Ed Asner...is he still alive? Certainly would be good. Hummmm.

So far nothing happening over 'there' but it's early. The snake did a 'recon' around the side street but didn't stop. I think they are looking for the 'good' guys and if the two sides come together, there surely will be a clash and lots of police. Wish I still had my movie camera. This could make it on one of those Dumbest of all times shows.

UPDATE: at 8:15 am today, the snake, his son and the husband of the chicky poo girl arrived and are loading the truck with all the junk in the yard. Thank goodness someone is since it looks like a junk yard (has for years). However, they have carefully laid out a huge tarp in the back and it looks like they are going to 'sort' things after they clear the yard. This should be fun if they go into the house or sheds and start removing stuff!

I am STILL not getting involved. Standing back watching and waiting for the next fun development. Film at 11....

Another UPDATE: So now they have taken 3 loads of junk to the dump and somehow changed the 'workers'. What was just 'family' is now just the son of the snake, and 3 other guys I don't recognize. Might be from across the street and volunteered or were asked to help. They are now piling all metal stuff to sell. They are also dismantling the window air conditioner (working) that the first burglar ripped from a window to gain access. Stupid people. We are pretty sure all the break-in's were the snake and his henchmen, since nothing was taken.

Can hardly wait to see how far they get today and if they come back tomorrow. They broke into the metal shed ( it was locked) and are taking things out and sorting 'good' stuff. Lawnmowers, power stuff, anything usable or which could be sold at the swapmeet.

This is really entertaining.

If the old guy hadn't been so stubborn and, from what you say, Sorta, 99% of the stuff is junk, and you hadn't already been more involved than you wanted, I'd urge you to tell the police the place is being robbed.

People where I live in the Chicago burbs are asked to watch for vans and trucks at a residence and, if you have the least suspicion, call the cops. It's been known to happen that owners will come back from a trip and have been robbed, neighbors thought they had moved.

The way you described the old man made me think of my mother-in-law. Same stubborn attitude except my husband and I lived just 10 min away so he had a bit more control on the situation.

Yup, butterflybabe, I'm watching closely what they take. So far they are just cleaning up the entire trash dump of a yard. Lots of junky stuff. Already 4 loads have gone, 3 to the dump, and one I think sold for scrap metal, since they were carefully separating stuff. Now they are on load 5, again scrap metal. One concern is they just brought out a 20 ft, aluminum, extension ladder which is used to reach the security lights on the house that the caretaker keeps replacing bulbs in.

I'm wondering if they are going to load that ladder and sell it for scrap OR take it to one of their homes. Won't really know, but it's looking suspicious.

The yard stuff is total rusty, moldy junk, BUT the sheds contain hundreds of boxed items (caretaker's girlfriend and a few friends of hers boxed it all) and carefully stacked into the garage. More boxed stuff in the formerly hoarded house. She was doing a good job of carefully boxing stuff and uncovering furniture (which you couldn't see for months until she got down to it), and then the snake got the cops to let him change all the locks! No verification of his 'right to enter' but they let him anyway. Very fun to watch.

I think this is just the first step to getting into the house and taking those boxes out to sell the stuff in them. Lots of watches, watchmaker tools (big and little) jewelers tools, clocks of every kind, radios, TV's, appliances, and books and records and 'stuff' that he hoarded over the year. THAT stuff would bring some cash at the swap meet.

I feel it in my bones that soon, I will see boxes going out and then I'm going to have a problem of whether or not to call the cops. Last time I did (a break in I witnessed) the cops pretty much called me crazy and refused to take a report or to attempt to get the people out of the house. I and 2 neighbors knew there were 2 ladies in there overnight, and no authority cared because of all the previous 'false alarms'. Real stupidity on their parts. I was frustrated and vowed not to call them again.

The poor old guy will never know, since I don't think he will ever be coming home. Sad. But it's his doing. He refuses to make choices of who should be in charge and shuns his relative's help. Snake knows how to manipulate and it's a really sad state of affairs.

So I watch....Gives me something to do when nothing good is on TV.

UPDATE: Cyber Monday. The pick up truck guy was back with his wife and together they picked up the rest of the stuff they had stacked near the gate. 3 trash cans full of metal stuff, 2 lawnmowers, misc metal stuff, and the wheelbarrow. Took that too. BUT they raked and swept the yard and cement areas. I'm really thinking that the city (who sent us all notices about 'junk' cleanup warnings, might have actually cited or sent a real warning to the guy and his pals decided to do the cleanup for him. We will know if we see city inspectors over there with clipboards. They were around a few weeks back looking up addresses and checking things off.

In the meantime, the caretaker guy and his ex girlfriend (who was boxing stuff) noticed something had 'changed'. He stopped by, she called me at 11:15 PM. Ugh. I have my next door neighbor going to confession for me and now my nice lady next door friend because we both pretended to not know anything about anything. Advised them to look for themselves and then check with the old guy to see if he knows who did the cleaning. Not my problem anymore unless I see a REAL break in by someone I don't know.

I'm still having fun...