What a Day!!!!!

Yesterday was a very interesting day!

Let me paint a picture for you:

David had to take care of some things in Rock Springs. He had an 8:00 am appointment that he had to be to, and decided to take care of all of the RS stuff in one trip to save on gas.

The past few months, with David not working, he has been handling the mornings around here. I get more done after the kids are in bed, so I have been taking advantage of David being home and have been staying up late to get things done, and then sleeping in. I also have a somewhat weak immune system that has been something I have struggled with a lot recently.... in a nutshell, I've been sick a lot lately. ;-) So, another good reason to take advantage of David being home and able to take the "morning shift."

With David leaving at 7:30 am, it was my turn to take care of the Kids when they got up. (well, I mean since technically that is still my job ;-)

I got up when Jacob woke up around 8:30. The Girls were up just after he was. I got everyone changed, fed, and busy playing, and got on the computer. Stephanie Fleming told me that she was thinking of coming to GR to go to the park... so we planned for 1:00 pm, and I set to work getting everyone ready and asked David to be home to pick us up at 12:30.

We were ready to go right on time. David took the Children out to put them in the van. I heard a car pull up but didn't think too much of it.

A few minutes later, I walked out to find a Woman from the Sheriff's Department talking to David. He said, "Candace, this Woman has something for you." She is someone we have seen before.... a couple of years ago, we had a string of incidents that have long since been resolved. So there are a few Legal Figures (GRPD, Sheriff's Department, Judge, Clerks, etc) that we have become acquainted with, and she is one of them.

She Served me with a document telling me that I owed a sum of $ (under $400) to a collection agency, and that because of this, they were claiming the right to seize my personal property to pay the debt... specifically the van (Which is technically MINE, and valued at an amount a bit higher than $400)

David, trying to protect me from having to deal with her and what ever she was wanting with me, had told her I was not home. I, not knowing that she was even here, let alone that he had told her I was not home, walked out the door right in the middle of his talking to her.

She gave me the paper, told me I might want to look into it, and got into her car.

David then told me what had taken place. His intentions were Gold despite how the situation turned out.

We then went to the park to meet up with Stephanie, Nicole, and Ashley. With the van being our sole mode of transportation, I was very stressed over the thought that they might try to take it... we own it free and clear, thereby eliminating the possibility that it can be repoed. The Park Date was perfect for taking my mind off of the problem. We stayed at the park until around 4:00 pm.

I then called my mom to gripe about the van situation. Commenting that as my blog says, "You can't make this "Stuff" up." And that this sort of stuff only seems to happen to me.

We got home; fed, bathed, and got the Children to bed; and got ourselves showered. I had just gotten out of the shower, and we were discussing what WE (David and I) were going to eat(it is normal routine here for us to get the children fed and to bed and THEN eat dinner ourselves (just easier sometimes.)

Elizabeth has had problems the past few weeks with doing what she's supposed to when she's in the bedroom that she shares with her sisters. So we have started getting the other 2 Girls to bed, and then Elizabeth comes downstairs with us and sits on the couch basically until she falls asleep.

So, Elizabeth was sitting on the couch, Jacob and the other 2 Girls were in their beds, and I was on the computer. Jacob started crying, so David was getting him a bottle. Someone knocked on our door.

Now let me just tell you: it may sound a little bit paranoid but due to our past experiences, we do not answer our door unless we are expecting someone. And we were not expecting anyone.

David looked out and said "It's someone from the Sheriff's Department." We haven't been breaking any laws, and figured that they were there to give us the same paperwork we had received earlier from the Woman.

So, we ignored them. David went upstairs to take care of Jacob.

I felt that it was a good idea to take Elizabeth upstairs too until they left.

As I was walking her up the stairs, the front door, which was unlocked, opened, and a Man said "Candace?"

I came back downstairs, and went to the front door where two large MALE Sheriff's Deputies were waiting. They made sure I was "Candace" and then one of them said "Can you get some shoes on and step outside, we have some papers to discuss with you."

I am not proud of this, and it's from a period where things were a disaster between David and I, but I went to jail a few times right before our divorce. And have not only vowed to NEVER go back, but when David and I decided to get remarried, I made him SWEAR to me that I would never again be placed in a situation because of his actions where I would go to jail.

So when they asked me to come outside, I said "OK, but I'm not going anywhere." To which they replied "Yes. You are."

I asked them "Why?" and they informed me that I had 2 Warrants out for my arrest. I told them that was impossible. Rather than explaining anything further than that a designated amount of $ was involved and that they were both described as "Failure to Pay," they just kept insisting I put my shoes on and come with them.

David and Jacob had come downstairs and were observing from the living room (which is directly off of the kitchen) where Elizabeth was.

I immediately went into panic mode.** (I KNEW I hadn't done anything wrong, and David and I haven't had a knock down, drag out fight since the divorce. I learned my lesson over a year ago and my temper has gotten WELL under control since our past experiences.) And backed up to be more in the kitchen where I felt "safe."

They entered the kitchen (Our town house's front door open up into the kitchen, so that is the first room you enter), and proceeded to say things like "Don't make this harder than it has to be," and "You have to come with us, so please put your shoes on." I hadn't eaten and honestly began to black out due to the combination of stress and low blood sugar. Meanwhile, one of the Officers actually located my shoes and put them right in front of my feet for me to put on.

I asked them if I could make some phone calls with them right there to attempt to get the $ so I didn't have to go with them. They informed me that I had to come with them, and that David could then take care of the phone calls and securing the $ and then bring it over to the Jail. I told them I hadn't eaten, and they said that would be addressed at the Jail.

They asked me to cooperate so that they didn't have to make a scene in front of My Children (I did not know Elizabeth had come down the stairs and was in the living room). I told them I was not trying to be difficult but that I was not ok with going with them under the vague circumstances. They threatened to put me on the ground to cuff me if needs be. At one point I am pretty sure I even saw the more vocal AND obnoxious of the 2 put his hand on the snap of the harness for his taser.

I told them that I KNEW that once I got to the Jail, I would have no contact with anyone. They told me that if I stopped giving them a hard time, they would make sure I got a phone call to David as soon as I was done being processed into the Jail.

I conceded finally. And asked David if he had a plan. He told me he did, so I put my sandals on (that they had placed in front of my feet) and walked out the door. As soon as we were outside, I was handcuffed TIGHTLY, and placed in a Big White SUV.

I Cried and snotted non stop all the way to the Sweetwater County Jail which is about 10 miles East of GR.

About half way there I made another comment about having not eaten, and that I knew dinner was long over. The officer driving me told me that he would make sure I got SOMETHING to eat once we got there.

I continued to quietly cry and snot in the back seat.

When we got into the jail, a Female Guard came out to meet us and "collect" me. She asked me how I was... this of course was answered by me with a fresh wave of tears and embarrassing snotting. The Officer told her that I was a bit emotional.

He got me into the Jail, turned me over, mentioned the phone call to the other Officers, and left. Never ONCE saying ANYTHING to ANYONE about my needing to eat.

Meanwhile Poor David was trying to help Elizabeth deal with the situation, take care of Jacob, and get the $ together to get me out before I had to spend the night. However, it was already after 9:30 pm.

I got booked in and processed relatively quickly. The Officers handling everything were very nice and Friendly which of course helped. Then I was allowed to call David. I was about the only one to come in last night, so I was able to talk to David and even Elizabeth for almost 25 minutes. David and I were able to discuss the situation, and he told me that at 9:00 am, my mom could have the $322 it was going to take to satisfy the situation so that I could leave. We decided that there was prolly no chance of me getting out before having to spend the night, and that was bearable.

I got off of the phone with him, was taken to "dress" (change my clothes), and then sent to my cell to go to bed. It was after 10:30 pm.

I had a "roomie" who had already claimed the bottom bunk, so I made up my top bunk, and climbed up for a LONG very restless night with little sleep.


** = Explanation of my Panic on the post that follows