Currently This

Someone stole my car. Some tricky thief disabled the kill-switch that is supposed to set off the alarm and keep the car from starting and took my car. If insurance doesn't pay for a rental, oh boy are we f'ed for a while. I insisted on comprehensive coverage when my husband said we couldn't afford it, so we ought to be covered for a rental. I told him we couldn't afford not to have the coverage if we lost the car.

It's a heart stopping, stomach dropping moment when you go out there and notice your car is gone. It's such a sick feeling to think of thieves out there pawing through our things, throwing away the stuff that is useless to them, but so irreplaceable to me, like all my daughter's medical records, including the originals of her many x-rays. I kept telling myself to get them out of there, but then we would need to see another doctor, and another and it got to where it was easier to keep them with me than forget them at home when I needed them. Those and a necklace my daughter gave me that says "Number One Mom" and my son's graduation tassel and my favorite cds. Being insured, I can live with having the car stolen, but insurance can't get that stuff back for me.

If they strip the car, Geico will total it out and we'll buy a new one. It will mean higher car payments and maybe higher insurance premiums and we'll have to put off paying off my daughter's braces and starting my son's orthodonture work. It'll make paying for my older girl's college expenses tougher, too. If they leave the car drivable, we're faced with coming up with the five hundred dollar deductible before it can be fixed. Nearly impossible right now. We would probably need to borrow it from my in-laws. My husband is already working two jobs trying to make ends meet - I wonder if these people ever think of stuff like that when they take a car? Would it matter if they knew? If they knew how tight money is here, do you think they would take pity and move on to another car?

I took really good care of my car - if they hurt the engine, will they be able to fix it so it is the same reliable, beautifully running machine it was before or will we be stuck with a messed up piece of crap that will costs us thousands in repairs even after insurance?

F'ing car thieves.