tabby-like-a-cat

While at work yesterday I had my phone stolen from me. 

I had helped the boy in the brown jacket with a game trade in. He brought in Madden 25th Anniversary and I offered him 25 for store credit of $20 in check. He opted for the check. While getting my manager to write the check (seen at the counter leaning over) his friends came in and set their sights on my phone which had earlier been sat on our back counter while I was processing. My mistake. 

The two gentlemen at the register were friends of mine from high school and once the guys had left one of my friends mentioned that he just saw a guy take a black phone. “My phone isn’t black” I told myself. But then I realized, I had JUST got my Amazon order with a new case that morning and put a NAVY BLUE case on my Samsung S3. I ran to the area where my phone was at and frantically looked. But nothing was there. I ran out the doors (along with my friends and manager) and looked for the guys who took my phone. They were pulling out of a parking space and I ran at them. They saw me, then sped off. As I made my way BACK to the store I tripped over a bush and faceplanted into mulch before starting to cry. My $400 phone was gone, with all of my information, my texts, my photos from my recent Canada trip, everything. I felt violated and immediately ran back inside in a panic. My manager called the cops and thankfully we had the kid’s information on the check stub. An officer came into the store to get my information and I remotely locked my phone but not before telling Twitter that my phone was stolen and to message it. 

An hour went by and the police called with good news. They caught 2 of the guys and had them in custody. But they were not talking on where my phone was. 

Since last night I have given the officers everything they need to hopefully get info out of the crooks. The guys are still, as far as I know, still in jail on bond and their car has been towed. Even if my phone is long gone (which I have been told is going to more than likely be the case) the crooks will be paying lots of money in fees AND have a theft record which stacks WAY above the cost of my phone. The officers have told me that they will contact me with any news. But for now it is a waiting game.

The only issue is that now I have no phone. No way of texting Samuel, getting contacts or photos or anything that was on my phone back. Worst of all is that since I JUST got back from my Canada trip I do not have any money to buy a new phone on the Virgin Mobile site. And since my phone was not insured I cannot get a replacement. I have to pay the current $400 price tag for my Samsung Galaxy S3. 

I worked so hard to save money for that phone. I worked so hard to save money for my trip to see Samuel. I have never done a single horrible thing in my life to deserve to have something like this happen. But bad things happen to good people all of the time. And a phone is just a material object in the end. But for me it is a communication device for my LDR. For my friends and family while I am away. It is a calendar with ALL of my appointments and assignments and work schedule. It has my bank information and personal goals. It is crazy to say, but that phone (what it contained and what it allowed me to do) was a part of me. And thinking of someone taking that from me and violating my property makes me extremely upset. 

SO in order to save for another phone I am going to be taking 5 commission slots at a time in the coming weeks. My prices are set at $25 for a single character and $10 each additional in the piece (INCLUDING POKEMON OR SMALL ANIMALS/CHILDREN) More details with image refs will be up soon.

Anyone interested please email me at artoftabby@gmail.com

All payments will be on PayPal.com with my username tab10art@aol.com

My friend Morgan has also offered to help by making stickers out of my art, so anyone interested will be able to order some. Images for the stickers and prices will be up soon.

I won’t be taking any commission right away since my semester at school is almost up and finals are among me. This entire incident could not have came at a worse time. 

Thanks for reading and spreading the message if you feel inclined to do so. Please keep your fingers crossed that my phone will turn up.

<3