The episode opened with the beleaguered Heck family crammed in the car while "enjoying" a spring break family road trip. Frankie Heck's cell phone rings and it's the neighbor, telling them they've been robbed! Horrors! Immediate change of plans! "Go directly home, do not pass go, do not collect $200!"
They burst into their home, where the neighbor explains how she arrived to take their mail in for them and saw the chaos left by the robbers. Shocked faces on all the Hecks!
But wait... their eyes begin to shift back and forth toward each other. The neighbor is thanked profusely and ushered out the door.
Nothing is missing! The house is exactly as they left it!
Ridiculous premise, you say? Not so!
Been there, done that!
Twenty five years ago, we had just moved into our house and were in the process of fixing the place up. The living room was filled with ladders, tools, the odd beer can here and there, papers covering the floors. Our temporary "lounge" on the second floor consisted of a futon on the floor, a television, more discarded newspapers, and pop cans.
One day after work, we came home to find a side window smashed in and the back door open. Two policemen responded to our call for help. As they walked through the house, inspecting the premises for signs of illicit entry, one of the officers asked...
"So, they toss the place about a bit?"
Dead silence.
Yeaaahhhhh.... the burglars did this to our house! That's what happened. On the bright side, nothing much was taken, probably because the burglars couldn't find anything.
So, I can relate perfectly to the Heck Family. They're my kind of people.
