Ugh.  Very sorry, martle.  I was robbed twice in a one-year stretch when I lived in Buffalo.  The second time, the burglar stole 250 CDs, all of my electronic gear, and, most astonishingly, some cologne and my belt.  And, get this, he left his _own_ belt behind, which clearly didn't fit him properly (he'd added his own belt hole).  Quite, quite odd.

Very sorry to hear that, Martle. A cursed nuisance and unpleasant even if nothing significant was taken.  All best wishes.

bad news, martle.
but there's always a green tomorrow.
nb - if someone lets opilec within 5 feet of a car, i'm becoming a recluse.

I do sympathize, Martle.

I had my car stolen once but a quick call to the police revealed that they had already found the car abandoned about a mile away. I felt rather insulted that they had given up on my car so soon. (It was a Mini Metro.)

Then a friend of mine had not only one of those anti-theft devices that hooks over the steering wheel and the clutch but also some big metal thing that goes over the hand brake. She returned to the car one day to find someone hacking away at both. They seem to like a challenge. (I can't remember the model of the car but it was only something like a Skoda.)

And where did both these incidents take place? Liverpool. I'm strongly resisting the urge to tell Liverpool jokes right now.

Oh, all right then. What do you call a man in Liverpool who wears a suit?

The defendant.

My favourite Liverpool joke:

After having their 11th child, a Liverpool couple decided that was enough,
as the social wouldn't buy them a bigger bed and they weren't strong enough
to nick one.

The husband went to his doctor and told him that he and his wife didn't
want to have any more children.

The doctor told him there was a procedure called a vasectomy that would fix
the problem but it was expensive.

A less costly alternative was to go home, get a firework, light it, put it
in a beer can, then hold the can up to his ear and count to 10.

The Scouser said to the doctor, "I may not be the smartest guy in the
world, but I don't see how putting a firework in a beer can next to my ear
is going to help me."

"Trust me, it will do the job", said the doctor.

So the man went home, lit a banger and put it in a beer can. He held the
can up to his ear and began to count: "1, 2, 3, 4, 5," at which point he
paused, placed the beer can between his legs so he could continue counting
on his other hand.

This procedure also works in Middlesbrough, parts of Bradford and anywhere
in Wales.

Sorry to hear about your problems Martle. Hope you soon feel at home again despite the upset.
Puts my grumble into perspective: I received a Daily Mail today instead of a Grauniad.
I'm cancelling my paper order anyway but this felt like some sort of 'sign'.
(Like my dishwasher, washing machine and shaver breaking down, my bathroom door coming to bits, etc.)

Goodness!    That seems a little harsh!