An Unauthorized Party Leaves Evidence
So here I am in sunny San Diego and I am house sitting for a family that decided to take a month long vacation. The house is right by the water and also has a pool. It has a tremendous view of the ocean and there is plenty of space inside, as well. The house has many large windows to take in the breath taking views. It is empty, however, and I am bored.
With the morning turning around, my cell phone rang. It was Bob. Bob was a longtime friend who was now enlisted in the military. He called to say that he had been recalled to duty. He was set to leave in a week. As a result, he was looking for something memorable to do. He asked me about my situation. I relayed to him my house sitting gig and the magnificent view which was getting old. In an instant, Bob came up with an idea to throw a going away party.
Bob was going to invite some of his military friends, as well. As I tried to convey my apprehension, given that I had no authority whatsoever to approve such an event, he replied that we would have it outdoors and that no damage would occur to the home. I was entering my senior year at the university. As such, it was also my last summer of being a kid. I did not plan on house sitting ever again. However, I was a bit weary. Also, I had caused some damage already by spilling food on the rug. I was able to clean it up with a dry wet vacuum, but there remained a very slight trace of the accident.
Bob reassured me that everything would be okay. His idea was to have the party outdoors in the back yard. This would avoid any damage to the interior of the home. He said his buddies would bring all disposable items for the party. All I had to do was open the house to his guests. He said he would even help cleanup and thought about bringing a portable space heater. The party was set for the weekend.
The nights were getting a bit colder and I said that might be an issue, especially if he were planning on having him and his guests use the pool. He suggested we buy portable heaters for the outside. He also had a buddy who could supple a portable fire pit. This would solve the temperature problem. Also, the owners had some home space heaters we could use indoors, in case anyone got really cold.
It all seemed to fit. Bob even made it sound lucrative. He thought I could charge a token fee for the house usage. Since we were borrowing the residence, it seemed justified. Also, it would allow us to defer some of the costs or replace anything in case of damage. If everything ran smoothly, I would even make some additional cash. This seemed like a very prudent approach.
One thing, however, did concern me and that was the neighbors. If the party got out of hand and if we were too noisy then they could call the local police. This would not be good. Also, even if they did not call the police but remarked about the party to the owners after their return, it would not reflect well on me. After considering these issues, I decided I was willing to live with the results. However, one thing we did not account for was if one of our invitees were connected with the owners of the house. That is when the party became very interesting.
