tonight i have a hero...

so maybe i watch law & order: svu more than the average person. so maybe it's made me slightly more paranoid than i would normally be.

tonight that keen sense of discerning danger, due in part to all the tricks officer olivia has taught me on tv, nearly saved my life ... coupled with a heroic brother.

here's to you Jason Gardner.




he doesn't look like a hero in these pictures, but that's cause he's dressed in a plain old normal delicious popcorn making, airplane flying, pizza eating civilian costume. but don't be fooled by his silly laugh or humble demeanor.

tonight a sketchy character entered the subway car, and after making eyes at me made his way over to my bench. the overwhelming feeling of YUCK (that's the best i can do to describe it) let me know this was not the average c train neighbor- that and his shifty eyes. he seemed to be watching me more intently than i was comfortable with - or perhaps watching my brown leather purse. i decided to test my theory (olivia would have thought of something spectacular) i just pretended to get off at 110th. i stood by the door and stepped out when the opened, he followed, and then i retracted into the train car ... and so did he, slipping back into his seat. i was hoping someone else witnessed this unnerving coincidence, but no luck. we arrived at 116th and i grew nervous about my short walk home. the doors opened, i waited as did he, and then i stepped out followed by this stranger. i walked slowly, passed by hustling commuters, but not by this newspaper reader. he stayed close behind. my heart started to race.

i tried to lose him again, as i paused at the top of the stairs to fiddle with my purse and put on my gloves. he walked by and waited at the bus stop. i continued around the corner of 116th and Frederick Douglas, only to be discouraged and frightened by the fact that despite the waiting bus, he had abandoned his post and taken off after me on foot. i walked faster, and he stayed close behind. i quickly bolted into rite aid, where i hid for the next 23 minutes. after 5 minutes, i checked the door, there he stood perched at the garbage can across the street peering out from behind a newspaper.

i panicked. maybe i would call marci to come meet me, or see if lindsey would lend me scott for a quick trip home. i dialed my husband who was stranded on wall street, and then my brother jason.

as i fought through my tears in an aisle of nail polish and garish lipstick, jason assured me he'd be there just as soon as he could switch uniforms in the nearest phone booth. after a few laps around rite aid, with stops at US WEEKLY and a can of cream of mushroom for tomorrow's pot roast, i looked out the window. and what did i see? nay- no newspaper man on the corner. he had stripped off his plain old normal civilian costume - and standing with a towering presence and puffed up chest was my hero, mr. save you from a sex offender or purse thief - and i couldn't have been happier to see him.

he whisked me away in his batmobile- a hyundai sonata- made sure we lost the assailant, and then headed home.

i wish everyone had brothers to rescue them from their stranded rite aid islands - but if you don't, i bet mine would come save you too.