There’s nothing better than a family beach vacation, assuming that it doesn’t begin with a disaster.
We pulled in into the Residence Inn in San Diego, California. This trip was a big deal – we were pretty poor at the time and had scraped to make this happen. We had just made the five-hour trip in in a mere eight hours (traveling with kids), and the kids wanted to hit the swimming pool. (Three kids at the time.)
The minivan was full of luggage, a stroller and other stuff. We unloaded what we needed to get at the swimsuits and hauled it to our room. A few minutes later we were outside enjoying the pool.
Mom had just taken the baby back to the room, and I was playing with the Emily and Taylor. It was just us and we were having a ball.
At one point I looked up and saw a green Windstar minivan driving through the parking lot. I thought, “Hey! That is the exact same car that we have!”
I wiped the water out of my eyes and looked more closely. It didn’t just look like our minivan – it WAS our minivan. And I knew for certain that it wasn’t me driving it.
Springing into action, I grabbed the kids and hustled them out of the pool and sent them to our nearby room, shouting at Chrissie, “They are stealing out car!” I ran back to the pool area and, to my surprise the van and the man were still sitting there, unable to pull forward.
I’ve got this.
I ran from the pool through the lobby. As I headed towards the front door I shouted to the receptionist, “Call the police! My car is being stolen.”
I emerged from the building just in time to see the minivan pull out of the parking lot and turn onto the street. I gave chase. I saw him up ahead, stopped at a light right before the freeway entrance. I knew that if he got on the freeway, it was game over.
This guy was not going to get away with MY car.
I raced down the street between cars – no shirt, no shoes, just me in my swimsuit, feeling like Mel Gibson, with short hair. The light was a long one. My adrenalin was pumping. I was going to make it.
The light turned green and the traffic started to move, but the minivan was within reach.
to be continued….
Okay, I’m going to be patient…I can wait, I can wait, I can wait.
OH. MY. GOSH! That’s so bad……
Patience my hind end! I want the rest of the story and I want it NOW! [Ya….I’m one of those people that stays up all night reading to find out what happens next. How did you guess?]
About 10 years ago my husband’s work truck got stolen while he was sleeping in a hotel across the street from Disneyland. They did eventually find it, missing most of the parts, abandoned in a parking lot. It was horrible at the time, but makes for a good story now.
No! Don’t stop now!
Okay, when’s the next installment???
Patience is a virtue.
It’s heading for Mexico, right? I lived in San Diego. My boyfriend parked his Triumph in front. Afterward, the police told us there was no point in looking for it. By the time they got to us, it was in a chop shop in Tijuana, parted out. My now husband of 46 years still thinks fondly of his “Ipthurm”.
Love your blog. Can’t wait for “the rest of the story “
That’s just mean.
Right?