After a few months of nothing happening on the old guy's empty house (he's still in the nursing home) today it all hit the fan.

Came home from shopping and found 2 police cars with a police dog and 3 vehicles which all belong to the 'other' side in and around the house.

The creepy snake guy's car was in the driveway, his son's white truck was parked backwards in traffic across the driveway and the cute little gal who is always 'touching' the old guy was there with her silver car and her 5 year old son.

Police jumped fence even though the son had keys to both gates and I saw him trying the keys after removing the Hazmat (do not enter) tape from the locks but police did not open the gates.

Dog and police checked all windows and doors and left about about 10 minutes total. They drove off after seeing the truck and the snake's car leave. Gal was still there but looked like she was leaving.

Soooo gal never left. Son in truck returned in 10 minutes with food, snake returned in 15-20 minutes with KEYS. Seems they couldn't find the right key to open the gate locks which THEY had put on themselves. We are talking smart people here, not.

So after trying several more keys, they finally removed a post from the gate and got into the yard. Son and snake were seen with tools and a ladder and seemed to be probably boarding up a door which had no knob or lock at all and which the other 'good' guys were putting boxed up stuff from the hoarded house.

So an hour later, after everyone looked behind the metal shed to see the (now patched) chain link (good guy's friend patched it with help of my tools and wire). My wire (nice heavy stuff was still there (darn!) as I saw it being held up by the kid. I will never get it back now.

Anyway, I guess they boarded up the shed door, might have gone into the house (can't see that angle) and then re-attached the fence post and all left.

Since I have no 'say' in anything happening over there, I just watched and recorded a small log of what went on in case it is ever needed. Didn't call the 'good' guy because the police were there and I assumed the snake had to show them some proof of being able to do things. Dunno, maybe they just went in after the police left and figured it wouldn't matter.

Nothing left the house or yard or shed and all seems quiet now. I can hardly wait until the 'good' guy finds out the shed is boarded up (which he should have done himself long ago).

AND the little cutie gal who is cozying up to the old guy drove around the corner and got out and chatted with two men (2 houses) I assume about what was going on. This isn't good since now they will be watching and reporting to her I bet.

In any case, I'm out of it, won't interfere with either side unless the law contacts me for info.

This saga will never end.

Never dull in SortaLand.

"SortaLand!" Finally, the proper description for the tales, trials, tribulations and excitement from Sorta's neighborhood!

I can see it now...

Coming! This Fall! HBO presents SortaLand!

Ohhhh! I love it...SortaLand, the movie! Now who can we get to play ME?

Only you, Sorta. You are one of a kind.

When I'm reading that I imagine music like Mission Impossible playing.

joe

Sorta you never did say if you popped any pop corn while this episode played out.

Sorta, you got a regular soap opera being played out in real time. I haven't been for a little while and yet not that much has changed; I caught up and on to the current events. You've got the characters down pat and I love the 'names' you've given them!

You've got so much material for a book and/or movie. Maybe a bit of embellishment such as some kind of opening scene showing the old hiding treasure long before he gets sick and only the audience knows it. Hey, could be made into a HOG and/or adventure game too!

Another possible title - 'The House Next Door: Dec Sorta Finds Shady Shennanigans.'

Actress(es)to play you - Jodie Foster, Geena Davis or the gal who voices Nancy Drew. Of course, you'd be the detective!

Excellent suggestions! Or how about, "The House Next Door: Shady Shenanigans in SortaVille?"

I LOVE all the suggestions for the book, movie, TV series! So much fun going on around here sometimes, and no, I didn't have time to pop any corn because I was glued to my front door watching all the 'stuff' happening. I find if you leave for one second, something happens.

So an update. Walked up the street this morning to see what all the sawing and hammering, etc. was and saw NOTHING. Only thing changed was the little plywood piece propped up with a paving brick that had been placed against the door with no knob or lock was missing. The door was as it always has been, no new knob, no lock, nothing. No boarded up, no screws. Weird. Only thing I can think is that they went inside, blocked the door from the inside (caretaker guy told me how it was usually that way) and then went out the back side door and then blocked THAT door with the plywood and screws etc. Can't see back there without being very obvious.

I did see the snake drive by this morning 'checking things out'. I'm sure he has his sons and everyone else patrolling otherwise they would never have known about the hole in the fence behind a shed which couldn't be seen from the street.

They are all still up to no good, and I'm just waiting for the 'other side' to call me or come over and ask about what went on yesterday, and I am going to lie like crazy. I'm practicing now on how to look 'innocent' when I say, "Why no, I didn't see anything happening yesterday, I was shopping most of the day. What happened?"

I'm so tired of all this stupidity. Neither 'side' trusts the other, both sides have an agenda and in all of this, nothing ever really gets done to help the guy in the nursing home who is really not capable of handling his affairs and won't let anyone else do it for him. He always was a private, grouchy old guy who didn't like being bothered.

When we write the 'ending' to this tale, it will probably be that he passes on, with no will, and his relatives (no wife or kids ever) end up either fighting for all his 'hoard' or just deed the entire thing over to the snake who is the most yukky con man I have ever met.

I'm still waiting for a big moving truck to pull up and start unloading the house and garage and sheds. That would be a good opening scene for the TV movie and then we could do a 'flashback' to the beginning of this saga where the ambulance, fire truck, 5 police cars, police dog, and 5 cops with guns drawn were surrounding the house after the caretaker found the old guy lying on the floor (where he had been for 3 days), barricaded inside his house with a shiny chrome 45 caliber gun in his hand threatening to shoot anyone who entered.

Oh, and I'm leaning towards Geena Davis, but she would have to bleach her hair out to blonde for the part.

If Geena wants the part bad enough, she'd dye her hair without thinking twice. Look at Paula (last name?) who plays Abby on NCIS. I've read she's actually blonde and a lot older than the character she plays.

Sorta, I think you're being a really good sport about this whole thing. First, you're excited and now it sounds almost wearing. I'd feel the same. Initial excitement wears off when nothing right seems to happen and you can't do a darn thing about anything except allow them to use your phone and other supplies without getting so much as a thank you and knowing you'll never get it back. I'm glad you're going to start playing innocent and step back; it's gotta be starting to get aggravating.

Course then your Boomer friends get in on the action and, hopefully make you laugh a bit.

Yep butterflybabe, it's always nice to share the fun. So many silly things happening and I try to look on the bright side at all times. This whole thing is so confusing and stupid. If not for the old guy's stubbornness, his brother or sister or niece would have gladly handled it all. The niece actually came all the way out here from back East, when this all started and the guy refused to let her do anything and sent her packing. She tried again a few months back and when he found out he called and told her to mind her own business. Yup, it's a mess, but it's a funny mess from my point of view.

Ohhhh who can we get to play the old guy? Someone grouchy for sure. And my nice gray haired neighbor lady who knows the old guy since 1954 and watches everything as much as I do. Gotta find someone older but spry and opinionated. And the snake? Hummmm. Gotta be short and limpy and cunning. Such fun.

How about Ed Asner? He's played some really grouchy characters in his time. And does them well.