If it Wasn't for Bad Luck...

It probably started a couple of weeks ago when Sue (the dawg) passed away. I came home to find Sylvia holding her in the kitchen. She didn't seem to be in pain, but she was obviously failing. It looked like a couple of seconds of discomfort at the very end and she was gone... with Syl still holding her. We buried her in the backyard, which may not have been the best idea as we think of her whenever we go out there. There's some animal trying to dig at her and that's troubling and requires us to monitor and maintain the grave.
About a week later we were sitting in the living room when we heard a car sideswipe a parked car out front. We joined several neighbors who'd gone out and see what happened. At first someone thought it was Syl's car... but that was just the racing stripes on the side. Of course, it was my van. Some passers by had heard it and actually got a license number and a description. So we called the cops. When the officer arrived he actually laughed that we'd reported a dent on my beat up and rusting vehicle. He came back the next day to say that the car had belonged to a deceased woman, who's underaged and unlicensed niece had taken it for a joy ride with some friends. He said he was going to talk to the parents of all concerned and asked me what I wanted to do. I knew I wasn't going to get anything from my insurance company, I wasn't going to get it fixed (the rust precluded that) and he offered to get me $100 for it. I agreed, realising later that he probably got more from the parents considering that most policies have a $500 deductable. I should have asked for more... but it's not good form to call a cop a crook. He came back a couple of days later and handed me five twenties with a straight face.
Several days after that, while walking back from the store I noticed a bike lock on the sidewalk... Yep, mine. We hadn't even noticed the bike missing from the front porch. It was a good cable and the thief had had to work at it, chewing it up pretty good before he got through it. It was Sylvia's bike, but I was the one that had been riding it this year, as mine needs mending. So now I have to replace that before I get mine fixed.
Supposedly bad things happen in threes. Let's hope this covers my account for a spell.