So I was up late last night doing some freelance work on my laptop in bed while B slept. At 12:56 a.m. I was done for the night, and decided to put my laptop back on my desk in the living room. My desk is relatively close to the door, which obviously then leads into our hallway (our apartment building is set up hotel style, not open air like our apartment in the Valley or in Maryland). When I came into the living room, I was surprised at the loud music being played. It was so loud it sounded like it was in our apartment. Being that it was 1 a.m., I decided to investigate and I opened the door and peeked into the hallway. I didn't have my glasses on, but I was surprised to see two people--one of which was tall and wearing a bright yellow shirt/jacket, the color of the yellow was the kind of bright yellow associated with windbreaker material--actually in the hallway. But they were leaving, which is to say that they were walking towards the direction of the elevator. See, our hallway is really really long. And we live all the way at the end of the left-hand side of it. I closed the door and briefly thought about calling the concierge and reporting the loud music. But I shrugged my shoulders instead and thought, "Well, I can't hear the music in the bedroom, so I'll be able to sleep in peace and quiet. And that's all that really matters." I was in bed at 12:59 a.m.

So B leaves the apartment for work roughly around 5:40 a.m. every day, even Saturday (his weekend is Monday and Tuesday). And I got up at 5:27 a.m. to make him lunch. I didn't wake up when he got up this morning, and so I wasn't quite quick enough to get a breakfast ready for him, so he handled that.

5:36 a.m. and B is ready to go. I kiss him and I say, "Nighty night. Er. Wait. No. I mean, bye-bye. I love you. Have a good day at work. And drive safely." B is in the doorway and I'm holding onto the door.

"Where's our gnome?" B asks.

I look down at the nook we have safely harbored our little gnome with a blue tunic, green pants and soft brick-red hat and his little wooden frog buddy right outside our door since July. I was always paranoid about the little guy being stolen. But seeing as how he wasn't stolen in the Valley, where the apartments are open right to the parking lot, I thought he was safe. I think I also I felt a misconstrued sense of safety on account of the $1325 a month we pay in rent here.

He was there at 12:56 a.m. when I checked the hallway.

So sometime between 1 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. our poor little gnome was stolen.

It's 6:48 a.m. and I went and filed an incident report with the concierge. At 7:00 a.m., his shift is over and the girl who replaces him will access to the dumpster. So I'm going to ask if I can go dumpster diving real quick. I'm hoping that it's simply a matter of someone being vindictive and throwing our gnome down the garbage chute.

I feel like I am being punished for simply opening my door at 1 a.m. I feel like if I hadn't done that, then our little gnome would still be safely nestled in our doorway.

I feel violated.

And not in the fun and spanky way.

I feel violated the way I was constantly feeling violated in Maryland. I've lived in the ghetto. And this is total ghetto behavior.

But now I'm paying $1325 a month for the ghetto.

Labels: los angeles, real life

( 2comments )

at April 8, 2006 10:29 AM  Lhea J. Love said...

I absolutely love your blog.

 

at April 8, 2006 12:05 PM  Samantha said...

Wow. Thanks. That's the nicest comment I've gotten in a real long time.