I have an interesting weekend

I did lots this weekend and even remembered to take pictures. Which I won't get around to posting until tomorrow.
In the meantime, here is a Utica update. There was a gangsta style shooting in the parking lot of the Wallgreens not far from my home at a popular commercial intersection at two in the afternoon on Sunday. Apparently there were witnesses, and the lucky sonofabitch they were shooting at got away. At least he was seen running away, and someone was observant enough to note that the car had out of state plates. The police have no leads on the shooters or the shootee and no real hope of catching anyone. There was an indifferent quote in the paper from the police chief that said: “It isn’t too uncommon to see these parking lots used as drug deals”. Oh well, that's alright then.
I browsed the online comments on the story and even went to the odious Topix Utica forum and amongst the natives there is a general feeling of outrage regarding this latest civic enhancer. Not that crime happened, heck no. Crime happens here all the time. It's where it happened and when. This is not an approved activity for South Utica. The misunderstanding seems to lie in the fact that there is an ever increasing population of what most locals here call 'downstaters'. Downstaters are not the flannel wearing, pipe smoking hipsters that you would expect. They are talking about the unfortunate poverty level NYC refugees who are looking for cheap housing, proximity to the many local prisons and easy access to social services, Utica's main export.

It's ok newcomers. You just don't know our ways. It's simple. Here is the Utica code of conduct for crime. If you are going to set a fire in a home or business, it should be one that you actually own. That way, you get the insurance money and can open a new and better business in a better location. If you are going to steal, it should be white collar embezzlement to pay off your Indian casino credit card debt, or goombah related moneymaking activities. And please, if you are going to be so gauche as to shoot or stab someone, please do it in the dead of night, preferably in Corn Hill, our designated ghetto area. Thank you.

I am fooled twice

Getting into the car this morning I was momentarily stumped to see the contents of the glove compartment all over the front seat and floor. The little flip top compartment where we keep the cd cases was open too, as was the slide that covers the change and cup holder. Then it dawned on me that my car had been ransacked again. It's not like we haven't been robbed before, but it has been awhile. Long enough for me to get complacent. Last night while I was sleeping not thirty feet away, some thug was searching my car for valuables. Well ha on you douchbag because I don't have any. After I got through the 'what happened here' phase and the relief that they didn't make a disgusting body fluids mess, I got a little angry with myself because despite past plundering, I forgot to lock the car, thus inviting scum to help themselves. This is reasonable but infuriating. Fool me once, shame you. Fool me twice, you are a giant f*cking a**hole.

Ten years ago when we bought our house we had hoped that the neighborhood would improve and overall it has maintained. I wouldn't walk around the block after dark but I feel pretty safe during the day and we have two big dogs. Go two or three block in nearly any direction though and you are in the ghetto. Two murders and three armed bank robberies since last year. All unsolved and most 3 blocks from my home. The police never catch anyone. It has been suggested by the local newspaper that since all the robberies are similar, and no one has been caught, perhaps they are the same person? Hmmm, possibly, it is admitted. There was another armed bank robbery this morning with shots fired. This one was across town. All the banks near my house must be out of money.