Mystery Solved

Last week I told you how my car got broken into in broad daylight (Entry from 7/22/04).  As odd as it seemed, I searched and searched and didn't think anything had been stolen from my car.  So I got the window fixed and moved on, thinking it was all over. 

Well today began chapter two in the saga.  (And boy do I hope this is a two chapter saga and we're done now)  I came out to my car this morning and it had been ticketed.  I wasn't parked illegally so I couldn't imagine why I got the ticket.  When I opened the classic Chicago orange ticket envelope it said that I was being cited for not having a city sticker.  For those of you not from Chicago, a city sticker is required for all vehicles registered in the city of Chicago.  It's like a little resident parking permit of sorts and it costs $75 per year. 

So my immediate reaction was "What?!?  I have a city sticker.  I paid my $75 and got it well before the due date this year.  It's right on my windshield!"

Or is it?

Nope, the city sticker was gone.    Nothing left but some smudges of adhesive.  How crazy is that?  Now I know that something actually was taken from my car in the break in.  My city sticker!  Can you imagine that thieves actually smashed my car window so that they could peel off my city parking sticker and steal it?  That is some low, low behavior.

Anyway, so now there's a few matters to contend with.  Have to contest the $120 ticket because I honestly did have the appropriate sticker and didn't realize it had been stolen.  Have to file a police report and get a new sticker, paying a premium on it this time.  So now we have closure on what the thieves actually did take and I hope that this is the last of this story.  Food topics are so much more fun to write about.

I'll get back with some cooking entries later.  I made a cake that I want to share and I'll be doing some more cooking tonight.  Stories and recipes coming!