LOST:

One 2-inch, 512 mb jump drive containing sensitive and irreplaceable data–our bank account #’s, tax returns (including social security #’s), a file of all BT’s passwords, the only copy of family history work, and all sorts of other sensitive information.

Last known whereabouts–Bryan’s pocket at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, a 200-acre park in Plano.

To say that we were sick about the missing drive would be an understatement. To say that I was bewildered as to why Bryan would keep all that information on a device so prone to failure and so easily misplaced would also be an understatement, but why rub salt into the wound. (Ok, so maybe just a little salt).

After tearing the house apart last night, we knew that the ONLY place the precious little drive could be was back at the park. But it could be ANYWHERE at the park. We had covered a lot of ground–through a mile of mud, weeds, trees, dog poop, and play ground wood chips!

When I suggested that we go back to Arbor Hills, the phrases “needle in a haystack” and “diamond ring in the ocean” slipped from Bryan’s somber lips. And he was right. Finding the drive there would be nothing short of a miracle.

After a fitful sleep, I knew that we just couldn’t give up. So, as the morning sun crested over the horizon, I uttered another simple plea for help, loaded Vivi in the car, and headed back to retrace our many, many steps.

As I pulled into the parking lot and arrived at the spot near where we had parked the night before, my heart leapt. Was that our memory stick on the ground between two parked cars? I stopped the car, ran over and couldn’t believe my eyes!