This has already been a very busy day. I was running late for my massage appointment for reasons I cannot explain. Really, I don't know where the time went this morning before panic set in to get to where I needed to go. It's not like I can speed through town because I am still on probation from the last time I sped through the equivalent of Red Square. While somewhere, theoretically, a bank was being robbed and a woman raped and family violence was involving children and elderly was waiting for police intervention, I was being written up for having raced by a motorcycle cop who clocked me at six miles per hour over the posted speed limit. That would have saved me roughly 30 seconds total travel time on a miraculous day since none the of the traffic lights, which are placed about 30 yards apart, are synchronized in Pasadena. Never mind that I was trying to change lanes in order to turn at the next intersection.
Officer Anti-friendly swaggerd his plump body over to my window and when asked, explained to me he couldn't just give me a warning because that wouldn't be fair to all the other people he expected to pull over later. He said he was committed to treating everybody the same. So, I decided I too would become committed to same values. The next time I am solicited for funds for anything for the police department, I will throw it in the trash with all the other solicitations. After all, you shouldn't mess with someone who is clearly a threat to national security, right? I am a life-time member of the 100 club which probably worked against me. That 100 club sticker probably made the guy think I'd already given all I planned to give. He was wrong then, but he'll be right next time...maybe, but I doubt it. I am a wimp at heart and I really do care about surviving children and spouses, even those of jerks.
The ticket cost my partner lots of money. I hired an attorney to go to court for me because frankly, I didn't want to go and hiring an attorney ensured that I wouldn't have to. The lawyer cost $85. He got the hearing reset for a couple of months later and went for me again because my desire to sit in a courtroom with seriously committed felons had not changed and the $85 covered this lawyer's fees for the duration of the inconvenience. The lawyer suggested I let him ask the court for probation and that way I wouldn't have to take that mockery of a driving class that would also let me save 10% on my car insurance once it was completed, and, I could still keep the ticket off of my driving record provided I didn't break the rules of my 3 month probation. After October 4th, I can resume my crazy reckless driving antics.
The terms of this 3 month probation require me to receive no traffic tickets issued in the city of Pasadena by Pasadena police. A ticket by a constable is O.K. It doesn't count against my probation. However, if I get a second traffic ticket by any Pasadena Rambo within the 3 months, and even if I contest it, the probation is breached regardless of the outcome of the contest I guess at that point, you get a life sentence. I know for sure the ticket goes on your driving record for the whole world to gaze upon and snicker. I think you have to pay the ticket too if I recall correctly. More importantly, I have friends who are looking over the shoulder with fear of being recognized while eating lunch with a probationer. Some insist on keeping a bag over their heads when they are with me. It is a humbling experience. The stress of it all has made me need massages more often which means traveling through Red Square more often which means endangering the citizens of the commnity more often. The cops never seem to consider the unintended consequences of their actions. I did have to run, but slowly, by the court house, to pay court costs and something else that ran about $300. I am hoping the cop realizes that karma can be his friend....or NOT.
Thankfully, I have a partner who understands and has the funds to spare me the necessity of having to sit through "Comedy Driving School" in person or on the computer, or whatever it is that people do now to get the required diploma. It had been about 25 years or more since I had gotten caught being a driving terrorist before this time. The "gotcha" fun for me is that a month or so after being on probation, I was having my vehicle washed and detailed when the washer-detailer person came and got me and said, "Did you know that your inspection sticker expired back in January?" Of course I didn't know but I love that the cop missed the opportunity to really rake me over the coals for being not only a terrorist, but a negligent terrorist to boot! It made me smile all under.
More is coming. I did get by the WRH2SU store and bought something. Again. I'll know more later about what I bought and I also got by the local bookstore and got a pocket dictionary. I may need now to go buy reading glasses because the print in that dictionary book keeps shifting around. However, I think the cover said something about it making words "come alive". Spooky.
Thank goodness I am done for the day except for trying to figure out what to feed my partner that the dogs will also like. It never ends.....well, I guess that's not really true either. It clearly ends at some point. Cheery thought.
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