It takes a lot of nerve and a whole bunch of stupidity...

[hairwing530]

Hey Everybody...

And, so the saga ends... In a wholesale round-up of a large ring dealing in the manufacture, distribution and sale of illegal drugs several states away from where I sit, three guys of "special interest" were among those arrested and charged with a laundry list of crimes that would take me hours to lay out properly. Let's just say that breaking and entering, grand theft, interstate trafficking of stolen goods and drugs, and "cooking" meth were primary fixtures on the list of charges. DNA confirmation placed them here at the house less than three weeks ago. And, from what I'm told, the total magnitude of the cases against them will put them away for a very long time!

As for my stuff, and things belonging to other victims? The crew has no idea where and when they fenced the items for cash needed to buy supplies for their "lab." Again, since I'm not privy to details because of the pending cases, the drug ring had a series of businesses/people who quickly took care of getting rid of the stolen goods through their own channels. For all I know, my "former" stuff could be anywhere in the world by now...

When I hung up the phone last night, I did so with mixed feelings. Sure, I'm glad that they were caught and that the cases against them are strong, and the punishment will be severe. And, for that and the fact that their arrests will save other folks from enduring what happened here, I am extremely grateful. Still, there is a small part of me that harbors a great deal of animosity toward this "crew." The illegal drug culture takes no prisoners and leaves a wake of destruction in its path...

Yet, through it all, this family will survive!!! It will take time to heal and mend that which has been broken, but this family has faced greater obstacles and made it through. And, much of our return to more peaceful times has been facilitated via the help of friends and family, and a faith in a better tomorrow. I have many of you here on FAOL to thank for that! So, my friends... I thank you all again for sticking with me and mine...

Be well, everybody, and may your lines forever be tightened by the pull of a good fish... Jerry, aka hairwing530, aka "The Captains..."

[NewTyer 1]

Jerry, that is very good to hear. I'm glad they caught the creeps that did what they did to you and I'm sure many others. Sorry you did not get your stuff back but, also glad noone was home at the time, it could have been much worst. I know that I can speak for most when I say, we were glad to help you and your family and only wish we could have done more. You have been a good friend to many of us here so, when something like this happens and we finally get closure, it feels good. Now you need to take that anamosity and turn it to forgiveness, so that you can move on and be in a better place. Take care.

[sgallas2]

Jerry,
Glad to hear you got some sense of closure and know that they will be off the streets for a long time.
Hope you get settle in and get some peaceful tying done.
Best,
Steve

[hairwing530]

Scott,

My "family of friends," both near and far, ALL did more than I could have asked of them, and then some. So many went the extra mile to help restore some sense of normalcy and balance back to our home, and to my girls and me. From the clean-ups to the "mystery packages" that continue to grace my mailbox-- and a few that had to be handed off at my front door --this whole experience was a continuous show of kindness and generosity, one that will not soon be forgotten. May the Good Lord bless you all!!

Forgiveness may come of its own accord, no doubt once some real distance from this event settles in. Then, I will fully know a true sense of closure. For now, however, my anger is salted with a sense of pity-- pity for the sheer stupidity of this group, and pity for those who were hurt by them during their "adventures" into the homes of other folks. I understand that a few victims were injured during some of the break-ins.

So, I think that a "river walk" is in order, just for the heckuva it. And, Steve... the tying is slowly becoming a grand distraction again, a sort of fly-tying therapy, if you will, and one of the best stress relievers going. Thanks for your help on the proverbial "reload..."

Again, a wee dram will be enjoyed to honor you all later this evening. For now, I tip my hat to each and every one of you... THANK YOU for being there... Jerry, aka hairwing530, aka "The Captains..."

[krauseb]

Just having a sign saying your house is alarmed might have stopped them. It must have taken them more than 30 minutes to do all the damage. Local Pawn shops should be given info on what to look for when kids try to sell your items.

[hairwing530]

krauseb,

There's no telling what happened to all of the stuff, as this ring was headquartered a few states away. My understanding is that they had a network of people who specialized in getting rid of stolen property and quickly. I don't hold out any hope of recovery, not according to what I've been told.

I'll grant you that it took an hour or two to steal what they wanted and then wreck the place. I'm just glad that the members of this household all were gone at the time-- my wife and I at my oncology appointment, and our daughter and the cat at the vet's clinic. I'm just thankful that no one here was hurt...

Precautions are being put in place to make sure that this doesn't happen again anytime soon. 'Nuff said about that...

Be well, everybody... The river walk performed its usual magic on my mindset... Jerry, aka hairwing530, aka "The Captains..."

[oldfrat]

We once had our garage raided by two female druggies who stole a lot of sports equipment. The police were no help, but my wife called around and found our gear at a local Play It Again Sports store. We got our gear back and the store turned the drivers license info of the seller over to the police. The next unpleasant step was that I was awakened at 0500 one morning by a subpoena server so I would appear at the trial. When I complained about being awakened at such an ungodly hour as the victim of the crime, the server simply said that he knew I'd probably be home then.

So, my advice is to just let it go. No sense in trying to track the stuff down unless it has unusual sentimental value to you. Enjoy any replacement gear you may have received and work on getting your life back to normal.

[hairwing530]

oldfrat,

Your advice is spot-on, as usual. Trying to track anything at this point would be impossible, especially given the passage of time and the distance between where I sit and the state in which the drug-ring called "home." This collection of scum crossed enough state lines to make it a sure bet that my chances of recovering anything are small to none. And so, I concentrate on my mystery packages, such as the one that arrived here from the awe-inspiring confines of Colorado. For it and its content, a BIG thank you goes out from snowy northern Michigan...

I believe that a man or woman's life is divided into three categories of memories: The Good Ones-- those you hold onto with an iron-fisted grip to help you through the tough times (my time with our two late daughters, beating cancer and getting my eyesight back come to mind); The Bad Ones-- those you'd rather forget except for the perspective that they give you upon reflection; And, last, The In-Betweeners-- those reminders of people, places and events that chafe at your backside like a day-old tick bite that eventually will heal... with time.

In my time here on FAOL, I've been blessed with nothing but a generous helping of the "Memories" category #1-- The Good Ones. People from here to there have rallied to our aid in ways that speak volumes about FAOL and its members. Some have given far more than they ever received from me, and it's a privilege to be part of this family. The past few weeks have shown me once again how tight the fly-fishing community really is, and that the phrase "helping thy neighbor" isn't just a thing of the past.

Full closure regarding the break-in will come, as I'm already trying hard to push it well back into the distant memories. Still, if I could recover only one or two things from the break-in, it would be the two older Orvis Superfines given to me by my late daughters, Lauren and Laramie. Everything else was/is replaceable...

As for life around here? It's slowly returning to normal, with a comfort factor that has been increased by the arrests. Time will heal the wounds, and the process has begun for me via my "mystery care packages." What a great distraction they've been...

Thank you all for caring, and being willing to share so much of "you" with me and "the girls..."

Jerry, aka hairwing530