I forget who said it but there is a great saying. It is, "Learn from other people's mistakes because you won't live long enough to make them all yourself." Well, I hope that you can all learn from my mistake. I, like many of you, had people say that it is important to inventory your property and to record the serial numbers of the different items. That way if someone breaks into your home you can supply the police with a list of serial numbers. I always thought that it was a good idea but I kept putting it off because I knew that it would never happen to me, but it did! Most of you know that I am a truck driver. I am in my truck about 28 days a month so I decided that it wouldn't make sense to rent a house or apartment. So I live in my truck and have a storage locker where I keep the rest of my stuff that I don't have in the truck. Sometime during the hours of 8:00 and 11:00 P.M. on Saturday someone broke into my truck. They took my CB, TV, video camera, and all of my computer software for a total loss of around $4000. The police were called and they came and did a report and the crime lab came out and took fingerprints. The chances that I will ever see my stuff again is very rare. I did supply the police with a list of everything that was taken but I couldn't give them any serial numbers. I think I might have the video camera's serial number in storage and when I go to Idaho next week I will check. If I would have had a list of the serial numbers it would have increased not only the chance of me getting my stuff back but it would have increased the chances of catching these thieves when they try to pawn or sell the stuff. The only condolence was that I had taken my computer and Sammy, Doris, and Buddy with me into my friends apartment so they were not in any danger. I get cold chills and just shutter to think what might have happened if my kids would have been in the truck when it was broken into. Please, take some time this week and inventory your property. Make a record of all of the serial numbers of your equipment and keep a couple copies of it in different places. If nothing else, it will give the police one more way of catching these people. Since I know people will ask, no I didn't have any insurance coverage on my personal property. Since I don't have a house or apartment I have no home owners or rental insurance. The truck is a company truck and they carry insurance only on the truck and not my personal property. The thing that really saddens me the most is that I had a lot of video of my kids in the camera case and now its all gone. Please learn from my mistake and make a detailed inventory of your stuff so you don't have to go through what I am. By the way, Sammy is doing well. At least something is going good. Jason, Sammy, Doris, and Buddy ICQ # 7528859 (Sammy's Dad) ICQ - www.icq.com E-mail: [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 2305]