My grandmother has an oil-burning furnace. The oil intake is under her porch which has a trellis gate blocking it. The oil delivery guy couldn’t open it because of all the snow and ice.

My grandmother calls me in a bit of a panic. She usually calls my Dad but my Dad couldn’t be reached so she calls me. I tell her I’ll have a look at it on the weekend. Oh no, this has to be done now, now, NOW, according to my grandmother.

*groan*

Okay, so after work, I go home, fetch my shovel, spade and a crowbar. DW suggests I take SS with me. It’s a good idea as it is dark out and one of us will need to hold a flashlight.

I’m guessing, my grandmother’s neighbours, seeing two characters that look like the bumbling thieves from “Home Alone” got spooked and called the cops. We finish the job and come to the front when we are accosted by a young male and a female cop.

The cops didn’t draw their guns but both had their hands on their holsters and were shining their flashlights on us.

“It’s okay!” I yell. “My name is Drac0. I’m the grandson of the lady that lives here.”

The male cop approaches and asks us to put down our tools. We comply.

“A neighbour called and said there were two suspicious looking people trying to break in." The cop explained. "A fat guy and a tall skinny guy”

“Uh...yeah. That’d be us." I said "I guess I’m the fat guy.”

The cop’s demeanor changes and asks if my grandmother knows we are here.

“Yes sir. She’s the one that called me.”

“And who are you?” the cop asks pointing his flashlight at SS.

“This is SS, my stepson. The tall skinny guy.”

“Sir would you mind showing us some ID?”

I comply. The cops also speak to my grandmother who is utterly shocked that the neighbours called the cops on us.

We get the situation sorted out. Cops were really nice and they actually apologized to us for the “inconvenience”. I told them it was no inconvenience at all. They were just doing their jobs.

On the ride home SS asks. “Hey, how come they didn’t draw their guns on us?”

I replied “Would you have felt better if they did!?”