Two Thieves

Although I watch TV news daily at mid-day, I don’t expect it to make me laugh.  For the most part I find the news frustrating, disturbing, and depressing.  I watch it anyway because I don’t like to read the paper and I feel I should keep up at least minimally with what is going on.

But today’s news did make me laugh.  The local news included a story of an incident that took place today in Olot, a mid-sized town somewhere inland and north of Barcelona.  An ambulance had arrived at the home of an 83-year-old woman who needed to go to the hospital.  The paramedics went up to her apartment and brought her down.  When they got to the street they found that the ambulance had been stolen.  Because the hospital was nearby, they walked her there, rolling her in her wheelchair.  Then they called the police and reported the theft.

Now I ask you.  Who would steal an ambulance?  Is that a vehicle you can easily hide or disguise?  The thief was at least bright enough not to turn on the flashing lights and siren.  But in spite of his discretion, the police found him soon enough because every ambulance has a GPS system that allowed them to locate him immediately.  The man said he stole the ambulance because he needed to go to Girona.

If the news doesn’t make me laugh often, my cats do.  The other day it was Minnie’s turn.  Minnie is actually a rather staid cat and doesn’t engage in pranks often.  She prefers to sit and contemplate.  But this day she felt compelled to eat the butter I had put on the table in order to butter my morning toast.  I eat toast with butter and marmalade every day, but this was the first time she really tucked in.  If not for the telltale hollow decorated with a scratchy tongue, I might never have known.  She is certainly a far more subtle thief than the guy who stole the ambulance.