Last night

No picture today. I can't handle the thought of a happy cat sitting on top of this post.

Last night I went to a couple of bars with some girlfriends and had a grand old time. An adorable Tom Stoppard quoting bartender got me plenty toasted and my Friend and I left the other two girls to hop into a cab for the ride home. I didn't like the cab driver, so I asked Friend if we could get out and walk the last two blocks. She was cool with that.

Mistake.

Almost as soon as we got out of the cab and crossed the street a young Latino male ran up behind us and grabbed her purse, then his buddy grabbed mine. I grabbed his sweatshirt and knocked him back to the ground, but in the process lost my balance and also fell. After flashing me a look of complete shock, he jumped up and ran. I jumped up out of my shoes and ran barefoot after him but he was too fast and I was too drunk. I screamed at him all kinds of valuable moral lessons I'm sure he pondered as he searched through our purses.

I walked back and found my shoes and my Friend, who had been pushed to the ground when she refused to give it up right away. Her knees are in bad shape.

My knee is beat and bloody and my butt is bruised and there appears to be a bruise on my wrist as well. Friend's legs are banged up.

He got my cell phone, my license, my ATM card and some make up along with $20. I had to get a new cell phone and decided to get an LA area code while I was at it so if you had my number you have to email me so I can give you the new one.

Friend didn't even have any cash, but he managed to run up her phone bill with calls to Florida.

Unfortunately it's a 1-800 number so that won't be much help.

I kind of had a melt down right there in the street. I mean, this kid could be one of my students. I spend so much of my time trying to teach them that stealing is wrong, trying to make them understand that just because you want something doesn't mean you have to take it. And it's all irrelevant because for every kid who hears me there are many more who think only of themselves.

This Guy came up to us as soon as it happened and told us he saw the Muggers walking behind us and thought they looked suspicious. Guy didn't offer to walk us home, didn't offer to call the cops, didn't try to help us in any way at all. He just wanted to know he saw the incident take place and did nothing about it.

I decided to walk two miles to Other Friend's place - the only place I felt safe - and as I cried in the hallway waiting for him to get home a neighbor came out and yelled at me to shut up. Even after I told her what happened she had the nerve to tell me to "calm down and be quiet" because she had to get to sleep. She didn't offer any consolation, didn't apologize for being rude, only criticized me for being drunk and called Other Friend on the phone and told him to get home because someone was making lots of noise in the hallway and she wanted it taken care of.

Some people are just rotten.