CA CA - Bob Harrod, 81, Orange County, 27 July 2009 - #17

[zwiebel]

I wonder what was done to honor and remember Bob's role as a veteran yesterday? It must have been private, whatever it was, because I haven't seen anything public.

Poor man. He trained as a cook but I don't think the industrial-scale cooking skills he learned then, stood him in good stead when it came to preparing single meals for himself at 81 years old. I do wonder about the emotional adjustment of anyone witnessing an elderly man struggling to adapt to preparing food without his wife, and failing to offer help. Let alone sneering at his choices.

I bet in that short time he had with Fontelle, Bob ate better than he had in months, if not years. A good appetite can go hand in hand with happiness, I think.

 

[zwiebel]

I have posted something about the wrong year, AGAIN! I am really getting on my own nerves now.

I am an idiot. I don't know what it is with me and years. I manage to live in a country for five, and think it's only two. What happened to those other three years?

 

[zwiebel]

Just to make it worse

I posted something about the lovely Olive Garden restaurant in Cypress and their free meals for veterans, which was out of date, so I deleted it.

Then I found out they'd done it again this year, but I've lost the first link that had a photo of their gorgeous sign that I wanted people to see. I'm going off to pull myself together.

 

[zwiebel]

How two nice restaurants honored vets in Cypress, this year, Nov 11. I believe the owner of The Olive Garden is a veteran himself, and well known for his support of fellow veterans.
http://www.ocfoodies.com/profiles/b...at-olive-garden-red-lobster-recognize-service

Photo of the lovely Olive Garden restaurant sign, from 2011, just because it's lovely and there is so much that isn't lovely about Bob's disappearance.
http://ocdeals.ocregister.com/2011/11/09/olive-garden-free-for-veterans-friday/

 

[zwiebel]

There was a nice Veterans Day service in Placentia at City Hall, and a two-part YouTube video went up very quickly. I think their arms must have got a little tired at some points because it's a little shaky, but it was really good of them to film and post all that. Nice community spirit.

I can't link it at the moment as I'm on my tablet, but it's called City of Placentia - 25th Annual Veterans' Day Observance.

I hope that someone, somewhere out there had their thoughts turned back to Camp Pendleton in the fifties, and all their young mates. And I hope one of the remembered was Bob Harrod. It would be nice to think a young Bob is still alive in an old soldier's mind out there.

 

[travelbug]

A few months ago I spent a considerable amount of time researching the details of the model of home Bob has. I am attaching the best view I have been able to find of the same bathroom in an identical home. The orientation of this picture is the reverse of Bob's home, but aside from that the layout is the same. The bath in the LE picture is the upstairs hallway bath, not the master bedroom bath. In the first picture there is a combination tub & shower, that cannot be seen in the picture, to the right of the toilet (since it would be reversed - in Bob's house it would be on the left). The second picture is of the master bath and there is only a shower (in Bob's house the sink would be in the reverse position). The tile, which is actually vinyl flooring, in these picture is the typical builder grade that was originally used in those homes. What immediately stood out for me in the LE picture is the newer vinyl on the floor. That is a pattern that is currently available at Home Depot. The quality of the install is also poorly done. When new vinyl is installed the toilet is removed, the flooring placed and then the toilet reinstalled. In the LE picture it looks like a typical non-professional install, where the toilet (and baseboards) are not removed and the flooring is just cut away to fit. If you compare the 2 toilets you will notice that one has nice crisp lines where the toilet is attached to the floor and one does not. If flooring was replaced it would not be noticed by anyone other than family or Fontelle. Certainly, the floor may have been updated in anticipation of Fontelle's arrival, but it does raise some questions for me. I have additional photos of other rooms that I will post later. For those of you who live in other areas of the USA or in other countries, Bob's house is part of a larger builder development where many homes with exactly the same floor plan (or reversed floor plan) are built at the same time and the only differences are colors, hardwood floors or carpet, etc.

 

[zwiebel]

Wow, thank you Travelbug! That's so helpful!

I think these are the first original, 'local' photos ever posted here. That's really useful info about the vinyl too.

 

[zwiebel]

Viny would explain the grout being so nearly identical to the tiles you know, and the water/bleach damage. Viny is much more easily damaged. It could even be where a triangle of vinyl has been cut away and a replacement bit glued in, untidily.

(I once attempted to cut vinyl flooring around a little toilet in a VW Camper, thinking it would be easy. It was. At least, to make it look a total mess was easy).

 

[zwiebel]

Posting the pic of Bob's flooring again, so people can say what they think about it.

 

[zwiebel]

Could this be it?

(Link to the Home Depot site so it's fair usage).
http://t.homedepot.com/p/Place-N-Go...lt-In-Underlayment-PNGB-TERRACOTTA/202988307/

 

[sreshowtime]

huh i've never seen vinyl/linoleum flooring laid so it was on a diagonal, 'spose it could be

Zwie- i think what you posted is peel & stick squares?

 

[Grainne Dhu]

A few months ago I spent a considerable amount of time researching the details of the model of home Bob has. I am attaching the best view I have been able to find of the same bathroom in an identical home. The orientation of this picture is the reverse of Bob's home, but aside from that the layout is the same. The bath in the LE picture is the upstairs hallway bath, not the master bedroom bath. In the first picture there is a combination tub & shower, that cannot be seen in the picture, to the right of the toilet (since it would be reversed - in Bob's house it would be on the left). The second picture is of the master bath and there is only a shower (in Bob's house the sink would be in the reverse position). The tile, which is actually vinyl flooring, in these picture is the typical builder grade that was originally used in those homes. What immediately stood out for me in the LE picture is the newer vinyl on the floor. That is a pattern that is currently available at Home Depot. The quality of the install is also poorly done. When new vinyl is installed the toilet is removed, the flooring placed and then the toilet reinstalled. In the LE picture it looks like a typical non-professional install, where the toilet (and baseboards) are not removed and the flooring is just cut away to fit. If you compare the 2 toilets you will notice that one has nice crisp lines where the toilet is attached to the floor and one does not. If flooring was replaced it would not be noticed by anyone other than family or Fontelle. Certainly, the floor may have been updated in anticipation of Fontelle's arrival, but it does raise some questions for me. I have additional photos of other rooms that I will post later. For those of you who live in other areas of the USA or in other countries, Bob's house is part of a larger builder development where many homes with exactly the same floor plan (or reversed floor plan) are built at the same time and the only differences are colors, hardwood floors or carpet, etc.

BBM

Travelbug, incredible!!! Thank you!

That would fit neatly as something that would not stand out to the average police officer doing a welfare check but would immediately stand out to someone who knew the house (like Fontelle).

And currently available at Home Depot... very interesting.

And yes on the development. Here in Iowa, there are many developments that only have 5 or 6 different floor plans total. With the reversing and with different colours, it has kind of a weird overall effect but I guess people like them. The houses are different but there is an overall sameness to them. Many people must like it, though. Or at least people find them within their budgets.

 

[Grainne Dhu]

Posting the pic of Bob's flooring again, so people can say what they think about it.

I can't see whether the flooring was cut incorrectly or whether it was caulked messily. Could be either but with my visual problems, I just can't see the difference.

I do like the vinyl theory because it nestles right into the facts of the case that we know.

 

[zwiebel]

If the flooring was replaced, daughters must have noticed the old stuff in the bin - we know they looked because RB pointed out there were no 'large objects' in it.

It would take up a lot of room though, so maybe it was taken to a dump? If so, I would hope somebody co-operated with police and told them where it was taken. There would be no good reason not to.

 

[Grainne Dhu]

If the flooring was replaced, daughters must have noticed the old stuff in the bin - we know they looked because RB pointed out there were no 'large objects' in it.

It would take up a lot of room though, so maybe it was taken to a dump? If so, I would hope somebody co-operated with police and told them where it was taken. There would be no good reason not to.

That quote doesn't tell us one crucial fact: what size object would RB quantify as large? Larger than a full grocery bag? Larger than a box of books? Larger than a big bag of dog food? I have no idea and that quote gives me no clue.

If the previous linoleum or vinyl had been removed, it may have been cut into strips or pieces to make it easier to handle. So if RB's definition of 'large' is anything smaller in size than a trash can, then the old lino/vinyl would not be a large object.

 

[zwiebel]

There weren't any clarifying details, but from the context of the discussion I'd say by 'large', she meant body-sized. Bob-sized, I think.

I had to remove lots of old vinyl and found it didn't fold up easily unless it was the ancient, linoleum kind; and also that it was fiddly and time-consuming to cut it into small enough pieces to fit in the trash can, especially if there was something in it already.

I think the trash was taken Wednesday? So I'm guessing that by Monday it already had some trash in it. I suppose though, as Bob had been on his own, that might only have been a single, small bag and there would have been room for old flooring, or other construction waste.

I wonder if police ever checked the trash can?

 

[zwiebel]

I think this may be Bob's trash can on the street on Wednesday July 29th, 2009. It's large and the lid's on tight so it's not overflowing. There is a chance it is the neighbour's though and family had already taken Bob's inside.

We call them wheelie bins in England. Do they have another name besides trash can in the US too?

 

[Oriah]

Grainne, do you know of any cases where a water scent-dog has located someone who has been in the water for a long period, rather than just days?

Still catching up here, and not Grainne, but I do! Many, actually. But we should probably qualify 'long period', first? And of what sort of training had by water scent dogs.

 

[Oriah]

I think this may be Bob's trash can on the street on Wednesday July 29th, 2009. It's large and the lid's on tight so it's not overflowing. There is a chance it is the neighbour's though and family had already taken Bob's inside.

We call them wheelie bins in England. Do they have another name besides trash can in the US too?

We call them trash bins. As opposed to the recycling bins that are usually right next to trash bins. Not sure about the rest of the US but...shoot. We've all looked at the trash situation.
But do we have the Placentia recycling info? And surrounding counties?

 

[zwiebel]

Still catching up here, and not Grainne, but I do! Many, actually. But we should probably qualify 'long period', first? And of what sort of training had by water scent dogs.

Sorry, O/T. Four months. Large, deep lake with shallow areas too. Man-made by damming a river. With a town and who knows what beneath it. Maybe some idea of where the person went in; from the shore and likely thrown rather than by boat. No water scent dogs at all so far, it seems.