Thursday, May 25, 2017

Bombs & Buffets...

'Twas a felony Tuesday to remember...

On 5-23-2017, at 5:02 pm, our faithful Sheriff Gary gave a forceful knock on our office door. I was standing there chatting with Laura on my way out, and when I opened it, he immediately said, "Yall get outta here!"

"Umm, what's happening?"
"They think they've found some pipe bombs in a car in the parking lot."

Having recently been to the CR seminar with the reporter who took the Boston Marathon bomber's trial, all of those exhibits and X-rays and videos were pretty fresh in my mind. I didn't stay to listen to any more or wait around for anyone, but on my way down the stairs, I met two more sheriffs working to clear the building and asked them, "Which parking lot?" They pointed to the one where I typically park (it's not the staff parking lot, but the one open to the public), so I knew driving my car out of there was not an option. So then I waited a second for Laura, who wasn't far behind...


When we got out of the staff parking lot in her car, they already had some of the roads blocked off, which was irritating, as they had to have known about it for some time yet somehow failed to mention anything to us until over an hour later at the end of the workday.

=( Truly not okay.

Randomly, Marlene, our former Bailiff, had given Laura some tickets for a free KFC buffet, so we made good use of those, hoping to wait it out and get my car afterward. Mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits, chicken strips, mac n' cheese, apple cobbler - don't mind if I do! (Having already had pizza for lunch, I went way over my WW points that day, but I made up for it over the next couple days, and of all the days to have extra grace for myself, this was it.)


We both called our Moms and ended up talking with another couple in the restaurant about the situation, which was on several news sites at that point...

After eating all the carbs and chicken strips (chicken for me only, as LB has become a vegetarian), calling our moms, doing some google research, and documenting Laura's bracelet choice that day...
...We drove back by and talked to the sheriff who was blocking Lee Street about what was happening and whether I should try to wait for my car. He said it was still a viable threat, and he didn't have any clue what the timeline would be on figuring it all out.


So Laura drove me home, (where my key wouldn't unlock the screen door so we had to unlock the gate and go through the back way). Then we played with the flufflepuff girlfranz for a minute to make ourselves feel better about life.

It always helps! ;-)


Later that night, I learned through FB that it was indeed two live bombs found inside this vehicle (which is still sitting in our parking lot, by the way - the bombs were obviously transported and disassembled). I had no idea how to emotionally process that news, so I laughed, called Mom and texted Rach, then just kept watching Frasier.  LB picked me up for work the next day, where we learned that it was actually a father/son duo who did this to the daugher/sister, saying they just wanted to scare her (she's the victim in a pending case against her dad for Shooting with Intent to Kill, so clearly, they have a special family bond). Yeah, slashing her tires and planting two live bombs in the parking lot of the courthouse where the judge and attorneys work and where the jury could eventually try this thing -- that supposed "scare tactic" reeeeally helped your case.  I can't even. #creekcounty

(As much as I'm irritated with the way this was poorly handled, I am super deeply thankful for God's protection all around that day!!)

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