the front where it should be and I was able to give it to my friend so all's well that ends well but tomorrow I'm going to the storage company and getting one of their big, uncuttable locks because I never want to go through that again.
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