I started today feeling bad. It was the car. The police had me convinced that it was somewhere between my house and a chop shop. A colleague cited a report in the Washington Post about a ring of baddies after navigation systems. And I started to think about the things in the car – Supra lockboxes, my electronic measuring gadget, some favorite garments that didn’t quite make it to the dry cleaners.
Then, something happened. My lucky pen, which is usually in the car, was on the sofa. Other more important tools of the trade, my St. Anthony statues, usually live in the glove compartment, and for some reason, I brought the bag in the house last week.
OK. About St. Anthony. He is the patron saint of lost items. For generations, people in my family have prayed to him to find everything from lost car keys to husbands for unmarried daughters to buyers for unsold listings. And I always have a stash handy for new listings.
So, I opened the bag, pulled out one of the statues, and said a little prayer I learned as a small child:
Dear St. Anthony, please come around, my car is lost and can’t be found. Amen .
Then, I put the statue in my front window of my house, facing the street.
This was about 9:15. At 9:30, I went outside to move the Hundai rental to a spot across the street (didn't want the neighbors to think it was mine). At 10:00, one of the contractors working on my bathroom went out to his truck and came back saying, “That looks like your car down toward 16th Street.”
And Oh-My-St. Anthony! There is was! So I called the police and my insurance company with the good news. Within an hour or so, two police officers showed up, followed by a crime scene guy. They dusted for prints and checked for damage – which was minor.
When they finished, I took it to the really nice car wash for a spa day to get rid of all the crime scene dust.
So, thank you St. Anthony! Now find a house for the buyers I'm working with this weekend!
Now, there is a lesson to be learned from all of this.
LO-JACK!
I have a chip implanted in my hyper-active Labradoodle puppy, but not in my beautiful real estate car! That is going to change.
Wow, some cars are like cats I guess. No matter how far you take them, they seem to be able to find their way back.
Welcome home, little Lexus! You too, Pat!
Posted by: Joan | August 17, 2007 at 12:14 PM
I can't tell you how many times St. Anthony hears from me in a single day- I'm pretty scattered!
Great article; I have faith he'll find your buyers!!!
Posted by: Lani | August 17, 2007 at 01:09 PM
Congratulations! Good ol' St. Anthony... it's enough to make a believer out of you, isn't it?
Posted by: Margaret Woda | August 20, 2007 at 02:40 PM